- What: a free, walk-around art event by Tokyo Tatemono and HERALBONY, the first time HERALBONY has used a whole neighborhood as its venue
- When: November 5 (Thu) to 8 (Sun), 2026
- Where: four spots east of Tokyo Station, from Yaesu through Nihonbashi and Kyobashi to Ginza, all within walking distance
- Cost: free, no ticket or booking needed
If you work near Tokyo Station or plan to be around Yaesu or Ginza in early November, this one is worth an hour or two of your weekend. TOKYO ART DOTS places work by artists who partner with HERALBONY, a Japanese company that licenses art by artists with disabilities, at four spots around the station’s east side. You walk from one to the next, catch a performance, try a blindfold flower experience, and solve a puzzle trail for a small prize. Everything is free.
The theme is 異彩が、まちを輝かせる, which roughly means distinctive talents light up the city. The idea is that each artist, like each neighborhood, is a single dot, and many dots together make the picture.
Dates, hours and venues
| Event | TOKYO ART DOTS |
|---|---|
| Dates | November 5 (Thu) to November 8 (Sun), 2026 |
| Hours | 10:00–20:00 First day (Nov 5) only: 11:00–20:00 Ginza venue: 11:00–19:00 |
| Main venue | Tofrom Yaesu Tower (トフロム八重洲 タワー), 1F event space Hinokicho Square (檜物町スクエア) |
| Address | 1-6-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Organizer | Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. HERALBONY Co., Ltd. |
| Sponsor | BAG-Brillia Art Gallery- |
| Admission | Free (entry may be limited if a venue gets too crowded) |
| Website | tokyoartdots.com |
The four spots and what you will find at each:
| Venue | What’s there | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Tofrom Yaesu Tower, 1F Hinokicho Square | Main venue: era booths, performance, tour | 1-6-1 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Nihonbashi intersection (日本橋交差点) | Large building wall art | Nihonbashi 1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| Tokyo Square Garden (東京スクエアガーデン), B1 plaza | Christmas tree with artist-designed ornaments | 3-1-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
| HERALBONY LABORATORY GINZA, 2F (11:00–19:00) | Original artwork exhibition | 2-5-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
Main venue: 130 years of Tokyo in four eras
Start here. The whole event space at Tofrom Yaesu Tower is filled with HERALBONY artists’ work and split into four booths, one for each era: Meiji–Taisho, Showa, Heisei and Reiwa. They are tied together by one story, 1896–2026: 130 Years of Tokyo (1896-2026 東京の130年の物語). Tokyo Tatemono was founded in 1896, and the story draws on the slogan of its Brillia condo brand, which roughly means that being yourself is what makes life rich.
The story follows the people who lived in each era, from a fish seller with a shoulder pole to a rickshaw puller, a tempura cook, relay runners heading for Otemachi and office workers in a high-rise. Each of them is a small light in the city, and the visit ends by asking what your own light is.
| Era | Program | What you do | How to join |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meiji–Taisho | 1896: When the Gas Lamps Came On (1896 ガス灯がともったら) | A physical-theatre performance by Deaf actors on the excitement of the city’s first gas lamps | Watch freely, no sign-up About 10 min |
| Showa | 1960: The Invisible Florist, produced by HIBIYA KADAN (1960 見えない花屋) | Wear an eye mask, pick a flower by smell and touch, and give it your own flower meaning if you like. You take the flower home. | First come, first served (numbered tickets when busy) 8 min per group |
| Heisei | 1989–2019: Unstoppable Passions (1989-2019 偏愛が止まらない) | An exhibition on the richness of digging deep into what you love | Walk-through viewing only |
| Reiwa | 2026: MY ART DOT (心のあかりを、かたちに) | Pick an artwork and think about questions on what richness means to you. Your small physical responses, such as a pulse of excitement, shape your own MY ART DOT, which you take home as a card and which also joins the big screen in the venue. | No booking, drop in any time during opening hours |
| All eras | Guided tour: 130 Years of Tokyo | Follow a guide through the art and the story from 1896 to 2026 | Join freely 20–25 min |
Start times for the performance, the flower experience and the tour are posted on the official website, so check before you head over.
The Heisei exhibition introduces two artists, 早川拓馬 (Kibou no Sono) and 井口直人 (Saffron Seikatsuen). The performers and directors for each program are listed below as they appear in the official announcement.
| Program | Cast | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 1896: When the Gas Lamps Came On | 奥村泰人、山田真樹、 南雲麻衣、小野花音 | 數見陽子 |
| 1960: The Invisible Florist | 石井健介、月森沙希、 あさひ | – |
| Guided tour | 市川真也、小林未往 | 大塚由祈子 |
The other three spots
Nihonbashi: building wall art
At the Nihonbashi intersection, a huge original mural made up of many pieces is installed on the side of a building. It is outdoors, so you can see it on your way between the other venues.
Kyobashi: a Christmas tree at Tokyo Square Garden
Tokyo Square Garden, known for one of the biggest illuminations in the Kyobashi area, gets a tree decorated with ornaments based on 20210425, a work by HERALBONY artist 時永 蒼生. It links up with Kyobashi no Oka (京橋の丘), a green space that rises about 31 m from B1 to the 5th floor and covers about 3,000 m², to give the feeling of walking into a deep forest. A tree-lighting ceremony and a Christmas concert are planned for November 5 (Thu).
Ginza: the original artwork exhibition
HERALBONY LABORATORY GINZA (2F) shows the original works along with the artists’ backgrounds and how each piece was made. It is the place to look more closely at art you saw elsewhere in the event. Note the shorter hours here: 11:00–19:00.
| Artist | Works on show |
|---|---|
| 鳥山 シュウ | GINZA 東京駅前YNK |
| 伊賀 敢男留 | サイクリングロードⅢ Town Red |
| 早川 拓馬 | 通過電車だらけのポーズ |
| 福井 将宏 | ススキ コチョウラン |
| SATO | ミックスベリージャム めだかの学校 |
| 時永 蒼生 | 20260504 20210110 20210425 |
The puzzle hunt and the handkerchief prize
The puzzle trail, The Rookie Mail Carrier and the Letter With No Address (新人郵便局員と、宛名のない１通の手紙), uses all four venues. You play a new mail carrier sent to the neighborhood, tracking down the art around town to deliver a letter that has no name on it.
- Prize: an original handkerchief (515 × 515 mm) for everyone who solves all the puzzles
- Limit: a set number each day, first come, first served, until they run out
- Pick-up: Hinokicho Square, 1F Tofrom Yaesu Tower
How to plan your visit
- Start at the main venue. It has the most to do, and the prize pick-up is there too, so you will likely end up back here.
- Go early for the flower experience. It runs first come, first served and switches to numbered tickets when busy.
- Fit Ginza in before 19:00. The other venues stay open until 20:00, but the Ginza gallery closes an hour earlier.
- The first day opens later. On November 5 the event starts at 11:00, and it is also the evening of the tree lighting at Tokyo Square Garden.
- Expect to rely on your phone. Between the website schedule and the puzzle trail you will check your phone a lot. If your battery runs low, a free ChargeSPOT power bank rental with d VALUE PASS is handy.
Looking for more free or low-cost days out? See our guides to the Musashino Art University festival, the Shibaura Canal Festival and its free canal cruise, and the Ghibli Park exhibition tour.
Things to know before you go
- The event may change or be cancelled without notice because of weather or other reasons.
- Entry is free, but it may be limited if a venue becomes unsafe due to crowding.
- Hours differ by venue. Check the official website before you go.
- All venues are non-smoking.
- The organizers are not responsible for lost or stolen belongings, accidents or injuries.
FAQ
- Q. Is TOKYO ART DOTS free?
- Yes. Admission is free and you can walk in without booking. Entry may be limited if a venue gets too crowded.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- 10:00–20:00 from November 6 to 8, and 11:00–20:00 on the first day, November 5. The Ginza venue is open 11:00–19:00.
- Q. Do I need to book the blindfold flower experience?
- No. It’s first come, first served, and numbered tickets are handed out when it gets busy. Each group takes about 8 minutes.
- Q. How do I get the original handkerchief?
- Solve every puzzle in the walking puzzle hunt across the four venues, then collect it at Hinokicho Square in Tofrom Yaesu Tower. A limited number are given out each day on a first-come basis.
- Q. Where can I find performance and tour times?
- Times for each program are posted on the official website, so check there before you go.
Sources: TOKYO ART DOTS official website / Press release (PR TIMES, Japanese) / Tokyo Tatemono news (Japanese)