“Marimekko: The Power of Patterns” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum Until December 20; More Than 60 Dresses in the Former Prince Asaka Residence

“Marimekko: The Power of Patterns” is on view at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Shirokanedai, Tokyo) until Sunday, December 20, 2026. A touring exhibition of Marimekko, the Finnish design house founded in 1951, it comes to Tokyo after the Museum of Kyoto. More than 60 dresses, from the early years to current collections, and prints such as Maija Isola’s “Unikko” (1964) are presented in the Main Building (the former Prince Asaka Residence) and the Annex. Timed-entry reservations are required, and tickets must be purchased before visiting.

Why Marimekko in the former Prince Asaka Residence?

The Main Building, the former Prince Asaka Residence, was completed in 1933 as the home of the Asaka-no-miya imperial family. The residence incorporated the Art Deco style that Prince Asaka Yasuhiko and Princess Nobuko had encountered in Paris, and the interiors of the main rooms were designed by Henri Rapin, René Lalique and others. The overall design was handled by the Construction Bureau of the Imperial Household Ministry, and the building was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2015. It opened as a museum in 1983.

The museum names “the former Prince Asaka Residence, where patterns resonate” as one of the exhibition’s highlights. It describes the venue as a historic building based on 1930s French Art Deco decoration, with Japanese motifs placed throughout, and also as a residence where people once lived. The exhibition shows Marimekko’s prints in a building where patterns live on in the architectural details.

According to the museum, Marimekko has produced more than 3,500 print designs to date. It also touches on the brand’s relationship with Japan, noting that Japanese designers such as Katsuji Wakisaka in the 1960s and Fujiwo Ishimoto in the 1970s played active roles. The exhibition came to Tokyo from the Kyoto venue (July 4 – September 6, 2026) and will be held at the Hiroshima Museum of Art from January 30 to March 28, 2027. Tours to Kitakyushu, Toyama, Nagoya, Nagasaki and other cities are also planned.

What can be seen? Four highlights and main works

The museum lists the following four highlights.

• Dresses with timeless appeal: more than 60 dresses, from rare early pieces to current collections.

• Creativity born at the print factory in Helsinki: the art unit plaplax, which visited the factory, expresses the process by which prints are born and the dynamism of color and form in a video installation.

• The former Prince Asaka Residence, where patterns resonate: print patterns are shown in the spaces of an Art Deco residence.

• Design connecting Japan and Marimekko: a new installation by designer Akira Minagawa, who reinterpreted Marimekko’s world through repeated dialogue with the brand.

The main works listed by the museum are Maija Isola’s “Unikko,” “Seireeni” and “Kaivo” (all 1964) and “Iso Unikko” (1964/2023). Kristina Isola’s 2003 “Unikko” design, Annika Rimala’s “Nappimekko” (1967) and Maija Louekari’s “Siirtolapuutarha” (2009) are also on display, along with a photograph of the Helsinki print factory in 1965.

The exhibition’s special website says the display is organized in four chapters, from “What Is Marimekko?” to “A New Creative Dialogue with Akira Minagawa.” It shows founder Armi Ratia’s idea of “dresses as canvases” through the fusion of silhouettes and prints.

Tickets and prices

Tickets are sold on Webket. Admission is 1,400 yen for adults, 1,120 yen for university students (including vocational and other specialized schools) and 700 yen for high school students and those 65 and over. Groups of 20 or more (advance application required) pay 1,120 yen (adults), 890 yen (university students) and 560 yen (high school students and those 65 and over). Junior high school students and younger are free, with no reservation needed.

Holders of a Physical Disability Certificate, Ai no Techo, Ryoiku Techo, Mental Disability Certificate or Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Health Handbook and up to two caregivers are admitted free (including via Mirairo ID; no reservation needed). Elementary, junior high and high school students from Tokyo led by teachers, and the teachers themselves, are also admitted free with advance application.

As a “weekday-only early visit bonus,” visitors on weekdays can receive an original mini card for the exhibition (about 6 cm in diameter), one per person on a first-come, first-served basis at the Main Building reception. It is available to holders of tickets valid for that day; designs cannot be chosen, and the offer ends when supplies run out.

How to avoid the crowds

On Silver Day, the third Wednesday of each month, those 65 and over are admitted free (no reservation needed). The museum has announced that the ticket counter and galleries are expected to be crowded on Silver Day, Wednesday, October 21. Because the number of visitors is limited for each time slot, you may have to wait until your entry time, or may not be able to enter if the limit is reached.

Wednesday, October 28 is a “Relaxed Viewing Day,” with visitor numbers limited for people who find crowded places difficult. On Wednesday, November 11, from 10:00 to 15:00, there will be a “Baby Hour,” when strollers are allowed in the Main Building, where they normally cannot be used; visitor numbers will also be limited that day. Online timed-entry tickets are required for both.

Related programs and access

Mini talks by the curator in charge will be held on Thursday, October 22 and Thursday, December 3, from 14:30 to 15:00, in Gallery 2 of the Annex. Capacity is 50, advance application is required (a lottery will be held if there are many applicants), and a ticket valid on the day is also needed. On December 3, sign language interpretation and captioning support will be provided.

On Saturday, November 14, a philosophical dialogue for junior high school students and older (capacity 20) will be held. On Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22, there will be a mini workshop, “Happy Birthday to Me,” for high school students and older, which requires a ticket that includes the workshop.

The address is 5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo. It is a 7-minute walk from the East Exit of Meguro Station on the JR Yamanote Line and the Main Exit of Meguro Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line, and a 6-minute walk from Exit 1 of Shirokanedai Station on the Toei Mita Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. As parking is limited, the museum asks visitors to use public transportation. Design exhibitions are introduced in our guide to design, craft and architecture exhibitions, and exhibitions in Tokyo in our guide to exhibitions in Tokyo. Suggestions for combining a visit with the Matsuoka Museum of Art and the Ebara Hatakeyama Museum of Art, also in Shirokanedai, and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Ebisu are gathered in our Ebisu, Shirokanedai and Meguro art guide.

Frequently asked questions

Are reservations required?

Timed-entry reservations are required, and tickets must be bought on Webket before visiting. Junior high school students and younger, holders of disability certificates and their caregivers, and those 65 and over on Silver Day do not need reservations.

Can I take photos?

Photography is not permitted, except of some works. The museum also asks visitors to refrain from taking photos for portrait purposes.

Can I visit in the evening?

The museum is open until 20:00 on November 6, 13, 20, 21, 27 and 28, and December 4 and 5. After 17:00 on these days, as “Autumn Night Museum 2026,” students are admitted free, and adults and those 65 and over pay group rates (proof required).

Overview

Name: Marimekko: The Power of Patterns
Dates: Saturday, October 3 – Sunday, December 20, 2026
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing); until 20:00 on November 6, 13, 20, 21, 27 and 28, and December 4 and 5
Closed: Mondays (open Monday, November 23; closed Tuesday, November 24)
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Main Building and Annex)
Address: 5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Access: 7-minute walk from the East Exit of Meguro Station on the JR Yamanote Line and the Main Exit of Meguro Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line; 6-minute walk from Exit 1 of Shirokanedai Station on the Toei Mita Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
Admission: Adults 1,400 yen, university students (including vocational and other specialized schools) 1,120 yen, high school students and 65 and over 700 yen; junior high school students and younger free. Timed-entry reservations required
Organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)
Special cooperation: marimekko
Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Official website: https://www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp/exhibition/20261003-1220_marimekko/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: From a press release by LOOK Holdings Inc.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on information from the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum and the exhibition’s special website (as of October 19, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team