• COVID-19 Info: All visitors are asked to wear masks and use the supplied plastic gloves inside the exhibit. For more updates, check the official website https://www.teamlab.art/e/acornforest/

With a gentle nudge or breeze, each ovoid emits a calming sound that permeates throughout the forest.

Though this one doesn’t focus on immersive projection mapping as Borderless does, the interactive installation is where nature makes art come to life. Egg-shaped, silver pods called ovoids are spread throughout a small section within the park and with a gentle nudge or breeze, each ovoid emits a calming sound that permeates throughout the forest.

Photo by: Heidi Sarol Soak it all in.

The interactive installation only takes up a small portion of the expansive park but it is still very much worth going to. Visiting during the day vs. night will yield a completely different experience.

Night and day

During the day, the eggs that are sprawled throughout the hilly landscape reflect the color of the forest floor and surrounding nature. While loosely following the path, move at your own pace in order to truly immerse yourself within the calm, natural atmosphere. Listen closely to how the melody of the ovoid chimes blends seamlessly into the sounds of nature, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Photo by: mkst_ph We don’t know about you, but our dreams are always filled with multi-colored alien eggs.

To avoid the crowds, go on early weekday afternoons—there’s a high chance you’ll have the exhibit all to yourself.

In the evenings, the forest transforms into a colorful light show. Each tree is individually lit and as the light pulses, it seems as if the forest is coming to life right before your eyes. The ovoids are also set up to emit different lights to match the melody.

Whether you choose to visit during the day or at night, make sure to check out the Tokorozawa Sakura Park located next to it. Owned by the publishing company Kodokawa and Tokorozawa City, this complex houses a modern shrine, cafes, an anime museum, and even an anime hotel.

Hidden in the valleys of landlocked Gifu Prefecture sits what can only be described as a marriage of Alice’s wonderland and modern architecture. It’s the Site of Reversible Destiny, a massive art installation park perfect for the offbeat traveler. The installation is a culmination of 30 years of collaborative work between artist/architect duo Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins. Grab a helmet at the entrance and get lost.

By disturbing the viewer’s understanding of physics and material reality, the artists hope to free people from the inertia of routine

Arakawa and Gins sought to challenge the human body’s “physical and spiritual orientation to the world and instead of being fearful of losing balance, [visitors should] look forward to it.” By disturbing the viewer’s understanding of physics and material reality, the artists hope to free people from the inertia of routine and help them return to the exploratory state of childhood.

Photo by: cobecoberirin Don’t fall in.

Down the rabbit hole

Start your journey at The Reversible Destiny Office, a cotton-candy daydream of a maze where the ceiling mirrors the floor, and the line between up and down is blurred beyond recognition. The floor rises and dips throughout the maze, with some sections engulfing visitors and others barely reaching waist-level. Think that’s intense? That’s only just the beginning.

Clamber up Exactitude Ridge (be careful not to lose your balance) to reach the main pavilion of the park, The Critical Resemblance House. Its roof is shaped like Gifu Prefecture and it houses a winding maze where visitors will encounter furniture jutting out from walls, missing ceilings, dead ends, and precarious climbs.

Photo by: Kuruman A cotton candy daydream of a maze is really the only way to describe it.

A bright yellow doorway signals your arrival at the Geographical Ghost. Squeeze through a pitch-black passage to reach the final room which features a skylight in the shape of Japan. Claustrophobes may want to avoid the Cleaving Hall, which is extremely narrow and challenging to navigate through.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the house more than once. The creators recommend that you “move through the house as though you are presently living in it or you were its next resident.”

Perspective is key

Photo by: Anna Modugno Yep. That roof is shaped like Gifu Prefecture!

Seeing things from multiple perspectives is one of the most important lessons of The Site of Reversible Destiny. For sweeping views of the park, scale the enormous wall that runs its circumference. From this vantage point, the map of Japan embedded within the landscape can be seen. The wall itself is hollow and can be explored as well.

There is no wrong way to experience the art installations, so long as you do it with a sense of curiosity. Does the park truly have the power to reverse destiny? There’s only one way to find out.

• COVID-19 Info: All visitors are asked to wear masks inside the museum. For more updates, check the official website https://borderless.teamlab.art/#information

Immerse yourself in showers of light. It’s exactly as mind-bending as it sounds.

The exhibit, housed at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba, Tokyo, is truly an experience. The art morphs and transforms, encapsulating visitors and tantalizing their senses.

Photo by: Anthony V Moulay A cascade of colors.

Opened in 2018, the museum uses over 400 projectors to fill the 10,000-meter space with free-flowing interactive designs.

Jump into the space-time continuum and experience the evolution of a star from simple stardust to a black hole, or simply immerse yourself in showers of light.

Let the vivid images whisk you away into another dimension.

It’s exactly as mind-bending as it sounds, and that’s only the beginning—teamLab Borderless has much more in store.

An interactive experience

Google teamLab Borderless and the Forest of Resonating Lamps will definitely pop up. The extremely Instagram famous room is filled with countless LED bulbs in an array of color schemes.

Photo by: senngokujidai4434 The Forest of Resonating Lamps.

One visit might take you to any icy blue fantasy, while the next may see the room glowing with different hues of green and purple. No two visits are ever the same.

Mori Art Museum

The mystical background music sets the tone perfectly for this fairytale of lights, colors, and sounds.

Reach out and touch the characters marching along the museum walls to see how they interact with you, but be gentle with the fluttering butterflies—if you touch them, they’ll die.

Photo by: rabbit_akra Which way is up and which way is down?

With countless artworks, a teahouse, and even a kid-friendly area, you can (and will) spend hours here.

While the museum is practically made for Instagram, the best way to enjoy it is distraction-free, letting the vivid images whisk you away into another dimension.

• 2019 Monster Parade: Sat, October 19th, 2019
• 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• http://kyoto-taisyogun.com/en/

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And here’s a really cute kitsune (fox) girl who runs a spooky-themed tenugui (traditional Japanese cloths) shop. Or maybe she’s just hanging about to make mischief? ? [Minolta a7 / Astia100f] #youkaiseries

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Today, this street is known as “Yokai Street,” where you can see some of these traditional and not-so-traditional monsters. The owners of shops on this street started to construct monsters as a celebration of the legends. Some of them are based on Japanese folklore, and others are just a hodgepodge of things thrown together to look like a monster. Either way, it’s worth a visit while in Kyoto City.

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おはようさん！ たまには、こんなんのもいいやろ? 仕事しよ。 #photo #写真 #カメラ #camera #一眼レフ #NIKON#d7200 #myphotography #写真好きな人と繋がりたい #カメラ好きな人と繋がりたい#写真撮ってる人と繋がりたい #team_jp_西 #igersjp #ig_japan#icu_japan #ig_nihon #bestjapanpics #nikonasia #NikonGlobal #kyoto #japanlicious #妖怪ストリート

A post shared by M.ozaki (@ozacom) on Apr 5, 2018 at 6:07pm PDT

As the story goes…

In Japanese folklore, yokai are feared and renowned. Most of the legends are used to scare children into doing their chores or being kind to each other. This is why you will sometimes see “monsters” made out of old broomsticks, or other household items. Make sure to sweep the house or the broom monster will come and get you!

The street is home to a shopping district called Taishogun Shopping Street, where the 400-meter walk is populated with homemade sculptures of these legendary monsters.

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前回の大将軍八神社の記事でチラッと書きました妖怪ストリートの妖怪達を紹介します。 . 平安時代最強の陰陽師・安倍晴明が式神を隠した一条戻橋に通じる一条大路。現在の一条通りにこの妖怪ストリートは有ります。 . 10月には妖怪に扮した人間達が百鬼夜行をする妖怪イベントもあり面白いですよ。 . #大将軍八神社#妖怪ストリート#百鬼夜行#平安時代から#妖怪#yokai #travel #trip#kyoto#宿泊 #旅館業許可 #町家#京都旅行#kisshoan#吉祥庵#お宿#ゲストハウス #umetree#umeblossom #ume#guesthouse #建築士#簡易宿泊所 #ホテル#hotel#リノベーション#renovation#newwebsite http://kissho-an.jp/

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This is your opportunity to grab some authentic Japanese food and souvenirs. Since the street is not really a tourist destination, it is a great opportunity to experience a different side of Japan. Most of the shops cater to locals and some of them are hundreds of years old. Everything from fresh fish, to clothing and tea shops line the streets.

Seasonal events

If you happen to visit in September and October, the street also boasts “Monster”-themed events such as the “yokai parade” which is the area’s largest event of the year. Hundreds of people dress up as different monsters and parade through the streets in the evening, much like ancient Halloween traditions. They also hold a “ghost” flea market on the weekend, where monster-themed goods are sold from dozens of shops. If you ever wanted earrings shaped like eyeballs, Japanese rice wine with spooky art labels, or stuffed animals of legendary Japanese monsters, you have come to the right place.

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一条百鬼夜行妖怪パレード＠大将軍商店街。 力作過ぎるよ！ #kyoto #festival #京都 #大将軍商店街 #大将軍商店街一条妖怪ストリート #百鬼夜行 #妖怪パレード #パレード #妖怪

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These events have different dates each year, so be sure to check out the official website to find the best time to go. Don’t miss out on this spooky treat when visiting Kyoto.

Looking for more strange parts of Japan? Check out some “offbeat” places!

• 2019 Setouchi Triennale Fall Dates: Sat, Sept. 28 to Mon, Nov. 4
• The Setouchi Triennale only happens every three years so don't miss your chance to see this expansive contemporary art festival!

This magical art retreat is a testament to Japan’s devotion to good design, and the conviction that good design can create a better life.

Benesse Corporation sponsors most of the work on the island, and their museums are world-class institutions with works by an impressive roster of artists, including Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock, and Walter de Maria. The Benesse House functions as both hotel and art gallery, letting you fulfill your wildest dreams of having a sleepover with Andy Warhol.

Photo by: Olivier Lejade ‘100 live and die’ by Bruce Nauman.

Chichu Art Museum

The nearby Chichu Art Museum is possibly the most outstanding structure in a place with no end to remarkable stuff. Built almost entirely underground, the museum relies on natural light for most of its limited but outstanding collection, subtly transforming the works into something new every time you look. Stroll down to the docks and you’ll come across Naoshima’s most famous sight: a polka-dotted pumpkin designed by mother of Japanese avant-garde art, Yayoi Kusama.

Stumble across pieces of art where you least expect.

Thoughtfully designed cafes and restaurants are tucked away in the peaceful, narrow streets of Honmura. This is also the location of the Art House Project, which sees cutting-edge art pieces incorporated into unused, traditional Japanese homes in neighborhoods still inhabited by local communities.

Photo by: Eiji Saito

Near the main port of Miyanoura, I Love Yu is an exuberantly kitsch sento that’s a far cry from the simplicity and prudence of a traditional Japanese bathhouse. Bathing in these waters will have you turning your head every which way to take in the stained glass ceiling, vintage erotica, and realistic elephant statue.

Setouchi Triennale

Every three years the Setouchi Triennale, which is the mother of all art festivals in Japan, takes over Naoshima and eleven other islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The widespread art fest covers the archipelago in around 200 fantastical installations and artworks from Japan and beyond. Each year the festival is held has three seasonal installations in Spring, Summer, and Fall. The next one will be in Fall of 2019!

Photo by: Kentaro Ohno “Light of Shodoshima” by Wang Wen Chih, from the 2013 Setouchi Triennale.

Naoshima is sometimes referred to as “Ando Island” after Takao Ando, the revered architect who designed most of the main buildings. Anyone with an interest in architecture must make a pilgrimage to see how his structures of concrete and steel play with light and other natural phenomena.

They are custom-made to house some of the most enthralling, mysterious encounters with art ever. Your perspective will be bent in so many ways that it may never recover.

Check out GaijinPot Blog for a guide to visiting the Setouchi Triennale!

• The National Museum of Western Art will temporarily be closed until March 16 due to the coronavirus. For updates on the COVID-19 situation in Japan check GaijinPot Blog: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/is-it-safe-to-visit-japan-as-the-coronavirus-cases-increase/

Gaze into the void as you stand before “The Gate of Hell” or get philosophical under the watchful eyes of “The Thinker.” These are two of Rodin’s most well-known sculptures that greet visitors in the forecourt. If you’re looking for something closer to a conventional European or American style museum, this is definitely the spot for you.

Photo by: Cloganese Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker.”

Of the six museums in Ueno Park, The National Museum of Western Art is the newest opening in 1959. The museum’s main building, “Le Corbusier”, was recognized as a  Unesco World Heritage Site for its “outstanding architectural work” in 2016. Beyond the statue garden and intricate architecture lies a story of post-war relations between Japan and France.

A French Museum in Tokyo

The permanent exhibition area of the museum has a wide variety of paintings, sketches and other forms of expressive art, ranging from 14th century Gothic and Renaissance right up to 20th Century post-war modern art. Mainly though, the museum is the home of the Matsukata Collection, featuring works by Monet and Van Gogh among others.

Photo by: Chris Guy The National Museum of Western Art is one of six museums in Ueno Park.

Kojiro Matsukata was a prominent artist, politician and philanthropist in the early 1900s. Having studied in both the US and Europe prior to World War II, much of Matsukata’s  collection was held in Paris after the war ended because they were considered as “enemy property.” The around 400 paintings, sculptures, and tapestries were returned to Japan in 1959 on the condition that Japan build a French art museum in the nation’s capital city.

The museum gives off classic French and European vibes, creating a unique atmosphere that can’t be found elsewhere in Tokyo.

Daikanyama, located between Shibuya and Nakameguro, mixes the trendiness of the former with the hipsterness of the latter to create an oh-so-fashionable oasis among the hectic scramble of Tokyo. Though very popular among locals and expats alike, Daikanyama lives life in the slow lane, providing a plethora of inviting spaces where you can relax with a book, chat with friends, or buckle down to get some work done.

The foremost place to do this is the famous Daikanyama T-Site, an upscale outpost of the ubiquitous Tsutaya Books located west of the station, whose award-winning architecture classes it as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. T-Site is further set apart by its unique services– you can have classic movies formerly unavailable on DVD burned on the spot, or stationary monogrammed the same day – and their wide selection of Western and Japanese books and magazines, available for perusal at one of the store’s cozy cafes.

Daikanyama T-Site has been named as one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores.

The complex also houses specialty pet, bicycle, and camera stores as well as Ivy Place, considered by many to be Tokyo’s best pancake cafe (though they have plenty of other delicious options on offer), and Caffe Michelangelo, a favorite among Japanese celebrities that is popular year-round, but especially during the warmer months when patrons can sit on its gorgeous outdoor patio. Both restaurants are very popular, so expect long lines.

North of the station, you can find Log Road, a line of shops and restaurants recently built on the former site of Toyoko Line railroad tracks. The lush greenery and timber-exterior of the buildings gives it a rustic feel similar to the High Line in Manhattan. Log Road’s main attractions are Fred Segal; the Spring Valley Brewery, a craft beer brewpub that serves food all day, offers brewery tours (in Japanese only), beer tastings, and seminars; and the popular Camden’s Blue Star Donuts, the U.S. donut shop that makes its brioche-dough donuts fresh daily in flavors like Blueberry Bourbon Basil, Cointreau Crème Brûlée, and Apple Bourbon Fritter. Are you drooling yet?

Head to Daikanyama for some of the capital’s best international food. Photo by Shibuya 246.

For foodies, Daikanyama’s array of top-ranking spots are a dream come true. Catch Tokyo’s best sandwiches (King George Sandwich Bar), strawberry pancakes (Clover’s Pancakes), and apple pie and New York cheesecake (Matsunosuke NY, which also offers baking classes in English so you can bring it home too), all within a few minutes of each other.

Photo by: Victor Gonzales Walk along Shibuya stream lit up at night to get to Daikanyama. This opened in 2018.

Meanwhile, shopaholics can find interesting shops like Journey, a vintage shop with goods imported from the U.S., and UES, who make denim products designed to be used in some way for their full product life. Specialty shops like Okura, which makes goods treated with a traditional indigo dyeing technique from the 10th century, and Kamawanu Tenugui, making one-of-a-kind, hand-dyed tenugui (traditional oversized multipurpose handkerchiefs), are good for unique souvenirs.

2019 top destination

Daikanyama is one of GaijinPot Travel’s Top 10 Japan Travel Destinations to check out in 2019. Discover Daikanayama and the other destinations in our video.

Deep in the wilderness of Shikoku, Japan’s smallest of its main islands, is an unexpected way to experience a traditional Japanese art form. Kamikoya Washi Studio, where you can learn how to make your own washi (handmade Japanese paper) and even stay the night, is not your typical tourist stop.

Photo by: Victoria Vlisides Washi Master Rogier Uitenboogaart in his washi showroom at Kamikoya Washi Studio.

The studio and two-story minshuku (bed and breakfast) is atop a hill overrun with wildflowers and plants overlooking the Otado valley in the relaxing nature of Kochi Prefecture.

Photo by: kamikoya A wintery view from Kamikoya which is green and lush in warmer months.

The studio, located in the remote Yusuhara Town, is run by longtime resident Rogier Uitenboogaart and his wife. They started it after Rogier moved to Japan to study washi paper making, a craft that started in 610 AD. Over 34 years later, he is part of the reason the practice endures in its purest form despite the advance of technology.

Rogier, who is from Holland, and his wife, who is Japanese, are gentle souls dedicated not only to their own thriving craft business but also spreading the joy of it to others through their workshop experiences.

Photo by: Victoria Vlisides Visitors can experience the joy of handmade paper making.

At the studio, you can see how they make the washi paper almost entirely by hand — from the stripping the bark off the mulberry trees on their property to drying and breaking it down to the fibers of the bark to adding a sticky extract from the vegetable okra.

Photo by: Kamikoya The delicate art of washi painting at one of the workshops.

The workshop is a hands-on experience where Rogier takes you through each step. You get to make keepsakes such as a washi paper lantern decorated with leaves you collected from the yard. After it dries, they’ll later send you the homemade souvenir.

Photo by: Victoria Vlisides Design your own washi with natural elements and do washi painting for flair.

Beyond the studio, the guesthouse is a fusion of East and West, going from a log-cabin-like common area to a traditional Japanese guest room upstairs. Guests get a taste of a real Kochi meal made from local and organic ingredients like river fish and mountain veggies for dinner and then take a rest in the tatami mat room accented with washi paper lamps.

Photo by: Victoria Vlisides A delicate washi paper lamp which makes for a unique souvenir.

Near Kamikoya lies more of Kochi’s untouched nature such as the Shikoku Karst Natural Park, a gorgeous sea of rock formations and rolling pastures and the babbling tributaries of the Shimanto River, that make up the region’s lifeblood.

Kamikoya Washi Studio is a one-of-a-kind experience that’s your reward for venturing out into the real Japan.

Tours

There are a few tours to consider while traveling in this area. Here are two options:

• Chojuan lunch and washi paper making tour – See tour.
• Washi paper making and cycling by the Shimanto River – See tour.

This article is sponsored by Koch Prefectural Government.  

Matsumoto’s breathtaking landscapes have inspired artists all across Japan. As such, the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, built in 2002, has devoted its entire collection to artists who have come from or whose work has been influenced by the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. Undoubtedly, the most recognizable artist among them is the world-renowned avant-garde living legend Yayoi Kusama.

Yayoi Kusama’s signature style, shaped by her lifelong struggle with mental illness, captivates and resonates with people worldwide.

Yayoi Kusama’s signature style, shaped by her lifelong struggle with mental illness, captivates and resonates with people worldwide. Although Matsumoto’s permanent installment of her work is small, Yayoi Kusama’s trademark polka dots aren’t limited to — or more accurately — cannot be confined within the museum walls.

The museum specializes in installations and paintings by Japanese artists.

A relatively small art museum, the Matsumoto City Museum of Art is like entering a new reality and questioning your own. Outside the museum are larger-than-life flower sculptures. These and the building’s exterior are completely engulfed by infectious red polka dots. However, you’ll see the characteristic spots — a mark of Kusama’s most recognizable artwork — elsewhere in Matsumoto, as they also adorn buses, billboards and flags lining city streets.

Insight into Kusama

An emotional rollercoaster, one of the museum’s permanent collections called Yayoi Kusama: The Place for My Soul will leave you in awe. The museum introduces Kusama’s work with small-scale canvases, gradually increasing the pieces’ size and complexity.

Each room of the exhibit is like walking through a different stage of Kusama’s life and illness that reaches a final disorienting crescendo and ultimately peace and acceptance. Isolation and unification, resentment and love, and fear and confidence are all dichotomies expressed with a simple-yet-familiar motif.

Photo by: Mimi Dietderich Another signature piece from Yayoi Kusama.

Although the museum’s main attraction, Kusama’s work is definitely not the only thing worth seeing. Calligraphy, sculptures, canvas paintings, both traditional and modern the Matsumoto City Museum of Art holds one treasure after another. While the Matsumoto Art Museum at times possesses up to 200 or 300 pieces of a given artists’ work a small selection based on a chosen theme will regularly circulate permanent exhibits.

Other artists

The Kamijo Shinzan Memorial Exhibition Room contains the flexible art style of Japanese calligraphy teacher Kamijou Shinzan. You don’t need to know Japanese to appreciate these works. Some pieces are strong and rigid, formed with confident, precise, and sharp strokes while others are softer and inviting with broad, loose strokes covering a vast canvas. Shinzan’s choice of characters and adaptive art style clearly illustrates the true connotation and power of written words.

Photo by: Mimi Dietderich A little art with your vending machine.

Another worthwhile memorial exhibit is that of Kazuo Tamura. At a young age, Tamura, like most, was awestruck by the mountains surrounding Matsumoto. Since then, mountains and plateaus became the central theme in his paintings. While the vast majority of his paintings depict winter sceneries, the paintings are not cold. Many canvases are dominated by grey, brown, and white in order to set the scene but the images captured are not barren, dark or devoid of life. Similar to standing in a field after a snowstorm, the world is bright and while your own breath seems deafening in the silence around you the pure blanket of snow around you is nurturing. This is the beauty captured by Kazuo Tamura.

Before leaving, take one final look at the museum: Those bright polka dots might have developed a deeper meaning.

Located amongst a cluster of museums and galleries in Ueno Park,  the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is one of the capital’s major art spots. Also known as Tokyo Bijutsukan, it displays a variety of works of art, from paintings and sculptures to ceramics and calligraphy.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum first opened in 1926, when it was originally called the Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum. Its name was later changed to its current one in 1943, when Tokyo Prefecture became the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. A further renewal was carried out from 2010 with the museum in its current form reopening in 2012.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum describes itself as a ‘doorway to art.’

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum describes itself as a “doorway to art” where anyone can encounter and enjoy world-renowned masterpieces. To ensure its diversity of visitors, the museum even hosts special events for people with disabilities, where artworks can be observed in a safe and comfortable environment.

Moreover, the museum caters for a range of artistic tastes. For instance, Japanese classical art, such as the Edo Period painting showcase, and the Retrospective of French Japanese artist Leonard Tsuguharu Foujita, unveiled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death, sit alongside renowned international artists, such as Munch, best known for his masterpiece, “The Scream.”

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is an art museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo.

Local contemporary artists are also showcased through the annual Ueno Artist Project, which typically exhibits from November to January each year. This year’s exhibition will be formally unveiled on Nov. 18. Furthermore, every year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum hosts a colorful thematic exhibition. This year, the exhibition called “Bento—Design for Eating, Gathering and Communicating” reveals to the public the captivating culture of bento (Japanese lunch box) through works of both Japanese and international artists.

Besides the beautiful exhibitions, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum also offers great ways of relaxation for its visitors. If you get tired of strolling around artworks, make sure to stop at the restaurant to get re-energized or to buy some unique gifts at the souvenir shop.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is the perfect place to see both international and Japanese masterpieces.