After Arts - Tokyo

*Open to all*

Tokyo is an incredible city to visit, but many visitors interested in art struggle to connect with artists on a deep and personal level. Museums, galleries, concert halls - these are available to all - but meaningful behind-the-scenes access is harder to reach. 

What this is

This is the first Tokyo trip for After Arts. I'm working with a number of prominent Japanese artists to build a five day experience that traverses through fashion, dance, music, robotics, architecture, anthropology, and food. I'm choosing a maximum of six people to attend, curating the travel group to ensure an enjoyable and fulfilling trip. 

This will take place from February 18-22. I'm still adding experiences to the schedule (in talks for a private tour of the Tokyo Tower) - the exact itinerary will be finalized by October 15th. Any changes will be substituted with an experience of similar quality. 

Itinerary

Thursday, February 4 (optional)

Evening: Dinner in NYC. Get to know your fellow travelers. 

Thursday, February 18

Afternoon: I like to start experiences with a framework - think of this as program notes for the trip. Dr. Mary Reisel is a cultural anthropologist at Rikkyo University whose fieldwork examines how intimacy and obligation operate in contemporary Japan. She'll give a walking tour to show Tokyo through a unique lens. This will help to contextualize all of the following experiences. 

5-7pm: Happy hour with the artists. This will take place at a local izakaya and artists from our trip will stop by for unstructured socializing. 

Evening: Dinner at my favorite sushi spot in Tokyo - it's the first restaurant I go to each time I land in Japan. We'll enjoy a private room and get to know each other a bit better. (I took this photo during my last trip.)

Friday, February 19

Afternoon: A private butoh performance by Temmetsu. Referred to as the "dance of death", Butoh emerged in postwar Japan and is a stark contrast to traditional Western and Japanese forms. Chikako Takemoto will be our guide throughout the performance, and we'll be able to participate in a Q&A with the artist after the performance. 

5-7pm: Happy hour at a bar/art gallery. We'll chat with more local artists before the evening activity. 

Evening: We'll enjoy a private listening party at HVEN, a central hub for underground techno. Cultural ambassador and DJ Joki will put together a curated playlist of records, and we'll enjoy an omakase meal from a sushi chef that pairs the dishes with the music.

Saturday, February 20

Afternoon: Having shown at Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, and Milan Fashion Week, Tomo Koizumi is one of Japan's leading fashion designers. We'll get a private tour of his studio and a sneak peek at his upcoming collection, and then he'll take us shopping at his favorite vintage clothing store.

5-7pm: Happy hour with artists. Also an opportunity to show off your new clothes from the vintage shops. 

Evening: Private dance performance created and curated by contemporary dancer Ayako Takahashi, whose company has performed in New York, Tel Aviv, Helsinki, and across Asia. We'll end the evening with a late-night dinner at a hidden restaurant in Shibuya.

Sunday, February 21

Morning: Sumire Hirotsuru is a violinist who graduated from Harvard and Juilliard. She'll give a private performance on a collection of rare violins, including the tsunami violin, made from disaster debris and created by Muneyuki Nakazawa. I'll then host a conversation with Nippon Violin CEO Sota Nakazawa. After we'll head to the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall - described by Yo-Yo Ma as "some of the best acoustics I have ever had the privilege to play" and by Hilary Hahn as her favorite hall in the world for solo Bach - for a private rehearsal by the Bach Collegium Japan. This will conclude with a private tour of the hall and coffee with the Collegium's music director. 

Evening: Violinist Ray Iwazumi will lead us through a private showing of Hibikimeguri - a new classical music immersive performance art experience/genre founded in Tokyo. This blends fashion, dance, and electronic/classical music. Afterward we'll head back into Tokyo for a nightcap at Library Lounge THESE - a basement in Nishi-Azabu lined floor to ceiling with old books.

Monday, February 22

Midday: Keiichiro Shibuya is a composer and pianist who created and performs alongside an eight-foot android. Android Maria blends AI, humanoid robotics, and classical art - it's a beautiful combination of grief and memory, created to honor his late wife - Maria. We'll get a private viewing of Maria - and the chance to talk with Keiichiro about his artistic and technological processes. 

Our experience will conclude Monday afternoon. 

Other artists will join us throughout the week for drinks and dinners - among them the world-champion beatboxer Sh0h, who has performed in New York, Germany, Los Angeles, and across Asia, and the violinist Ray Iwazumi, a Juilliard faculty member and Urtext editor for G. Henle Verlag.

Food, Drink, Merriment 

This trip is more than studio visits and gallery tours. A large portion of our time will be flexible and social with the goal of creating meaningful experiences between the travelers and artists. Each day will start with a group breakfast, and each afternoon we'll enjoy time with artists in a relaxed izakaya / cafe setting. 

A professional photographer and videographer will capture the trip and provide each guest with digital assets that capture the experience. This means you'll be able to leave your phone in your pocket and fully appreciate what is happening in front of you. 

About your host

I'm Nicholas King - a former classical pianist (Juilliard, Oberlin, Royal Conservatory of Music) turned arts foundation director and investment advisor. I sit at the intersection of business and the arts, and really enjoy bringing together incredibly creative humans. This will be my fifth trip to Tokyo. 

What's included 

• Every artist-led experience above - private rehearsals, studio visits, private performances, and the anthropological walking tour

• Drinks with the artists each afternoon, 5-7pm

• Dinners on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

• Ground Transportation - we'll move as a group by train and vans, I'll handle the routing

• Breakfast each morning

• A photographer and videographer throughout, and the finished film afterward

• Pre-trip group dinner in NYC on February 4

What's not included

• Flights

• Accomodations - will gladly introduce you to a travel agent who can handle flights and hotels

• Travel insurance

• Meals and drinks outside of the group

• Anything you buy in a vintage shop (bring an extra suitcase)

Fees

The fee is $7,500. Artists are paid generously for their work and their time, and the remainder covers daily group meals and drinks along with the cost of documenting the trip.

All deposits and payments are non-refundable and non-transferable. If After Arts cancels the trip for any reason, every payment will be refunded in full.

Application and timeline

To apply, register your interest through the button on this page. Once registered, you'll receive a link to the application via email.

• September 3 - October 1: Application window is open. This may include a zoom interview. 

• October 15: Invitations will be sent out to the selected attendees and itinerary will be finalized.

• November 1: A $2,500 deposit will be required to hold your spot.

• December 15: Remaining balance is due.

• February 4: Pre-trip group dinner in NYC.

• February 18-22: Tokyo.