“Art Fair Tokyo 21” at Tokyo International Forum from March 11, 2027; Public Days March 12–14

“Art Fair Tokyo 21” (ART FAIR TOKYO 21) will be held from Thursday, March 11 to Sunday, March 14, 2027, with the Tokyo International Forum (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) as its main venue. The first day, March 11, is an invitation-only day, and the public days are Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14. The fair covers everything from antiques and crafts to modern and contemporary art, and the “Projects” section, which introduces new movements, will be held in the B1 concourse of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. As of October 19, the exhibitors had not been announced.

Does it start on March 11 or March 12? Sorting out the official information

The official website gives the dates in two ways: the top page shows “March 12 [Fri] – March 14 [Sun], 2027,” while the news section says “from Thursday, March 11 to Sunday, March 14, 2027.” An official announcement dated March 19, 2026 states that Thursday, March 11 is planned as the invitation-only day, with public days from Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14. The dates on the top page match these public days.

As of October 19, opening hours, ticket prices and sales methods had not been posted on the official website.

From antiques to contemporary art: three sections and the venues

According to the official website, Art Fair Tokyo has been held since 2005 and is regarded as one of Japan’s largest and Asia’s oldest art fairs. It describes itself as the only art fair in Japan that covers everything from antiques and crafts to modern and contemporary art.

There are three sections: “Galleries,” the core section where galleries with ongoing programs set up booths; “Crossing,” for exhibitors other than commercial galleries and for projects that cut across genres; and “Projects,” suited to exhibitions focusing on specific artists or themes and to experimental presentations. There are also programs such as the talk series “Dialogues,” the film program “Films” and “Encounters.”

Galleries and Crossing will be held in Hall E and the Lobby Gallery of the Tokyo International Forum. As for Projects, the organizer has announced that it will step outside the main venue at the Tokyo International Forum and be held in a place with more foot traffic.

Last edition drew a total of 56,938 visitors, with total sales of about 3.65 billion yen

At the previous edition, Art Fair Tokyo 20 (March 2026), 141 exhibitors took part, total attendance was 56,938 and total sales were about 3.65 billion yen, up about 28.1% from the previous year. The number of visitors with tickets also rose by about 27% from the previous year to a record high (according to the organizer).

Materials released before that edition (December 2025) gave the breakdown of exhibitors as 75 in contemporary art, 25 in modern art, 17 in antiques, 13 in crafts, 4 from overseas and 7 exhibitors that do not fit within the gallery framework. The fair was organized by aTOKYO Inc., and its main visual used Tatsuo Miyajima’s work “Counter Skin in Hiroshima-3 gold.”

Kyoto in March too: Tokyo and Kyoto art fairs in 2027

In Kyoto, “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2027” will be held the week before Art Fair Tokyo 21. It runs from Friday, March 5 to Sunday, March 7, 2027, at the Meiji Kotokan of the Kyoto National Museum. Organized by Kyoto Prefecture, the Kyoto Shimbun and the ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO Executive Committee, it began in 2018 as an event that is at once an art exhibition and an art fair, with no boundary between the two. According to the application guidelines, exhibitors stay at the venue throughout the fair to explain their works and discuss sales.

In autumn, the art fair “Tokyo Gendai,” whose fourth edition was held at Pacifico Yokohama in 2026, will move to Ariake GYM-EX in Ariake, Tokyo, for its fifth edition. It runs from Friday, November 5 to Sunday, November 7, 2027, and its official website carries the slogan “The stage moves to Tokyo, the season to the autumn of art.”

Editor’s perspective

At the previous edition, both total sales and the number of ticketed visitors grew. For its 21st edition, the fair is moving Projects to a busier location, where it will also catch the eye of people outside the fair venue. In Tokyo in 2027, Art Fair Tokyo in March will be followed by Tokyo Gendai in November.

Early in the new year, TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR 2026 will also be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. The dates of art fairs and art festivals in Japan are compiled in our art fair and art festival calendar.

Overview

Name: Art Fair Tokyo 21 (ART FAIR TOKYO 21)
Dates: Thursday, March 11 – Sunday, March 14, 2027 (March 11 is an invitation-only day; public days are March 12–14)
Hours: Not announced as of October 19
Venues: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E / Lobby Gallery (Galleries, Crossing); Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, B1 Concourse (Projects)
Address: 3-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (Tokyo International Forum)
Access: About a 1-minute walk from Yurakucho Station (JR and subway); about a 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station (Keiyo Line) (Tokyo International Forum)
Admission: Not announced as of October 19
Operator: aTOKYO Inc.
Official website: https://artfairtokyo.com/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Tokyo International Forum, May 2023 (photo: MaedaAkihiko, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on a press release from aTOKYO Inc. (December 1, 2025) and information on the official websites of Art Fair Tokyo, ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO and Tokyo Gendai.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team