TRIP INTO JAPAN.
Boost up creativity with design of advertising
Advertising museum Tokyo (ADMT) is the first advertising museum in Japan and you won’t be able to find as much as graphical and visual advertising in the same field in somewhere else. This museum has been run by one of the biggest advertising company Dentsu. This reason behind way many art work you can see there regardless of medium. The order to see in this museum is section of permanent exhibition to featured(temporary) exhibition. In permanent, you can see history of Japanese advertising from year of 1603 to modern day. On the other hand in featured space, you can see various type of commercials including foreign one and latest award-winning advertising. When I went there Tokyo Copywriters Club 2016 Exhibition (TCC) was held. To tell you what is that, quoting sponsor “Japan’s premium advertising copy award”. Anyway these stuff related to advertising will be open often maybe as well as you’ll be here in the feature. Also this museum has library specialized in advertising but materials can only be premises of the library.
I was going to take picture of permanent exhibition but it’s NO photo section, so tried to tell you the atmosphere in text. (By the way the following featured exhibition was OK to take photo so put a couple of pictures at the bottom of this article)
On national holiday morning, I went there by train and got off at Shinbashi subway station. Several line run into Shinbashi but in this time I took Ginza line from Shibuya. You can check the access map at their page(Access Map | Advertising museum). Well honestly I got lost on the way from Shinbashi sta to museum. It took double time than I thought because it locates dig down space B2 level. There is big free open space in front of museum but was hard to catch from ground level if you in. Maybe raining fault but thanks to raining it was lirativery empty.
Since all-weather museum, it doesn’t matter raining outside. If this museum isn’t admission free I would have gone another day haha, anyway after step into entrance many restaurants jump to the eye and there is quick illustration on the wall to tell you where the museum gate is. You just came down all the way to B2… take escalator to B1..
Vertical logo show up. The “ADMT“ stands for ADvertisement Museum Tokyo appears in front of you. Little less light and dark entrance. There is shop of museum on the right side ahead.
A brochure in English for you all. That’s nice world common language. Also you can see most description of poster and works in English in permanent exhibition section.
No cameras in permanent exhibition
Taking photo is not allowed in permanent exhibition section. So please try to blow up your imagination by text from now. (Photography is allowed in featured exhibition section where at the end of this museum). I wrote down description of each no camera section in order I passed by.
Audio-Visual Hall section
A short film the length of 15min related to Japanese advertising theme was showing with subtitle in English. The space is something like mini movie theater. The number of seat is about 30 on steps. According to brochure “the purpose for this room can be changed”.
History of Japanese Advertising section
Laying and spreading advertising from this section on the wall in chronological order. Each period showcases ADMT’s collection of the respective period. It begins from Edo period(1603~1868) to the present at the end and you walk through floor as watching them. As walking I saw magazines that are quite famous now in Japan such as anan(life style for women), BRUTUS(life style) and mono(gadgets) and posters for cosmetic or communication company. Since many variety of advertising by famous company nowadays, I can’t tell you all but maybe they are far Japanese oriented.. so how about following. The graphical advertising by TOYOTA or the poster representing past Tokyo olympic in 1964. Better than Japanese magazine info? haha. Both of them when I saw, I felt sort of touching because I thought I am standing in front of history. Especially poster for Tokyo olympic made me to be poet because it is going to be took place again in 2020. Ok. keep moving. then the atmosphere changed at 21century area. There are console games, electric appliance, cloth, package design for food and so on . It looks like beginning of new era in field of advertisement. The advertising is not only on paper medium like graphic work but also actual product included.
Television and Radio Commercials Corner
Radio and TV commercials you can actually hear and watch in this section. The period is from 1953 to 1999 and it’s divided into 4 booths. For example you can watch vintage commercials of SEIKO, TOYOTA, Panasonic and more. However you can’t pick up them you want because of repeating automatically. These works’ length are about 15sec to 60sec so if you keep standing in front of display you’ll be able to get one you want (List of commercial is on the wall next to you). These are familiar to Japanese people but to you, let’s see.. haha. By the way all sounds is only offered in Japanese.
The section for permanent collection is over in this corner. I think permanent section is about 40m with zigzag path.
Featured Exhibitions
The next section where allowed taking photograph begins from here. The theme of this time for featured exhibitions is Tokyo Copywriters Club (TCC) exhibition that one of the biggest competition for advertising in Japan.
Let’s see how award-winning works displayed.
No subtitle and description in English so that it hard to get the meaning for traveller yet you could enjoy feeling of graphics and atmosphere and sound of video.
Award-winning 26 films(TV commercial and Web Movie) run on the screen repeatedly here. I watched them on sofa. Sometime laugh at or made me think seriously. It went around in 30min but again no subtitle and voice in English.
After all I spend about almost 3 hours in this museum. By the way I got this retro postcard in comparison for answering questionnaire at gate of museum. Even though it was quick one but they gave this away to me. Good thing in here!
Every country has every different advertisement. In Japan especially graphic design wise this museum inspires my creativity so much that I wouldn’t feel it in general repeating days I live. If I were traveler from oversea, I can’t imagine how much inspiration I would get through this museum. In other words this is the chance to boost your creativity. Oh You have budget matter? Don’t worry I tell you again. This museum is admission free! Haha. Have fun!
Questions? Leave a comment below or ask me at contact page.