Crossroads of Diversity: Experience International Contemporary Art in Japan at Art Week Tokyo

Art Week Tokyo (AWT), taking place November 5 through November 9, is a great way to explore the diverse and dynamic Tokyo art scene, with various museum and gallery events throughout the city. Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo, space Un, and Standing Pine, all galleries with international roots participating in AWT for the first time, are just three of AWT’s excellent venues spotlighting contemporary art in Tokyo. Here is a taste of the variety of art in Japan, underscored by the coexistence of global brands and niche art spaces with influences from France, Africa, and beyond.

A multisensory art extravaganza — Art Week Tokyo

AWT is just one of the many reasons Japan is a top destination for art travel. With help from the international art fair Art Basel, AWT comprises a citywide showcase of more than 50 leading contemporary art sites in Tokyo and invites you to dive into the city’s creative side, experiencing it through many different senses.

The free hop-on, hop-off AWT Bus connects all venues across multiple routes and runs 10:00 to 18:00 from November 7 through November 9, making one of the world’s most expansive art scenes easier to navigate. This year’s shuttle offers new express lines linking the Okura Museum of Art to hubs on other routes. Check out the website, available in English and Japanese, for the latest information on AWT.

A highlight of AWT is its AWT Focus exhibition at the Okura Museum of Art. Directed by the Zurich-based curator Adam Szymczyk, it displays more than 100 works by historic and contemporary artists responding to the question “What Is Real?” Other must-see shows include “Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory” with improvisational performances and installations at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.

AWT is not just about looking at art but also immersing yourself in the international creative happenings of Tokyo. In addition to video screenings and live performances, it offers programs like multilingual talks for general audiences by driving forces in the global art community: Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator of the Guggenheim Museum in New York and artistic director of the Documenta 16 exhibition in Germany, will headline a symposium, demonstrating her deep understanding of contemporary art trends; Doryun Chong, artistic director and chief curator of the M+ museum in Hong Kong, will moderate AWT’s Directors Conversation about important issues facing museums. Talks such as these will take place at locations including Keio University.

The ever-popular AWT Bar in Minami-Aoyama serves culinary masterpieces and artist-created cocktails in a venue that transforms each year. Previously, it was themed around ideas like outlines and landscapes. Reimagined again for 2025, the bar now incorporates a subtle “distortion” of space throughout, offering a fresh way to engage with the surrounding landscape and interact with others in a minimalist space featuring transparent walls. Kazuyo Sejima of the renowned firm SANAA chose and advised the talented young architect Ichio Matsuzawa for its design. Don’t leave without imbibing the artist-collaborated concoctions: a colorful, Pangaea-themed cocktail, a hot cocktail, or a blue beverage with a cranberry kick to dazzle the eyes and tongue.

2024 AWT Focus

French fashion meets a world-class art collection — Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

Situated at the forefront of trends and culture on Omotesando Avenue, Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo—on the seventh floor of the French fashion house—was designed by esteemed Japanese architect Jun Aoki with floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular views of the city.

Regularly changing exhibitions present works such as sculptures, video art, photographs, and sound installations from the collection of Fondation Louis Vuitton, which contains pieces by some of the world’s most beloved artists, including Christian Boltanski, Gilbert & George, and Wolfgang Tillmans. From October 2, 2025 through February 15, 2026, “Andy Warhol––Serial Portraits” introduces a selection of works under the theme of portraits by the pioneering American pop artist.

There are staff members who speak English and Chinese (availability varies by day), as well as Japanese. Leaflets in English and Japanese explaining exhibitions are available via two-dimensional code. Admission is free.

After visiting the gallery, you can explore the streets of Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood and experience its avant-garde developments in art and fashion.

©Louis Vuitton / Daici Ano

Multicultural dialogues in African and Japanese contemporary art — space Un

The space Un gallery in Minami-Aoyama is dedicated to contemporary African art and cultural exchange between Japan, Africa, the African diaspora, and beyond. Founded on the passion of Edna Dumas, a Cameroonian living in Japan’s love for contemporary African art and her commitment to supporting African artists, the gallery has, since opening in 2024, been a platform bridging Africa and Japan. Its exhibitions also present African and Japanese artists side by side, fostering dialogue.

Following a residency program in Yoshino, Nara, artists exhibit their paintings, sculptures, and other works in the gallery’s striking modernist building designed by Japanese architect Go Hasegawa, which offers a serene and welcoming setting where the artworks can stand out.

During AWT, space Un will host “The Clearing” by British writer and curator Ekow Eshun. Showcasing works by five artists from the African diaspora, the exhibition investigates kinship, connection, and collective memory, referencing the novel “Beloved” by Black American author Toni Morrison.

English and Japanese, as well as French, are spoken here, and everyone is welcome. Besides exhibitions, public events include workshops, performances, and talks. A mini café serves delicious Ethiopian coffee.

“Anastomosis” by Senegalese artist Aliou Diack (Exhibited April 20, 2024 through July 18, 2024)
© Masaki Ogawa

Cutting-edge creative expression from around the world — Standing Pine

Founded in Nagoya in 2009 to introduce fresh artistic voices to Japan, Standing Pine opened its Tokyo space in Shinagawa in 2023. This gallery represents daring and innovative artists from countries as varied as Switzerland, Italy, Madagascar, Mali, Ethiopia, and Brazil. It celebrates visual beauty and electric ideas in both traditional and unconventional media, from sculptures and paintings to textiles, kinetic art, sound installations, and media art.

Exhibition materials are written in English and Japanese, and bilingual staff can assist with interpretation.

From November 1 through November 29, 2025, Standing Pine will exhibit “Himmelstrasse” by Noritoshi Hirakawa, a New York-based multimedia artist who delves into historical events and the nature of reality. Meaning “The Road to Heaven,” this exhibition involves photography and sound installations in a wooden lodge, inviting you to consider temporal connections and a now-irradiated sacred forest in Fukushima. This mysterious work changes depending on elements like sound, movement, light, and space, as well as your perspective. You can physically enter the work, experiencing it through multiple senses.

Hirakawa will be at the gallery during AWT, providing a chance to meet and speak with him directly.

Noritoshi Hirakawa “Himmelstrasse” wooden lodge (Art Basel Hong Kong 2024 installation view)

Art Week Tokyo

Dates	November 5–November 9, 2025
URL	Art Week Tokyo

Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

Address	Louis Vuitton Omotesando Bldg. 7F, 5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo
URL	Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo

space Un

Address	KLO Minami-Aoyama Bldg. 1F, 2-4-9 Minami-Aoyama, Minato City, Tokyo
URL	space Un

Standing Pine

Address	Terrada Art Complex I 3F, 1-33-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa City, Tokyo
URL	Standing Pine

For updated information on opening hours, days closed, prices, and more, please check the official website.