Since its founding in 2017, DESIGNART TOKYO has stood as one of the world’s most innovative cross-disciplinary events, born from the idea that “INTO THE EMOTIONS”. This philosophy underlines the belief that creativity should not be confined to museums or galleries, but should instead permeate every aspect of our daily environment. Every autumn, Tokyo transforms into a vast, pulsating gallery, and this year, DESIGNART TOKYO 2025 promises to be its most ambitious edition yet.

Held from October 31 to November 9, 2025, the ten-day festival unfolds across 91 venues and 130 exhibitions, weaving together the city’s energy with the global language of art and design. As one of Japan’s largest and most influential creative festivals, DESIGNART TOKYO bridges disciplines and geographies, bringing together visionaries from the worlds of design, contemporary art, architecture, interior design, and fashion. This year’s theme, “Brave – Pursuit of Instinctive Beauty,” invites participants and visitors alike to embrace creativity driven by intuition, emotion, and the primal human sense of beauty that transcends boundaries.

DESIGNART GALLERY ENTRANCE ©︎ Nacása & Partners

Set against the vibrant urban backdrop of Tokyo, the festival invites visitors to explore seven neighborhoods, each offering its own aesthetic rhythm and cultural tone. From avant-garde installations to timeless craftsmanship, DESIGNART TOKYO 2025 becomes a living map of artistic encounters, where visitors can not only view but also purchase works directly from creators, forging connections that extend beyond the exhibition walls. At its core lies the DESIGNART GALLERY, a large-scale collective exhibition hosted at MEDIA DEPARTMENT TOKYO in Shibuya, the beating heart of contemporary culture. There, more than 30 creators from Japan, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and beyond present a multifaceted panorama of international creativity.

Guided by its curatorial vision and the overarching concept “INTO THE EMOTIONS,” the festival celebrates art’s power to provoke, connect, and inspire. Each installation, object, and performance seeks to remind audiences of the courage required to pursue genuine beauty in a rapidly shifting world, an act of artistic bravery that defines both the creators and the city itself. DESIGNART TOKYO 2025 is a journey through Tokyo’s creative landscape, an invitation to rediscover instinct, and a bold affirmation of the human imagination.

DAFT about DRAFT ©︎ Takuya Yamauchi

What distinguishes DESIGNART TOKYO from other global art and design festivals is its intimate relationship with the city itself. Rather than existing within a single venue, it spreads across multiple districts, inviting visitors to experience Tokyo as a living, breathing gallery. Walking through its streets, visitors encounter artworks in unexpected settings such as hotel lobbies, boutiques, historical buildings, and open-air plazas, each revealing a new dialogue between creativity and urban life. This decentralized format transforms the act of exploration into an artistic journey in itself, encouraging participants to discover the beauty woven into the fabric of everyday Tokyo.

At its heart, DESIGNART TOKYO 2025 celebrates the power of collaboration between people, places, and ideas. As the festival continues to grow in scope and influence, it remains anchored in its original conviction: that the act of creating has the potential to transform how we live, think, and engage with the world around us.