RYUICHI SAKAMOTO + SHIRO TAKATANI AMBIENT KYOTO - TOKYO

Key Visual: Shiro Takatani / Takuya Minami | Key Visual Photo: Ken Nagare | async - immersion 2023

AMBIENT KYOTO, an exhibition themed around "ambient" and composed of "sound," "art," and "space," based in Kyoto, will be held for the first time in Tokyo from Friday, August 28, 2026, to Sunday, October 25, 2026.

This exhibition will showcase the work "async - immersion" by Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani (Dumb Type), which was presented at AMBIENT KYOTO 2023, at the Azabudai Hills Gallery in Minato Ward.

An overwhelming experience that can only be achieved in a luxurious space with a single exhibit on a massive 26.4m wide screen, and a special work created by the integration of music, visuals, sound, space, and visitors.

This will be the first time since the exhibition that it can be experienced on the same scale as AMBIENT KYOTO 2023.

The sound director, ZAK, known for his work on Ryuichi Sakamoto's later pieces, will continue from AMBIENT KYOTO 2023. The soundscape will be reconstructed to fit the space of the Azabudai Hills Gallery.

Since its first exhibition in 2022, AMBIENT KYOTO has created new experiences by bringing together the everyday and the extraordinary, tradition and new culture, people and the city.

In 2026, experience the world of "async - immersion" with your whole body in Tokyo.

Exhibition Overview

Title: RYUICHI SAKAMOTO + SHIRO TAKATANI AMBIENT KYOTO - TOKYO

Dates: Friday, August 28, 2026 – Sunday, October 25, 2026 / Open daily, 59 days

Venue: Azabudai Hills Gallery

Artists: Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani

Tickets: Scheduled to go on sale in early August

Organizer: AMBIENT KYOTO Executive Committee (TOW / Traffic)

Planning & Production: TOW / Traffic

Public Relations Cooperation: HOW INC.

Special Cooperation: KAB Inc. / Dumb Type Office

Official Website: https://ambientkyoto.com/

X: https://x.com/ambientkyoto

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambientkyoto

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambientkyoto

Exhibited Work: "async - immersion"

This is an installation work composed of visuals by Shiro Takatani and 3D sound by ZAK, based on Ryuichi Sakamoto's 2017 album "async." It was first exhibited at AMBIENT KYOTO 2023 as "Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani | async - immersion 2023" and received a great response.

This work can be considered the culmination of the "async" series, developed under the concept of "installed music," which was Sakamoto's pursuit of "placing sound three-dimensionally in space." The visuals created by Takatani, true to the title "async" (asynchronous), do not perfectly synchronize with the sound, though they respond to it.

In the time where the relationship between sound and visuals constantly shifts, the audience's senses are gently swayed, leading them into the depths of the work's world. It's not just about seeing. It's not just about listening. It invites you to a unique immersive experience where music, visuals, sound, space, and you become one.

Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani | async - immersion 2023 | Photo: Satoshi Nagare

Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani | async - immersion 2023 | Photo: Satoshi Nagare

Venue: Azabudai Hills Gallery

5-8-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A, B1F

Access

Directly connected from Exit 5 of Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (B1F)

7-minute walk from Exit 4 of Roppongi-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line

Artist Profiles

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Born in Tokyo in 1952. Completed his Master's degree at Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School. Debuted solo with "Thousand Knives" in 1978. Joined YMO in the same year. After YMO disbanded in 1983, he released albums such as "Ongaku Zukan," "BEAUTY," "async," and "12," and his pursuit of innovative sound earned him global acclaim. For film scores, he won the Best Original Music award at the British Academy Film Awards for "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award for "The Last Emperor," among many others. He also actively crossed over into the art world, creating stage works such as "LIFE" and "TIME," and large-scale installation exhibitions in South Korea, China, and Japan. He frequently addressed environmental and peace issues, founding the forest conservation organization "more trees." He also established the "Tohoku Youth Orchestra" to support the musical activities of children in disaster-stricken areas. Passed away on March 28, 2023.

sitesakamoto.com

Photo by Neo Sora ©︎2020 KAB Inc.

Shiro Takatani

Began his career as a member of "Dumb Type" while studying at Kyoto City University of Arts in 1984, engaging in the creation of performance and installation works using various media, and has performed and exhibited in theaters, museums, and art centers worldwide. In 1998, he began his solo creative activities in parallel with Dumb Type's work. Recent major activities include the world premiere of the theater piece "TIME" with Ryuichi Sakamoto at the Holland Festival in 2021. In 2022, Dumb Type welcomed Ryuichi Sakamoto as a new member and exhibited their new work "2022" at the Japan Pavilion of the Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition. In 2023, the exhibition "Dumb Type | 2022: remap," a homecoming exhibition from the Venice Biennale, was held at the Artizon Museum (Tokyo). In the spring of 2024, "TIME" will be performed at the New National Theatre, Tokyo, and the ROHM Theatre Kyoto. Currently, the installation "WINDOWS" is on display at Museum Tower Kyobashi (Tokyo).

shiro.dumbtype.com

ABOUT AMBIENT KYOTO

An exhibition of sound, visuals, and light themed around "ambient."

This is an exhibition of "sound" and "art," and "space" themed around "ambient."

Since its first exhibition in 2022, AMBIENT KYOTO has created new experiences by bringing together the everyday and the extraordinary, tradition and new culture, people and the city.

In its first iteration in 2022, the exhibition "BRIAN ENO AMBIENT KYOTO" was held, featuring the pioneer of ambient music, Brian Eno.

In its second iteration in 2023, Ryuichi Sakamoto + Shiro Takatani's work was exhibited on the B1 floor of the Kyoto Shimbun Building, utilizing 29 speakers and 6 subwoofers to create a three-dimensional auditory experience. Additionally, Cornelius, Buffalo Daughter, and Seiichi Yamamoto were invited to the "Kyoto Central Credit Union Old Welfare Center," a historic building approximately 100 years old, to present installations of sound, visuals, and light.

Related Exhibitions

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO & TIN DRUM KAGAMI+ (sakamoto-kagami.com)

Dates: Saturday, June 27, 2026 – Monday, October 12, 2026 (Holiday)

Venue: VS. (6-86, Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Grand Green Osaka Umekita Park North Park)

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Timed entry required) / Closed Mondays (Open on national holidays and the following weekday if holidays fall on a weekend)

Content

This project was created by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tin Drum, led by Todd Eckert, over the last four years of Sakamoto's life. The exhibition features "KAGAMI," an MR (Mixed Reality) work that three-dimensionally captures Ryuichi Sakamoto's piano performance and overlays it onto real space. The collaborative installation "TIME, TIME" with Shiro Takatani is also exhibited within the same venue.