The annual designers’ trade show returns to a custom-built event venue in Meiji Jingu Gaien Park, and this time for a full week.
Whether your interests lie in architecture, interior, graphic, marketing, fashion, textile, media art, photography, illustration, or even food, you most likely will find something that makes you tick. Tokyo Designer Week (TDW) is trying to attract a broad range of visitors from children to adults, people who do not have opportunities to experience design and art in daily life.
This year’s theme is ‘House’ and Play’: ‘House’ as in what gives us shelter, and evolving lifestyles through developments in technology, and ‘Play’ for the importance of adding a dose of playfulness in our daily lives, in order to foster creativity.
Various venues on-site and in nearby Aoyama will host an array of events, exhibitions and workshops. The main event, “Tent Exhibition”, will be used as a place for both consumers and designers alike to meet and exchange ideas and business opportunities.
Other noteworthy venues include the “Container Exhibition”, which shows creative displays of shipping containers. This is probably the visitors’ favourite, complete with projectors and interactive art, and incidentally the Container Exhibiton is celebrating its 10th year anniversary this year, so expect nice surprises.
Various exhibitions of ideas stemming from students are also displayed, as well as a “Nail Art” section: make sure you show up with painted nails to the theme of “Love” to get a half price entry fee.
In conjunction to TDW, Tokyo’s cherished designers night PechaKucha is presenting its own Designer Week special. Following their concept of 20 images x 20 seconds, PechaKucha (the name refers to the sounds for chit chat in Japanese) is organizing a projection in the TDW Dome, with projections that will surely create a magical atmosphere. An interesting lineup of unique presenters (such as a young food creator, a ‘red beans’ artist, an architect who is drawing a future masterplan for villages in Tohoku, and more) will share their ideas on stage.
The first 40,000 TDW visitors will receive a special gift bag, so get there early!
Tokyo Designers Week (click here for the official website)
When: Oct. 30-Nov. 5
Where: Meiji Jingu Gaien and surrounding venues (see map)
How much: Adults ¥2500, one entry (click here for the full list of discounts)
