Following a 12-year hiatus, Designtide Tokyo’s return in 2024 was so galvanizing that organizers revived the fair again in 2025 — this time taking place over three weekends in December at the Forest Hills West complex in Tokyo’s Aoyama neighborhood.
“We did not see the revival as a one-off event,” director Hirofumi Akimoto tells The Japan Times. “Continuity itself holds great value, and in that sense, we consider this moment to be the true starting point.”
Split into a student showcase (Dec. 6-7), a main exhibition (Dec. 12-14) and a designer-run marketplace (Dec. 18-21), the three-week structure emerged organically from practical needs and a conceptual vision: One standout student from the first weekend is invited to the main exhibition, whose designers then participate in the market finale.
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