The 119th Nitten Opens October 30 at The National Art Center, Tokyo, with About 3,000 Works, the New “Mio Prize” and “Touch Viewing”

“The 119th Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten),” organized by the Nitten public interest incorporated association, will be held from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 22, 2026, at The National Art Center, Tokyo, in Roppongi. An open-call exhibition in five divisions, Japanese-style painting, Western-style painting, sculpture, craft art and calligraphy, it fills the venue with about 3,000 works. This year it has established a new award, the “Mio Prize,” and launched “touch viewing,” an initiative that lets visitors touch some sculptures. Same-day general admission is ¥1,500, and high school and university students and junior high school students and younger are admitted free.

What is Nitten? An open-call exhibition continuing from the 1907 “Bunten”

The starting point of Nitten is the first Ministry of Education Art Exhibition (Bunten), held in 1907 (Meiji 40). According to Nitten’s official website, building on the Bunten, it changed its name to “Teiten,” “Shin-Bunten” and “Nitten,” and in 1958 (Showa 33) the Nitten incorporated association was established as a private organization. In 2012 (Heisei 24) it became a public interest incorporated association.

After the Tokyo exhibition ends, touring exhibitions are held in major cities around the country. The previous 118th edition toured Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Azumino and Kanazawa, and the Azumino exhibition (May 2–31, 2026, Azumino City Art Museum) drew 11,671 visitors (organizer’s figure). The venues and dates of the 119th touring exhibitions had not been announced as of October 20.

Why now? The “Mio Prize,” established ahead of the 120th milestone

A major change this year is the establishment of a new award, the “Mio Prize.” In Nitten News No. 194, chair Ryohei Miyata explains that the award is for entries that suggest great growth and promise for the future, and says it is also important from the perspective of developing talent, one of Nitten’s roles.

The other is the “touch viewing” project, an initiative that lets visitors actually touch some sculptures. The works covered and the method of implementation were not posted on the official website as of October 20. Next year marks the 120th commemorative exhibition, and judges’ texts in Nitten News and the judging comments for Western-style painting also refer to the next, 120th edition.

What can visitors see? Judging and selections in the five divisions

There are 95 judges in total, with chair Ryohei Miyata serving as head judge. Each of the divisions of Japanese-style painting, Western-style painting, sculpture, craft art and calligraphy has 19 judges, including external judges. Accepted entries and special selection winners are announced by division: Western-style painting and craft art on October 18 and calligraphy on October 19. Japanese-style painting and sculpture are scheduled to be announced on Thursday, October 22, and the winners of the minister’s awards and others on Thursday, October 29.

According to the judging comments for the three divisions announced so far, Western-style painting accepted 527 of 1,283 works submitted (including 37 first-time selections). Craft art received 564 submissions and accepted 462 (48 first-time), and chief judge Fuminori Haruyama notes that entries fell by only 23 from the previous year while the number of accepted artists rose by five. Calligraphy received 9,250 submissions, 191 more than the previous year, and accepted 1,226 (216 first-time).

Lectures and workshops during the exhibition

During the exhibition, video explanations of works, lectures and symposiums will be held in the 3rd-floor auditorium of The National Art Center, Tokyo. All are free, with numbered tickets distributed in front of the auditorium from 30 minutes before each start. Schedules may change.

• Saturday, November 7, 13:00–14:30: Japanese-style painting. Video explanations of works, “Talking About My Work” (this year’s winners of the minister’s award, governor’s award, members’ award and special selections). 15:00–16:30: Sculpture, “The Lineage of Sculptural Expression: Past and Future”

• Saturday, November 14, 13:30–15:00: Calligraphy. Symposium “Nitten Calligraphy” and explanations of works

• Saturday, November 21, 13:00–14:30: Western-style painting. Video explanations of works. 15:00–16:30: Craft art, “The Appeal of Craft Art”

The “Easy Viewing Tour,” in which artists from each division guide visitors through major works, will be held on Monday, November 9 and Monday, November 16, for ¥5,500 per person including admission, lunch and a text (reservations required). On days other than weekends, holidays and the opening day, “Mini Talks” of about 30 minutes for each division are held from 13:30 (free, admission ticket required, reservations required with same-day registration available). The “Waku Waku Workshop” for elementary and junior high school students and their guardians will be held on Sundays, November 1, 8 and 15, with direct instruction by Nitten artists. Participation is free (guardians need an admission ticket), and applications must arrive by October 23, with a lottery if oversubscribed.

Tickets, prices and access: Free for high school and university students, and evening twilight tickets

General admission is ¥1,500 on the day and ¥1,200 in advance. Advance tickets and pair tickets (advance only, ¥2,200) are on sale until October 29. Group tickets for 20 or more people cost ¥1,200, with one complimentary ticket for every 20 purchased. Twilight tickets, valid only from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., cost ¥700 and are sold only at the Nitten ticket window at the venue from 4 p.m. on the day.

High school and university students are admitted free on showing a student ID at the entrance, as are junior high school students and younger. Holders of a physical disability certificate, Ai no Techo, ryoiku techo, mental disability certificate or atomic bomb survivor’s health book, plus one companion, are also admitted free.

Viewing hours are 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). The exhibition is closed on three days: Wednesday, November 4, and November 10 and 17. The National Art Center, Tokyo, is directly connected to Exit 6 of Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4a of Roppongi Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and a 4-minute walk from Exit 7 of Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo Line. Museums around Roppongi are compiled in our Roppongi Art Triangle guide.

Editor’s perspective

This year’s Nitten has simultaneously launched initiatives aimed at exhibitors and viewers respectively: the Mio Prize, for entries suggesting growth toward the future, and an initiative letting visitors touch some sculptures. The judging results announced so far show that the scale differs greatly by division, with 9,250 submissions for calligraphy, 1,283 for Western-style painting and 564 for craft art. Being able to compare those differences in one venue is a feature of Nitten as a comprehensive art exhibition in five divisions. The National Art Center, Tokyo’s exhibitions for next year are introduced in a separate article.

Overview

Name: The 119th Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (Nitten)
Dates: Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 22, 2026
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Closed: Wednesday, November 4; Tuesday, November 10; Tuesday, November 17
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo
Address: 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo
Admission: General: ¥1,500 on the day, ¥1,200 in advance (until October 29), pair ticket ¥2,200 (advance only), twilight ticket ¥700. Free for high school and university students and junior high school students and younger
Organizer: Nitten (public interest incorporated association)
Supporters: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Official website: https://nitten.or.jp/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Exterior of The National Art Center, Tokyo, October 2018 (Photo: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on announcements by Nitten (Nitten News No. 194, issued September 29, 2026, and the lists of accepted entries announced October 18 and 19) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team