#Design

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Ginza Gallery Guide: 10 Venues Including Shiseido Gallery, ggg and Maison Hermès

Ginza is home to free galleries run by cosmetics, fashion and camera companies, among others. We summarize exhibitions, opening information and routes for 10 venues, including Shiseido Gallery, Ginza Graphic Gallery and Maison Hermès, as of October 30.

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.

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.

TOKYO MIDTOWN AWARD 2026 Results Announced: Misuzu Akimoto and Doshu Tokumoto Win the Grand Prix

“Soft Building Blocks” won the Grand Prix in the design competition and “Wave Goodbye, Waves” in the art competition, from a total of 1,579 entries. The 16 award-winning and selected works were on display until November 8.

Dieter Rams Exhibition Opens November 17 at Tama Art University’s New Gallery, an Official Show Planned by His Foundation

Through products designed by Rams along with sketches, drawings and prototypes, the exhibition traces his philosophy of “Less, but Better.” It is the inaugural exhibition of a new gallery in Kaminoge, with Naoto Fukasawa as general supervisor.

“From When Is Now? — Settai Komura and Takuro Tamayama” at Shiseido Gallery from November 3, Pairing a New Tamayama Work with Settai Materials

Three items by Settai Komura, who handled Japanese-style design in Shiseido’s design department from 1918 to 1923, are shown alongside a new installation by Takuro Tamayama at the Ginza gallery that opened in 1919. Admission is free.

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.

[2026] Major Awards in Art, Design and Spatial Production, from the Good Design Award to the Praemium Imperiale

The Good Design Award was announced on October 15, and the Praemium Imperiale ceremony takes place on the 28th. We set out the main awards in Japan and abroad whose results came out in 2026, by organizer, announcement date and main winners.

Eric Carle Exhibition Opens October 23 at Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art with All the Original Art for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Touring to Osaka

The retrospective marking the 50th anniversary of the Japanese edition of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” opens in Fukuoka after Tokyo. It displays about 180 items, including the original art for every page, original art shown in Japan for the first time and 12 dummy books, and tours to Osaka in March 2027.

Design Festa Vol.64 at Tokyo Big Sight on November 14 and 15, with About 6,500 Booths Each Day

The 64th edition of the art event begun in 1994, where anyone can exhibit original work without screening. About 6,500 booths fill the entire West and South Halls of Tokyo Big Sight each day. Advance one-day tickets cost ¥800.

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT’s Time Exhibition from February 2027; Tomohiro Okazaki Turns the Gallery into a Clock

A special exhibition that considers the familiar time we use as a tool in daily life from a design perspective. Graphic designer Tomohiro Okazaki serves as director, treating the entire gallery as one big clock.

Takenobu Igarashi Exhibition at Tama Art University from November 14; About 70 Works from the PARCO Logo to Sculpture

The exhibition introduces, through “process” and “development,” the work of Takenobu Igarashi (1944–2025), former president of Tama Art University, who worked as a graphic designer before turning to sculpture at 50. Admission is free.

Lisa Larson Memorial Exhibition at Marui Imai in Sapporo from December 4; Tracing the Life of the Swedish Ceramicist

A memorial exhibition for Lisa Larson, the Swedish ceramicist and designer who died in 2024 at the age of 92, opens on December 4 at Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store. It follows the Tokyo venue at Matsuya Ginza in September and October.

“Swedish Textiles” at Setagaya Art Museum Until November 15; About 200 Works, Including Nordic Printed Fabrics

Centered on vintage textiles from the collection of Sara Axtelius, a collector living in Sweden, the exhibition introduces fabrics from the mid-20th century onward from three perspectives: motifs, designers and daily life.

Hello Kitty Exhibition at the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum Until January 11; Half a Century of Kitty Traced Through Her Relationship with Fans

An exhibition focusing on the relationship between Hello Kitty and each of her fans has traveled to the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum. It traces Kitty’s half century through the largest display of merchandise in her exhibition history, collaborations with artists and videos.

“Who Does Jewelry Dream Of?” Opens October 24 at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; About 350 Works Centered on Postwar Japan

Taking postwar Japan as its viewpoint, the exhibition reexamines the possibilities of jewelry, in which expression enters something worn on the body. It includes works from the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry and works coming from Germany to Japan for the first time in about 50 years.

“tsugu minä perhonen” at Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design Until December 22; minä perhonen 30th Anniversary Exhibition

A touring exhibition on minä perhonen, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2025. In six areas, including about 180 textiles, handwork at the factories and a re-creation of the studio, it explores the brand’s approach to making through the word “tsugu.”

“Seiji Togo: 130th Anniversary of His Birth” at the SOMPO Museum of Art from January 9, 2027; About 100 Paintings and Commercial Design

A retrospective of Seiji Togo, who was deeply involved in founding the museum. About 100 paintings, from avant-garde early works and his “Seiji beauties” to large late works, and about 100 related materials such as book designs and confectionery wrapping paper trace his entire career.

“Spinning Love, Carving Prayers: Lithuanian Handcrafts” at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum from January 16, 2027

According to the museum, this is the first exhibition in Japan to fully introduce Lithuania’s diverse handcrafts. Spinning boards called verpstė, crosses and holy images are shown in the Art Deco former residence of Prince Asaka and the Annex. Timed reservations are required.