Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

Following our previous interview, HYAKKEI continues its coverage with insights from Ryosuke Yoshimura, Representative Director of Simose Art Museum; Kisei Takahashi, Board Director of the museum; Mario Cristiani, co-founder of Italy’s leading gallery Galleria Continua; and Stefano Pesce, Advisor of the Mark Tobey Committee CMT.

Opened in 2023 in Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture, the Simose Art Museum sits on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea, facing the sacred island of Itsukushima. Designed by globally acclaimed architect Shigeru Ban, the museum rose to international prominence when it was awarded the Versailles Prize in December 2024 as the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Museum,’ drawing significant global attention.

To commemorate this achievement, the museum launched its first-ever contemporary art exhibition, Ambient, Environment, Circumstances – The Topography of Contemporary Art, which runs from April 26 to July 21, 2025. Within just ten days of opening, the exhibition surpassed 10,000 visitors—a record-breaking turnout for the museum.

Featuring works by emerging artists born between 1980 and 2000, primarily from across Asia, this special exhibition marks a bold new chapter for the museum as it ventures into contemporary territory.

HYAKKEI visited the exhibition shortly after its opening and sat down with Chief Curator and artist Keita Saito for an in-depth interview. “I wanted this project to challenge the current condition of the Japanese art world,” Saito noted.

OMO5 Kanazawa Katamachi by Hoshino Resort will hold the Kanazawa Kogei Night Salon from 22 April 2025 throughout the year, where guests can enjoy Kaga-bocha tea in a space decorated with traditional crafts from Ishikawa and Kanazawa.

Since its inception in 1989, the “Heian Shrine Red Shidare Concert” has evolved throughout the Heisei era. In 2025, the concert will be held for five days from Wednesday, April 2 to Sunday, April 6.

Due to the popularity of the exhibition “Daikakuji Temple, Former Saga Palace: New Flowers and Paintings Related to the Palace,” which will be held at the Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum from Tuesday, January 21, 2025, the museum will be open at night. In addition, from Tuesday, February 18, a limited-edition novelty gift will be distributed to visitors who purchase exhibition merchandise for 4,000 yen or more, including tax.

The resort hotel ‘KYUKAMURA OHMI-HACHIMAN’, located on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, in Omi Hachiman City, known for its Omi merchants and Azuchi Castle, is inviting participants to join the ‘Biwaichi’ bus tour, which immerses them in the historical romance of Shiga Prefecture, which has flourished as a key transport hub since ancient times, close to Kyoto and Nara.
To ensure that visitors can enjoy Omi in an easy-to-understand way, Mr Yoshiyuki Onuma, Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Historical Resource Development, will accompany them throughout the tour and provide explanations.