10 Recommended Exhibitions for Kids and Families to See in Summer 2023
(Left) Exhibition of My Father’s Dragon (Play!Museum); (Top) Tamana Araki “From the Depths of Ueno, a Story Begins” (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum); (Down) Ghibli Park and Ghibli Exhibition (Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum); (Right) “ICC Kids Program 2023: Hi, Nice to Meet Me! “(NTT ICC Inter Communication Center)
SHARE
Summer is here, and it is hot as ever. But summer vacation is an excellent opportunity for kids to explore and learn through art exhibitions and events. Here are our top ten recommended summer vacation exhibitions for families and children. In addition to the events featured in this article, check out the “For Families” tag on the TAB events page.
*Please check the official websites before your visit, as the exhibition period and contents are subject to change without notice.
- ICC Kids Program 2023: Hi, Nice to Meet Me! (NTT ICC Inter Communication Center, Tokyo)
- Exhibition of My Father’s Dragon (Play!Museum, Tokyo)
- Media Art Studies 2023 “Playing with Your Eyes” Directed by Iwai Toshio (Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT), Tokyo)
- Dick Bruna: Zijn Werken Voor Prentenboeken (Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo)
- Tamana Araki “From the Depths of Ueno, a Story Begins” (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo)
- Galaxy & TeamLab: Catching and Collecting in the Dinosaur Forest (Galaxy Harajuku, Tokyo)
- Paretan Summer Together with Murata! (Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo)
- Dean Bowen Australia: Land, Sky, Birds and Creatures (Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Gunma Prefecture)
- Ghibli Park and Ghibli Exhibition (Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
- Tom and Jerry Cartoon Carnival (Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, Nagasaki Prefecture)
ICC Kids Program 2023: Hi, Nice to Meet Me! (NTT ICC Inter Communication Center, Tokyo)
The ICC Kids Program is an annual summer event held at the NTT Inter Communication Center [ICC] in Hatsudai. Based on the concept of reencountering various selves through technology, the exhibition features interactive works using photography, AR, 3D models, mirrors, theater, and more. Exhibiting artists are K Ushio, Takayoshi Ohara, Mika Kan, Tomo Kihara, Daisuke Kuroda, Nene Koyama, Kaito Sakuma, and Goki Muramoto.
Venue: NTT ICC Inter Communication Center
Schedule: August 1 - August 20
Exhibition of My Father’s Dragon (Play!Museum, Tokyo)
My Father’s Dragon is a 1948 children’s novel by Ruth Stiles Gannett following the story of Elmer, who runs away to Wild Island to rescue a baby dragon. The exhibition will feature over 130 rare original drawings and sample books created over 70 years ago. In addition, four interactive exhibits will allow visitors to experience Elmer’s adventures and play in the world of the picture book.
Venue: Play!Museum
Schedule: July 15 - October 1
Media Art Studies 2023 “Playing with Your Eyes” Directed by Iwai Toshio (Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT), Tokyo)
Civic Creative Base Tokyo will be transformed into a playground for experiencing, discovering, and creating the principles and mechanics of moving images with a series of events led by media artist and children’s book author Toshio Iwai. Visitors are invited to explore animation devices from the nineteenth century, “replay” Iwai’s Time Stratum series and experience the creativity of art and technology. Free workshops for elementary and junior high school students and above will also be offered during the exhibition.
Venue: Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT)
Schedule: July 7 - August 20
Dick Bruna: Zijn Werken Voor Prentenboeken (Matsuya Ginza, Tokyo)
Dutch author, artist, illustrator, and graphic designer Dick Bruna is the creator of the beloved character Miffy. However, the exhibition at the Matsuya Ginza’s event square focuses on works other than Miffy, including the adventurous bear Boris series, Poppy Pig inspired by Bruna’s children’s teachers, brave dog Snuffy, and the fairy tales such as Snow White. This exhibition is an excellent opportunity to explore the design and humor of Dick Bruna.
Venue: Matsuya Ginza
Schedule: August 15 - August 30
Tamana Araki “From the Depths of Ueno, a Story Begins” (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo)
Tamana Araki is known for her work that combines wonky cuteness with spine-chilling sensations. For this exhibition, in addition to the prints full of poetic sentiment and her previous interactive installations, Araki will create a large-scale installation inspired by the memories stored on the venue’s grounds in Ueno. Through viewing experiences prompted by richly narrative artworks, the exhibition will explore the value of everyday life.
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Schedule: July 22 - October 9
Galaxy & TeamLab: Catching and Collecting in the Dinosaur Forest (Galaxy Harajuku, Tokyo)
TeamLab is well known for its permanent immersive digital installation, teamLab Planets, in Odaiba. This summer, it presents a collaborative exhibition with Galaxy closer to the center of Tokyo. Catching and Collecting in the Dinosaur Forest is a new learning project in which people use their bodies to explore the world of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals, discover, catch, and expand their interests. Reservations are prioritized, but entering without a prior reservation is possible too.
Venue: Galaxy Harajuku
Schedule: April 8 - TBC
Paretan Summer Together with Murata! (Fuchu Art Museum, Tokyo)
Paretan and Murata are the fairies from the Land of Pictures and the official characters of the Fuchu Art Museum. This exhibition offers guidance from two characters and invites children to view and create works of art. Full of fun corners, the exhibition is an excellent opportunity for kids to explore the world of art.
Venue: Fuchu Art Museum
Schedule: July 22 - September 3
Dean Bowen Australia: Land, Sky, Birds and Creatures (Museum of Modern Art, Gunma, Gunma Prefecture)
Melbourne-based artist Dean Bowen used various media, his rich imagination, and humor to depict the Australian landscape, nature, and the universe, including the big and small things that live there. This exhibition features over 150 works, including 80 prints and 70 oil paintings, watercolors, bronze sculptures, assemblages, and artist books.
Venue: Museum of Modern Art, Gunma
Schedule: July 8 - August 27
Ghibli Park and Ghibli Exhibition (Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Last November, the first phase of Ghibli Park opened in Aichi Prefecture. An exhibition reflecting on the works of Goro Miyazaki, who directed the production of Ghibli Park, is now on view at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum. Among the highlights are original drawings, models, and a room displaying Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro. For a Ghibli experience in Tokyo, explore the Friday Road Show and Ghibli Exhibition at Warehouse Terrada B&C Hall. Fukuoka City Museum is also holding Toshio Suzuki and Ghibli exhibitions focusing on films and books of producer Toshio Suzuki.
Venue: Yamaguchi Prefectural Art Museum
Schedule: July 15 - September 24
Tom and Jerry Cartoon Carnival (Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, Nagasaki Prefecture)
Tom & Jerry was first introduced as a short film in 1940 and has been loved worldwide for over 80 years. In addition to introducing animated works from the first film, this exhibition features a mysterious spot where the characters appear when you take a picture, characters exhibitions, and a spatial presentation of the world of cheese, Jerry’s favorite food. Collaborative works with Amelicart, Ochappi, Kim Songhe, Keisuke Saka, Yuko Higuchi, Kenji Murabayashi, and others are also on display.
Venue: Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum
Schedule: August 11 - September 3
SHARE