HARDIMAN’S TOKYO HIT LIST

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

This design museum in the Minato ward [above] was created by Issey Miyake and architect Tadao Ando and opened in 2007. The exhibition I saw was Doboku, a celebration of civil engineering. The work Doboku Orchestra was a symphony of video and sound from construction sites, which created a sensorial experience that was all-encompassing. 2121designsight.jp/en

THE NATIONAL ART CENTER

The major show at one of the largest exhibition sites in Asia, also in Minato, was the 101st NIKA Art Exhibition, made up of painters, sculptors, designers and photographers. It encompassed hundreds of works across multiple levels. It was incredible to see such a vast amount of work represented by one collective. www.nact.jp/english

UTRECHT Fred Mora of Practise Studio Practise creative agency in Melbourne showed me parts of Japan I wouldn’t have otherwise found. At Utrecht bookstore in Shibuya, I bought my most favourite design object from Tokyo — a ‘5182’ wallet by Masanao Hirayama. Made from a single sheet of A3 paper, it’s said to last only one month. utrecht.jp

GRAPHPAPER The interior of this store in Shibuya makes incredible use of space, removing any unnecessary visual interruption via multiple large canvases that pull out from the wall-like doors to reveal products inside on racks. I was told the canvases are routinely repainted so the feel of the interior is forever changing. graphpaper-tokyo.com

LEXUS INTERSECT

Understanding a concept and experiencing it in person are two very different things. Seeing the Lexus Design Award 2016 winners at Lexus Intersect, the company’s Tokyo headquarters and exhibition space [below, second from left], was a highlight — especially AMAM’s Agar Plasticity, a clever biodegradable packaging material alternative to plastic. lexus-int.com/intersect/tokyo

HARA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

This grand private residence in Shinagawa was converted into a museum in 1979. The spaces are active with works, as if it was still someone’s home, with a sculpture museum in the backyard adding to its architecture. www.haramuseum.or.jp

YOYOGI PARK

A huge park in Shibuya. I spent several hours sitting and reading here after visiting Meiji Shrine — and watching gardeners wheel around very old timber wheelbarrows tending proudly to the gardens.

ARCHI-DEPOT

Simone LeAmon and Ingrid Rule from the National Gallery of Victoria were also in Tokyo and introduced me to Archi-Depot in Shinagawa. Japan’s first museum dedicated to architectural models includes works by Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban and Riken Yamamoto. We were blown away by the detail and beauty of the pieces. archi-depot.com/en

MIRAIKAN

Controlling Telenoid, one of the world’s most advanced androids, was an incredible experience at this museum, in the Aomi area. Through headphones and a touch screen, I directed the robot’s head movements and mouth, and a ‘hug’ button allowed me to embrace Simone and Ingrid remotely from a different room. www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en

SCAI THE BATHHOUSE

I was invited by photographer Paul Barbera and Joanna Kawecki of Champ Magazine to attend Anish Kapoor’s exhibition [below, far left] at Scai the Bathhouse. The exterior of the 200-year-old building has barely been altered, representing a cultural landmark. scaithebathhouse.com/en

MORI ART MUSEUM

TeamLab’s interactive installation as part of The Universe and Art exhibition at Mori in Minato was one of the most immersive digital experiences I’ve ever felt. Following a bird through a wonderland of colour and sound, it was difficult to leave. www.mori. art. museum/eng