A new art space, "Arashiyama Collective," will open in Arashiyama, Kyoto, in April 2027. Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, the core company of the J. Front Retailing Group, is working toward 2030 to transform itself into a "value co-creation retailer group," and the new space is part of that effort.
Official website: https://arashiyama-collective.jp
Concept: Co-creation, Inheritance and Crossing Boundaries
Arashiyama Collective is an art space where works centered on contemporary art meet the history and culture of Arashiyama and the traditional sense of beauty that has been passed down in Japan.
Co-creation (共創)
By working with a wide range of partners, including artists, galleries and the local community, and combining their knowledge and sensibilities, the space aims to create new cultural value.
Inheritance (継承)
The culture and sense of beauty that Kyoto has nurtured over its long history, along with the eye for beauty and design that the company has inherited, will be reexamined through a contemporary sensibility and passed on to the next generation.
Crossing Boundaries (越境)
By crossing the borders between different fields such as art, luxury, fashion, design and traditional crafts, the space aims to create new expressions and experiences that are not bound by existing frameworks.
About Arashiyama Collective
Daimaru was founded in Fushimi, Kyoto, in 1717 and has continued its business rooted in Kyoto for more than 300 years. Matsuzakaya spent 265 years, from the opening of its 「京都仕入店」 store in 1745 until 2010, producing high-end kimono in Kyoto and collecting textiles and crafts. For the company, Kyoto is a special place where it has learned and nurtured a sense of beauty and design. Among Kyoto's districts, Arashiyama has a historical background: since ancient times, artists and people of culture have gathered there amid beautiful natural scenery, and the culture and sense of beauty nurtured there have been passed down to the present day.
Drawing on the power of Arashiyama, Arashiyama Collective aims to create intersections of diverse art, people, culture and values, and to create new value and expression while carrying culture into the future.
The facility has two floors. The first floor operates as an open gallery, and the second floor is a space by invitation or introduction only.
Opening Exhibition
The exhibition that opens Arashiyama Collective will feature contemporary artist Tatsuo Miyajima.
Arashiyama is a special place where diverse people and cultures have crossed paths across the ages. The organizers hope that the encounter between the new Arashiyama Collective and the works of Miyajima, who has continued to explore the universal themes of "time" and "life," will open up a new world and create an experience that stays deep in visitors' hearts.
Note: The lineup of exhibitions after the opening exhibition is scheduled to be announced after the new year.
Photo: Lisson Gallery Milano
Tatsuo Miyajima Profile
Born in Tokyo in 1957, Miyajima completed his studies at the graduate school of Tokyo University of the Arts in 1986. In 1988 he was invited to the Venice Biennale, where his works using digital numerals drew international attention. Since then he has shown his work at more than 300 venues in 30 countries around the world. He received the fiscal 2020 Art Encouragement Prize from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. His representative works include 《Mega Death》, 《Sea of Time》 and 《Time Waterfall》. He is also actively pursuing projects such as 「時の蘇生・柿の木プロジェクト」, in which he grows, together with children around the world, persimmon trees that survived the atomic bombing in Nagasaki, and 「時の海 - 東北」, a project undertaken with citizens in remembrance of those lost in the Great East Japan Earthquake. A museum, 「時の海 東北 美術館」, is scheduled to open in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2029.
Cooperation: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE
Tatsuo Miyajima: https://tatsuomiyajima.com/
Architectural Design
The space is designed by KIAS (Kentaro Ishida Architects Studio), led by architect Kentaro Ishida.
Rather than treating architecture as a mere vessel for displaying works, the design regards it as "part of the experience" that responds to the works, visitors, natural light, and the climate and surrounding scenery that Arashiyama has nurtured. Facing the history of the land sincerely, it creates a space where new culture can be born.
Kentaro Ishida Profile
Ishida is an architect and the head of KIAS. After completing graduate studies at the AA School in the UK, he worked as an associate at the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron from 2004 to 2012, where he was involved in many cultural facility projects in North and South America and Asia, including the Pérez Art Museum Miami. After returning to Japan, he founded KIAS (Kentaro Ishida Architects Studio). He has won numerous design awards in Japan and abroad for architecture that harmonizes beautifully with light, nature and the environment. His design for "KURKKU FIELDS MUSEUM" is scheduled to open around April 2027.
KIAS (Kentaro Ishida Architects Studio): https://www.kias.co.jp/
Branding, Logo and Visual Identity
To carry out the research and concept planning for the opening of the art space, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores brought in the creative agency Eight Partnership (エイト・パートナーシップ), which has a global track record and is based in Hong Kong and Tokyo, as a collaboration partner. The agency was also commissioned for creative work such as the naming, visual identity and communication tools tied to the concept, with the aim of building a comprehensive brand experience.
The logo takes its inspiration from the bamboo groves of Arashiyama and is composed of straight lines that evoke bamboo. The "A" mark represents the mountains of Arashiyama, and the "C" mark represents diverse people gathering.
Eight Partnership: https://www.eightpartnership.com/
Facility Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Arashiyama Collective (Japanese: 嵐山コレクティブ) |
| Website | https://arashiyama-collective.jp |
| Address | 7-1 Sagatenryuji Susukinobabacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Access | 12-minute walk from Saga-Arashiyama Station on the JR Sanin Main Line (Sagano Line); 11-minute walk from Arashiyama Station on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line; 4-minute walk from Arashiyama Station on the Randen (Keifuku Electric Railroad) |
| Building | Two-story wooden building. First-floor area 111.70 m² (33.78 tsubo); second-floor area 103.69 m² (31.36 tsubo); total floor area 215.39 m² (65.15 tsubo) |
| Operator | Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores |
