The Nihonbashi / Kyobashi Art and Antiques Festival held in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi and Kyobashi districts. The event will involve 61 art dealers and galleries and, for the first time, the Nihonbashi branches of the Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores.

“Tokyo Art & Antiques” began in 1998 as “The Nihonbashi / Kyobashi Art and Antiques Festival” and was held once or twice annually. In 2010, it was reborn under the new title of “Tokyo Art & Antiques,” welcoming for the first time the participation of galleries specializing in contemporary art. This year, with 63 gallery and dealers participating, it is shaping up as the biggest gallery-based art event in Japan. (Gallery numbers are current as of January 25.)

The district of Nihonbashi / Kyobashi, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, has been famous since the postwar era for its dealers in classical art, craft, nihon-ga painting, modern painting, sculpture, prints and more. Now, the district boasts around 150 such unique specialist galleries, making it second only to Ginza as Tokyo's preeminent arts zone. For this event, the galleries in the Nihonbashi area (addresses including Nihonbashi and also Kyobashi 1-chome) will extend their regular opening hours until 7pm on the opening night, Thursday, April 28. Galleries in the Kyobashi area (Kyobashi 2-chome, 3-chome and Ginza 1-chome addresses) will do the same on Saturday, April 30. With the extra long hours and also a variety of special exhibitions and events being held, visitors will be able to enjoy themselves at their leisure. Of course, each participating gallery and dealer will also open their doors on Friday, April 29, which is a public holiday, and on Saturday and Sunday.

A wide range of related programs will be held to coincide with “Tokyo Art & Antiques.” Catering to everyone from beginners to veteran collectors, the programs will include talk sessions at Mitsukoshi Theater and workshops and lectures at each individual gallery and art dealer.

In recent years, interest in art and antiques has grown across all generations. Nevertheless, for many people, opportunities to come into direct contact with art in the course of their daily lives are rare. This can lead to frustration because on the one hand they want to know more about art, but they lack the knowledge to act on that desire. Others find galleries themselves intimidating.

This event is set in Nihonbashi and Kyobashi – areas deeply connected with Japan’s art history. By providing an opportunity for all people, regardless of age or nationality, to become better acquainted with Japanese art and antiques, we hope to uphold the tradition of appreciating those arts in the future.

* The text provided by The Tokyo Art & Antiques Organizing Committee.

Period: April 28 - May 1, 2011, 11:00 - 18:00/19:00
Location: The area centered around the district of Nihonbashi / Kyobashi in Chuo Ward, Tokyo
Official website: http://www.tokyoartantiques.com