From October 8 to October 18, 2026, Shōsei-en Garden and Jūshin Kaikan, Kyoto
In October 2026, Kyoto will host the first edition of the Kyōto YouMe Triennale, a new international event dedicated to dialogue between art, craft and design.
The Triennale aims to create a platform for exchange between cultures, disciplines and generations, bringing together artists, designers, craftspeople, curators, institutions and businesses around the contemporary value of making as an expression of knowledge, identity and innovation.
The programme will also involve local workshops and small-scale manufacturers through the Open Studio Study Tours, offering international visitors the opportunity to discover first-hand the techniques and knowledge rooted in Kyoto’s manufacturing traditions, from ceramics and lacquerware to Nishijin weaving and kintsugi.
The project builds on the experience of DESIGN WEEK KYOTO, a platform that over the past ten years has fostered dialogue between businesses, designers and craft communities, involving more than 150 production companies and organisations. The Kyōto YouMe Triennale builds on this experience while looking towards the future of creativity and the relationship between tradition, innovation and new technologies, with a particular focus on the human value of making in an increasingly digital and AI-driven context.
Curators
The MANIFESTO Edition of the Kyōto YouMe Triennale is curated by an international network of professionals from the fields of design, culture, art and craft:
- Harry Pearce — Pentagram
- Andrea Petochi — Managing Director of Liberty, Chair of the British Museum Company
- Isao Kitabayashi — Founder of DESIGN KYOTO and CEO of COS Kyoto
Alessandro Biamonti — Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano - Esha Gupta — Founder of Design Pataki, Design Pataki Agency and Design Pataki Foundation, Mumbai
- Kodama Kanazawa — Independent Curator and Associate Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts
- Shaikha Al Sulaiti — Senior Concept Manager at Doha Design District, curator and designer
- Hiroyuki Anzai — Business + Culture Designer, Director of De Tales Ltd.
Partners and collaborations
The event is organised by the Kyōto YouMe Triennale Executive Committee, in collaboration with and supported by: Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs; Liberty London; Pentagram; Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano; Kyoto Prefecture; Kyoto City; UK Department for Business and Trade; DESIGN WEEK KYOTO; Kyoto University of the Arts; Ritsumeikan University – Art & Design Department; Doha District and Msheireb Properties (Qatar); Design Pataki; De-Tales; Japan Tobacco, and other cultural partner institutions. The event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture of India. The visual identity of the event has been developed by Pentagram, under the direction of Harry Pearce, with a coordinated visual identity system covering graphics, editorial materials, exhibition design and digital platforms.
Programme
8 October — Institutions / Press
Preview: 2:00–3:45 pm, Shōsei-en Garden and Jūshin Kaikan, Kyoto
Ceremony: 4:00–5:00 pm, Shōsei-en Garden, Kyoto
The ceremony will be followed by a reception with drinks and celebrations with participants, local institutions and sponsors until 5:00 pm.
To attend, please complete the registration form and send a confirmation email to info@you-me-kyoto.org.
11 October 2026
Academic Conference: 12:00–4:30 pm, Kyoto Research Park
9–18 October 2026
Open to the public: 9:00 am–5:00 pm (last admission: 4:30 pm)