WHAT CAFE to Host Collaborative Exhibition “Matsuri x Art Exhibition — Facets of Matsuri” with Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten, Friday, Oct. 30 – Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026

This exhibition is a collaboration with Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten, a company that has manufactured and sold traditional festival equipment — such as mikoshi (sacred palanquins), taiko drums, dashi (floats), and shishimai (lion dance) props — since its founding in 1861. The exhibition features works for view and purchase by a total of 13 artists, including five guest artists, who reframe traditional Japanese culture, techniques, and materials through their own perspectives to transform them into contemporary art.

At the center of the venue, the installation Ontakkyu, co-created by guest artists who resonated with the exhibition concept, will be featured as a special display. Alongside this work inspired by Shinto rituals and sacred ceremonies, a wide variety of artworks born from new engagements with traditional culture and craftsmanship will also be on view. Through these displays, the exhibition presents a fresh, diverse interpretation of “Matsuri” beyond conventional boundaries. The participating artists continually challenge themselves to push boundaries through contemporary interpretation, offering visitors an opportunity to experience each artist’s unique vision of “Matsuri.”

Additionally, this exhibition is presented in conjunction with “Tennoz Canal Fes. 2026 Autumn & Winter,” held from Friday, Oct. 30 to Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. During the festival, workshops led by participating artists and Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten artisans, alongside “ART YATAI” — a new take on traditional stalls produced by artists — will take place in the areas surrounding WHAT CAFE. Beyond viewing the gallery exhibition, visitors can experience “Matsuri” from multiple perspectives throughout the Tennoz area through festival-inspired artistic expressions, hands-on activities, and creative workshops.

This exhibition features a special display of the installation “Ontakkyu,” co-created by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten and guest artists. Offering a contemporary interpretation of “Matsuri,” the work reimagines table tennis—a popular modern sport—as a fictional sacred ritual. Table tennis equipment, including tables, paddles, and balls, is transformed from everyday sports gear into sacred ritual implements and displayed within a space created for a fictional festival. By intersecting the festival culture and traditional craftsmanship cultivated by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten over more than 160 years with the uninhibited vision and expression of contemporary artists, this unprecedented installation offers a fresh perspective on the concept of “Matsuri.”

This installation is set in a fictional future where climate change has made holding outdoor festivals difficult. People begin to find meaning in the indoor rally of a ball — table tennis — as a form of prayer and ritual. Over time, the sport becomes a symbol, transforming into a ceremonial act. Table tennis equipment moves beyond its original function, evolving in pursuit of the aesthetic beauty of sacred objects. Ontakkyu depicts, as an allegory, the process through which prayer is born and becomes a festival, raising the question of what “Matsuri” is — and what forms it might take.

Title: WHAT CAFE EXHIBITION vol.48: WHAT CAFE x Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten Collaborative Exhibition “Matsuri x Art Exhibition — Facets of Festivals”
Dates: Friday, Oct. 30 – Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026
Venue: WHAT CAFE (2-1-11 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo)
Time: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Open until 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct 30 and Saturday Oct. 31 and until 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15)
Admission: Free
Guest Artists: Keigo Kamide, Kengo Takahashi, Noritaka Tatehana, Hiromine Nakamura, Tomoro Yamanaka
Exhibiting Artists: Kohei Arano, Kamei Norihiko, TAKUYA KAWAGUCHI, T-zuan, Nao TAGA, Hideji Terada, Shogo Nunoshita, YAMABA Haruki
Planning Cooperation: Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten
Official Website: https://cafe.warehouseofart.org/exhibition/vol-48_matsuri-x-art-exhibition

Exhibition opening dates and hours are subject to change. Please visit the official website for current operational details.
Images shown are for reference and may differ from the actual works exhibited.

A space to exhibit and sell artworks by up-and-coming artists in Japan. It boasts 800 square meters of luminous, expansive floor space. Works on display are constantly updated––a year-round flow of beauty and cool from the new pantheon of creative visual geniuses. This maximizes the opportunities for artists to be seen, be loved, and sell their work. We hold workshops, events, and meet-ups related to the exhibitions, so you can dive deep and meet like-minded art lovers. It’s a space to experience art with all five senses while enjoying a meal and drinks.
https://cafe.warehouseofart.org