Must-See Art Festivals in Japan 2024

Sapporo International Art Festival 2024

Launched in 2014, the Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF) takes place every three years in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The 2024 edition will return after a break during the pandemic and will be the first to be held in winter. The festival is scheduled to run from January 20 to February 25, 2024, and will feature approximately 50 artists from more than ten countries.

Participating artists include Amy Karle, Mika Aoki, Choe U-Ram, Fujimori, Giovanni Betti + Katharina Fleck, Akinori Goto, Ai Hasegawa, h.o, Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Aka Niviâna, KOMAKUS, Kineta Kunimatsu, Yuima Nakazato, Emiko Ogawa, Quayola, Taihei Shii, Superflux, and many others.

Venue: Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo Art Museum, etc.
Schedule: January 20 - February 25
https://2024.siaf.jp/en/

SIAF 2024 "Forest of Media Arts"
Dec 16 (Sat) 2023-Mar 3 (Sun) 2024
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Yambaru Art Festival 2023-2024

The seventh Yambaru Art Festival, which features artworks and crafts in the northern region of Okinawa Prefecture (commonly known as Yambaru), is scheduled to take place from January 20 (Saturday) to February 25 (Sunday), 2024. The director is Choji Nakahodo, and the director of the exhibition section is Takahiro Kaneshima.

Participating artists are Yoshiaki Aoki + Yuta Niwa, Masashi Asada, Aya Ito × Hsu ChihYu, Linda Iha, Uymam Project, Maki Ohkojima, Ryohei Otsuka × BIEN, Kazemoniwa Hiroshi Tada × Tomokazu Hamamoto, Atsunobu Katagiri, Keeenue, Kim Sajik, Kyotaro Hayashi × Ryu, Gofujuu, Chien-Chung Liao, Fuyuka Shindo, Noboru Tsubaki, DOPPEL, Hideo Nagai, Choji Nakahodo, yang02, and others.

Venue: Former village-run Shioya Elementary School, etc.
Schedule: January 20 - February 25
https://yambaru-artfes.jp

Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions 2024

Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions is an annual international festival of moving images and art held in the Ebisu area since 2009. With the goal of re-examining the increasingly diverse means by which moving images are created and appreciated, the festival features domestic and international visual expressions under a unique theme for each edition. The 16th edition will open under the theme “30 Ways to Go to the Moon” and attempt to unravel the proposition of “finding a means to go to the moon” through various forms of expression and reflection with the participating audience.

Participating artists include Kathy Acker, Ryoko Aoki + Zon Ito, Ei Arakawa-Nash, Yu Araki, Corey Arcangel, Kaoru Arima, John Baldessari, Bernadette Corporation, Dara Birnbaum, Lindong Chen, Minho Choi, Yi-Fan Li, Futoshi Miyagi, Harold Crooks, Fujiko Nakaya, and others.

Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, etc.
Schedule: February 2 - February 18
https://www.yebizo.com/en/

Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions 2024 - 30 Ways to Go to the Moon
Feb 2 (Fri) 2024-Feb 18 (Sun) 2024
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8th Yokohama Triennale

Since its founding in 2001, the Yokohama Triennale has explored the relationship between Japan and the world, the individual and society, and re-examined the social role of art from various perspectives in response to a constantly changing world. The 8th Yokohama Triennale (Yokohama Triennale 2023) will take place from March 15 to June 9, 2024, under the theme “Wild Grass: Our Lives.” The first lineup features 67 artists and groups, 30 exhibiting for the first time in Japan and 21 presenting new works.

Announced artists are Joar Nango, Pippa Garner, Lungiswa Gqunta, Open Group, SIDE CORE, Keizo Kitajima, Yasumasa Morimura, Yoshinori Niwa, Lieko Shiga, Taeko Tomiyama, Susan Cianciolo, Larry Clark, Josh Klein, South Ho, Po-Chih Huang, and others.

Venue: Yokohama Museum of Art, Former Daiichi Bank Yokohama Branch, BankART KAIKO
Schedule: March 15 - June 9
https://www.yokohamatriennale.jp/2024/en

Hyakunengo Art Festival - Uchiboso Art Festival

The Hyakunengo Art Festival - Uchiboso Art Festival started last September in five Uchiboso cities of Ichihara, Kisarazu, Kimitsu, Sodegaura, and Futtsu. While drawing on Uchiboso’s strengths, such as ocean, food, and tourism, it combines the power of art, creativity, and technology to create an art festival that would serve as a sustainable platform for creating a new future one hundred years from now.

The exhibition features works by approximately 70 artists, including Tetsuya Umeda, Motohiko Kotani, SIDE CORE, Hiraki Sawa, Shimabuku, Kohei Nawa, Rina Banerjee/Peggy E. Reynolds, Yoshio Yasu, Yuko Mohri, and others.

Venue: Various locations in five Uchiboso cities (Ichihara, Kisarazu, Kimitsu, Sodegaura, and Futtsu)
Schedule: September 30, 2023 - May 26, 2024 (Event and performance Period); March 23, 2024 - May 26, 2024 (Art exhibition period)
https://100nengo-art-fes.jp/en/

KYOTOGRAPHIE International Photography Festival 2024

KYOTOGRAPHIE is an international art event held each spring in the ancient city of Kyoto. Each year, photographs and works by internationally renowned artists are exhibited in elegant historic buildings and modern architectural spaces. The 12th edition of the festival will be held under the theme “Source,” which is the beginning, the initiator, and the origin of all things.

Thirteen exhibitions will be held at various locations in Kyoto, bringing together 13 artists from 10 countries, including Claudia Andujar, Thierry Ardouin, Yoriyas (Yassine Alaoui Ismaili), Kikuji Kawada, Rinko Kawauchi, Lucien Clergue, Tokuko Ushioda, and others.

Venue: The Museum of Kyoto Annex, etc.
Schedule: April 13 - May 12
https://www.kyotographie.jp/en/

AOMORI GOKAN 2024

Five museums and art centers in Aomori Prefecture (Aomori Museum of Art, Aomori Contemporary Art Center, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, Hachinohe City Museum, and Towada Art Center) have joined forces to organize the first art festival in the prefecture. AOMORI GOKAN will take advantage of the unique characteristics of each museum to present a diverse program of exhibitions, projects, performances, and other activities. In addition, the festival will be run by the curators of each museum, working together rather than appointing a director.

The five venues will work together to offer various educational programs for children and parents and tours introducing Aomori’s diverse traditions, nature, and food culture. Stay tuned for more details.

Venue: Aomori Museum of Art, Aomori Contemporary Art Center, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, Hachinohe City Museum, and Towada Art Center
Schedule: April 13 - September 1
https://aomori-artsfest.com

Sado Island Galaxy Art Festival 2024

The Sado Island Galaxy Art Festival combines art and performance with traditional performing arts such as Sado folk songs and Onidaiko drums, as well as various cultural resources of the island.

In the past, Terry Riley, Kodo, Keiji Haino, and others have participated in art events that combine food, video, and music in a natural setting, and Yoichi Ochiai, Hino, and Tadahiro Ishihara have been invited to perform live. The festival is scheduled to be held again this summer.

Venue: Various locations on Sado Island
Schedule: Summer 2024
https://sado-art.com/en

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2024

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is a pioneering art festival set in the natural environment of Niigata Prefecture. The festival’s general director is Fram Kitagawa. Before the main festival, Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2024 Winter will be held from January 13 to March 10. We recommend taking an official tour to get the most out of your trip.

Venue: Museum on Echigo-Tsumari, Matsudai NOHBUTAI Field Museum, etc.
Schedule: July 13 - November 10
https://www.echigo-tsumari.jp/en/

Echigo-Tsumari Art Field 2024 Winter
Jan 13 (Sat) 2024-Mar 10 (Sun) 2024
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Yamagata Biennale 2024

First held in 2014, the Yamagata Biennale is scheduled for the sixth time in 2024. Starting this year, the main venue will be moved from downtown Yamagata City to the Zao Hot Springs area. The festival will aim to create an environment that restores mental and physical health through art experiences.

The general producer is Daisuke Nakayama (president of Tohoku University of Art and Design), the artistic director is Toshiro Inaba (physician), the general curator is Satoshi Koganezawa, and the project director is Natsunosuke Mise. More details will be released in February.

Venue: Various locations in Yamagata City (Zao Onsen Hot Spring and Tohoku University of Art and Design)
Schedule: September 1 - September 16
https://biennale.tuad.ac.jp/

Northern Alps Art Festival 2024

The third Northern Alps Art Festival is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2024. The general director is Fram Kitagawa, and the visual director is Akira Minagawa. Artworks will be presented in five areas surrounded by rich nature: the city area, the dam area, the river area, the Nishinasanko Lakes area, and the Higashiyama area.

Participating artists include Min-Jeong Seo, Mulyana, Ekaterina Muromtseva, Yusuke Asai, Tadashi Kawamata, Takahito Kimura, Ian Kiaer, Goro Hirata, Akinori Matsumoto, [mé], Jimmy Liao, and others. More details will be announced in March.

Venue: Omachi City (Nagano Prefecture)
Schedule: September 13 - November 4
https://shinano-omachi.jp/

Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama: Clear-skies Country

In addition to the spectacular scenery of the Chugoku Mountains, Okayama Prefecture is home to a rich culture and local resources, including historic townscapes, long-standing traditions, performing arts, and various agricultural products. This year, it will also become a host for the Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama. The art director Yuko Hasegawa (Director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa).

Participating artists are Paola Besana, Bianca Bondi, AKI INOMATA, Umesh P.K., Atsushi Katagiri, Rinko Kawauchi, Kimsooja, Mirai Moriyama, Saburo Ota, Smita G.S., Kazuyo Sejima, Jukan Tateisi, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Yoshihiko Ueda, Asim Waqif and Giacomo Zaganelli.

Venue: Various locations in Okayama Prefecture
Schedule:
https://forestartfest-okayama.jp/en/