5 Things To Do in Tokyo This Week: May 16–22

It’s going to be a cloudy week in Tokyo. However, there’s no need to fret as there is always something on the agenda to keep oneself busy. On the events schedule this week: a few art exhibitions including Ken Mihara’s “Sei (Awakening) II – Memories in Clay” and Momo’s “Life Goes On,” in addition to a virtual reality Japanese culture experience you can enjoy from the comfort of your home and more.

1. Ken Mihara: “Sei (Awakening) II – Memories in Clay”

Ken Mihara’s “Sei (Awakening) II – Memories in Clay” is an exhibition featuring the second collection of works in his latest series. With 15 new pieces, this exhibition further exemplifies the artist’s diverse compositions and hues.

Pristine forests, rugged ravines, gentle rivers and quiet mountains. These are landscapes steeped in the mysticism of ancient Shinto lore that artist Mihara witnessed as a child. His solemn stoneware is borne and influenced from these deeply idyllic environs. With acquisitions by over 40 leading institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum, Mihara’s unglazed, multi-fired works have captivated global audiences, propelling him to become one of the premier artists in contemporary Japanese ceramics.

When: Until May 28 | More info

2. Momo: “Life Goes On”

Momo is a painter fascinated by the beauty of Aboriginal pointillism coming from the indigenous peoples of Australia. Practicing art since childhood she has experimented with oil paintings and digital design, which has ultimately led her to create her own technique using toothpicks and color to express her pointillism art.

From Momo’s unique perspective, she introduces a story hidden in the streets of a familiar cityscape where common symbols are reborn as if they were from another world.  Momo’s animal series also implements this same technique of colored toothpicks.

When: Until Jun 4 | More Info

LIFE, 2015 Installation view at Yayo Kusama Museum, Tokyo 2022 /© Yayoi Kusama

3. Yayoi Kusama Museum New Exhibition: A POEM IN MY HEART

The Yayoi Kusama Museum in Tokyo has completely changed its selection, making the visit a fresh new experience even for frequent patrons. The latest exhibition is titled “A POEM IN MY HEART” and it exhibits some of Kusama’s rare works such as nihonga paintings and collages. Also on display are her latest works, some as late as 2020. A few of the works in the museum are being exhibited for the first time ever.

The room-size installation and the rooftop sculpture have been changed too. “I’m Here, but Nothing” is a new room-size fluorescent installation on the fourth floor, while the rooftop sculpture that used to be a pumpkin when the museum first opened is now a mesmerizing work called “LIFE.”

When: Until Aug 28 | More info

4. VR Japan Theater

VR Japan Theater has made it its mission to preserve old Japanese traditions in danger of being forgotten for the next generations to come and make it easily accessible in an immersive format for Japanese and foreigners alike. Join a tea ceremony, enjoy a traditional Kabuki dance performance, or follow a Geisha for a night out.

This immersive VR experience will give you the chance to experience Japanese culture in all its colorful details, and answer questions you didn’t know you had. How does one enter a tea room correctly? What is the white makeup that Kabuki performers paint their faces with? What do Geisha do in their free time? Find the answers to these and many more almost forgotten mysteries and closely guarded secrets of ancient Japanese traditions.