So you like art? That's great — but I'm afraid you're going to have to be a little more specific. That's because — in Japan — you can't just like art. You have to like a certain type of art: old art, for instance, or contemporary art, yoga (Western-style) or nihonga (Japanese-style) painting. There are plenty of categories to choose from.
And in case you were wondering, choosing to enjoy them all is not an option — not all at once, anyway. Unless, that is, you plan to visit the massive and eclectic Art Fair Tokyo being held April 2, 3 and 4 at Tokyo International Forum near Yurakucho Station. Or unless you happen to go by the name of Yuji Yamashita.
First-time visitors to Art Fair Tokyo, where you can both peruse and purchase the art on show, will likely leave convinced that it suffers from a multiple-personality disorder. Walk down one aisle and you'll be confronted with booths displaying scrolls and wooden sculptures on Buddhist or Chinese themes dating back several centuries. Walk down another and you'll encounter colorful landscapes in the tradition of the Impressionists; yet another and you'll find yourself facing giant photographs or stylish video pieces.