TBS Drama Experience Event: VIVANT IMMERSIVE MISSION — From Here, Your Adventure Begins —

For fans of the Sunday Theater “VIVANT,” the wait for the story’s continuation can be grueling—particularly following the temporary hiatus that began after the broadcast on Sunday, September 13. To bridge this gap, TBS Television is offering an unprecedented opportunity to step beyond the screen and enter the narrative directly. From Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to Friday, November 27, 2026, the “VIVANT IMMERSIVE MISSION” will take place at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO in Kyobashi, Tokyo, allowing participants to engage with the series’ complex world through a series of high-stakes, top-secret missions.

Step Into the World of VIVANT

Unlike a standard exhibition, this event is designed as an immersive operation. Visitors do not simply observe; they assume roles—such as “Beppan,” “Public Security,” or “Tent”—and navigate the event using the dedicated “Auris” smartphone app. By choosing one of four distinct courses—”Beppan,” “Public Security,” “Tent,” or “Searching for Drum’s comrades”—participants engage with the plot from different operational perspectives.

The experience is anchored by the use of authentic sets from the drama, providing a level of detail that separates this event from typical promotional pop-ups. Visitors can explore the “Operations Room” of the 303rd room of the bouquiniste bookstore in Azerbaijan visited by Nogi in Episode 18, the “MPD Public Security Bureau Foreign Affairs Division 4” (the site of numerous pivotal investigation meetings), and the “Tent Underground Prison” where Nogi and Kurosu were held during the first season.

The mission is guided by the voices of a luxurious cast of 12 members. Familiar characters—including Yusuke Nogi (Masato Sakai), Mamoru Nozaki (Hiroshi Abe), Nokoru (Kazunari Ninomiya), Shun Kurosu (Tori Matsuzaka), Kotaro Shinjo (Ryosei Shiranai), Ari (Takashi Yamanaka), Drum (Drum Tomoe / CV: Megumi Hayashibara), Yutaro Sano (Yajuro Bando), Shota Tojo (Gaku Hamada), Satomi Sakurai (Midoriko Kimura), and Toshihiko Nagano (Fumiyo Kohinata)—will provide navigation via audio. Once all tests are completed, AI Hayato (CV: Minami Takayama) will calculate the participant’s aptitude value, concluding a tension-filled experience where the story advances based on the user’s specific choices.

The VIVANT EXTRA MISSION CAFE

To further immerse the senses, the venue hosts the “VIVANT EXTRA MISSION CAFE.” This collaboration cafe offers a menu supervised by the drama’s production team—who conducted repeated tastings to ensure authenticity—that recreates famous scenes and the grand atmosphere of the series.

One of the most anticipated items is the “Nozaki and Drum’s sincy Prison Meal Set,” which recreates the fried rice (the “Drum’s Fried Rice” that became a hot topic in Episode 17) and steamed meat buns consumed in the cell where Nozaki and Drum were captured. For dessert, the “Beginning Desert Tiramisu ~Feel the Wind of Balca~” evokes the vast, symbolic deserts that define the start of the journey. With meticulous attention to plating and naming, the cafe serves as a space to soak in the lingering emotions of the story after the mission concludes.

Event-Limited Merchandise

A wide array of original goods, available exclusively at the “VIVANT IMMERSIVE MISSION,” are available for purchase. These range from character-themed accessories to items incorporating the aesthetics of the opposing factions.

• Face Pouch (2 types: Vivant-chan / Drum): 1,650 yen (tax included)
• Diatomaceous Earth Coaster (3 types: Logo / Beppan / Tent): 1,870 yen (tax included)
• Banshu-ori Tenugui Hand Towel (2 types: Red-Black / Black): 3,300 yen (tax included)
• Kawara Senbei (printed with AI Hayato and the logo): 1,620 yen (tax included)

Visitor Information and Logistics

Basic Info

• Venue / Nearest Station: CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO / Kyobashi (Tokyo) Station
• Location: 〒104-0031 Tokyo-to Chuo-ku Kyobashi 1-7-1 TODA BUILDING 6F MAP
• Period: 2026/09/16 (Wed) ～ 2026/11/27 (Fri)
• Hours:
  • Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun: 10:00–18:00 (Last entry 17:00)
  • Fri, Sat, Hol: 10:00–20:00 (Last entry 19:00)
  • Special Hours (11/27 only): 10:00–18:00 (Last entry 17:00)
• Fees/Costs:
  • Weekdays: General/University Students: 2,500 yen / High School Students: 1,700 yen / Middle/Elementary School Students: 900 yen
  • Sat, Sun, Hol: General/University Students: 2,800 yen / High School Students: 2,000 yen / Middle/Elementary School Students: 1,200 yen
• Inquiries: 050-5541-8600
• Official Website: https://www.tbs.co.jp/VIVANT-immersive-mission/
• Official SNS: X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/VIVANT_MISSION
• Ticketing: eplus | TBS Tickets

Important Notes for Visitors

The event operates by prior reservation for specified dates and times. While entry is free for those bringing a disability certificate (including one accompanying person), a prior reservation via the eplus ticket sales page is still required.

Because the experience relies on the free “Auris” app, visitors must install it prior to arrival. Please ensure your device is supported:

• iPhone: iOS 15.6 or later (models released from November 2017 onwards, including iPhone X and SE 2nd generation).
• Android: Android 12 or higher (ARCore compatible models).

Visitors are required to bring their own earphones or headphones. Please be aware that photography is prohibited within the venue, except in designated areas.

🛏️ View hotels near Tokyo

What is VIVANT?

VIVANT is a Japanese television drama series that started on TBS in July 2023. It follows a Japanese business executive whose ordinary work assignment in another country turns into a larger confrontation involving espionage, local politics, and personal survival. The story moves between Tokyo boardrooms, the Mongolian desert, and the fictional nation of Barka, and its principal characters are repeatedly forced to choose between duty, self-interest, and outside loyalties.

The series was widely discussed in Japan for its production values, its layered plot, and its ensemble cast, led by Masato Sakai. The title is the Esperanto word for “alive,” a reference to the show’s interest in how people respond when their usual social rules disappear. TBS revealed little about the plot in advance, so audience discussion during the original broadcast became part of the series’s reception. That combination of large-scale location work, long-form storytelling, and information control is the basis for VIVANT Immersive Mission 2026, a Tokyo event designed around the show’s settings and narrative world.

ZEN NIGHT TOKYO

Experience a profound convergence of traditional spirituality and modern technology at ZEN NIGHT TOKYO, a curated evening event set within the gardens of the Tokyo National Museum. This immersive experience is held concurrently with the 700th Anniversary Special Exhibition, “Daitoku-ji: The Peerless Zen Gardens of Japan,” allowing visitors to explore the philosophy of Zen through both art and atmosphere amidst the vibrant colors of autumn foliage.

While the gardens of the Tokyo National Museum typically close at 17:00, they will be specially open at night for this event. ZEN NIGHT TOKYO represents the fourth installment of the ZEN NIGHT series—which previously visited Kennin-ji (Kyoto), Kencho-ji (Kamakura), and Tofuku-ji (Kyoto)—marking the first time this specific sound art experience has been brought to Tokyo.

This is not a traditional garden stroll, but an immersive sound art night where tradition fuses with the latest technology. Visitors can participate in “Walking Zen,” a journey through a curated environment of autumn foliage illuminations, large-scale sea of clouds effects, and “Neuromusic™.” The latter utilizes VIE’s unique patented technology to tune the brain, creating a sensory experience designed to lead the participant toward a state of mindfulness.

The 700th Anniversary Special Exhibition: Daitoku-ji

The event serves as a celebratory companion to the “Daitoku-ji: The Peerless Zen Gardens of Japan” exhibition held at the Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum from October 14 to December 6, 2026. Organized by the Tokyo National Museum, Daitoku-ji Head Temple, NHK, NHK Promotions, and Nikkei Inc., this is the first Daitoku-ji exhibition in 41 years and the inaugural exhibition of its kind in Tokyo.

The exhibition brings together legendary Zen treasures, including the National Treasure “Kannon, Monkey and Crane” by Muqi and the National Treasure “Yohen Tenmoku” (both on display October 14 – November 8). In a rare display, the exhibition features a reproduced interior of the Sanmon gate—an area usually closed to the public—showcasing the vivid ceiling and pillar paintings by Hasegawa Tohaku, alongside the first-ever public revealing of the principal image and the statue of Sen no Rikyu.

Event Highlights

The evening is structured around several key installations designed to evoke stillness and reflection:

1. Suigetsu Pond: Located in the garden of the former Kan’ei-ji Temple, this area allows visitors to observe the autumn moon and foliage reflected on the water’s surface. This “water mirror” is intended to envelop the guest in a stillness that reflects one’s own mental landscape.
2. Momiji Tea House: To complement the cool autumn air, an outdoor tea house will be established by the pond, serving warm matcha and matcha lattes.
3. Tenmoku Garden: Situated in front of the “Kujokan” tea room (which was relocated from the Duke Kujo residence), this dry landscape garden is designed to represent the Milky Way floating in the darkness.
4. Hyakki Yagyo (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons): Along the path behind the pond near the “Tengou-an” tea room—associated with Kobori Enshu—3,000 spider lilies will bloom, evoking the presence of ancient Japanese spirits (mononoke) during the long autumn nights.

Special Programming (Reservation Only)

Beyond the general walk, several high-engagement sessions are available via reservation:

• Brainwave Zazen: A fusion of science and spirituality where participants wear VIE’s earphone-type brainwave meter. The “tuning” of the brain state is visualized in real-time through sound and imagery, allowing participants to face their own hearts in a digital silence. Sessions take approximately 30 minutes and are scheduled 2–4 times per day.
• Special Zazen Session by Daitoku-ji Monk: Led by Reverend Yoshiaki Yamato, the chief priest of Daisen-in (a sub-temple of Daitoku-ji famous for its dry landscape garden and ties to Sen no Rikyu). This session takes place on Thursday, November 5, 2026, from 17:45 to 18:45.
• Special Zazen Session with Shojin Ryori: Led by Reverend So-sho Yamada, chief priest of Shinju-an (founded by Ikkyu Sojun). Following an hour of Zazen, guests may enjoy traditional Buddhist vegetarian cuisine (Shojin Ryori) at the “TOHAKU Tea House” restaurant in the “Okyo-kan.” This occurs on Friday, November 13, 2026, with two slots: ①17:45–20:15 and ②19:00–21:30.
• “Hyakki Yagyo” Halloween Event: A special event planned for October, inspired by the Important Cultural Property “Hyakki Yagyo Emaki” (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scroll) featured in the Daitoku-ji exhibition. Details will be released on the official website.

Basic Information

Location / Nearest Station
Tokyo National Museum

• Ueno Station (10 min walk)
• Uguisudani Station (10 min walk)
• Nezu Station (15 min walk)
• Keisei-Ueno Station (15 min walk)

Address
〒110-8712
13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
MAP

Period
Wednesday, 2026/10/14 ～ Sunday, 2026/12/06
Closed every Monday (except Nov 2, 23, and 30) and Nov 24.

Time

• Standard: 17:30 – 19:30
• Extended (until 21:00): Every Friday and Saturday, as well as Nov 1, Nov 2, and Nov 22.
• Extended (until 21:30): Nov 13.
• Admission is permitted until 30 minutes before closing.

Fees/Costs

• Advance Tickets: General 3,600 yen / University Students 2,600 yen / High School Students 2,200 yen
• Same-day Tickets: General 4,200 yen / University Students 3,200 yen / High School Students 2,800 yen
• Note: Ticket prices include admission to the special exhibition “Daitoku-ji: The Peerless Zen Gardens of Japan.”

Official Website
https://zen.vie.style/tokyo2026

The posted content may have changed. Please check the official website of the venue or organizer for the latest information.

🛏️ See hotels near Tokyo

What is the Tokyo National Museum?

The Tokyo National Museum is Japan’s oldest and largest museum, located in Ueno Park, Tokyo. It was founded in 1872. Its holdings span Japanese and other Asian art, including ancient ceramics, samurai armor, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, Buddhist sculpture, and cultural artifacts. A number of these items are designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.

The museum is made up of several buildings. The Honkan houses the Japanese Gallery, the Toyokan the Asian Gallery, the Hyokeikan is used for special exhibitions, the Horyuji Homotsukan displays treasures from Horyuji Temple, and the Kuroda Memorial Hall shows works by Kuroda Seiki. The grounds include gardens, ponds, and mature trees.

These surroundings are well suited to an outdoor sound art event such as ZEN NIGHT TOKYO 2026. The combination of open space and relative quiet makes it possible to present work that depends on careful listening, without competing with the noise of the surrounding city. The museum’s collection and architecture also give visitors reason to arrive early and spend time there before the program begins.

Don Ito’s! 4th Hanshin Donburi Fest

Donburi is one of Japan’s quickest meals: a single bowl of rice, a topping, no need for multiple dishes. But the 4th Hanshin Donburi Fest is built around the idea that the right toppings can turn that simple bowl into something closer to an elegant feast. It takes place at Shokusai Terrace on the first floor of Hanshin Umeda Main Store from 2026/10/14 (Wed) through 10/19 (Mon).

The menu spans meat and seafood with a strong tilt toward indulgence. Highlights include A5-rank Japanese Black Wagyu and Yonezawa beef steak & sukiyaki bowls, fragrant thick-cut skirt steak bowls, and Nagoya Cochin chicken and egg bowls. For seafood lovers, there are white shrimp tempura bowls and seafood bowls piled high with a variety of fish and shellfish. It is a lineup that makes a convincing case for eating lunch out of a single bowl.

The festival also puts a special focus on “donburi no atama”—the toppings themselves. In Japanese, “atama” means “head,” and in donburi it refers to the topping placed on top of the rice. These toppings are often the most flavorful part of the dish, and they also happen to pair exceptionally well with alcohol. Refreshing drinks such as homemade lemonade will be available to cleanse the palate between rich bites.

On 10/17 (Sat), there will also be a talk show by Don Ito, director of the National Donburi Federation. The federation was established to revitalize local regions through donburi and to promote “DONBURI” culture to the world. Ito’s talk show will be held twice, at ①13:00 and ②15:00, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes. No reservation is required, and admission to the talk show is free of charge.

Event details

• Period: 2026/10/14 (Wed) – 10/19 (Mon)
• Time: 10:00 – 20:00
• Location: Hanshin Umeda Main Store, 1st Floor, Shokusai Terrace (1-13-13 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City)
• Fee: Free admission
• Website: Hanshin Umeda Main Store event page

🛏️ View hotels near the event

What is a donburi?

A donburi is a Japanese rice bowl meal. The word means “bowl,” and in a restaurant context it refers to a complete dish served in one: steamed rice, a topping of meat, seafood, or vegetables, and often a sauce or broth that seasons the rice as it mixes with the other ingredients.

The format has many versions. Gyudon consists of beef and onion simmered in a sweetened soy-based sauce. Tendon is battered and fried seafood or vegetables placed over rice, with a dipping sauce poured on top. Kaisendon is a bowl of sashimi or other raw seafood. The toppings differ, but the structure is consistent: the topping is cooked or prepared separately, the rice is steamed, and the two are combined at serving time.

At the Hanshin Donburi Fest, this basic structure is used as the framework for a range of dishes. The event includes wagyu beef, seafood, and other preparations arranged over warm rice. The focus is on how each component is seasoned and how it interacts with the rice. Because donburi is not a single recipe but a category, it accommodates both everyday cooking and higher-end ingredients without changing the essential format.

ENLIGHTENMENT JAPAN

An immersive sound and light spectacle based on Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is coming to Osaka. The production has already been performed in over 100 historical buildings across more than 90 cities worldwide, and its Japanese edition will take over the 1st floor central hall of the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts—a venue designated as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

A 360-Degree Experience in a Historic Hall

The show transforms the entire architectural space into a canvas. A 360-degree projection mapping display unfolds across all walls, ceilings, and pillars of the central hall, a solemn marble-clad room with a ceiling height of 13 metres. The visuals are specially created to match the venue’s dimensions and character, while Vivaldi’s most famous work provides the score. Composed around 1720 and published in 1725, “The Four Seasons” remains one of the most recognisable pieces of Baroque music; here, its four concertos—each evoking a different season—anchor a programme that runs for approximately 30 minutes across six parts.

The organisers provide not only chairs but also bead cushions, so visitors can lounge comfortably while taking in the projections. Photography and video recording are permitted throughout the performance, allowing guests to document the experience. Early bird tickets go on sale from Wednesday, July 1, 2026, through Friday, July 31.

Ticket Fees

Early Bird Tickets (July 1–31)
Note: Special tickets with programs are not available for early bird tickets.

	Weekdays	Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays
Adults	2,600 yen	2,900 yen
Junior high school students and younger	1,400 yen	1,600 yen

Regular Tickets (from August 1)

	Weekdays	Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays
Adults	2,900 yen	3,200 yen
Adults with program	3,400 yen	3,700 yen
Junior high school students and younger	1,700 yen	1,900 yen

Special tickets with programs are sold for adult prices only.

Event Schedule

The event runs from Saturday, October 10, 2026 to Sunday, November 29, 2026.
Excluded dates: 10/13 (Tue), 10/19 (Mon), 10/26 (Mon), 11/2 (Mon), 11/9 (Mon), 11/16 (Mon), 11/24 (Tue).

Five performances are held daily:

Performance	Show Time	Entry Starts
1st	17:45–18:15	17:30
2nd	18:30–19:00	18:15
3rd	19:15–19:45	19:00
4th	20:00–20:30	19:45
5th	20:45–21:15	20:30

Location: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, 1st Floor Central Hall (1-82 Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka City)

Practical Information

• All seats are unreserved; entry is in order of arrival.
• A wheelchair viewing area is available.
• Preschool children may enter for free only if accompanied by a guardian and sitting on their lap. Due to the nature of the production, strong lights and loud sounds will occur in the dark space within the venue.
• There are no ticket sales at the window. Tickets can be purchased through various ticket sites up to 15 minutes before the performance.
• Date and time specified; complete replacement system. Electronic tickets only. Purchase here.
• Inquiries: None
• Website: https://enlightenment-immersive.jp/

🛏️ View hotels near the event

What is the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts?

The Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts sits inside Tennoji Park, in the southern part of the city. It opened in 1936 and is one of the older public art museums in Osaka. The permanent collection is centered on Japanese and other East Asian art: Buddhist sculptures, painted screens, calligraphy, and ceramics form the core, with modern and contemporary works shown in separate galleries. The building’s pre-war facade remains, while the interior has been renovated in stages to meet current display standards.

The park location is practical as well as pleasant. The museum is within walking distance of several transit stops and can be reached easily from central Osaka, but the surrounding grounds keep it noticeably quieter than the streets outside. The galleries themselves have high ceilings and flexible layouts, which allow the museum to present large-scale temporary installations in addition to its permanent collection. One such presentation is Enlightenment Japan 2026 in Osaka, an exhibition that uses 360-degree projection mapping to stage Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The same spaces are also suited to the museum’s older works, which require careful lighting and climate control.

For a visitor, the museum offers a single location to see historical Asian art and contemporary exhibition design without the need to choose between the two.

NHK VR “A Samurai’s Dream: The Phantom Toyotomi Osaka Castle” Osaka Venue

Historical entertainment where you walk and float through a famous castle built by the ruler of the realm! The phantom Toyotomi Osaka Castle, which currently hides its form deep underground, is revived after 400 years.

When you put on the VR goggles, the Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi—praised as “unrivaled among the three kingdoms”—appears before your eyes. The experience moves from the view from the keep as seen by the ruler himself to encounters with exotic animals from foreign lands that terrified the samurai, and then to the “Siege of Osaka,” one of the largest battles of the Warring States period.

At the Osaka venue, additional content appears: the Golden Tea Room, where Hideyoshi himself prepared tea to entertain guests, and the offensive and defensive battles at “Sanada-maru” during the Siege of Osaka. You experience the ruler’s omotenashi (hospitality) in one scene and the battle in the next. The result is an immersive 40-minute experience of the phantom Toyotomi Osaka Castle from a realistic perspective unique to VR.

Event information

Event Period: 2026/10/9 (Fri) – 2027/3/14 (Sun)
Closed: Tuesdays (the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday), year-end and New Year holidays (12/28 – 1/4)
Hours: 9:30 – 17:00 (Admission until 16:00)
Duration: Approx. 50 minutes (Experience: approx. 40 minutes + 10 minutes for explanations and fitting, etc.)
Location: Osaka Museum of History, 6th Floor Special Exhibition Room (4-1-32 Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka City)
Fees: Advance reservation and date-and-time specified tickets are required

• Weekdays: Adults 3,500 yen, Elementary/Junior High/High School students 1,500 yen
• Weekends/Holidays: Adults 4,000 yen, Elementary/Junior High/High School students 2,000 yen

Please note that children under 7 years old and individuals who fall under the descriptions in the NHK VR Terms of Use cannot experience the VR content.

Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial, open daily 9:00 – 20:00)
Website: https://nhk-vr-samurais-dream.jp/

🛏️ View hotels near the event

Who was Toyotomi Hideyoshi?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) ended a long period of civil war in Japan by completing the country’s reunification. He was born in Owari Province to a peasant family, and his rise from that background to the highest levels of power is often treated as remarkable. It owed much to the opportunities created by the wars of the 16th century, as well as to his own abilities.

He first served Oda Nobunaga, the warlord who began the campaign to unify Japan, as a low-ranking soldier. Over time he rose to become one of Nobunaga’s senior generals, primarily through a combination of tactical skill and an understanding of how to manage men and alliances. After Nobunaga was killed in 1582, Hideyoshi moved quickly against his rivals and won a series of engagements that left him as the most powerful figure in the country.

By 1590 he had defeated or neutralised the remaining independent warlords and brought Japan under a single authority for the first time since the early 16th century. His birth prevented him from taking the traditional title of shōgun, which was reserved for families of recognised samurai lineage. The imperial court instead gave him the title of kanpaku, or regent, and later taikō, a term for a retired regent. These titles gave him formal legitimacy without requiring a noble ancestry.

Hideyoshi made Osaka Castle the centre of his administration. He ordered its construction in the 1580s, and it functioned both as a fortress and as a residence that displayed his authority. The castle remained politically significant after his death and was fought over repeatedly in later conflicts.

His domestic policies were extensive. The “sword hunt” of 1588 required farmers to surrender weapons, and it was followed by regulations that defined the social boundary between samurai and commoners. These measures helped consolidate control over the countryside and shaped the status system of the Edo period. In his final years, however, Hideyoshi overreached. He launched two invasions of Korea, in 1592 and 1597, which failed after heavy losses and put severe strain on his regime. He died in 1598, leaving a young heir. The resulting power struggle culminated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which brought Tokugawa Ieyasu to power.

The NHK VR experience, A Samurai’s Dream: The Phantom Toyotomi Osaka Castle, presents a reconstruction of Hideyoshi’s castle and the world around it. It offers a way to examine the built environment of the period rather than a biographical portrait of the man himself.

Gashōen × Fujita Museum of Art: “Noh ~ Teach Us, Noh Performers!”

The Shukugawa Noh Stage “Gashōen” and the Fujita Museum—a museum of Japanese and Oriental antiquities in Miyakojima-ku, Osaka City—have teamed up for a special exhibition titled “Tell Me, Noh Performer!” The collaboration is a series of projects designed to untangle the complexities of Noh in an easy-to-understand way. It focuses on how Noh plays have spread far beyond the stage, becoming subjects in paintings and giving their names to tea utensils. Visitors can see the living Noh tradition through the Ueda family, Kanze-school shite-kata performers who carry Noh into the present day, alongside the artworks inherited by the Fujita Museum.

Across precious art crafts, Noh costumes, masks, and other items—including Hishikawa Moronobu’s Scroll of the Sake-Swallowing Child of Mt. Oe—the exhibition builds an elegant world in which art and Noh music resonate with each other. This is a rare opportunity to encounter Noh not as a remote classical form, but as a cultural language shared by painters, performers, tea masters, and collectors. During the exhibition period, visitors can also join daily gallery talks by curators, special commentaries by Noh performers, and numerous commemorative events.

Exhibition details

• Period: 2026/10/1 (Thu) – 12/28 (Mon)
• Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (*Opens at 12:00 on 10/1 only)
• Location: Fujita Museum (10-32 Amishima-cho, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka City)
• Fee: 1,000 yen (*Free for those 19 and under)
• Inquiries: 06-6351-0582
• Website: https://fujita-museum.or.jp/

🛏️ View hotels near the event

What is Noh?

Noh is a form of Japanese theatre that took its present shape in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It combines dance, chant, and instrumental music on a nearly bare wooden stage. Unlike realistic Western drama, it does not aim to reproduce everyday life. The main actor often wears a carved wooden mask; because the mask does not move, expression is communicated through posture, the angle of the head, and the pacing of gestures.

A typical Noh play is short and follows a formal structure. The cast is small: the principal actor (shite), a companion (tsure), and a secondary actor (waki), with a chorus and a small ensemble of flute and drums. The stage is plain, with a single painted pine tree on the back panel and no other scenery. Actors enter along a bridgeway at the side. Movement and speech are highly codified; a fan, a fold of a sleeve, or a few steps can stand for a journey, a confrontation, or a change of mind.

Many plays are drawn from classical Japanese literature and legend. A common pattern is for a traveler to encounter a stranger who gradually proves to be the ghost of a historical figure or a local deity. The stories are not presented as realistic narratives but as material for carefully shaped performance. The term yūgen, often used in writing about Noh, refers to the effect of depth and quietness that emerges from this restraint: nothing is shown fully, and the audience is left to complete the meaning.

For centuries Noh was supported by the warrior class and performed at temples, shrines, and court events. Training remained hereditary, and several schools still preserve the original texts and stage techniques. After the Meiji Restoration it lost its official patronage but continued as a private art. Today it is listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and performances are held regularly in Tokyo and other cities. Noh asks for close attention, but it does not try to make that attention easy; the rewards are in the precision of the form and the economy of means.

Woodworker Rie Ito’s First Solo Exhibition “Drift & Nest”

Rie Ito, a first-class registered architect and woodworker based in Nara Prefecture, will present her first solo exhibition, “Drift & Nest,” at e/n gallery in Osaka. The exhibition will feature a wide variety of aesthetically beautiful functional vessels made from various tree species, retaining the texture of the wood and unique shapes—including ornaments, long plates, high-stemmed cups, decorative plates, and flower vases.

The title of the exhibition points to two distinct groups of work. The hanging sculptures 《Drift》 are created by shaping fragrant woods such as Japanese cypress and camphor into spindle shapes using a lathe. The functional vessels 《nest》, on the other hand, are palm-sized and remain beautiful even when stacked. Moving between the boundaries of craft and sculpture, and between using and viewing, this is a profound exhibition that contemplates the time it takes for wood to reach our daily lives.

The venue is e/n gallery, located on the first floor of the Riverside Building, a registered tangible cultural property in Nakanoshima, Osaka—a setting that adds a quiet layer of history to the show’s meditation on materials and time.

Exhibition details

• Exhibition period: 2026/10/7 (Wed) – 10/17 (Sat)
• Closed: 10/12 (Mon/Holiday)
• Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 (until 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays)
• Location: e/n gallery (Riverside Building 1F, 3-1-8 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City)
• Admission: Free
• Inquiries: [email protected]
• Website: en-gallery.com/exhibition

🛏️ See hotels near the event

Rie Ito is a Japanese woodcraft artist whose work combines concerns of sculpture, architecture, and traditional woodworking. Based in Japan, she carves, bends, and assembles local hardwoods into forms that are both structural and organic: vessels with the asymmetry of drifting boats, and lattice-like enclosures that resemble birds’ nests. Her process is guided by the material itself. Grain direction, weight, and natural irregularities all influence the final shape, and the pieces tend to look as if they were discovered rather than imposed.

Ito’s central interest is spatial. Her objects are small, but they define interiors and exteriors with architectural clarity. A hollow vessel suggests shelter; an open lattice suggests a boundary; the spaces between slats become as important as the wood itself. This makes her work useful to think about alongside architecture, though it remains firmly within craft.

In Drift & Nest, Ito sets two conditions against each other. The drift pieces are elongated and off-balance, as if caught in motion. The nest pieces are compact, dense, and protective. The pairing does not treat “home” as a fixed idea; instead, it treats shelter as something that can be carried, rebuilt, or abandoned. Wood functions here as a material with its own behavior. It bends, expands, contracts, and retains traces of the tree it came from. Ito’s versions of that behavior are precise but not rigid—objects that hold their shape while still appearing sensitive to the forces around them.

Tourist Information “THE GATE”

A place to encounter the charms of Aichi and Central Japan through travel, culture, crafts, and local sake.

For a limited time, Nagoya Station will host “THE GATE,” a tourist information center focused on the traditional culture, crafts, and regional sake of Aichi and Central Japan. From September 11 to November 3, 2026, the venue at the Meitetsu Department Store Special Space will offer expert guidance, consultations, and tour reservations for anyone planning to explore the area.

🛏️ View hotels near the event

A starting point for Aichi and Central Japan

THE GATE is more than a place to pick up brochures. It combines travel information with the region’s cultural traditions, putting local crafts and sake alongside the practical advice travelers need. That combination makes the venue useful for two kinds of visitors: travelers who want a tailored introduction to the region, and locals who want to rediscover what their own area has to offer.

Expert guides are on hand to answer questions and help shape itineraries. Consultations can be handled in person, and tour reservations can be made directly at the venue, which saves time compared to contacting multiple operators separately. Whether you have a specific route in mind or are still deciding what to see, the guidance available here is designed to make the next step clear.

Practical information

Item	Details
Dates	September 11, 2026 (Fri) – November 3, 2026 (Tue/Holiday)
Closed	None
Hours	11:00–19:00
Location	Meitetsu Department Store Special Space, 1F Meitetsu Bus Terminal Building, 1-2-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 450-0002
Contact	Aichi Tourism Association – TEL: 052-581-5788
Website URL	Tourist Information “THE GATE”
Access	Approx. 2 minutes walk from Meitetsu Nagoya Station and Kintetsu Nagoya Station<br>Approx. 5 minutes walk from JR Nagoya Station

The venue is located on the first floor of the Meitetsu Bus Terminal Building, so it is an easy stop for anyone coming through Nagoya’s main train stations. With no closed days during the event period, it is open every day from 11:00 to 19:00. The event runs until November 3, 2026—a Tuesday and national holiday—making that day a fitting final chance to encounter the charms of Aichi and Central Japan.

THE GATE is a travel information and cultural exhibition space located at Nagoya Station. It opened in time for the 2026 travel season and provides practical services for visitors to Nagoya, Aichi, and the wider Central Japan region, alongside exhibits and activities related to local culture.

The name is intended to emphasize the station’s role as an entry point to the area. Nagoya Station is one of Central Japan’s main transport hubs, with JR lines, Meitetsu, the municipal subway, and long-distance buses converging there. THE GATE is part of the recent redevelopment around the station and combines digital information displays, rotating exhibitions, and hands-on cultural programming in a single space.

Visitors can:

• Pick up maps and multilingual sightseeing recommendations for Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, Osu Shopping Street, and other destinations in Chubu.
• Book regional rail passes, day tours, and cultural workshops, including Seto-yaki pottery-making with local craftspeople and arimatsu shibori tie-dyeing classes.
• View an interactive exhibition corner that covers Aichi’s traditional crafts, samurai history, festival culture, automotive innovation, aerospace engineering, and next-generation rail systems.
• Purchase curated local specialties from Aichi and neighboring Gifu, Mie, and Shizuoka, such as miso katsu, tebasaki, red bean desserts, and other regional food and gift items.
• Attend scheduled events, including tea ceremony demonstrations, taiko drum performances, and seasonal festival showcases that rotate through the year.

The space is designed to be useful for different types of travelers. For those passing through Nagoya for a single day before connecting to another city by Shinkansen, it offers a quick overview of what can be done in a limited time. For visitors planning a longer trip across Central Japan, it provides route guidance, ticket assistance, and access to workshops and tours that would otherwise require more research.

The exhibition contents and event schedule change periodically, so the center also works as a place to return to during a longer stay. It does not replace the experience of visiting the places it covers, but it gives visitors enough context to plan where to go and what to pay attention to.

THE GATE is a practical first stop for travelers looking for clear information about Aichi’s history, industry, and contemporary culture before deciding how to spend their time in the region.

SAKAMOTO DAYS Exhibition

The premise is simple enough: a plump, easygoing man runs an ordinary shop in town. He is also a former legendary hitman. Since its serialization began in 2020, SAKAMOTO DAYS has gained a devoted readership through Yuto Suzuki’s overwhelming artwork, charming characters, and story structures that slide effortlessly between comedy and high-stakes action. The TV anime adaptation drew an even wider audience. Now, a large-scale original work exhibition is touring to Nagoya.

At the heart of the exhibition are Suzuki’s intense, beautifully rendered illustrations. The exhibition fixtures and spatial composition have been designed to be dynamic, encouraging visitors to experience with their whole bodies the nerve-wracking battles of assassins, the vividness hidden within a single blow amid fierce fighting, and the profound story shaped by layers of past karmic ties. That experience is organized around two “lines”: the line of determination that assassins wield with their respective weapons, and the line delivered by Suzuki from the tip of his pen. Destruction and creation stand at the center of the whole event.

For manga devotees, the original materials are the main attraction. The exhibition displays more than 170 completed manuscripts, including color illustrations, alongside over 90 pieces of treasured creative material, all unveiled with the full cooperation of the author. These include unpublished sketches, storyboard drafts known as names, and “rejected drawings” of pages—material that gives a rare look at the working process behind the finished manga.

Exhibition details

• Dates: October 3 (Sat) – November 23 (Mon/Holiday), 2026
• Time: 10:00–17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
• Venue: Telepia Hall
• Fees:
  • General: 2,000 yen
  • Middle/High School students: 1,500 yen
  • Elementary school students: 900 yen
  • With goods (limited quantity): 4,200 yen
• Contact: SAKAMOTO DAYS Exhibition Nagoya Secretariat
  • TEL: 090-9712-7096
• Website: https://telepiahall.com/event/sakamoto-days/
• Official X (Nagoya Venue): https://x.com/telepiahall

Access:

• 10-minute walk from “Sakae” Station on the Nagoya City Subway Higashiyama Line
• 10-minute walk from “Takaoka” Station on the Nagoya City Subway Sakura-dori Line

Ticket notes:

• For this exhibition, only October 3 (Sat) and October 4 (Sun) from 10:00 to 13:00 require a date-and-time-specified admission ticket. Those tickets are already sold out. For all other dates and times, visitors may enter without specifying a date and time.
• Ticket purchases at the venue window are cash payment only.
• The venue window will not sell date-and-time-specified admission tickets or admission tickets with goods.

Planning to go from outside Nagoya? 🛏️ See hotels near the event

What is SAKAMOTO DAYS?

SAKAMOTO DAYS is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. It has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since November 2020.

The story centers on Taro Sakamoto, a former hitman whose reputation once made him a target for every ambitious killer in the business. At the height of his career, he falls in love with a woman named Aoi and decides to retire. He trades the job for a convenience store, a wife, and a child, and for a while the new life holds. But the past keeps arriving at his doorstep: old rivals, hired assassins, and a standing bounty eventually force him back into action.

Sakamoto has gained weight since his prime, and he no longer looks like the sharp, dangerous figure he once was. That contrast is part of the series’ humor, but it is not played only for jokes. When his family is threatened, he moves with the same speed and precision he had as a hitman, and the fight scenes treat his abilities as practical skills rather than magical gifts. He is supported by Shin Asakura, a store clerk who can read minds, and a former hitman named Son Hee. The three handle conflicts that come to them, usually because someone from Sakamoto’s past wants a score settled.

The action is inventive without trying to impress the reader through sheer scale. Suzuki’s paneling keeps the choreography legible, and fights are often resolved using the environment or the opponent’s own abilities. The tone alternates between slapstick and violence, but the shifts are controlled. The supporting cast each have distinct motives and fighting styles, which matter more than simple rankings of strength. The series never insists on telling the reader that family is important; it simply shows Sakamoto protecting his, and lets the actions speak for themselves.

An exhibition in Nagoya in 2026 will display Suzuki’s original manuscripts and artwork, offering a closer look at the draftsmanship behind the series.

Abeno Harukas Art Museum “Andrew Wyeth Exhibition”

Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) is one of the most widely admired American painters of the twentieth century, an artist who “depicts America,” and his work has long found a devoted following in Japan. This autumn, a long-awaited retrospective — the first in Japan in 17 years and the first since the artist’s passing — will be held at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum.

Wyeth built his career in deliberate contrast to the prevailing currents of post-war American art. Rather than follow the avant-garde trends of the era, he devoted himself to the people and landscapes he knew intimately: the two regions he had traveled between since childhood — his home state of Pennsylvania and Maine, where his summer home was located. Working in a quiet, realist style, Wyeth combined what he discovered and felt in those places with a deep spirituality cultivated through his own life experiences, creating paintings that move people across regions and nations.

The exhibition brings together approximately 100 of Wyeth’s paintings, including 15 works being exhibited in Japan for the first time. The extensive lineup includes numerous masterpieces loaned from various parts of the United States, as well as works from some of Japan’s leading private collections. The exhibition also focuses on motifs that Wyeth frequently depicted, such as windows and doors. By drawing attention to these recurring subjects, the show highlights the “boundaries” that run through Wyeth’s art — light and shadow, life and death, self and others — and conveys a quiet message of hope in an era of increasing division.

---

Exhibition Details

Period: 2026/10/3 (Sat) – 12/6 (Sun)
*Some exhibits will be rotated during the exhibition period. Please check the official museum website for details.

Closed: 10/5 (Mon)

Hours: Tue–Fri 10:00–20:00, Mon/Sat/Sun and Holidays 10:00–18:00
*Admission until 30 minutes before closing.

Location: Abeno Harukas Art Museum (Abeno Harukas 16F, 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka City)

Fees:

Category	General	Advance tickets / Groups (15+)
Adults	2,200 yen	2,000 yen
College / High School students	1,800 yen	1,600 yen
Elementary / Junior High students	500 yen	300 yen

*Advance tickets are on sale until 10/2 (Fri).

Inquiries: 06-4399-9050 (Abeno Harukas Art Museum)

Website: https://www.ktv.jp/event/wyeth/

🛏️ See hotels near the event

Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) was an American painter from Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest child of N.C. Wyeth, the illustrator, and received his early art training at home from his father. He did not enroll in an academy or spend time in the European centers of modernism. His subject matter came almost entirely from two regions: the countryside near his Pennsylvania home and the coastal area around Cushing, Maine, where his family spent summers.

Wyeth worked mainly in egg tempera and drybrush watercolor. Egg tempera dries quickly and requires layered brushwork, which allowed him to control fine detail. Drybrush watercolor produces a textured, chalky surface by applying pigment with a relatively dry brush. These techniques suited his interest in weathered buildings, empty fields, and figures shown in ordinary indoor or outdoor settings. He did not follow the major modernist movements of his lifetime. He preferred to work from direct observation, usually of people he knew and places he returned to over many years.

Christina’s World (1948) is his best-known painting. It shows a woman reclining in a field, with her head raised and her body angled toward a frame house and barn in the middle distance. The model was Christina Olson, a neighbor in Cushing who had a progressive neurological condition and limited use of her legs. Wyeth later described her as refusing a wheelchair and moving by dragging herself across the ground. The painting combines a close view of the figure with a broad view of the landscape. It was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in 1948 and has since become one of the most widely reproduced American images, though its exact meaning remains a subject of interpretation.

In 1986, Wyeth revealed a collection of more than 240 drawings, watercolors, and tempera paintings made over roughly fifteen years depicting Helga Testorf, a German-born neighbor in Chadds Ford. The works had been produced and stored without public notice. They show Testorf indoors, often sitting, reading, or sleeping, and sometimes posed against walls or in rooms in the nearby Kuerner farmhouse. The announcement attracted intense press coverage, partly because the existence of the series had been kept private. The collection was exhibited in 1987 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The public attention focused as much on the circumstances of the series’ discovery as on the work itself.

Wyeth received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and the National Medal of Arts in 2007. His paintings are held in the collections of major American museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art. Critical opinion during his lifetime was divided. Some reviewers saw his style as sentimental or too closely tied to illustration; others identified his strength as the patient rendering of specific places and the restraint with which he treated human figures. Wyeth consistently described his own project in narrow terms: he painted his life, which was rooted in the Brandywine Valley and midcoast Maine and in the people he saw year after year. That emphasis on the local is the clearest way to understand both the range and the limits of his work.