“Feel the Sound” Opens in Takanawa on November 20 with Ryuichi Sakamoto + Daito Manabe and Others: An Immersive Exhibition Co-produced with London’s Barbican

On October 7, 2026, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives in Takanawa, Tokyo, announced the immersive sound exhibition “Feel the Sound.” It is scheduled to run from Friday, November 20 to Monday, March 22, 2027 (national holiday). The exhibition is planned and produced by the Barbican Centre, a cultural venue in London, and co-produced by MoN Takanawa. It will be the first showing in Japan, and tickets went on sale on October 30.

Through installations combining sound, vibration, music and technology, it offers an experience of feeling sound not just with the ears but with the whole body. The press materials say works by artists and creators from Japan and abroad will create an experience in which visitors’ own bodies become a “listening device.” The tagline is “That sound reaches your body before your ears.”

First shown in London in 2025: 11 works, extending even into the underground car park

According to the Barbican Centre’s press materials of February 4, 2025, the exhibition premiered at the centre in London from May 22 to August 31, 2025. It comprised 11 commissions and installations, including six new works. The venue extended from the Silk Street entrance through The Curve gallery and the foyers to the outdoor Lakeside Terrace. The centre’s underground car park also became an exhibition space for the first time.

The venue included two artist-led lab spaces exploring “embodied listening” and the creative possibilities of experimenting with and experiencing sound, shaped by Nicole L’Huillier, Sarah Mackenzie and the MUTEK team. For the Tokyo exhibition, the official website has announced participating artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Daito Manabe, Max Cooper, Miyu Hosoi, Ei Wada, Yuri Suzuki, Holly Herndon and Evelyn Glennie.

MoN Takanawa’s first international curatorial project

The Barbican’s press materials explain that MoN Takanawa, then scheduled to open in 2026, had been involved in planning the exhibition from the outset as a co-producer, describing it as the museum’s first international curatorial project. The co-production was undertaken by MoN Takanawa together with its operator, the JR East Cultural Creation Foundation.

Barbican Immersive, which produced the exhibition, premieres experiential exhibitions at the Barbican before touring them around the world. Even before its London opening, an international tour including MoN Takanawa in the second half of 2026 had been announced for this exhibition. The Barbican Centre opened in 1982 and welcomes more than 1.1 million visitors a year (per the JR East Cultural Creation Foundation’s press materials).

MoN Takanawa opened in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY on March 28, 2026, with the mission of “passing culture on to 100 years ahead.” The building has six floors above ground and three below, a total floor area of 24,314.31 m² and a height of 44.19 m, with exterior design by Kengo Kuma and Associates.

The venue is Box1500, the museum’s largest space; MUTEK.JP opens the same day

From October 2026, the museum has adopted the season theme “Sound as Culture.” Its official website lists the live performance “Animersive Live” (October 10 – November 15) and this exhibition as programs under the theme. The venue, Box1500, on the 5th floor, is the museum’s largest space at about 1,500 m² and is positioned as the place for exhibitions that embody the season’s theme.

From November 20, the same day as the opening, “MUTEK.JP 2026” will also be held at the museum over four days. The MUTEK team was also involved in the London exhibition. Developments at immersive venues abroad are covered in our roundup of immersive digital art venues overseas, and major venues in Japan in our guide to immersive art venues.

Tickets, admission and participating artists

Tickets went on sale on October 30. Regular prices (tax included) are 2,500 yen for adults, 1,100 yen for U25 and 550 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students; advance tickets until November 19 cost 2,300 yen, 900 yen and 350 yen respectively. Preschool children, and people with a disability certificate plus one companion, are admitted free. Tickets are sold on MoN Takanawa’s ticket site and ArtSticker, and all tickets include an audio guide at no extra charge. Each ticket allows one entry at any time during the exhibition period. Opening hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), with last entry 30 minutes before closing. The official website introduces three works: “Sensing Streams-invisible, inaudible: focused edition” (2025) by Ryuichi Sakamoto + Daito Manabe, “Reflections of Being” (2025) by Max Cooper and “Resonance Continuum” (2025) by Elsewhere in India. The British Council is providing cooperation.

Editor’s perspective

Here a Japanese museum has joined an experiential exhibition developed by an overseas cultural venue as a co-producer from the early planning stages and is hosting it as a tour stop. The subject is sound and vibration, with the experience of listening with the whole body at the fore. Prices and participating artists were announced between late October and early November, revealing the participation of Japanese artists, including a work by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Daito Manabe. It will be worth watching how the venue builds the experience of listening with the body.

Frequently asked questions

How long does “Feel the Sound” run, and what are the opening hours?

It runs from Friday, November 20, 2026 to Monday, March 22, 2027 (national holiday). Opening hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), with last entry 30 minutes before closing. The venue is Box1500 at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY.

How much are tickets?

Regular tickets cost 2,500 yen for adults, 1,100 yen for U25 and 550 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students; advance tickets until November 19 cost 2,300 yen, 900 yen and 350 yen. Preschool children are free. Tickets are sold on MoN Takanawa’s ticket site and ArtSticker, and all tickets include an audio guide at no extra charge.

Which artists are taking part?

The official website has announced participating artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Daito Manabe, Max Cooper, Miyu Hosoi, Ei Wada, Yuri Suzuki, Holly Herndon and Evelyn Glennie. The exhibition is planned and produced by the Barbican Centre in London and co-produced by MoN Takanawa.

Overview

Name: Feel the Sound
Dates: Friday, November 20, 2026 – Monday, March 22, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Venue: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, Box1500 (5th floor)
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo (in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY)
Admission: 2,500 yen for adults, 1,100 yen for U25, 550 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students, free for preschool children (advance tickets until November 19: 2,300 yen, 900 yen and 350 yen)
Organizer: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
Planning and production: Barbican Centre (London, UK)
Co-production: MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives
Cooperation: British Council
Operator: JR East Cultural Creation Foundation
Official website: https://montakanawa.jp/programs/feelthesound2026/
*Information as of November 9, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Key visual for “Feel the Sound” (from the JR East Cultural Creation Foundation’s press release)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from the JR East Cultural Creation Foundation (October 7, 2026) and the Barbican Centre (February 4, 2025), and information on the official websites.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team