An international exhibition hall: A classic review of Tokyo Designer’s Week

Text and photos / －SanjiNoir－ Black Samurai Literature－

Yes！ The 2015 Tokyo Designer’s Week, which has reached its prestigious 30th edition, can be described not only as a grand event in Asia’s design scene but also as an international exhibition hall. Commonly known by its English name Tokyo Design Week, the event actually began as early as 1986, and after becoming independent in 1997, it has now been running for 19 years. With such a long history, the scope of the exhibition has also continued to expand. Today, Tokyo Designer’s Week is no longer just a venue where Tokyo designers present their work—it has grown to include works from around the world, making it a place where you can experience some of the most cutting-edge design trends globally.

This special review focuses on the 2015 Tokyo Designer’s Week. As it was a historic 30th-anniversary event, the abundance of exhibits led to the show being divided into an early exhibition period from October 24–28, 2015, and a later one from October 30 – November 3. However, it’s worth noting that while Tokyo Designer’s Week generally allows for on-site ticket purchases, you can actually save a bit of money by buying tickets in advance at a Lawson convenience store in Japan using the loppi machine (similar to Taiwan’s i-Bon). For the 2015 Tokyo Designer’s Week, for example, the regular adult ticket price at the venue was 3,000 yen, whereas purchasing via loppi cost just 2,500 yen—a significant discount. Also, if you’re a student or eligible for further discounts, the savings are even greater.

In fact, since 2005, Tokyo Designer’s Week has been held annually at a fixed venue: the Meiji Shrine Outer Garden Front Omotesando Gallery (Central Venue). Please note, this is the “Meiji Shrine Outer Garden Front Omotesando Gallery in Aoyama,” not the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku—not the one in Harajuku, not the one in Harajuku, very important, so we’ve said it three times!!! These are two completely different locations. If you accidentally go to the Harajuku one, it will take at least 20 minutes by subway or 40 minutes on foot to get to the right place. A reminder for future readers who might want to check it out.

In fact, since 2005, Tokyo Designer’s Week has been held annually at a fixed venue: the Meiji Shrine Outer Garden Front Omotesando Gallery (Central Venue). Please note, this is the “Meiji Shrine Outer Garden Front Omotesando Gallery in Aoyama,” not the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku—not the one in Harajuku, not the one in Harajuku, very important, so we’ve said it three times!!! These are two completely different locations. If you accidentally go to the Harajuku one, it will take at least 20 minutes by subway or 40 minutes on foot to get to the right place. A reminder for future readers who might want to check it out.