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  • Lecture

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. Please check details via the “Application” button below. 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.
Ongoing 10/01/2025 - 12/14/2025

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.   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

  • Lecture
  • Sanpo

Terunobu Fujimori Unravels Kanda's Billboard Architecture : A Dialogue on Art and Architecture between Masato Nakamura and 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.
Upcoming 11/15/2025 / Ebihara Shoten

Revealing the transformations of Tokyo’s waterside

  • Lecture
  • Sanpo

Sanpo University: Special Field Lecture by Hidenobu Jinnai (Nihonbashi–Tsukudajima Route)

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) Course: Nihonbashi – Tsukudajima Meeting Point: In front of the Nihonbashi Tourism Information Center (1-1-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku) Dismissal Point: Tsukudajima (subject to change depending on weather or other circumstances)   Notes We recommend installing the Oedo Map app, “大江戸今昔めぐり,” beforehand and using it on-site (Japanese only). Participants gather and disperse on-site. Travel and accommodation are each participant’s responsibility.
Upcoming 11/18/2025

Walking, Rediscovered

  • Lecture
  • Sanpo

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

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 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 (subject to change depending on weather or other circumstances)   Notes Participants gather and disperse on-site. Travel and accommodation are each participant’s responsibility.
Upcoming 11/28/2025

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.   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.
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