Art & Exhibits · Roppongi

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

Tadao Ando and Issey Miyake's design museum in Tokyo Midtown's garden: a folded steel roof sunk mostly below ground, with thoughtful exhibitions on everyday design.

About

Conceived by fashion designer Issey Miyake and built by Tadao Ando, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT looks like a single sheet of steel folded into the lawn behind Tokyo Midtown, inspired by Miyake's 'A Piece of Cloth'. Most of its space is underground, lit by long slots of glass and Ando's trademark smooth concrete. Exhibitions, typically two or three a year, take everyday subjects (rice, bones, chocolate, typography, the act of walking) and examine them through the eyes of designers, often with playful hands-on elements. It is compact, so a visit takes about an hour, but the architecture alone rewards the trip, and the adjacent Gallery 3 often hosts free shows.

Highlights

• Tadao Ando's folded-steel roof rising out of the Midtown lawn
• Long underground concrete gallery lit by slit windows
• Smart, playful exhibitions on everyday design
• Free Gallery 3 next door with smaller shows
• Setting in the Midtown Garden, good for a stroll afterwards

Tips

• Closed on Tuesdays and between exhibitions, check before going.
• Combine with Suntory Museum of Art inside Midtown for a full design-and-craft afternoon.
• Hibiya Line Roppongi exit 8 is the shortest route through Midtown.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Suntory Museum of ArtMuseum · 110 m away
• The Bar at The Ritz-Carlton, TokyoBars & Nightlife · 180 m away
• Tokyo MidtownLandmark & Tower · 180 m away
• Nogi ShrineShrine · 230 m away
• Hinokicho ParkPark · 230 m away
• The Ritz-Carlton, TokyoStay · 240 m away
• Billboard Live TOKYOLive Music & Karaoke · 240 m away
• FUJIFILM SQUAREArt & Exhibits · 250 m away