April 9-June 16
Tove Marika Jansson (1914-2001) was born to a family of artists — her father was a sculptor and her mother an illustrator/designer. In 1945, as a form of escapism from World War II, Tove wrote and illustrated her first Moomin book, a depiction of charming tiny valley-dwelling creatures. She continued to write Moomin stories until her mother died in 1970 and in her grief, she chose to make her ninth book, "Moominvalley in November," the final of the series. The Moomins, however, continued to captivate children in animations, TV shows and more.
On loan from the Moomin Museum in Tampere, Finland, this exhibition features 500 works, from original sketches and illustrations to copies of Moomin novels and videos of animation.
Mori Arts Center Gallery; Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Roppongi Stn. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (Tue. till 5 p.m.). ¥1,800. 03-5777-8600; macg.roppongihills.com/jp
Ticket Giveaway: We have five pairs of tickets to "Moomin the Art and the Story" at the Mori Arts Center Gallery to give to readers. The ticket giveaway is now online only. To apply, visit jtimes.jp/tickets. Deadline: April 9.
