#Architecture

Hiroshima Castle Guide 2026: What to See After the Keep Closed, Admission and Hours, the Ninomaru and A-Bomb Sites, and the Winter Wander Projection Mapping

Hiroshima Castle’s keep closed on March 22, 2026, but the reconstructed Ninomaru is open free of charge, and the keep’s exterior and the A-bomb sites in the Honmaru can still be seen. This guide covers the castle’s history, the Hiroshima Castle Sannomaru History Museum opening in June 2027 and the free projection mapping from December 18, based on official information.

Osaka City Central Public Hall Guide 2026: History, Highlights and How to Visit the Red-Brick Important Cultural Property, plus December Projection Mapping

Osaka City Central Public Hall in Nakanoshima is a red-brick Important Cultural Property completed in 1918. This guide covers its history from Iwamoto Einosuke’s donation to the restoration, the free basement exhibition room, Special Room guided tours, opening hours and access, and the free projection mapping from December 11 to 25, based on official information.

Tsuruga-jo Castle (Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle) Guide 2026: Japan's Only Red-Tiled Keep, Admission, Opening Hours, the Rinkaku Tea House and November Projection Mapping

Tsuruga-jo Castle in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, has Japan's only keep roofed in red tiles. Admission to the keep museum is ¥410 for adults, and it is open 8:30–17:00 every day. This guide covers its history, floor-by-floor exhibits, the Rinkaku tea house, access and the free projection mapping on November 20–22, based on official information.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi Art Guide: Asakura Museum of Sculpture, Takehisa Yumeji Museum, Mori Ogai Memorial Museum and More

A roundup, as of October 31, of exhibitions at eight museums, galleries and other sites in and around Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi (“Yanesen”). The special exhibition at the Asakura Museum of Sculpture runs until December 27, and SCAI THE BATHHOUSE opens a Nobuko Tsuchiya exhibition on November 4. We also sort out the different closing days and suggest routes.

[Autumn 2026] A Guide to Asakusa at Night: Senso-ji Illuminations, an Observation Terrace, and Important Cultural Property Gates and Shrine Halls

Senso-ji’s Main Hall and Five-Story Pagoda are illuminated every night until around 23:00, and until November 3 video is also projected onto the Main Hall and Hozomon Gate. The observation terrace of the Kengo Kuma–designed tourist center is free until 22:00. We put together a route for exploring Asakusa at night, including gates and shrine halls designated Important Cultural Properties.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Marunouchi, Kyobashi and Nihonbashi Art Guide: Artizon, Mitsubishi Ichigokan, Tokyo Station Gallery and More

Around Tokyo Station, museums are clustered in the station building and in buildings designated Important Cultural Properties. We summarize exhibitions at six museums, including the Artizon Museum and the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, as of October 31, three exhibitions opening in November and December, opening hours, admission and walking routes, along with the current status of the closed Idemitsu Museum of Arts.

[2026 Edition] Tokyo Museums Chosen for Their Architecture: 12 Venues by Le Corbusier, Kunio Maekawa, Yoshio Taniguchi and More

From Le Corbusier’s National Museum of Western Art to Kazuyo Sejima’s Sumida Hokusai Museum, we selected 12 Tokyo museums worth visiting for their buildings alone. We summarize architectural highlights, exhibitions as of October 30 and opening hours, along with routes by area.

Architect Toyo Ito and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto Among 2026 Order of Culture Recipients; Nihonga Painter Hiroshi Senju Named a Person of Cultural Merit

The recipients of the Order of Culture and the Persons of Cultural Merit for fiscal 2026 were announced on October 23. Architect Toyo Ito and Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of “Super Mario” and other games, will receive the Order of Culture, and Nihonga painter Hiroshi Senju was named a Person of Cultural Merit. The conferment ceremony will be held at the Imperial Palace on November 3.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Tennoz Art Guide: WHAT MUSEUM, Warehouse TERRADA’s Galleries and Canal-Side Murals

Tennoz, home base of Warehouse TERRADA, has a concentration of museum and gallery complexes and large murals along its canals. Until December 20 it is also a venue for the international art exhibition “TOKYO ATLAS,” with many free exhibitions. We summarize exhibitions, opening information and routes as of October 30.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Opens December 11: 28 Galleries Designed by the Late Frank Gehry, Tickets Now on Sale

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island will open on December 11, 2026. The building, designed by the late Frank Gehry, has 28 galleries, and an exhibition on Gehry will be held to mark the opening.

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Opens in LA on September 22, with More Than 1,300 Collection Works in Over 30 Galleries

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, opened in Los Angeles on September 22. The five-story building designed by MAD displays more than 1,300 works from the collection in more than 30 galleries.

Las Vegas Sphere’s “The Wizard of Oz” Sells More Than 4 Million Tickets: A New Show in 2027 and Abu Dhabi Completion by Late 2029

“The Wizard of Oz,” the immersive film experience at Sphere, the spherical venue in Las Vegas, has sold more than 4 million tickets in total. The operator expects a new show to open in 2027 and its second venue, in Abu Dhabi, to be completed by the end of 2029.

V&A East Museum Marks Six Months in East London: A Five-Story New Museum with a Free Permanent Display of 500-Plus Objects, Paired with a Storehouse

On April 18, 2026, the UK’s V&A opened a five-story new museum in Stratford, East London. It shows more than 500 objects in a free permanent display, also holds paid exhibitions, and operates as one of two sites alongside a collection storehouse that opened in 2025.

One Year After Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: Where Did the Pavilions and Exhibits Go? A Permanent Theater in Yokohama and the Grand Ring’s Timber

A year after the Expo closed, the “null²” pavilion has become a permanent theater in Yokohama, and exhibits have moved to science museums, airports and art museums. About 3,900 m³ of the Grand Ring has been transferred to local governments and others.

Guinness World Records for Projection Mapping: What Was Certified at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and Records Abroad

In February 2024, TOKYO Night & Light at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was certified with a record of 13,904.956 m² for permanent projection onto a building. We sort out how record titles are categorized, the procedures, and records abroad.

Lighting Design for Light-Ups: The Methods and People Behind the Nights of Castles, Bridges, Temples and Cities

Who designed the lighting of Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, the Rainbow Bridge, Himeji Castle and Byodo-in, and how? We sort it out using lighting designers’ project profiles, local government materials and the records of the Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan.

2026 Good Design Award: Yamaha’s “EAD50” Wins the Grand Award; the Winners Exhibition Ran Until November 4

The Japan Institute of Design Promotion announced 1,484 winners. The Grand Award went to Yamaha’s module that captures an entire drum kit with a single unit. The “G Exhibition,” showing all winning entries, was held at Tokyo Midtown until November 4.

Projection Mapping on Cultural Properties and the Care It Requires: Examples at Castles, Temples, Shrines and Government Buildings, and National and Tokyo Guidelines

What needs attention when projecting images onto a National Treasure castle keep, a temple’s main hall or an Important Cultural Property government building? We set out the key points from examples at castles, temples, shrines and government buildings, the Act on Protection of Cultural Properties, and guidelines from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and Tokyo.

Matsumoto Architecture Art Festival 2026 ADVANCE: Second Phase Runs Until December 13, with Lee Ufan, teamLab and Others at 19 Venues in Matsumoto’s Notable Buildings

The second phase of the art festival using notable buildings in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, as venues began on November 3. Expanding to Asama Onsen, 18 artists from Japan and abroad present works until December 13, including a “Last Supper” made of salt and video inspired by Jakuchu.