Photo by Ryo Yoshiya
A new gallery-café space, "Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Goten-zaka," is opening in the Yanaka neighborhood of Tokyo on March 28, 2026. To mark the grand opening, an inaugural exhibition featuring three emerging artists — Karin Hosono, Shotaro Sanada, and YU SORA — will be held simultaneously, with all three presenting new works around the shared theme of "Yanaka."
Artworks from the exhibition will be available for purchase on ArtSticker starting March 27, 2026 (Friday) at 9:30 PM on a first-come, first-served basis. Note that some works may sell out before the public opening.
Inaugural Exhibition: Karin Hosono + Shotaro Sanada + YU SORA — Three-Person Show
The three-person show by Karin Hosono, Shotaro Sanada, and YU SORA launches alongside the grand opening of "Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Goten-zaka" on Saturday, March 28, 2026.
Karin Hosono was born in 2002 in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and graduated from Tama Art University's Department of Painting, Oil Painting Course in 2025. She has been painting cats consistently since childhood, employing a unique style built on years of close observation, striving to create works that are "120% more cat-like than a real cat."
Shotaro Sanada was born in 2000. After graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts, he is currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo. His work centers on the theme of creating "new landscapes" by abstracting real-world scenery to its limits, and he is also exploring the concept of "creativity" in painting through co-creation with AI.
YU SORA was born in 1987 in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and completed a master's degree in Sculpture at the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2020. Based in both Japan and Korea, she creates three-dimensional and flat works by embroidering black thread on white, soft fabric — recording ordinary scenes and everyday moments, including those that can be suddenly lost to disaster or accident — inviting viewers to reconsider what "everyday life" truly means.
In this exhibition, all three artists engaged in discussions centered on the shared theme of "Yanaka," presenting works in their respective styles — abstract painting, figurative painting, and sculpture — within a space that fuses café and gallery.
Photo by Ryo Yoshiya
Photo by Ryo Yoshiya
Exhibition Overview
Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Goten-zaka — Inaugural Exhibition
Karin Hosono + Shotaro Sanada + YU SORA
Dates
Saturday, March 28, 2026 – Sunday, June 28, 2026
Venue
Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Goten-zaka
Address
3-2-5 Nishinippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-0013
Hours
8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Closed
Irregular
Admission
Free
Access
2-minute walk from the North Exit (West Exit) of "Nippori Station" on the JR Yamanote Line
Exhibition Page URL
https://artsticker.app/events/108112
Artist Profiles
Reference work: Succulent cat
Karin Hosono
Born in 2002 in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the Oil Painting Course at Tama Art University. She began her career as an artist while still in school and currently exhibits primarily in Tokyo. In 2024, she participated in "ART TAIPEI" as her first overseas exhibition. In November 2025, she held her third solo exhibition, "I Was Here," at REIJINSHA GALLERY.
Since the age of 10, she has consistently worked with the motif of "cats," arriving at her own unique forms and expressions through years of exploration. Through the cat as a subject, she depicts the small joys found in everyday life and emotions that feel warm, gentle, and prayer-like. In recent years, she has also begun creating three-dimensional works, drawing on her observational eye and the sensations gained through interacting with cats.
Instagram (@karinhosono)
Shotaro Sanada
Painter, born in 2000. Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts; currently enrolled in the Master's Program at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo. Representative Director of SANADA WORKS and co-representative of KAKU. He creates abstract paintings on the theme of "new landscapes" rendered through vertical brushstrokes depicting gravity and time. He has received numerous awards, including Art Olympia 2022 and Best Debutant of the Year 2025. He has over 50 permanent installations, including permanent murals at JR Nagano Station and JR Ueno Station. His collaborative works include pieces with Google, Y's, and Aquascutum, as well as helmet designs for the Super Formula racing series and the Japanese national ski team at the Winter Olympics. Recent solo exhibitions have been held at GINZA SIX Ginza Tsutaya Books, Tokyo International Gallery, and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Taiwan.
Instagram (@tarobee1212)
PHOTO: Hajime Kato
YU SORA
Born in 1987 in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Graduated from the Department of Sculpture at Hongik University, South Korea in 2011. Completed a master's degree in Sculpture at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 2020. She develops works using white fabric and black thread, including flat embroidery pieces and sculptural installations.
In 2013, she participated in the Koganecho Bazaar; in 2018, she received the Excellence Award at the Tokyo Midtown Award; and in 2019, she participated in Roppongi Art Night. In 2020, her graduation work from the 68th Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Exhibition was purchased and received the Mori Award. In 2022, she received the Grand Prix at the sanwacompany Art Award.
Recent solo exhibitions include "Umbrella in the Entryway, Glasses by the Pillow" (TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY, Osaka, 2025), "Mozuku, Tamago" (Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo, 2023), "BankART Under 35" (BankART KAIKO, Yokohama, 2022), "Futsuu no Hi" (Amalabu Art Lab A-lab, Hyogo, 2021), "Sasaina Kinenbi" (Lotte Gallery, Seoul, 2018), and "Hikkoshi" (YCC Gallery, Yokohama, 2017).
Instagram (@heartysora)
Starbucks Cafe & Art Gallery Yanaka Goten-zaka
Address: 3-2-5 Nishinippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Floor Area: Approx. 299 m² (approx. 90.4 tsubo)
Seating: 74 seats
Opening Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Official Instagram: @starbucks_cafe.and.artgallery
