21_21 Design Sight

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is one of Japan’s most distinctive cultural institutions, dedicated entirely to the exploration of design in all its forms. Located within the greenery of Midtown Garden inside the Tokyo Midtown complex in Roppongi, the museum was founded in 2007 by visionary fashion designer Issey Miyake together with graphic designer Taku Satoh and product designer Naoto Fukasawa. The building was designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, and its signature form is a low-profile structure with a folded steel roof inspired by Miyake’s A-POC A Piece of Cloth concept, making it both an architectural statement and an invitation to think differently about materials and space. Seventy percent of the building’s volume is underground, yet the galleries are bright and open thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass panels. The museum presents three to four major themed exhibitions per year in Gallery 1 and Gallery 2, each developed under the close direction of Satoh and Fukasawa with contributions from leading designers, artists, and researchers from Japan and abroad. Past exhibitions have explored the material properties of earth, the culture of tools, the science of color, and the world of food design. Gallery 3 hosts collaborative programmes with companies and educational institutions. The museum shop sells uniquely curated design objects unavailable elsewhere. 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is a five-minute walk from Roppongi Station and forms part of the broader Roppongi Arts Triangle cultural district.