“The Phases of the Moon” (2025) by Nana Funo. All images courtesy Tomio Koyama Gallery
In her latest solo exhibition, “I Can Go There. So Can You.” at Tomio Koyama Gallery, Japanese artist Nana Funo invites viewers into a universe where memory, time, and imagination quietly intertwine. Her paintings unfold like layered narratives—images built upon hidden traces of earlier forms—suggesting worlds where past and present overlap in delicate, luminous harmony.
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We’re ringing in 2026 with a look at 6 new art and architecture projects that we’re looking forward to seeing this year. From Hakata and Kyoto to Nara and Tokyo, these hotels, museums and parks are set to transform their respective neighborhoods all across Japan.
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Happy New Year of the horse! The year of the horse (uma-doshi) is said to be auspicious in Japan, not only because it represents strength, speed and energy, but because of the wordplay: umaku iku (meaning, “everything will work out”) has the word uma (horse) in it. For those reasons, 2026 can be a time for bold moves, adventure, and breaking free from old patterns. And as tradition goes, we’ve assembled a few nengajo from some of our favorite artists that features this year’s zodiac animal. We hope they will inspire everyone to have a dynamic and transformative year!
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Along a narrow residential street in Kanawa, the historic heart of Beppu City known for their geothermal hot springs, is an inconspicuous 2-story home that, until recently, would have been barely noticeable. With gaping holes carved into it, the home was recently revealed as art collective Mé’s newest installation.
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For over 15 years, Japanese art duo ZUGAKOUSAKU & KURIEITO have been working together, meticulously recreating ordinary environments entirely from cardboard. At an exhibition at Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, the pair turn their childlike creativity to the grimy streets of Tokyo. Specifically, Roppongi. Everything from manhole covers and tactile pavement to signage and litter on the ground have been hand-crafted from cardboard and then painted, revealing slightly off kilter worlds.
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As we near the end of 2025, we like to reflect on the stories that most captivated our readers’ attention, and as always, certain themes tend to emerge. 2025 marked the 80-year anniversary of the end of WWII. It was also a milestone year for Japan in terms of global attention. Tourism hit a record high while anime and soft power continued to see major expansion overseas.
For 18 years in a row, we continued to bring our readers stories from Japan as seen through our lens of art & design. 2025 was a year of loss, but also new beginnings. Artists continued to push old traditions and techniques into the future. From travel destinations and language-learning to reviving craftsmanship and discouraging food loss, these were the stories that mattered most to our readers.
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Shuetsu Sato began working as a security guard at Shinjuku Station in 2002. With constant construction and infrastructure upgrades, it was Sato’s job to redirect crowds using a megaphone. However, he found it to be an ineffective tool that was ignored by most. So with a few rolls of duct tape and a craft knife he took it upon himself to create some eye-catching signage.
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all photos courtesy Onomichi Museum of Art
Sadly, Japan has bid farewell to a beloved cat. Ken-chan, the local feline whose epic battle with a security guard at the Onomichi Museum of Art in Hiroshima became a fixture, passed away in September.
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photos by Masashi Mizowaki and Takaharu Yagi
Spending the night in jail is usually not a good thing. Unless of course you’re staying in Japan’s Nara Prison, a historic red-brick structure built in 1908 with western archways and onion domes that lend an air of castle more than incarceration. The prison shut down in 2017 but is being preserved for its architectural and historic significance. The renovated structure will reopen in 2026 as a hotel.
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Japan takes Christmas very seriously, but in a commercial sense rather than a religious sense. Which is perhaps why, each year, we find some very interesting, unorthodox Christmas trees. So each year we make a point of cataloguing our favorite trees. This year we expanded our scope to include not just Tokyo but Osaka as well. From hand-knitted trees and hinoki wooden trees to trees made from 1000 prisms, here are the ones the wowed us the most.
And a reminder that these are all up until December 25, 2025 but after that they’ll be gone.
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Keisuke Aiso’s Ubume Sculpture that was Missappropriated as the Face of the Momo Hoax
New Architecture Opening in Japan in 2026
Detailed Cross-section of the Kowloon Walled City Created by Japanese Researchers
This Map of the World Just Won Japan’s Prestigious Design Award
Japanese Designer New Year’s Cards of 2026
