Tokyo is home to a vibrant and creative arts scene, offering a wide variety of shows and exhibitions and drawing inspiration from Japan’s rich history and culture. Two local artists take us to their favorite places.
In this episode of Tokyo My City, Tetsuya Kumakawa, artistic director of a ballet company in the Japanese capital, and Richard Collasse, French businessman and author, reveal to us what they love about Tokyo.
An artistic melting pot
For the first who started classical dance at the age of 10, the city is a true artistic melting pot that brings together different cultures. The Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Theater in Ueno is one of his favorite performance venues. This is also where he is currently staging his ballet “Sleeping Beauty”.
Off stage, Tetsuya Kumakawa loves walking in Ueno Park, a haven of peace in this bustling city. In the same neighborhood, he likes to go to the National Museum of Western Art.
In the evening, he enjoys relaxing at the bar of the Palace Hotel Tokyo in Ōtemachi, which offers breathtaking views of the city.
Between entertainment and tranquility
For Richard Collasse, Tokyo’s mix of lively neighborhoods and peaceful areas has fascinated him since his first visit at the age of 17. Also an art lover, he proudly shows us around the public exhibition space Nexus Hall, located in the Chanel premises in Ginza, where he has worked for several decades.
Richard Collasse also takes us to the Teien Museum, in Minato-ku. This institution entirely dedicated to Art Deco houses superb exhibitions, as well as a Japanese garden.
Journalist • Damon Embling