Tokyo National Museum's Garden Transforms into a Night Art Space: Zen and Technology Fuse in "ZEN NIGHT TOKYO"
The night event "ZEN NIGHT TOKYO" will be held at Tokyo National Museum's garden from October 14 to December 6, offering an immersive art experience fusing Zen and technology.Summary
A nighttime event titled "ZEN NIGHT TOKYO" will take place at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, Tokyo, from October 14 to December 6, marking its first occurrence in Tokyo. The event specially opens the museum's garden at night, which normally closes at 5 PM, allowing visitors to experience the world of Zen through sound, light, and nature. It is co-organized by the Tokyo National Museum, Nikkei Inc., and VIE Inc., a company specializing in neurotechnology.
"ZEN NIGHT" is an immersive sound art event that combines traditional culture with modern technology in historic Zen spaces. Following previous editions at Kennin-ji in Kyoto in 2024, Kencho-ji in Kamakura in 2025, and Tofuku-ji in Kyoto in 2026, this is the fourth in the series and the first in Tokyo. The venue, the museum's garden, features historic tea houses around a pond, and the event includes illuminated autumn leaves, a large-scale sea of clouds effect, and sound production using VIE's developed "Neuro Music." Visitors can engage in "walking Zen" while surrounded by music, experiencing a space unlike everyday life.
The garden offers multiple attractions: at "Suigetsu Pond," reflections of the autumn moon and colored leaves are staged; in front of the tea house "Kujo-kan," relocated from the Kujo Duke Residence, a dry landscape garden "Tenmoku Teien" depicts the Milky Way emerging in darkness; along a path near the tea house "Tenko-an" associated with tea master Kobori Enshu, the "Hyakki Yagyo" uses 3,000 red spider lilies to evoke the presence of traditional Japanese monsters; and by the autumn-leaf-adorned pond, a "Maple Tea House" offers matcha and matcha lattes. Additionally, at Kujo-kan, participants can engage in "EEG Zen" meditation with brainwave monitors, converting their brain states into real-time sound and visuals for inner reflection, requiring a separate timed ticket. Other programs include a special zazen session by Ryosho Yamato, head priest of Daisen-in, a subtemple of Daitoku-ji, on November 5, and a session combining zazen and vegetarian cuisine by Soshun Yamada, head priest of Shinju-an, on November 13. The event is linked to the special exhibition "Daitoku-ji: The Unrivaled Zen Garden of This Dynasty" celebrating 700 years since its founding, held concurrently at the museum's Heiseikan, featuring national treasures like Muqi's "Guanyin, Monkey, and Crane" and a recreation of the usually closed Sanmon gate. Tickets for "ZEN NIGHT TOKYO" include admission to this exhibition, allowing visitors to enjoy both Zen art and the audio-visual experience.
(Source：美術手帖)