Tokyo design pilgrimage: top spots for design and architecture inspiration

Oct 19

Written By Jun Ng

Tokyo is incredible when it comes to design inspiration; but it can also be a bit overwhelming knowing where to go. For the past 5 years I’ve been coming back to hone the way I think and solve problems as a designer. I particularly look for exhibits or resources that give me a glimpse into the thought processes behind how design is used to achieve a particular purpose. Below are some of my favorite places with a slant towards design research, speculative design, innovation, and architecture (because architects often have wonderful holistic ways of thinking about how to make aspirational change based on their work). Not all the recommendations are that in-depth, but I’ll try to mention what to expect. I’ve also included some recommendations for nearby parks and cafes for those necessary pitstops or space to reflect and write up your findings. I hope you enjoy!

Roppongi

Roppongi is my favorite place in Tokyo for design inspiration. This area has a decent amount of permanent venues but also often have temporary pop-up exhibitions and installations which makes it great to go there spontaneously. Below are my top 3 recommendations; their exhibitions change every few months, so are staples on the design pilgrimage route.

Tokyo Midtown Design Hub is a space on the 5th floor of the Midtown Tower that hosts a small exhibit in the centre with rooms off to the side that hold events and workshops. Since the purpose is to promote and disseminate design, the exhibits provide a good amount of easy to understand information into how design is used accompanied by real world examples. Most of the information have English translations, and there’s lots to read, so while it’s small, I find it very rich in details. There are usually some small interactive elements, the place is hardly ever crowded, and it’s free. If you want to attend an event, you need to book in advance, and sometimes (because it has an emphasis on collaboration) the speakers are international, so they will translate from English to Japanese. https://www.designhub.jp/en

Design Sight 21_21 has a mid-sized exhibition space within this slick modern architecture. The curators ask really good thought provoking questions, often challenging us to contemplate our actions in society and on the world. Of all the places listed in this article, this is probably your best bet at finding some Speculative Design / Futures Design in true Dunne and Raby fashion (but not always of course). It’s also the closest place I’ve found so far to the ethos of responsible design that I came across while studying at the Royal College of Art. The main exhibit is paid, and there’s a nice gift shop with a handful of bilingual books too. https://www.2121designsight.jp/en/

TOTO Gallery - it’s not about toilets, although the toilet showroom is on the ground floor. But when you go up the elevator, you’ll find a very impressive architecture exhibit that is part of the company’s social contribution program (I’m still not sure how it’s connected exactly). There you’ll find scale models and an exhibition space (you’ll need to use Google Lens for this place). Then down a level is an excellent bookstore on all things architecture and design! Most of the books are in Japanese, but the depth and variety of material is really good. I’ve noticed recently that they are periodically temporarily closed - so it’s worth checking on Google Maps if they are open or not before going. It’s about a 7 minute walk from Design Sight 21_21, and 5 minutes from Midtown. And it’s free. https://jp.toto.com/gallerma/about/index_e.htm

Other places in Roppongi

The Tokyo Midtown Tower itself has nice shops (the window shopping type) including trendy homeware stores that will certainly make you want to redesign your home. It also has many art galleries, and the Fujifilm Photo History Museum on the first floor. There’s food at the bottom and a small, peaceful, neatly designed park (Hinokicho Park) with lush trees and little tucked away outposts where you can sit on a rock as the mini river flows by. This park connects to Design Sight 21_21 and it’s surrounding park (also a nice tranquil place to sit with water features). The green space connected to the Midtown Tower outdoor eating area usually have events and light displays as well.

If you like art, there are tons of galleries scattered all around Roppongi including the massive Mori Art Museum - which sometimes has design and architecture exhibits which are great. When I went, they had ample bilingual plaques with a good deal of information about the background and intention of the experimental architecture they presented.

Bunkitsu is a cute book cafe (the design books are in the upper left section where the row of desks are). I could have missed the sign, but I’m sure when I went a few years ago it was free, and you only had to pay a fee to sit at a desk. But recently (2024) it seemed there was a fee to even enter the upper area (like ¥1,650 or so, but you get tea/coffee and can sit and read - you should check out their website for more details because there is different pricing for different access/days). It’s cute though, so worth popping your head in, and the ground floor is still free - it’s more like a mini bookstore/gift shop. Since it’s a little expensive, I prefer going to bookstores or libraries. Just a quick note, Tsutaya Books have a branch in Roppongi, it’s not my favorite branch for design specifically, but if you don’t have time to get to Daikanyama (my fav), then perhaps stop by (it’s still gorgeous and great for other categories).

Hinokicho Park near Tokyo MidTown, Roppongi

Shimbashi / Shiodome (near-ish Ginza)

The Ad Museum Tokyo is a seriously hidden gem! It’s well designed, spacious, and tells a comprehensive story of how ads in Japan have evolved over the decades, highlighting the history of that era and significant events that have influenced advertising. It has ample English translations, many interactive screens, and it’s mostly video so you don’t get tired with too many tiny plaques. It’s all free and there’s a cute (but small) gift shop. Best of all (in my opinion) is the library on the second floor (English books are in the central aisle). https://www.admt.jp/en/

Higashi-shinagawa (on the way-ish to Odaiba / Tokyo Bay / Koto City area)

ArchiDepot is actually a single floor warehouse that stores hundreds of architecture models arranged in rows of racks. It’s not a crowded place, and most people just walk through in probably 20 minutes (the plaques are mostly in Japanese and aren’t that detailed, nevertheless it’s sort of eye-candy galore). At the back there is a table with a handful of suitably curated books and a small couch to read on. It’s a really unique place and I’d recommend to check it out if you like architecture. You get the ticket from the WHAT Museum (mentioned next). https://archi-depot.com/

WHAT MUSEUM is in the same complex as ArchiDepot. You buy tickets from the WHAT Museum entrance (there are different bundle options of which ArchiDepot is one add-on). It’s a small-medium sized exhibit that I feel is more focused on art than design. When I went, they had a little immersive experience which was nice. I didn’t feel the content was as rich as the places mentioned above, but still interesting. There were other art exhibits in the complex, some of which were quite large, but I didn’t check them out. https://what.warehouseofart.org/en/

T.Y. Harbor area - across the street from the WHAT MUSEUM, heading towards T.Y. Harbour (a microbrewery) are many things to explore. When I went, there were food stalls all along the lane and the harbor front was full of pop up bars. On the way, there was a large hall filled with quirky artist stalls selling their wares. There were also some paid exhibition areas which I think you purchase as part of a combo ticket at the WHAT MUSEUM. Overall it had a very artsy vibe and fun to roam around. I can also recommend the donuts at MILK DO dore iku at the beginning of the strip, and there are some nice eateries near the T.Y. Harbor Area.

Odaiba / Tokyo Bay / Koto City

This area has many interactive museums. The places mentioned below are not particularly about design philosophy per se, but it is ‘Experience Design’ and ‘Interaction Design’ in action.

TeamLab - if you want to experience interaction design on steroids, you may want to check out teamLab. It uses projection mapping, lighting, sound, texture, water etc to create an immersive world based on different themes like sun and rain, planets, etc. There are two sites that I’m aware of with different themes, one in Tokyo Bay where all the exhibition halls are (easily accessible from Shinagawa), and one in the Mori building in Roppongi. You should buy tickets online in advance a few weeks ahead at least. They also change up the themes every so often. I should say that it may be a dizzying, crowded, noisy for some. https://www.teamlab.art/

Disaster Prevention Experience - this place was surprisingly immersive and interactive. It is a guided museum tour to teach you about how to respond during a major earthquake in Japan. Like all places in Japan, check the opening days and times beforehand. Closest station is Ariake Station. You don’t need to make a reservation, I think it was free, and you just have to put your name down and wait for the next tour to start. The tour started in Japanese, but they’ll soon give you a tablet which you can use in English. When I went in Autumn 2024, there were only 2 other people there (and some school groups - but we seemed to avoid them mostly) https://www.tokyorinkai-koen.jp/en/1f/

Wood & Plywood Museum - I actually haven’t been to this yet, but I’d imagine it would be a smaller scale version of Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum in Kobe (which I LOVED). It has good reviews, so I hope to check it out soon. https://www.woodmuseum.jp/wp/

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation - a science museum with a focus on innovation. It’s really interactive and educational. I found it useful think about where technology is heading, and how that should be considered in designing for the future. For example, how robotics change the way we interact, what new consumer expectations will be, what technology can be leveraged, and what role design needs to play in making sure we consider implications carefully. This place is almost like a mental test-environment. https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

Shibuya, Omotesando, Harajuku

It’s a bit of walking to go between Shibuya, Ometesando, and Harajuku, but they all sort of join, so I’ve split this into 3 areas so you can take it at your own pace. Not all of them are exactly design places, but I wanted to note a few places that could be of interest en route. They are not ordered in terms of ranking of recommendations, they’re ordered according to flow of geography.

Cluster 1: North of Shibuya Station

d47 Museum - a (very) small, single room exhibit that showcases design or art products from each of the 47 prefectures in Japan. Only drop by if you’re nearby. https://www.d-department.com/ext/shop/d47.html

Tokyu Hands Shibuya branch - this is a chain departmental store with everything from stationery to DIY tools. It has a great crafts section, and so far in my opinion the Shibuya branch is the best. You’ll find it in most large cities in Japan if you can’t get to this particular one. It’s 7 or so floors, so you can easily spend a few hours there! I’d recommend to take the lift to the top and walk your way down (floor 6A is where the crafts are, if you’re looking for Balsa wood and other craft materials, then that’s on level B1). https://info.hands.net/en/list/shibuya/

Civic Creative Base Tokyo is a small hub that has talks and displays projects that have resulted from workshops recently run there, or small exhibits from local and international designers and artists. It’s also another place where you might find design fiction. I’d really recommend to check the website before you go though, because you might not be interested in the topic or it might not have anything on exhibit. The talks would be in English (with a Japanese translator) if it’s an international designer speaking, but I feel it’s more often in Japanese. It has a young art school vibe (so perhaps a little ‘interpretive’ and experimental). It’s 7mins walk from Shibuya Station, but Shibuya is large and confusing; when you see the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, head towards the Starbucks, go to the right side (facing Starbucks) and up that street, then bear left. You’ll see a small sign on the building, enter the hotel lobby, walk to the back wall, and take the lift down to B2 https://ccbt.rekibun.or.jp/en/

Cluster 2: Yoyogi Park > Harajuku > Omotesando

7 mins north of the Civic Creative Base is Yoyogi park - it has gorgeous tall trees, less manicured, more wild feeling, and makes you forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city. Heading east out of the park lands you in Harajuku; there’s lots of youthful funky boutiques and cafes, subculture, and street fashion to explore. Going south-east towards Omotesando it’ll start to become more upmarket and you’ll come across the Ota Memorial Museum of Art which has lots of prints (check opening hours carefully) (I haven’t gone but I’ve pinned it). And further on you’ll find the MoMa Design Store - a fun design goods shop with something for every budget.

Cluster 3: Omotesando / Aoyama

Omotesando and Aoyama are high-end sophisticated areas, with some equally stylish architecture. South of Omotesando station is Spiral a cultural complex that has a large spiral ramp and houses a cafe, gallery, and tables with artist goods for sale (a little pricey though) - interesting for a quick peek. If you go further south-east you’ll find the Nuzu Museum, an art museum that has really beautiful modern natural architecture with a calm zen feel to it including a garden in it’s grounds.

Cluster 4: south west of Shibuya

Not really a cluster, and quite far from anything, but I thought I mention FabCafe. It’s sort of like a Tinker Lab where you can reserve Laser cutting machines, UV printers, and tape creators. It’s also a cafe, so you can sip coffee as the machines all rhythmically beaver away. They’ve got heaps more info on their website which I recommend you checkout for details.

Bunkyo-ku (west of Akihabara, but not close)

Origami Kaikan ok so this isn’t exactly design, but more about craft. Although, I have a feeling many of you reading this article will like it. It’s surprisingly large - 6 floors; and it’s free. It has an exhibition of origami on the lower floors, a studio on the 4th floor where you can watch paper designs being made using dye and stencils, a workshop on the 5th and 6th floors which you can participate in (by reservation - not sure if it costs), and of course you can buy paper and books there too on level 3. It’s not really close to anything major; it’s 15 mins walk from Akihabara Station, and about 20mins walk from Kanda Station. https://origamikaikan.co.jp/lp/english_guide.html

Tokyo Station

The Good Design Store similar to the MoMa shop, but these are all products that have won the Good Design Award. There are a few branches around Japan, so you can find one that’s convenient. They have items like kitchen utensils, clothes, toys, homeware, bags, wellness items, and so on. https://gds.tokyo/en

‘Designy’ cafe areas north and south of Naka-Meguro

If you are looking for a cafe you can sit with your laptop without feeling rushed out, you’ll find a good deal of them near Naka-Meguro. If you find Naka-Meguro too crowded, head north to either Ebisu or Hiroo - both are on the Hibiya Line (grey). These areas all have an expat vibe to them.

If you want to venture out a little further from Central Tokyo (on a direct train from Naka-Meguro), you can try going south on the Toyoko Line (red). There you could try Jiyugaoka suburb - it has some trendy cafes and it’s one station away from the wealthy Den-en-chofu (which is cute but with less options).

Tsutaya bookstores usually have co-working spaces where you pay per time; but most also have a cafe area like Starbucks inside where you can sit as well. Most Japanese I see go to Starbucks or Tullys.

I must mention Daikanyama briefly here. It’s far from Naka Meguro, but I feel it has the best collection of design books of all the Tsutaya bookstores, and feels like the nicest and largest as well. It’s in a chilled, mega trendy area in Tokyo away from the tourist areas.

Daikanyama T-site (Tsutaya Bookstore) (not near Naka Meguro)

Tips for exploring

Make sure you check the website for what’s on, and Google Maps for opening hours before you go. Sometimes venues will be closed when they change over the exhibits. And there is usually at least one week day where they’ll be closed.
Try to avoid the weekends if you can.
Keep your ticket for the museum until the end of the day - some restaurants will give discounts if you show your ticket - like showing your Design Sight 21_21 to some places at the base of MidTown tower.
Some Tsutaya bookstores are tax free, but some aren’t. The one at Daikanyama is, at least last time I went. I think most of the ones in Tokyo should be.
If taking the Toyoko line, be careful to look at the time your intended train departs, so you can get on the right one. Sometimes the same platform will serve multiple trains (like rapid which will skip some stations). This seems to be less of a concern for the other lines within Tokyo central.
Shibuya is the most crazy, confusing station I’ve ever seen, it’s worth checking which exit Google Maps suggests to exit from, and then just get out and try to navigate by walking a block and see where your dot moves. The GPS isn’t great at locating your exact spot within the station or even close to it.

TokyoDesignArchitectureDesign Travel

Jun Ng