Tokyu will open a small museum called "Museum of Imaginary Narrative Arts [MINA]" in Shibuya 3-chome on April 1st. The museum will be directed by the contemporary art unit "L PACK." and will operate as a new cultural hub that combines an exhibition space with a cafe. The aim is for the museum to be more than just a place to appreciate art; it will also be a place where people can encounter artworks as an extension of their everyday lives, drinking coffee, enjoying a meal, and engaging in conversation.

The venue is a vacant lot called "Shibusan Square" located behind Shibuya Police Station along Roppongi Street in Shibuya 3-Chome. This is the same spot where the special tent-type theater "Shibuya Dreams Come True Theater (SHIBUYA DREAMS COME TRUE THEATER supported by Page30)" was operating last year.

渋谷三丁目は、緑が多く、静かで落ち着いた街並みが続く

While the area is close to Shibuya Station, it retains many long-standing local resources, such as Konno Hachimangu Shrine and the Shibuya River. With Aoyama Gakuin University, Kokugakuin University, and Jissen Women's University in the surrounding area, it also has the character of an educational district. Meanwhile, with the development of SHIBUYA STREAM and the innovation hub SOIL (Shibuya Open Innovation Labo), the area has seen a concentration of IT companies in recent years.

Against the backdrop of the atmosphere of this town where local residents, students, and workers mingle, MINA will use art to bring out the charm of the Shibusawa area, where tradition and innovation overlap.

MINA was born from a "fictional museum"

The "Imaginary Narrative" in the facility's name, "Museum of Imaginary Narrative Arts [MINA]," means "fictional story." From the conception stage, L PACK.'s Sho Odagiri and Tetsuya Nakajima centered on the idea of an "imaginary museum." Rather than creating a strict image of a museum beforehand, the project is an attempt to develop an image of a museum unique to this location through exhibits, pamphlets, food and drink, and interactions with the city.

L PACK.の中嶋哲矢さん（左）と小田桐奨さん（右）

The name "MINA" was also considered based on the sound of the museum's location, Shibuya 3-7. The concept of a "fictional museum" came first, and "Mina" was born as an abbreviation to fit that image, which then evolved into the official name, "Museum of Imaginary Narrative Arts."

The word "Narrative" also embodies the hope that the people who gather here will participate in the space in their own way and "weave new meanings."

A new space that combines an exhibition room and a cafe

大きな特徴は、展示室全体がそのままカフェとして機能する点にある。作品を前に静かに過ごすことも、喫茶店のように食事を楽しむこともできる。小田桐さんは「展示室と飲食空間が完全に融合している場所は、たぶんどこにもない空間になるのではないか」と話す。アートに親しんできた人はもちろん、カフェ利用の延長で偶然作品に出合う人も歓迎する。

They want it to be a place for people working in the area to have lunch during the day, a place to stop by for a drink after work in the evening, and a place where students can gather casually.

最近は、なかなか目にする機会の減ったサイホンがカウンターに並ぶ。雑味が少なくスッキリとした後味で、苦みが苦手な人でも飲みやすいコーヒー。

コーヒーは、中嶋さんが自家焙煎した「MINAブレンド」などをサイフォン抽出で提供し、焙煎豆の販売も予定する。

喫茶店の定番メニューとして懐かしい「鉄板ナポリタン」（左）と「ハヤシライス」（右）　Ⓒfujico

昭和レトロを感じさせる「プリン」（左）とロゴの「M」を模った「米粉のサブレ」（右）　Ⓒfujico

フードは鉄板ナポリタン、ハヤシライス、プリン、レモンケーキなど、純喫茶を思わせる親しみやすいメニューをそろえる。フードは、名古屋を拠点に料理教室を行う「たぐちごはん」が担当。古き良き喫茶文化の感覚を取り入れながら、この場所のためのレシピを考案する。展覧会ごとの限定メニューも用意し、食の面からも展示と呼応する仕掛けを展開していく。

An area with a local feel despite being in Shibuya

L PACK.はこれまで、「コーヒーのある風景」を起点に街の一部となる活動を続けてきた。2019年には大田区池上で東急とコラボレーションし、カフェを拠点としたインフォメーションセンター「SANDO BY WEMON PROJECTS」を立ち上げた実績も持つ。今回の渋三エリアについて中嶋さんは、「渋谷でありながら暮らしに近いローカルな表情がある」と語る。準備中には近隣住民から「何屋なの？」と声を掛けられることも多く、近くに住む人とのやり取りの中で、この街の親密な距離感を感じたという。

実践女子大学や國學院大學の学生が行き交う六本木通り沿いに設けられたテラス席。気温が上がるこれからの季節は、テラスでビールを楽しむのも心地よさそうだ

ただし、この施設は「地域コミュニティ形成」を前面に掲げるわけではない。小田桐さんは「コミュニティは自然に生まれ、育まれていくもの」と話す。アートを強く押し出すことが目的ではなく、その場所に最もふさわしい形を探る中で、「展示と飲食が溶け合うミュージアム」という形に行き着いたと話す。

An experiment to add color to the Shibusawa area

東急の稲葉大貴さんによると、「この場所にはもともと古いビルが建っていたが、老朽化と耐震性の問題から解体された」という。その後、コインパーキングにするのか別の活用をするのか検討する中で、「外から見たときに色が見えにくい渋谷３丁目に個性を与え、街を盛り上げられないか」と考えたことが、このプロジェクトの出発点となった。

Rather than simply renting out the land, Tokyu is involved in the planning and management of the project as the owner, working closely with L PACK.. Inaba describes it as "a new format where we grow the facility together, rather than just bringing in tenants like in a regular commercial facility and then leaving it at that."

The area is home to many universities and schools, including Konno Hachimangu Shrine, and is associated with history and learning. Unlike Dogenzaka, which is dominated by music and nightlife, the Shibusawa area, with its calm streets, is a good fit for an art perspective.

MINAの内観の雰囲気。展示企画に合わせて席やテーブルの配置等は変わる

建物は延床面積94.77平方メートルの平屋建て。内装は作り込み過ぎず、展示ごとにレイアウトを変えられるよう可動性の高い家具を中心に構成する。「Imaginary＝想像の余白」を残す思想を空間にも反映した。席数は展示内容により変動するが、ベースは約30席。テラス席も設け、街に開かれた使い方ができる空間となる。

The first exhibition is about "publicity and advertising"

オープニング展は「公共性と広告性を再編集する／Re-editing the Narratives of the Public」（4月1日～6月21日）。参加作家は彫刻家の菅原玄奨さんと、複数のメディアを横断して活動するアーティストBIENさん。

彫刻家の菅原玄奨さんの作品が店内に複数展示されている

ミュージアムポスターが持つ「広告性」と「公共性」という二つの側面を起点に、アートがメディアとして果たし得る役割を問い直す。「ここで作品を見た後、渋谷の街へ戻ると、広告や公共空間の見え方が少し変わるような体験を生み出したい」（小田桐さん）という。

壁面に掲出中のアーティストBIENさんの写真作品

The exhibitions are scheduled to be updated four times a year, approximately every three months. Not only will the artists be replaced, but the exhibitions will also break down the original functions and roles of museums and create themes. The first exhibition will be based on "posters," and from then onwards, the plan is to reinterpret the function of a museum itself as a theme, such as "archives" or "storage."

To coincide with the exhibition, a menu and quarterly magazine, "COFFEE TABLE BOOK," will also be published. Starting with the menus placed on each table in the cafe, the booklet will guide you through the artworks, the city, and Shibuya culture, and is designed to be a natural pick-up point while sipping coffee. In addition to commentary on the exhibition, the booklet will also feature features that delve into the relationship between the city and art. The booklet can be freely taken home, and will be developed as a medium that can be read and re-read at home.

Beyond temporary use, an attempt to forge the future of the city

This project is expected to last for around five to six years, but Inaba says, "If all goes well, there is a possibility that functions similar to MINA will be incorporated into future redevelopment." Rather than being limited to temporary use until redevelopment, it will also be a testing ground for testing out the cultural functions needed in the area and linking them to the future of the city.

When people think of Shibuya, they tend to think of large-scale developments and bustling commercial spaces. However, the Shibusawa area has a calming atmosphere that is closer to everyday life, a sense of learning, and the flow of local time. MINA is set to be a place that gently brings art back into everyday life, rather than isolating it as something special.

Enjoying a cup of coffee and encountering a work of art are two things that can be effortlessly placed side by side, and we look forward to seeing this as a new Shibuya scene.

開催場所

Interviews and writing

Editorial Department: Takashi Fujii

Shibuya registrar. In addition to Shibuya of Culture information, seasonal news and topics, it will spell write that feel every day.