Japan may be a byword for the future, as reflected in its high-speed trains, gleaming glass towers and urban neon. Yet rooted in its 21st-century innovations lies something less expected – a deep respect for the rich and multilayered world of traditional culture.

From tea ceremonies and ikebana flower arrangement, Japanese life remains underpinned by countless values and aesthetics connected to its traditional heritage and values – from an appreciation of all things seasonal to an awareness of the transience of life.

(Hero photo: COPYRIGHT: MA YANSONG / MAD ARCHITECTS, TUNNEL OF LIGHT, PHOTO BY NAKAMURA OSAMU)

Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

There are many ways to glimpse this world – among them is the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Saitama, just outside Tokyo. Here, countless exhibitions, workshops and events take place, all celebrating the small but perfectly formed art of traditional bonsai cultivation.

Ikenobo

Meanwhile, those curious about ikebana should make a pilgrimage to the ancient capital Kyoto – more precisely to Rokkakudo, an atmospheric temple dating back 1,400 years, long famed as the birthplace of Japanese flower arranging. On its grounds is the founding school Ikenobo, which offers classes as well as exhibitions showcasing the floral masterpieces of Japan’s most talented ikebana artists.

Contemporary creativity is no less celebrated in Japan, a nation long famed for its pioneering modern arts scene – as embodied by a raft of projects and events unfolding far beyond the conventional confines of white-walled inner-city gallery spaces.

Enoura Observatory

COPYRIGHT: ODAWARA ART FOUNDATION

One highlight is the Enoura Observatory, a creative project masterminded by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, set among coastal citrus groves in the Odawara region, southwest of Tokyo, overlooking the blues of the Pacific Ocean.

Scattered among gardens and ancient stones is an optic glass stage that appears to hover above the horizon; a cantilevered gallery space with his iconic Seascapes photograph; and a tunnel perfectly aligned to capture the sunrise on a winter solstice.

Comico Art Museum Yufuin

COPYRIGHT: YOSHITOMO NARA 2017

Comico Art Museum Yufuin is another creative gem, located in the tiny, scenic hot spring onsen town Yufuin on southern Japan’s Kyushu island. Its minimalist form, wrapped in charred timber cladding, as dreamt up by cult architect Kengo Kuma, cuts cleanly through the green landscape. Inside the light-filled space, visitors can explore high quality modern art, by iconic artists ranging from Yayoi Kusama to Takashi Murakami.

However, the biggest highlights in Japan’s creative calendar are the countless contemporary art festivals that take place in some of the most scenic and far-flung spots across the natural landscape.

Setouchi Triennale

COPYRIGHT: ESTHER STOCKER 'CONTOURS OF THINKING', PHOTO BY ICHIKAWA YASUSHI

Perhaps the most famous is Setouchi Triennale, which unfolds every three years across the Seto Inland Sea, a peaceful expanse of blue waters which connects three of Japan’s main islands (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu).

A key hub is the so-called art island Naoshima, which is among around a dozen tiny fishing islands and ports which are home to show-stopping artworks by leading global creatives, installed in rice fields, old houses, beaches and abandoned schools (many artworks are permanent – making it a year-round destination, even between festivals).

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is a similar project, with the shared goal of using modern art to revitalize shrinking, aging rural communities - although it unfolds in a very different geographical setting: among the forested mountains of Niigata Prefecture. Art projects are no less impressive, with highlights including James Turrell’s House of Light, where guests can sleep in a house overnight beneath a skylight, watching the clouds and stars.

Back in the thriving capital city, there are also interesting developments with the launch in July 2023 of a new art fair, Tokyo Gendai, which will bring together 80 exceptional galleries from around the globe to one of the most dynamic art and design scenes in the world.

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale

COPYRIGHT: CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI＋JEAN KALMAN, THE LAST CLASS, PHOTO BY T. KURATANI CHRISTIAN

COPYRIGHT: TASHIMA SEIZO HACHI AND TASHIMA SEIZO MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART PHOTO MIYAMOTO TAKENORI AND SENO HIROMI