What does design mean to you? Join the conversation at Japan House London, where Japan’s leading creators share inspirational design that spans disciplines, regions and eras.

While Japan is synonymous with exemplary design it doesn’t yet have a dedicated national museum. This exhibition brings together seven major designers, from filmmakers to architects, to consider what they would put into a permanent collection of design treasures. Their personal responses capture Japan’s regional diversity and 10,000 years of history.

With displays ranging from Jōmon pottery to sportswear, from musical instruments to festivals, Design Discoveries presents the story of each chosen design and its origin. It asks you to make connections between different design worlds and discover design in the least expected places.

This interactive exhibition also invites you as a visitor to contribute your own treasures to a world design map and to share your own ideas about design.

Design Discoveries is accompanied by a diverse events programme – see our What’s On page for upcoming events.

Booking tickets

Entry to our Gallery for this exhibition is free and booking is encouraged, but drop-ins are also welcome. Tickets are released on a weekly basis, two weeks in advance of the ticket date.

Before making your booking, you might like to note the following:

• The slot on your ticket indicates your chosen arrival time. Please arrive within this slot, as we may not be able to guarantee immediate entry for guests who arrive late.
• Japan House London closes at 20:00 Monday to Saturday and 18:00 on Sunday. Please take this into account when booking your arrival time.
• Our booking system is based on guests spending approximately 40 minutes in the Gallery. There may be occasions when guests are asked to wait outside the Gallery for a short while in order to maintain the appropriate number of visitors inside.
• Guests will also be able to access the Ground Floor, including the Shop, the Stand and our other cultural installations (tickets are not required here).
• If you have any problems booking your ticket, please contact us with your preferred date and time.

Rucksacks are not permitted in the Gallery. Items up to cabin bag size (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) can be left in our cloakroom.

Your privacy is important to us. We will use your information to process and manage your booking. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on how Japan House London processes your personal information.