The Toguri Museum of Art and Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel, both located in Shibuya, Tokyo, will hold a special event, "Koimari Viewing and Dining" (古伊万里尽くしの鑑賞と料理), on just two days: Monday, January 25 and Tuesday, January 26, 2027. Guests view the museum's special exhibition on Koimari (old Imari ware), then enjoy a Japanese course meal at the traditional restaurant "Cerulean Tower Sukiya" (セルリアンタワー数寄屋).
The event is a way to experience Japanese traditional culture through both viewing and eating. At the Toguri Museum of Art, guests join a curator's exhibition talk and a special viewing session. They then move to Sukiya for a course meal that weaves in ingredients from Saga Prefecture, which has ties to the area where Koimari was produced. Some dishes are served on Koimari ware, so the experience engages all five senses.
Discovering the Meaning of Auspicious Motifs at the Toguri Museum of Art
From Thursday, January 7 to Monday, March 22, 2027 (substitute holiday), the Toguri Museum of Art is holding the special exhibition "Gyakubiki! Kisshō-ten: What Do the Patterns on Koimari Mean?" (逆引き！吉祥展－古伊万里の文様どんな意味？－). The exhibition unravels the meanings behind the auspicious motifs painted on Koimari, such as pine-bamboo-plum (松竹梅), the character 壽 (kotobuki), and cranes and turtles.
On the event days, the museum is closed to the general public and reserved for participants. Guests can listen to a curator's exhibition talk and join a special viewing session, learning about the wishes and meanings embedded in Koimari.
Savoring Vessels and Cuisine at Sukiya
After the viewing, guests move to the restaurant "Cerulean Tower Sukiya" for a special course that makes use of seasonal ingredients. Some dishes are served in Koimari vessels. The meal takes place in a space steeped in the atmosphere of Japanese culture, where beautiful tableware and Japanese cuisine come together.
Event Details
- Dates: Monday, January 25 and Tuesday, January 26, 2027. Each day has two groups: Group A starts at 10:15 AM and Group B at 11:00 AM
- Venues: Toguri Museum of Art and the restaurant "Cerulean Tower Sukiya" (2nd basement floor, Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel)
- Fee: ¥22,000 per person (including service charge and consumption tax). Payment is made at the Toguri Museum of Art reception on the day
- Capacity:
- Group A: (1) shared seating in the hall, first 4 guests; (2) private tea room, first 1 party of 4 guests
- Group B: (3) shared seating in the hall, first 8 guests
- Reservation period: From 10:00 AM on Wednesday, November 25, 2026 to 3:00 PM on Friday, January 22, 2027
- Organizers: Toguri Museum of Art and Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel
- Reservations and inquiries: Toguri Museum of Art, 03-3465-0086 (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except Mondays, Tuesdays, the year-end and New Year holidays, and exhibition changeover periods)
- Online reservations: https://airrsv.net/toguri-event/calendar/
- Event page: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/cerulean-h/feature/152411/index.html
Schedule on the Day
The event runs in two groups with different start times, A and B. Guests must check in at the Toguri Museum of Art by their start time.
At the Toguri Museum of Art
- Reception and payment
- Special viewing session (about 30 minutes)
- Curator's exhibition talk on "Gyakubiki! Kisshō-ten: What Do the Patterns on Koimari Mean?" (about 20 minutes)
- Free viewing inside the museum (about 45 minutes)
Because the museum is closed that day, only participants of this event can view the exhibition. To protect the works, guests are asked to remove accessories such as wristwatches and rings during the special viewing session.
At the restaurant "Cerulean Tower Sukiya"
- A special Japanese course meal that weaves in ingredients from Saga Prefecture (includes one glass of sparkling wine or a non-alcoholic drink)
- Some dishes are served on Koimari ware
Meals in the hall are shared with other guests. Last exit from the restaurant is 3:00 PM.
Notes
- Reservations close once capacity is reached.
- Cancellations on the day are charged at 100%.
- Alcohol cannot be served to guests who will be driving or to anyone under 20 years old.
- Guests with food allergies should mention this when booking; individual arrangements will be made.
- The menu may change depending on ingredient availability.
- Photos are for illustration purposes only.
About the Exhibition "Gyakubiki! Kisshō-ten: What Do the Patterns on Koimari Mean?"
This is the Toguri Museum of Art's first exhibition of auspicious patterns in 18 years. It takes a "reverse lookup" (逆引き) approach, exploring motifs by their meaning. "Kisshō" (吉祥) refers to good omens and auspicious signs. Such motifs have appeared in many aspects of daily life since ancient times, and many are still widely known today as lucky charms. Imari ware, which developed alongside people's lives in the Edo period, often considered the culmination of Japanese culture, also carries many patterns with auspicious meanings.
From roughly 80 Koimari pieces in the museum's collection, the exhibition presents motifs that carry auspicious meanings, such as cranes, the character 壽 and pomegranates, grouped by meaning such as longevity, happiness, and prosperity of descendants.
- Period: Thursday, January 7 to Monday, March 22, 2027 (substitute holiday)
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM). Fridays and Saturdays: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (last entry 7:30 PM)
- Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (open on Monday, January 11 and Tuesday, February 23, both national holidays)
Venues
Toguri Museum of Art
The Toguri Museum of Art stands in the Shoto area of Shibuya, on the site of the former Nabeshima family residence. It is one of the few museums in Japan specializing in ceramics. Its collection centers on Hizen porcelain such as Imari and Nabeshima, along with Oriental ceramics from China and the Korean Peninsula, and it holds four special exhibitions a year.
- Address: 1-11-3 Shoto, Shibuya City, Tokyo
- Access: 15 minutes on foot from the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station, 12 minutes on foot from subway Exit A2, or 10 minutes on foot from the north exit of Shinsen Station on the Keio Inokashira Line
- Official website: https://toguri-museum.or.jp/
Restaurant "Cerulean Tower Sukiya"
Sukiya is a traditional sukiya-style building consisting of a hall (30 tatami mats), an anteroom (12 tatami mats), and a tea room (6 tatami mats). It accepts just one party per day for both lunch and dinner on a fully reservation-only basis, offering a quiet setting in which to enjoy Japanese elegance and kaiseki cuisine.
- Hours: Lunch 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM / Dinner 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM
- Official website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/cerulean-h/eat/sukiya/index.html
Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel
Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel opened in May 2001 and stands five minutes on foot from Shibuya Station. The building has 40 floors above ground and 4 below.
- Address: 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo
- Access: 5 minutes on foot from Shibuya Station
- Official website: https://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/cerulean-h/index.html
