The off-site exhibitions near Gaien were wonderful.

This journey began in Osaka, though it wasn't part of Tokyo Design Week. At SOZ Gallery, I held a talk show themed around NOOKA's design inspiration. In a completely white space, after giving a design presentation while enjoying Masahiro Yoshikawa's cuisine, we mingled over drinks. A wonderful evening. The next day, I headed to Tokyo!

Perhaps due to the economic downturn, this year's Tokyo Design Week's main venue at Gaien wasn't particularly exciting. However, the off-site exhibitions near Gaien were superb. First, the 'Shuji Terayama's Words Exhibition' was fascinating! 14 Japanese creators expressed Terayama's words through art and installations, and every piece was moving! At the same venue, the 'ANY TOKYO' exhibition was also held. Simply put, it was a show featuring current trends. It felt like the theme was the potential of nascent technologies, such as 3D printing and products using batteries and LEDs.



The exhibition at 21_21 Design Sight in Roppongi was themed 'Towards the Realization of a Japanese Design Museum.' As usual, the curation was impeccable. The exhibition itself was excellent, but I have one suggestion.—I believe that limiting participation to only Japanese designers ignores the current state of the Japanese design world. Japanese companies collaborate with global talent, so it's incorrect to restrict it to only Japanese designers. Good design is international and universal.



'DESIGN TOUCH' at Tokyo Midtown, also in Roppongi, was mostly corporate exhibits, so it wasn't very engaging. The origami lamps were beautiful, and the collapsible cups and bike helmets were well-designed ideas, but I don't recall much else. There was also a student award, but many of the products seemed to rely on typical visual metaphors.


Considering the intersection of art and design that I often discuss, my favorite exhibition was 'Architecture for Dogs,' curated by Kenya Hara. It featured many delightful, practical, and above all, whimsical items designed to better suit the environment for dogs (and I suspect cats would enjoy them too)! There was also a book, and the ability to download designs for DIY was wonderful.


The 'Ba to Ma' exhibition held in the basement of Omotesando Hills brought together Dutch and Japanese designers. With its format of talk shows and exhibitions, I found it to be a valuable event where one could learn while enjoying drinks.

The last off-site location I visited was 'SHOWCASE' in Shibuya. In English, it's 'the art of design.' 'Collecting and recording beauty and value.' It was set in an old warehouse space, creating an environment akin to a museum exhibition. It was very well done.

In any case, rather than my words, please experience this year's Design Week through the photos.