Moon Gallery & Studio 月画廊 — Attraction in Tokyo

I've been meaning to write a review for magical Moon Gallery and its magnanimous manager, Moon-san, for a while now.

It's not a bad walk from Ueno station, mostly flat and lots of little cafes and such to drop by on your way (Route Books is great, and the shrines at Shitaya and Genkuji are good for photos).

The exhibitions change often, about every 5 days, so there's always something new and exciting. A recent group show of female artists from different countries contained films, paintings, drinks, performances, prints, sculptures, photography-- the mind boggles at the curated choices and variety.

There are also sundries for sale out front for just a few hundred yen; I bought several books and a friend bought a camera that doubled as an old-school radio for around 700 yen. A deal!

And the space was recently renovated! There's now a little space to display small treasures and zines. Be sure not to miss it.

I was lucky enough to make the owner's acquaintance about year ago, at an art book fair, and have since visited the gallery several times to chat, buy things, meet artists, watch films, get inspired, eat snacks, and enjoy life in general. I'm not the only one to regard this place as a little sanctuary in the middle of Tokyo and often see other folks simply dropping by to chat.

Owner Moon was more than happy to give me a detailed tour of the gallery during my first visit and can speak Japanese, Chinese, and English no problemo. She is also active as an artist who does shows in Japan and abroad. I was like wow, this person must not sleep, yet I don't think I've ever seen her not super genki and smiling. Oh there's also cool workshops and talk events, so check out the website to see what's happening before your visit.

I think this is a special space for creatives and strangers alike. Moon-san keeps busy and helps both new and established artists display their work in one of the most fun fun fun cities on the planet. Do come and visit....

Great art, great people, wonderful vibes!! Highly recommend for someone looking for something unique within the large scale art circle that is ueno. Sounds like they also hold workshops, might update with photos...