October 9th (Fri) – November 23rd (Mon/Holiday), 2026, held at Ueno Geidai Art Plaza (Free admission)
Geidai Art Plaza ( https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/ ), a gallery operated on the campus of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts (Ueno, Taito-ku) as a collaborative project between Shogakukan and Tokyo University of the Arts, will be holding a special exhibition, "Geidai NIPPON," from 1:00 PM on Friday, October 9, 2026. In this exhibition, ten Geidai artists will be exhibiting and selling works created from their individual perspectives on "beauty unique to Japan."
Admission is free and photography is permitted.
Starting October 9, 2026 (Friday)
Special Exhibition: "Geidai NIPPON"
What is "art unique to Japan"? What is "Japanese beauty"? Is beauty something that is created, or something that is discovered?
There isn't just one answer. Artists have grappled with this question through different forms of expression—oil painting, Japanese painting, crafts, sculpture, and so on.
Is beauty something created by the artist's hands, or is it something already hidden within materials, nature, time, and atmosphere?
In Japanese expression, there are moments when creation and discovery become one. The relationship with materials, the sense of distance from nature, the awareness of negative space and atmosphere, the stillness inherent in form—perhaps it is in these things that we can find the outline of "Japaneseness."
The "Geidai NIPPON Exhibition" is an attempt to re-examine Japan's unique aesthetic sense and the possibilities of expression, transcending genre differences.
Through the diverse approaches presented in each artwork, we will explore together the profound question: "What is Japanese art?"
Shiro Takagi, Editor-in-Chief, Geidai Art Plaza
List of participating artists (tentative)
Yoshinori Iwasawa / Kanako Kitabayashi / Ayako Kuno / Hiroya Satake / Misaki Serizawa / Hanako Nagakubo / Akiko Noda / Juri Hayashi / Itsuki Hayano / Shiori Fujimura
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"Geidai Art Plaza Art Award 2026"
Exhibition announcement page
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/33460/
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■ Exhibition Overview
Exhibition Title: Special Exhibition "Geidai NIPPON"
Venue: Geidai Art Plaza (12-8 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, within the Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts campus)
Date: October 9th (Friday) – November 23rd (Monday/Holiday), 2026
*Only on October 9th (Fri), the store will open at 13:00.
* No exhibit changes will be made.
Admission fee: Free
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed on Mondays
*We will be open on Monday, October 12th and Monday, November 23rd due to public holidays, and closed the following Tuesday.
*Business hours may change. Please check our official website and social media for the latest information.
What is the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza?
The Geidai Art Plaza is a gallery that exhibits and sells works by faculty, staff, students, and graduates of Tokyo University of the Arts (hereinafter referred to as Geidai), which has produced many top artists. Located on the Geidai Ueno campus, it is one of the few places where the general public can freely enter and visit throughout the year. It was launched in 2018 as a collaborative project between Shogakukan and Geidai.
Currently, the university holds exhibitions with different themes every one to two months. Each exhibition features 10 to 50 artists, bringing together works expressed through a diverse range of techniques and approaches unique to Tokyo University of the Arts, including oil painting, Japanese painting, sculpture, crafts, and design.
Exhibition view from the "Geidai Art Plaza Art Award Winners Invitational Exhibition 2026," a special exhibition held in August 2026 : https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/32805/
Additionally, the white cube (WC) space at the back of the gallery regularly hosts solo and group exhibitions by faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Tokyo University of the Arts. This offers a different perspective from the planned exhibitions, allowing visitors to delve deeper into the individual expressions of each artist.
Exhibition view of the three-person exhibition "Craft Ecosystem – A World in Kogei – Kaito Kawasaki, Shunsuke Nomura, Rei Mochizuki" held at WC in May 2026 https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/31552/
The store features a permanent display corner called "LIFE WITH ART," focusing on art that complements everyday life, such as tableware and accessories. They also carry several "Drawing T-shirts" (commonly known as "Doro-T"), each one unique, featuring drawings directly created by artists from Tokyo University of the Arts. Admission to the Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza is free.
We generally welcome photography and sharing on social media. Our aim is to create a place where anyone, not just art fans, can easily experience art.
View of the permanent exhibition corner "LIFE WITH ART"
Drawing T-shirt exhibition view
In September 2024, they also opened their official online shop, "The Shop of Tableware and T-Shirts." In addition to one-of-a-kind tableware, cutlery, teapots, and bowls created by artists from Tokyo University of the Arts, they also sell a wide variety of original goods.
Official online shop "The Shop of Tableware and T-Shirts" https://geidaiartplz.base.shop/
Basic Information about Tokyo University of the Arts Art Plaza
■ Access
Nearest stations: JR Ueno Station (Park Exit), Uguisudani Station (approximately 10-minute walk)
Get off at Nezu Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line and walk for about 10 minutes.
Get off at Ueno Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and walk for about 15 minutes.
Get off at Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Electric Railway and walk for about 15 minutes.
Take the Toei Bus Route 26 (Kameido to Ueno Park) and get off at Yanaka bus stop. It's about a 3-minute walk from there.
*Please note that there is no parking available, so please refrain from coming by car.
■ Official SNS Accounts
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/geidai_art_plaza
X:
https://x.com/artplaza_geidai
Podcast (Spotify):
https://open.spotify.com/show/2FlkumYv9ScWy69UlBtqWy
Threads:
https://www.threads.net/@geidai_art_plaza
■ Exhibitions in 2026
Special exhibition, January-March 2026: "Geidai Art Plaza Art Award Winners Exhibition"
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/30117/
*Article featuring the results and commentary of the Geidai Art Plaza Art Award 2026.
Special exhibition "Energy: What is Energy?" (March-May 2026) Sponsored by: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/30991/
Special exhibition "PANDART Geidai Panda" (May-June 2026)
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/31364/
Special exhibition from July to October 2026: "Geidai Art Plaza Art Award Winners Invitational Exhibition 2026"
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/column/32805/
■ Inquiry
Frequently asked questions can be found here.
https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/qa/
[Shogakukan Inc.] Press Release
