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  • Workshop
  • Sanpo

Sunwalks: A Sanpo Cyanotype Archive

Workshops by Mariam Tovmasian, a participating artist in the biennale.   Step away from Tokyo’s fast rhythm and explore a cyanotype workshop that captures the city’s traces and the chance moments discovered while walking. Starting from a meeting point, we will take a slow walk through the area, collecting objects that seem meaningful along the way, and then create original prints under the sun!   Cyanotype is an early photographic technique that uses sunlight and water to produce vivid blue images. Participants will learn how the shapes of various objects leave their traces on paper through light and time. By walking, noticing, and imprinting with sunlight, you will capture Tokyo’s fast-paced landscape while experiencing the slower rhythms hidden within it.   Meeting and Dismissal Points Meeting point: Hamacho Park, in front of Exit A2, Hamacho Station (Toei Shinjuku Line) Dismissal point: Etoile Kaito Living Building, 1-15-15 Higashi-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku (near Bakurocho Station, JR Sobu Line)   What to bring 3–5 small objects that you associate with Tokyo or that remind you of the city An apron   * Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. * Each participant may take their prints home as a memory, but we kindly ask you to contribute one piece to be included in the artist’s exhibition.  
Ongoing 09/20/2025 - 10/18/2025 / Hamacho Park (Hamacho Sta. A2 Exit)
  • Workshop

Let’s make a horse-head cane!

Workshops by Eiji Watanabe, a participating artist in the biennale.   Creating a Special Walking Stick to Enrich Your Daily Strolls Participants will craft a unique walking stick by attaching a ceramic horse head to the tip of a bamboo staff. Walking with your own hand-painted horse will give you the feeling of being guided one step further into the future.   Workshop Process Using special ceramic markers, participants freely decorate a pre-prepared white porcelain horse head. After painting, the horse head is baked in a household toaster oven for about 15 minutes to set the colors The finished horse head is then attached to the tip of the bamboo staff, and reins are fixed to serve as the handle—completing the walking stick.   With your completed staff in hand, your daily walks will become an even richer and more delightful experience.
Upcoming 10/09/2025 - 11/09/2025 / Etoile Kaito Living Bldg.

Echoes of History, Whispers of Memory

  • Lecture

Sanpo University Special Lecture #4: “Sanpo no ‘machi' (街)” [Japanese Only]

This lecture invites participants to listen to the genius loci—the spirit of place—hidden in Tokyo’s local scenery, engaging in a dialogue with the histories and memories that have been passed down through generations.This lecture also serves as the final session concluding the four-part special lecture series of Sanpo University Special Lecture.   Date & Time: November 6 (Thu) 2025, 18:30–20:00 General Admission: ¥1,500 / Students: ¥500 Reservation Required in Advance   Guest Speaker: Naoki Oshiro (Professor of Cultural Geography, Meiji University Faculty of Letters) Speakers:Shunya Yoshimi (Professor, Faculty of Tourism and Community Development, Kokugakuin University)   *“Machi” (街) is a Japanese term that signifies a bustling area.
Upcoming 11/06/2025 / Etoile Kaito Product Dept. Bldg.

Discover the Beauty of Wooden Architecture

  • Sanpo
  • Lecture

Wooden Architecture Walk with Masato Nakamura (Guest: Terunobu Fujimori)

Join us on a guided sanpo (stroll) through the neighborhoods of Kanda-Sudacho, Iwamotocho, Higashi-Kanda, and Bakurocho—areas where rare examples of Tokyo’s wooden architecture still remain. This walking tour will take you through the streetscapes of these historic districts, with stops at three wooden buildings that will serve as key venues for Tokyo Biennale 2025. The tour begins with a special talk by architectural historian Terunobu Fujimori, who will introduce the history and significance of Kanban Kenchiku—a unique style of wooden architecture characterized by decorative facades. The sanpo will be led by Masato Nakamura, an artist and General Producer of Tokyo Biennale 2025, who will guide participants through the route and share his perspectives on Tokyo’s urban fabric and the role of wooden architecture within it.   Saturday, November 15 (Afternoon) (Exact meeting time will be shared with confirmed participants.)
Upcoming 11/15/2025

Revealing the dynamic transformations of Tokyo’s waterside

  • Sanpo

Sanpo University Special Field Lecture (Nihonbashi - Tsukudajima Route): Prof. Hidenobu Jinnai

A walk from Nihonbashi to Tsukudajima tracing Tokyo’s waterfront history—both its original landscapes shaped by water and the new scenery emerging today. Guided by Prof. Hidenobu Jinnai, the tour explores remnants of the merchant town, the revitalized Nihonbashi Kabutocho area, the riverside along Kamejimagawa, and traces of the Edo port around Tsukudajima and Okawabata, revealing the dynamic transformations of Tokyo’s waterside through time and space.   Guide (lecturer): Hidenobu Jinnai (Vice President of “Wandering University” / Professor Emeritus, Hosei University / Director, Chuo City Local History Museum) Date: Tuesday, November 18 Time: 12:00 – 15:30 (Meeting time: 11:40) Course: Nihonbashi – Tsukudajima Meeting Point: In front of the Nihonbashi Tourism Information Center (1-1-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027) Dismissal Point: Tsukudajima (planned) Please note that the dismissal point may be subject to change depending on weather conditions and other circumstances on the day. We recommend installing the app Oedo Map “大江戸今昔めぐり” in advance and bringing it with you when you participate.(Japanese language only) https://www.edomap.jp/customer_p.html#contents5 ※ Participants are asked to gather and disperse at the site. Transportation and accommodation costs to and from the venue are to be borne by participants.
Upcoming 11/18/2025
  • Workshop
  • Sanpo

Percussions in the City

Workshops by Gaku Kurokawa, a participating artist in the biennale.   This workshop involves participants making their own small wooden mallets and then heading out into the city to make sounds. As you walk around the city, you gently touch things that catch our eye with your mallets and listen carefully to the sounds you make. Let’s enjoy together the fun, mystery, and joy of touching things we encounter in the city with the tools we have made ourselves and listening to the sounds that result. The creation of the wooden mallets will involve only simple tasks, requiring no specialized knowledge or experience. After making the wooden mallets, we will walk with Mr. Kurokawa and listen to the sounds around us. The mallets you create can be taken home with you.
Upcoming 11/23/2025 - 11/24/2025 / Etoile Kaito Living Bldg.

Walking, Rediscovered

  • Sanpo

Sanpo University Special Field Lecture (Ueno–Hongo–Myogadani Route): Prof. Shunya Yoshimi

This walking tour, beginning in Ueno and continuing through Hongo to Myogadani, traces areas undergoing redevelopment and explores urban spaces where layers of memory are being overwritten. By observing the underside of Tokyo’s transformation into a “tourist destination,” we re-examine the layers of history embedded in the city from a pedestrian’s point of view. This relaxed yet critical urban walk invites participants to reconsider the value of “Sanpo”, which we are increasingly losing amidst modernization and globalization.   Guid (lecturer): Shunya Yoshimi (President of “Sanpo University” / Professor, Faculty of Tourism and Community Development, Kokugakuin University) Date: Friday, November 28, 2025 Time: 12:00 – 15:30 (Meeting time: 11:40) Tour Course: Ueno – Hongo – Myogadani Meeting Point: In front of the Statue of Saigo Takamori, Ueno Onshi Park (Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo) Dismissal Point: Hatoyama Kaikan (planned) Please note that the dismissal point may be subject to change depending on weather conditions and other circumstances on the day. ※ Participants are asked to gather and disperse at the site. Transportation and accommodation costs to and from the venue are to be borne by participants.
Upcoming 11/28/2025

Witness the moment of insight!

Recruiting Participants for the Art Interpreter Training Course: Beginner Level

Overview As part of the Tokyo Biennale 2025 program, we are offering a training course to cultivate “Art Interpreters,” specialists who connect art with society. The goal of this course is to train individuals who can facilitate dialogue through art, making social issues visible and encouraging collaboration among diverse groups of people. Schedule and Location Dates: August – December 2025 (includes 9 practical training sessions) Duration: Each session is approximately 60 minutes. Some sessions may include time for pre-course study. Location: Online, Tokyo Biennale related facilities, Chiyoda Ward, and Taito Ward areas. Instructors: Reiichi Noguchi (Curator, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum), Min Nishihara (Curator), Masato Nakamura (Artist), Meruro Washida (Curator), Yumi Shishido (Program Director), and others. Format Online lectures and in-person practical training. Reaction papers and other assignments will be required after each session. Upon completion, a certificate will be issued to those who are deemed to have successfully completed the program based on an overall evaluation. Details Capacity: 15 people Application Requirements: Applicants must be able to attend all 6 on-demand lectures and be available for the designated dates and times for in-person practical training. Application Deadline: First Round: Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Second Round: Friday, October 31, 2025 Applications will close once the capacity is reached. Course Fee: ¥40,000 (tax included) Payment Method: Details will be sent to your registered email address. How to Apply: Please register using the dedicated application form.
Upcoming 10/01/2025 - 12/14/2025

Making tote bags for the original art festival

Let's collaborate to make a one-of-a-kind original art festival tote bag together.

The project “Totes my GOATs” by L PACK. collects tote bags sold at art festivals around the world and sheds light on the relationship between “art festivals (the extraordinary)” and “tote bags (the ordinary)” through their designs and backgrounds. In this workshop, participants will freely combine provided texts to create their own “original art festival,” which will then be printed onto tote bags using silk-screen printing. From designs that feel like they could actually exist to unique and unconventional creations, let’s collaborate to make a one-of-a-kind original art festival tote bag together. *We will prepare the tote bag body. *Additional printing on brought-in materials is also possible.
Upcoming 10/19/2025 / Etoile Kaito Living Bldg.

What the Uneven Terrain Has to Say

  • Lecture

Sanpo University Special Lecture #3: “Sanpo no ‘mori' (杜)” [Japanese Only]

We welcome Norihisa Minagawa, president of the Tokyo Suribachi Society, who conducts fieldwork focusing on Tokyo’s distinctive undulating terrain. In this lecture, he will guide us in interpreting the city’s structure and history through its topography. Date & Time: July 24 (Thu), 2025, 18:30–20:00 General Admission: ¥1,500 / Students: ¥500   Guest Speaker: Norihisa Minagawa (President, Tokyo Suribachi Society) Speakers: Shunya Yoshimi (Professor, Faculty of Tourism and Community Development, Kokugakuin University)Hidenobu Jinnai (Professor Emeritus, Hosei Uiversity; Director, Chuo City Chuo Historical Museum)   *“Mori” (杜) is a Japanese term that signifies a forested area holding spiritual, cultural, historical, or other special significance. *This event has ended.
Ended 07/24/2025 / Etoile Kaito Product Dept. Bldg.