TOTO GALLERY・MA – 40 Years of Fostering Architectural Culture and Nurturing the Next Generation

[April 2025] TOTO Ltd. (Head Office: Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Shinya Tamura) is pleased to announce that TOTO GALLERY・MA (Minato-ku, Tokyo) – part of TOTO Group’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives – will celebrate its 40th anniversary in October 2025.

Established in 1985 and located in Nogizaka, Tokyo, TOTO GALLERY・MA was founded with the mission of contributing to society through fostering and developing architectural culture. As of April 2025, the gallery has held 179 solo exhibitions, featuring leading architects and designers from Japan and abroad—from emerging talents to world-renowned figures.

Through its exhibitions, the gallery offers visitors spatial experiences that convey the concepts and values of participating architects. At events such as lectures and symposia, TOTO GALLERY・MA has helped raise public awareness of architecture by creating opportunities for architects to directly share their philosophies and values. The gallery also actively promotes initiatives to nurture the next generation worldwide through programs that foster exchange between exhibiting architects and the public.

TOTO Group aims to become a company trusted worldwide by contributing to social development through its business activities. We will continue to engage in cultural and architectural initiatives around the globe to help realize a sustainable society.

Akihisa HIRATA: Discovering New (2018) © Nacása & Partners Inc.

Special Exhibition at TOTO GALLERY・MA: How is Life? –Designing for our Earth (2022) © Nacása & Partners Inc.

TOTO GALLERY・MA: Notable Activities and Achievements
Founded in Nogizaka, Tokyo, in 1985, TOTO GALLERY・MA is a gallery dedicated to architecture. Over the past 40 years, it has organized an average of three free exhibitions and lectures per year, mainly solo shows by architects. By granting architects complete freedom to conceptualize and design their exhibitions, the gallery has created a diverse range of architectural expressions and unique spatial experiences. Through these activities, the gallery has deepened public understanding of architecture and promoted its cultural role in society.

• Total exhibitions held: 179
• Total lectures held: 313 (including overseas events)
• Total visitors: 1.58 million

TOTO’s Architectural Cultural Activities
TOTO Group operates TOTO GALLERY・MA, specializing in architecture exhibitions and lectures, and TOTO Publishing, which publishes books on architecture. These initiatives aim to contribute to society through the development of architectural culture. Together, they communicate architecture’s cultural value to the public—through diverse spatial presentations at exhibitions, lectures sharing design perspectives, and books conveying architects’ theories and philosophies.

TOTO GALLERY・MA (1985 – Present)
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary in 2015, TOTO GALLERY・MA adopted two new activity themes: “Nurturing the Next Generation” and “Global.” Since then, the gallery’s work has focused on these two pillars.

Nurturing the Next Generation (2015 – Present)
As part of its commitment to inspiring future generations, the gallery organizes educational programs (gallery talks, workshops, etc.) to communicate the appeal of architecture to a wide audience—from elementary school students to university students. It also collaborates with universities across Japan to host lectures alongside exhibitions.

Kayabuki’s “How is Life?” Workshop Exhibition (2022)

Global Initiatives (2015 – Present)
The gallery works with TOTO Group’s overseas offices to hold exhibitions and lectures in various countries and regions worldwide, with a special focus on Asia—where there is strong interest in advanced Japanese architecture. These events draw enthusiastic participation from students and professionals each year.

SANAA Architectural Office Lecture in Thailand (2024)

Lecture by Architect Yoshiharu Tsukamoto in Vietnam (2023)

History and Major Milestones
– 1984 – Establishment of the TOTO Design Advisory Committee (DAC)
Members: Tadao Ando, Motomi Kawakami, Masayuki Kurokawa, Takashi Sugimoto, Ikko Tanaka

– 1985 – Based on the DAC’s proposal, GALLERY・MA established in Nogizaka, Tokyo; GALLERY・MA Management Committee formed (5 DAC members)
October: First exhibition The Architecture of Frank O. Gehry

– 1989 – Received Corporate Culture Design Award from the Japan Inter-Design Forum

– 1995 – Began publishing books related to exhibitions with TOTO Publishing; held 10th anniversary exhibition The 53 Origins

– 1997 – Received Special Prize at the Mainichi Design Awards

– 2000 – Began traveling exhibitions in cooperation with Japanese universities and organizations

– 2002 – Received the “Information Transmission” Prize at the 2002 Mecenat Awards; held 100th exhibition Architecture of Tomorrow

– 2004 – Began international lectures in cooperation with TOTO overseas offices

– 2005 – 20th anniversary exhibition Japanese Contemporary Houses 1985–2005

– 2013 – Current Representative Nobuyuki Endo received the Architectural Institute of Japan Award

– 2015 – Renamed “TOTO GALLERY・MA”; adopted “Nurturing the Next Generation” and “Global” themes; 30th anniversary exhibition The Asian Everyday: Possibilities in the Shifting World

– 2018 – Began traveling exhibitions at the TOTO Museum (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka)

– 2022 – Launched “Student Monday” program for extracurricular activities on closed days

– 2025 – Celebrates 40th anniversary

Fair Exhibition Planning
To ensure fairness, exhibition planning is discussed and decided by the TOTO GALLERY・MA Management Committee.

Special Advisor: Tadao Ando (Architect, Tadao Ando Architect & Associates)

Committee Members:

• Momoyo Kaijima (Architect, Professor at ETH Zurich, Atelier Bow-Wow)
• Akihisa Hirata (Architect, Professor at Kyoto University, Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office)
• Seng Kuan (Architectural Historian, Lecturer at Harvard GSD)
• Tsuyoshi Tane (Architect, ATTA)

Message from Special Advisor Tadao Ando:

“Congratulations to TOTO GALLERY・MA on its 40th anniversary.
You have tirelessly worked to share architectural culture with the world.
I hope the gallery will continue to be a pioneer for the future of architecture and design, always looking toward the new era ahead
Tadao Ando
April 16, 2025”

40th Anniversary Commemorative Events
Event 1: Kazuo Shinohara: Inscribe Eternity in Space – 100th Anniversary with 100 Questions
Dates: Thu, Apr 17 – Sun, Jun 22, 2025

Event 2: Emerging Architecture, Own Ways
Dates: Thu, Jul 24 – Sun, Oct 19, 2025

Event 3: (Planned) Exhibition by Marina Tabassum
Dates: Fri, Nov 21, 2025 – Sun, Feb 15, 2026

Gallery Information

• Name: TOTO GALLERY・MA
• Address: 3F, TOTO Nogizaka Building, 2-24-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
• Exhibition Area: 240 m² (Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Courtyard)
• Opening Hours: 11:00 – 18:00
• Closed: Mondays, national holidays, summer/winter holidays, and exhibition changeover periods
• Admission: Free

TOTO GALLERY・MA: Exterior view of the building

TOTO Publishing (1989 – Present)
Founded in 1989, TOTO Publishing produces books offering unique perspectives on architecture, design, and lifestyle culture. Since 1995, it has collaborated with TOTO GALLERY・MA to publish books related to exhibitions. In 2024, TOTO Publishing celebrated its 35th anniversary. To date, it has released 195 architect-related titles, many of which are bilingual (Japanese-English) and distributed worldwide.

• Total titles published: 405
• Total copies printed: 3.06 million
• Distributed in: 31 countries and regions