Culture
Asakura Sculpture Museum, Yanaka
Sculptor Fumio Asakura’s home and studio in Yanaka is a delight. After moving to the house in 1907, he spent years extending it. There are two wings and a leafy Japanese garden; you can tour the property and explore his sculptural work here.
Post Architecture Books, Minami Aoyama
The publisher of Shinkenchiku, one of Japan’s leading architecture journals, has its own bookshop. Post Architecture Books stocks about 500 titles selected by Yusuke Nakajima, the owner of independent bookshop Post. The mix of Japanese and foreign titles offers a broad range of perspectives and spans spatial design, monographs, urbanism and anthropology.
Koganeyu, Taihei
Long-standing sentō (public bathhouse) Koganeyu received a radical makeover in 2020, led by artist Hiroko Takahashi and Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architects. The core elements of the classic bathhouse remain, while new additions include a Mount Fuji mural by Yoriko Hoshi. There’s a cypress-wood sauna, as well as a bar, adding new layers to the experience.
Nezu Museum, Aoyama
Designed by Kengo Kuma, the privately run Nezu Museum houses an outstanding collection of artworks from Japan, China and East Asia. The expansive garden, dotted with stone lanterns and traditional wooden teahouses, draws kimono-clad tea practitioners from across the country. Its winding paths are also perfect for a post-exhibition stroll.
Oedo Antique Market, Marunouchi
Taking place on the first and third Sundays of the month, the Oedo Antique Market presents an eclectic mix of crafts, homeware and treasures from bygone eras. Gathered in the Tokyo International Forum plaza, the carefully curated and arranged stalls serve as aesthetic works in their own right.
