voco Osaka Central by IHG (1-7-1 Kyomachibori, Nishi-ku, Osaka) will take part for the first time as an exhibition venue in the Different Kyomachibori Art Fair 2026 (ディファレント京町堀アートフェア2026). The fair runs across the Kyomachibori area from Saturday, October 31 to Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), 2026.
Kyomachibori is one of Osaka's notable culture spots, with historic architecture, the lush greenery of Utsubo Park, and distinctive galleries and shops. The hotel inherits the historic design of the former Kyomachi Building (旧京町ビル) while adding modern design, and it aims to be a hub connecting guests with the neighborhood. By joining the art fair, which promotes local revitalization and art in Kyomachibori, the hotel offers an open place where hotel guests, local residents, and art fans can easily drop in to enjoy art, food, and a stroll around town.
About the Different Kyomachibori Art Fair
Held in Kyomachibori, a creative area in Nishi-ku, Osaka, the art fair marks its third year in 2026. Under the theme "the town supports talented creators," artists and gallerists take part along with judges from Japan and abroad. In 2026, works by 54 creators (or creator groups), selected from 261 applicants, will be exhibited and sold at 14 venues around Kyomachibori.
The fair's name, "Different," reflects the idea of finding talent unlike anyone else. Winners are offered opportunities to present their work in Asia as well as in Japan. Carrying the motto "local, yet with a global outlook," it is a town-wide art event that supports creators regardless of genre or nationality.
Different Kyomachibori Art Fair 2026
Dates: October 31 – November 3, 2026
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (from 2:00 PM on the first day; until 5:00 PM on the last day)
Venues: 14 galleries, shops, and other venues in the Kyomachibori area, including voco Osaka Central
Organizer: Different Kyomachibori Art Fair Executive Committee (within Chigunitta Inc. / 株式会社チグニッタ)
Official website: https://you-are-different.com/
※ On the first day, exhibition hours at voco Osaka Central end at 6:00 PM.
Exhibition at voco Osaka Central
During the fair, works by artists selected for the art fair will be displayed in the 1F lobby lounge area and the 2F party space "KITA" area of voco Osaka Central.
The hotel's interior reinterprets historic old timber and antique furniture in a contemporary style, and it meets contemporary art here for a viewing experience unique to a hotel.
Exhibiting Artists
Atsushi Sekino (関野 敦)
Born in Gifu Prefecture and based in Konan, Aichi Prefecture. After graduating from the Department of Painting, Faculty of Fine Arts at Aichi University of the Arts (愛知県立芸術大学), he studied copperplate etching under etcher Yoko Yamamoto (山本容子) at Third Studio (サードスタジオ / 河合塾美術研究所).
After belonging to the printmaking studio Moku (版画工房「もく」), he has held solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Aichi, and Nagoya, and has taken part in many group and international exhibitions in Japan and abroad, including Art Olympia 2024 and the Korea-Japan Contemporary Print Exchange Exhibition (韓日現代版画交流展) in Seoul. He received the Chigunitta Award (チグニッタ賞) at Independent Tokyo 2026.
Based on copperplate printing techniques, he creates works that cross genres, including painting and installation. In recent years, he has continued to express multiple timelines and events polyphonically by quoting figures from the past and by repeating and layering dynamic brushstrokes and flat areas of color.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ATSU.SEK
Shoei Hattori (服部 祥英)
Born in Aichi Prefecture. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University in 2019 and left the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University in 2025 after completing the required coursework. While majoring in robotics, he pursued sculptural expression, and he now creates three-dimensional works with animal motifs while working as a professional.
His awards include the Kyoto Mayor's Award (2018) at Yuskaru! (ユスカル!若者文化市) at ROHM Theatre Kyoto and the Unique Award (2020) at the 30th Hobby Grand Prize (第30回ホビー大賞). Through a scientific and engineering approach, he explores the roots of the "lifelikeness" that humans feel toward animals.
Inspired by the skeletal and muscular structures of animals, he uses an original technique built from just two elements, tension members and compression members, to create three-dimensional works that abstract and embody the essence of a living creature's vitality and power.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoeihattori/
"LOKAL HOUSE" Dining Offer
For visitors who want a café break between art fair stops, or lunch or dinner after viewing the exhibition, LOKAL HOUSE, the restaurant and café & bar at voco Osaka Central, offers a special benefit for fair visitors.
During the fair, guests who bring or show a flyer or MAP of the Different Kyomachibori Art Fair receive 10% off their food and drink bill at LOKAL HOUSE. The open, airy space with its atrium-style high ceiling is a place to linger over the afterglow of the art.
- Applies to dine-in only (takeout and in-room dining are not eligible).
- Cannot be combined with other discounts, perks, or coupons.
LOKAL HOUSE official website: https://www.lokalhouse.jp/
Recommended Menu
Lunch-only "Antipasto & Sweets Buffet"
Through the end of November, an autumn menu with grapes as an accent and touches of Sicilian flavor is on offer. On weekdays, the semi-buffet features 24 colorful appetizers and desserts. On weekends and national holidays, five main dishes are added for a slightly more indulgent lunch.
Price: Weekdays: ¥3,000 per adult / Weekends and national holidays: ¥4,000 per adult
※ Children (ages 6–12): ¥2,000. Children age 5 and under are free.
"CHATTY" Italian Dinner Course with All-You-Can-Drink
The casual dinner course starts with a two-appetizer plate of seared salmon with autumn eggplant and a chestnut and sweet potato bruschetta in the style of shira-ae (tofu dressing). It continues with a pumpkin and cheese potage and a plate combining a choice of pasta and a main dish, and comes with unlimited drinks including four types of cocktails and wine.
Price: ¥6,000
Cloud Rose Afternoon Tea (クラウド・ローズ アフタヌーンティー ～秋のマグレディース～)
A seasonal afternoon tea made by the hotel's pastry chef. This autumn, the lineup is centered on the "Cloud Rose White Mont Blanc," in which the scent of roses stands out, and uses seasonal harvest ingredients such as chestnuts, pears, and yuzu. Guests can enjoy the charm of roses, whose appearance changes with the seasons, together with the view of autumn roses at Utsubo Park.
Price: ¥6,000
※ Reservations are required by 5:00 PM two days before the date of use.
voco Osaka Central says it will continue to stay close to Kyomachibori's history and rich culture and, through co-creation with the local community, to offer a "premium yet everyday experience" to all visitors. Through art in the open atrium space and the dining and café time at LOKAL HOUSE, the hotel aims to become a new hub where the region and the world, and people and art, connect gently, contributing to local revitalization and cultural outreach.
Venue and Access
Venue: voco Osaka Central by IHG (1-7-1 Kyomachibori, Nishi-ku, Osaka)
Access:
- 3-minute walk from Exit 7 of Higobashi Station (Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line)
- 5-minute walk from Exit 13 of Yodoyabashi Station (Osaka Metro Midosuji Line)
- 5-minute walk from Exit 28 of Hommachi Station (Osaka Metro Yotsubashi, Midosuji, and Chuo Lines)
