Kyobashi Sai Ward is a district that has been developed under the concept of "a town where art and culture are close to everyone" as part of the Kyobashi 1-chome East District Plan, a special urban regeneration district. Following the opening of Museum Tower Kyobashi in July 2019, TODA BUILDING will open on November 2, 2024, marking the grand opening of the entire district.
The opening ceremony of TODA BUILDING. From left: Takahashi Yasunori (Representative Director of Kyobashi Saiku Area Management General Incorporated Association), Nishino Fumito (Chairman of Kyobashi 1-chome East Neighborhood Association), Uekusa Hiroshi (Executive Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Business Division, Toda Construction Co., Ltd.), Tomita Shoichi (Chairman of Kyobashi Ichinobe Union Neighborhood Association), Otani Seisuke (President and CEO, Toda Construction Co., Ltd.), Yoshida Fudon (Deputy Mayor of Chuo Ward), Imai Masanori (Chairman and CEO, Toda Construction Co., Ltd.), Sueyoshi Kosuke (Chairman of Kyobashi 1-chome Nishi Neighborhood Association), Mori Shizuo (Vice Chairman of Tokyo Chuo Odori Association) Photo: Ryohei Tomita
Kyobashi Saiku Area Management General Incorporated Association (1-7-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Takahashi Yasunori), comprised of employees from two companies, Nagasaka Sangyo and Toda Construction, was established in April 2019 as an organization responsible for area management activities in the block. The area management activities promote the creation of an "arts and culture hub open to the town," which is the basic philosophy of Kyobashi Saiku, and the organization is engaged in comprehensive urban development through collaboration with surrounding area management organizations and local residents, delivering the charm of arts and culture and comfortable time and space to visitors to the block.
About Kyobashi Sai Ward
Kyobashi Sai-ku is a 5-minute walk from the Yaesu exit of Tokyo Station. It is located in Kyobashi, close to Ginza and Nihonbashi. This block is made up of two buildings, Museum Tower Kyobashi and TODA BUILDING, and the lower floors of both buildings house museums, galleries, event halls, etc., and at the base of the building is a lush green plaza with a width of 120m facing Chuo-dori.
Kyobashi Saiku Official Website: https://kyobashi-saiku.tokyo/
1. Block Overview
2. Name and logo
The name of the block, "Kyobashi Sai-ku" was chosen with the hope that people who visit Kyobashi will be able to experience a variety of arts and culture. The logo mark is a design combining the two kanji characters "sai" and "ku," and expresses with a gradation the way people gather around the block, bustle, and shine in Kyobashi.
Art and cultural facilities within the block
Kyobashi Saiku is home to a variety of facilities related to art and culture, including museums, galleries, and event halls. It is a town where anyone can easily enjoy art and culture according to their own interests, from world-famous paintings to exhibitions of works by contemporary artists, live events, and entertainment programs.
1. Museum Tower Kyobashi
Artizon Museum (1st to 6th floors)
The Artizon Museum, which opened in January 2020 and is run by the Ishibashi Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation, offers a diverse range of art experiences based on the concept of "experiencing creativity."
Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays except for public holidays)
*Reservation required for specific date and time / Entry is available until 30 minutes before closing Closed: Mondays (open on public holidays, closed the following weekday),
During exhibition change periods and New Year holidays Official website: https://www.artizon.museum/
2. TODA BUILDING
CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO (6F)
CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO is a large museum where you can experience creations from a wide range of fields, including pop culture and contemporary art, in a large space.
Business hours: 10:00-20:00
* May change depending on the exhibition Closed days: According to the exhibition opening period Official website: https://www.creative-museum.tokyo/
TODA HALL＆CONFERENCE TOKYO (4F)
The two event halls, one large and one small, can be used for a variety of events, including seminars and exhibitions, as well as new product launches and fashion shows. In addition to the halls, there are five conference rooms, large, medium and small, to support a variety of business scenes.
Official website: https://toda-hall.jp/
Taka Ishii Gallery Kyobashi (3F)
Since opening in 1994, the gallery has focused primarily on photography (graphics) and has organized exhibitions and published books by artists both in Japan and abroad.
Business hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays Official website: https://www.takaishiigallery.com/jp/
Tomio Koyama Gallery Kyobashi (3F)
Opened in 1996, the gallery has three locations in Roppongi, Tennozu, and Kyobashi, and exhibits works by Japanese artists as well as artists from around the world. It introduces a wide range of works across generations, from masters to new talent.
Business hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays Official website: https://tomiokoyamagallery.com/
KOSAKU KANECHIKA (3F)
Opened in 2017. Based in two locations, Tennozu and Kyobashi, the gallery showcases artists from Japan and abroad who are working on new forms of expression that are not bound by existing frameworks.
Business hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays Official website: https://kosakukanechika.com/
Yutaka Kikutake Gallery (3F)
Since opening in 2015, the gallery has hosted a variety of exhibitions as well as conducted workshops and publishing projects in an effort to enrich the connection between art and society.
Business hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays Official website: https://www.yutakakikutakegallery.com/
Gallery & Bakery Tokyo8 minutes (1F)
Run by "THE CITY BAKERY" and "ArtSticker", this is a space where you can enjoy appreciating art as an extension of buying bread and coffee.
Business hours: 8:00-19:00
Closed: Open everyday Official website: https://artsticker.app/8min
Initiatives in each building
Various projects will be carried out in the buildings that make up Kyobashi Sai-ku, providing opportunities for visitors to the block to experience art and culture.
1. WORK with ART Project (Museum Tower Kyobashi)
As a business of Nagasaka Sangyo Co., Ltd., Museum Tower Kyobashi aims to be a building that stimulates the ideas of businesspeople and encourages creative ways of working, and will explore the relationship between WORK and ART and create mechanisms to enhance creativity. Art is not simply viewed as something to be appreciated, but as an experience that stimulates the five senses, and various environments are provided to encourage creative ways of working for workers. The building will be gradually transformed into one that enhances the "creativity" of organizations and businesspeople, proposing one form of the office building of the future.
Museum Tower Kyobashi Official Website: https://www.museumtower-kyobashi.com/
<Participating members>
Dumb Type
A group of artists from various fields including visual art, architecture, computer programming, music, video, dance, and design. Their activities cross all forms of expression, such as art, theater, and dance, and they produce works that address various issues in modern society, many of which have been performed around the world. They have also exhibited at the Japan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition (2022), among others.
Nomena
A group of engineers founded in 2012. Driven by the multidisciplinary knowledge gained through daily research and experiments, and collaboration with creators and clients, the group continues to create unprecedented products. In recent years, they have participated in joint research with research institutes such as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and in the mechanical design of the Olympic torch for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Major awards they have received include the Excellence Award in the Art Division of the Japan Media Arts Festival organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2022) and the Gold Prize in the DSA Japan Space Design Award (2017), among others.
Takuya Takahashi
Composer and music producer. Representative of Oyster Inc. His activities focus on the experience of places and spaces through music, and the possibilities of ensembles. From 1999 to 2007, he was responsible for performing music on-site for almost all of dancer Tanaka Min's performances. In addition to providing music for advertisements and films, he has also worked on numerous art installations and sound productions for public spaces both in Japan and overseas. Like dreams and magic, he sees music as a circuit that travels between nature and the inner world of people, and works without being bound by the form of expression. He has won numerous awards for his sound production projects, including Cannes Lions, the Red Dot Award, and the DSA Japan Space Design Award.
I IN
I IN is an interior design office established in Tokyo in 2018. It pursues the world of modern luxury in a wide range of spatial designs, including stores, restaurants, offices, homes, and installations. Its strikingly beautiful interiors evoke a sense of a prosperous future, and its memorable designs have been highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas. Major awards it has received include INTERIOR DESIGN BEST of year (2020, 2022, 2023) and many others.
From left: Dumb Type, nomena, Takuya Takahashi, I IN
2. APK PUBLIC (TODA BUILDING)
As part of Toda Construction Co., Ltd.'s art project "ART POWER KYOBASHI," this program utilizes the shared spaces of Toda Building to develop renewable public art. The aim is for visitors and office workers to experience the space where the artworks are displayed on a daily basis, stimulating their creativity and broadening their horizons, thus enriching their daily lives and working styles. For the first event, we will welcome Shihoko Iida, a curator active both in Japan and overseas, who will present artworks based on the concept of "Spiral Possibilities – Towards Infinite Opportunities," in order to transform the sense of stagnation in these uncertain times into a positive, future-oriented outlook.
ART POWER KYOBASHI official website: https://www.apk.todabuilding.com/
<Participating Artists>
Shun Onozawa
Born in Gunma Prefecture in 1996. He creates performative sculptures inspired by the physical sensations of a juggling performer. After graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Art Expression, he has exhibited at the Media Ambition Tokyo (2020, Shibuya Scramble Square/2021, Mori Arts Center Gallery) and the Aichi 2022 International Art Festival. In 2021, he was selected as one of the Forbes JAPAN 30 UNDER 30.
Sachie Noda
Born in 1978. While working as a painter, he began working with plants at his family's florist, "Hananoen." He comes into contact with plants in everyday life and creates landscapes. He mainly explores the feel of circulating things, including spatial expressions that arrange natural elements, plant works born from activities, and garden making. In recent years, he has presented plant sculptures and paintings based on his life's work in various locations, and also works on creations and performances that approach gardens and places. He won the Akatsuki ART AWARD Grand Prize at ARTISTS' FAIR KYOTO 2021. Recent solo exhibitions include "Beautiful Place" (Mizuma Art Gallery, 2024).
Yuko Mouri
She creates installations and sculptures that focus on "events" that change depending on various conditions such as the environment, rather than on an approach to construction. She has exhibited at solo exhibitions at "Jam Session: Yuko Mohri About Physis" (Artizon Museum, 2024-2025), the Japanese Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale "Compose" (2024), Camden Arts Centre (London, 2018), and Towada Art Center (Aomori, 2018-2019), as well as at exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, including the 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023), the 23rd Sydney Biennale (2022), and the 34th Sao Paulo Biennale (2021). In 2017, she received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists.
Atsuko Mochida
Born in Tokyo in 1989. Lives in Nagano Prefecture. Graduated from the Bauhaus University Weimar Graduate School and the Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School in 2018. From 2018 to 2019, he studied in Germany and Singapore as a Pola Art Foundation overseas trainee in 2018. His specialty is transforming the meaning and quality of space by inserting temporary and foreign elements such as walls and stairs into existing spaces and buildings, blurring the boundaries between private and public. Recent activities include the project "Demolition" (2021-2023) in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, which turns the process of demolition of a house into an artwork.
From left: Takashi Onozawa, Yukie Noda, Yuko Mouri (Photo © Takehide Shintsubo), Atsuko Mochida (Photo by Pezhman Zahed)
<Curator>
Shihoko Iida
After working as a visiting curator at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery and the research institute of the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Contemporary Art, Australia, and as a fellowship researcher in Korea, he has been involved in collaborative planning mainly in various parts of Asia and Australia. He has served as the curator of the 15th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2012, Aichi Triennale 2013, and Sapporo International Art Festival 2014. He was an associate professor at Tokyo University of the Arts from 2014 to 2018. He served as the chief curator (curatorial director) of Aichi Triennale 2019 and the international art festival "Aichi 2022". He continues to work on "Aichi 2025" as the curatorial director.
Photo by ToLoLo studio
Area management activities
Radio program "Kyobashi Saiku Art Square"
The Kyobashi Sai-ku Area Management General Incorporated Association broadcasts a radio program called "Kyobashi Sai-ku Art Plaza" that provides information on the various art exhibits within the block, providing an opportunity for people to become familiar with art.
Broadcasting station: Chuo FM (frequency 84.0MHz) http://fm840.jp/
Broadcast date and time: 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00
(Rebroadcast Saturday 20:00-21:00)
*Archived audio will be available on Spotify from the Monday following the radio broadcast.
◆Upcoming broadcast schedule◆ ※Titles omitted
Episode 8 Broadcast date: 11/5 (Tue)
guest:
Masamichi Toyama (CEO of The Chain Museum)
Tatsuya Sato (Director of Gallery & Bakery Tokyo 8 minutes)
Episode 9 Broadcast date: 11/19 (Tue)
guest:
Takashi Okada (TODA BUILDING Construction Manager, Tokyo Branch Construction Department, TODA Construction Corporation)
Yasuhiro Nakagawa (Toda Construction Co., Ltd., Architectural Design Division, TODA BUILDING Design)
Episode 10 Broadcast date: 12/3 (Tue)
guest:
Shihoko Iida (APK PUBLIC Vol.1 Curator)
Episode 11 Broadcast date: December 17th (Tue)
guest:
Atsuko Mochida (APK PUBLIC Vol.1 participating artist)
Shihoko Iida (APK PUBLIC Vol.1 Curator)
Episode 12 Broadcast date: 1/7 (Tue)
guest:
Yuko Mouri (Artist participating in the Artizon Museum Jam Session exhibition, APK PUBLIC Vol.1)
Junya Utsumi (Curator, Artizon Museum)
From the press release of Kyobashi Saiku Area Management General Incorporated Association
Kai Ono's "FELT SENSE" exhibition will be held at the gallery "ART FOR THOUGHT" in Ginza, Tokyo.