Roppongi Art Guide - 10 Galleries Showcasing the Latest Art Trends

Roppongi is one of Tokyo’s most popular downtown areas. When you look at Roppongi from the perspective of art, you will see that this town, with its famous nightlife, tourists, and bustling business district, is also home to popular spaces such as Mori Art Museum, National Art Center, Tokyo, Suntory Museum of Art, and 21_21 Design Sight. In this article, we will introduce galleries in the area, starting from the Roppongi Station area and moving on to Azabu-juban and Nishiazabu.

Closest to Roppongi Station, the first stop is Piramide. As the name suggests, the building’s structure is reminiscent of a pyramid and is home to many galleries.

Perrotin Tokyo

Located on the first floor of Piramide, Perrotin Tokyo is the Tokyo branch of the gallery opened in Paris in 1989 by French gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin. Known for introducing Takashi Murakami overseas, Perrotin started in Hong Kong in 2012, expanded overseas to New York, Seoul, Shanghai, etc., and opened here in Tokyo in Roppongi in 2017. As one of the “mega-galleries” that are a major force in the global art scene, this space cannot be missed when it comes to seasonal trends. Next to the gallery is Perrotin 106, a bookstore and event space that opened in 2020, where visitors can enjoy shopping for books and other goods.

Yutaka Kikutake Gallery 

Located on the second floor of Piramide is the Yutaka Kikutake Gallery, which opened in 2015 and features work by Nerhol, Akio Niisato, Kouichi Tabata, Madoka Furuhashi, Norimichi Hirakawa, Erika Kobayashi, Reina Mikame, Yukari Motoyama, Seiichiro Osa, Futoshi Miyagi, and others who are pioneering future expressions.

The owner, Yutaka Kikutake, explains, “Taking recent contemporary art history into account, it is important to create a space for contemplating the significance of art in the future society where new values are exchanged globally. Starting from 2022, we also plan to expand these activities more broadly by holding exhibitions introducing overseas-based artists approximately three times a year.” This year, in collaboration with Taka Ishii Gallery, a project called “Art Club” has also been launched to revitalize the domestic art community, and its developments are garnering attention.

Wako Works of Art

In 1992, Wako Works of Art opened in Hatsudai. In 2011, it expanded its exhibition space and reopened on the third floor of Piramide. The gallery represents artists such as Gerhard Richter, Wolfgang Tillmans, Luc Tuymans, Fiona Tan, Gregor Schneider, Yuji Takeoka, and other artists who continue to exhibit in major art institutions in Europe and the United States. They also have a wide range of in-house publications, and their “Text Series” collects exhibition catalogs, artist critiques, and interviews, making it a must-have book for getting to know the artists.

Ota Fine Arts

Ota Fine Arts opened in Ebisu in 1994. In 2003, it moved to Roppongi, and in 2008, it relocated to Kachidoki. However, in 2011, it returned to Roppongi and is currently located on the third floor of Piramide. The fundamental question for this space is how urban and societal issues can be contemplated through art and activism. One of its distinctive features is its collaboration with artists both domestically, such as Yayoi Kusama, Nobuaki Takekawa, BuBu de la Madeleine, and Akira the Hustler, and internationally, including Rena Banerjee, an Indian artist living in the United States, Christine Ay Tjoe from Indonesia, and Tan Dixin from China, all of whom have Asian roots.

In the Piramide complex, there are several other galleries and organizations, making it one of the leading art complexes in Japan. These include Scai Piramide (3F) operated by Scai the Bathhouse in Yanaka, Kotaro Nukaga (Roppongi) (2F) representing artists like Tomokazu Matsuyama and Yuichi Hirako in Roppongi, Zen Foto Gallery (2F), London Gallery (2F), Taro Nasu (4F), the Contemporary Art Foundation Secretariat (4F), and Gallery Sign Tokyo (4F).

The next stop is Complex 665, a building with galleries located right next to the Piramide.

Tomio Koyama Gallery

The Tomio Koyama Gallery, located on the 2nd floor of the building, was founded in 1996 in Saga-cho, Koto-ku, and has been operating in Roppongi since 2016. Since its inception, the gallery has participated in international art fairs and has been promoting contemporary Japanese artists both domestically and abroad. The gallery aims to further enrich and expand the contemporary art market.

Currently, they represent artists such as Shio Sugeki, Hiroshi Sugito, Mika Ninagawa, and Richard Tuttle, in addition to ceramic artists. The exhibition space, designed by Toru Murayama and Ayako Kato’s architectural firm Murayama + Kato Architecture (mtka), offers a warm and relaxed environment for art appreciation.

ShugoArts

ShugoArts, also located on the 2nd floor, is a gallery established in 2000. Among its roster of artists, it represents those who have realized the evolution of painting and sculpture in Japan after the Gutai and Mono-ha movements, including artists like Masato Kobayashi and Naruo Totsuka. ShugoArts also handles works by artists such as Masaya Chiba, Yukio Fujimoto, Leiko Ikemura, Aki Kondo, Lee Kit, Naofumi Maruyama, Anju Michele, Ritsue Mishima, Yasumasa Morimura, Yuji Ono, Yoriko Takabatake, and Tomoko Yoneda. The gallery’s motto is “Gallery-like Adventures.” They continue to evolve as a creative space, working alongside artists to create exhibitions that incorporate spatial design in the “open field” designed by Jun Aoki, known for his work on the Aomori Museum of Art and the renovation of the Kyocera Museum of Art.

Taka Ishii Gallery

On the top floor of the building, you’ll find the Taka Ishii Gallery, which was established in 1994. This gallery has collaborated with prominent Japanese photographers like Nobuyoshi Araki and Daido Moriyama, as well as painters such as Tomoo Gokita and Shinya Hoguchi, and emerging Japanese artists like Imai Arakawa and Yuki Kimura, organizing exhibitions with them.

The gallery regularly participates in international art fairs, including Art Basel and Frieze. They have also hosted exhibitions of international artists, ranging from highly acclaimed figures like Thomas Demand and Dan Graham to young talents with promising futures like Luke Fowler and Sanya Kantarovsky.

In the Roppongi area, you’ll also find AmanaTIGP, an annex to the gallery, which focuses on showcasing Japanese photography from pre-war to post-war eras. It’s recommended to explore both of these spaces.

Azabudai Hills Gallery

Next, let’s head in the direction of Tokyo Tower. The multi-use complex Azabudai Hills opened its doors to the public in November 2023. Embodying the concept of a ’Modern Urban Village,’ it is a nature-rich landmark with a world-class business center, stylish retail and residential facilities, and a vast open space filled with lush greenery. The Central Green space features public art by Yoshitomo Nara, Zhan Wang, and Yutaka Sone.

One of the largest facilities in the complex is the new Azabudai Hills Gallery, located on the MB floor of the Garden Plaza A building. The gallery is equipped with museum facilities and equipment and will display various genres, including art, fashion, and entertainment. The opening was celebrated with an exhibition of Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, Olafur Eliasson: A harmonious cycle of interconnected nows (2023).

Take Ninagawa

Let’s venture to Azabu in Tokyo. Take Ninagawa, established in 2008, collaborates with artists such as Taro Izumi, Shinro Ohtake, Misaki Kawai, Akira Sasamoto, Kazuko Miyamoto, Tsuruko Yamazaki, Danh Vo, and Charlotte Posenenske.

Gallery owner Atsuko Ninagawa is actively involved in the development of the art ecosystem. Ninagawa has initiated platforms like “South South” that address global South issues, launched the gallery initiative “Galleries Curate” during the COVID-19 pandemic, and founded “Art Week Tokyo.”

When speaking with the staff about the area’s charm, they mentioned, “Azabu is a community with strong connections among local shops and long-time residents. It gets lively during festival times. The presence of renowned eateries like Fukuraku, Chianti, and Azabu Tenmoto is another attractive feature.” Exploring the local dining options between gallery visits sounds like a delightful experience.

Calm & Punk Gallery

Calm & Punk Gallery is a gallery operated by Gaz as Interface, the publisher of the design and art book “Gasbook” released in 1996. The gallery was established in 2006. With the background of art book publishing playing a role in its inception, Calm & Punk Gallery handles works that traverse not only fine art but also fashion, graphic design, and youth culture. They collaborate with artists from diverse backgrounds, including those with graffiti roots like Russell Maurice and Antoine Orff, as well as artists who use digital RGB expression, such as Akihiko Taniguchi, Yoshirotten, and Jonathan Zawada.

In a spacious venue with a 5-meter-high ceiling, you can explore works that span different fields.