Tokyo is handing a retired elevated expressway over to designers this fall. For its tenth edition, DESIGNART TOKYO is putting its main venue on the old KK Line in Ginza, while around 150 creatives from 13 countries fan out across the city. Honestly, the venue alone had me sold.
Event Overview
| Event Name | DESIGNART TOKYO 2026 |
| Date | Friday, October 30, 2026 – Sunday, November 8, 2026 (main venue: October 30 – November 3) |
| Location | Ginza, the Tokyo Station area, Roppongi, Gaienmae, Omotesando, Harajuku, Daikanyama, and Ikejiri, Tokyo, Japan. Main venue AUTOBAHN: KK Line (former Tokyo Expressway), Sukiyabashi Intersection to Ginza 1-chome |
| Official Website | https://www.designart.jp/designarttokyo2026/ |
| Social Media | https://www.instagram.com/DESIGNART_TOKYO/ |
| Exhibit Info | https://www.designart.jp/en/entry2026/ |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |
Key Highlights
- A tenth edition built around “Hibiki.” The theme, Japanese for resonance, asks how sound, color, and material carry across time and cultures, with a key visual by artist Kenta Cobayashi.
- A main venue on a former expressway. AUTOBAHN runs along the KK Line from Sukiyabashi Intersection to Ginza 1-chome, with a sculptural space by architecture studio ALTEMY and daily stage talks.
- The festival’s first design market. “AUTOBAHN – The Design Store,” curated by Merci co-founder Jean-Luc Colonna d’Istria, brings pieces from nendo, BALMUDA, Kwangho Lee, we+, and Jin Kuramoto.
- Milan pieces come home. DAIKAN × 130’s mirror-polished “FLUX TABLE” returns from Milan Design Week 2026, and Shota Shimode shows new prototypes built on his Milan project “CONTEXTS.”
- Furniture premieres in Omotesando and Gaienmae. Carl Hansen & Søn gives Hans J. Wegner’s CH258 sofa its world debut, while Andreu World shows Patricia Urquiola’s Nina Lounge, made with recycled materials.
- Studios and tech installations to explore. Ryota Yokozeki opens his Roppongi-area studio for “From Flat,” and ICOMA’s “SHOSA Bonsai Arm” turns an open-source robot arm into a mimicking installation.
- Young talent and pieces you can buy. The UNDER 30 program waives fees for five young creators, and many works across the festival can be purchased right on the spot.
If adaptive reuse is your thing, start on the expressway, grab the guide map, and let the rest of the city fill out your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a ticket for DESIGNART TOKYO 2026?
Yes, for the main venue. AUTOBAHN is ticketed this year, with advance one-day passes at ¥3,000 (¥1,000 for students) and a ¥5,000 five-day pass through the visit info link above.
Is the opening party open to the public?
It is. Party tickets cost ¥2,000, and New York–based trumpeter Takuya Kuroda plays a mini live set.
Can I still apply to exhibit?
Not for 2026: Plan A entries closed May 31 and UNDER 30 entries closed March 31. The exhibit info link above details the plans, with exhibition packages from ¥240,000 to ¥1,400,000 plus tax.
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