Japanese Design Today 100

From 15 May to 30 August 2026, the Manggha Museum in Krakow showed around a hundred objects of Japanese design - from its historical foundations to the latest work - in an exhibition developed in cooperation with the Japan Foundation.

The Manggha Museum on the exhibition:

Japanese Design Today 100 was first developed in 2004 by the Japan Foundation and then toured the world for the following decade. A second edition of the well-received exhibition was developed in 2013 and commenced touring the following year. Now we present the third edition of the exhibition, which again brings together superlative examples of Japanese design from a present-day perspective.

The exhibition includes approximately 100 items, most of which are products released after 2000, but it also includes several masterpieces from earlier times in which we can trace the roots of contemporary Japanese design. From objects such as consumer products to intangible systems and services, the designs we use in our daily lives speak volumes about the evolution of our lifestyles and society. We hope this wide-ranging exhibition will convey not only the characteristics of Japanese design, but also the current state of Japanese culture.

What to expect

The show gathers around a hundred everyday objects, systems and services that together portray contemporary Japanese design and its roots. It is the third edition of an exhibition originally developed by the Japan Foundation and shown around the world. Setting consumer products alongside intangible solutions, it reveals how design responds to social, technological and environmental challenges.

Press reception

Design outlet designalive.pl (2 June 2026) noted that Japanese designers rarely give in to pressure for constant change and “improvement” for its own sake, instead creating objects that, through their simplicity, functionality and elasticity, remain relevant for decades. Gazeta Krakowska described the show as a survey of furniture, electronics, tableware and fashion, presenting design as a mirror of social and cultural change for generations of Polish visitors.

After the show

The Manggha Museum currently has two exhibitions open: Warrior Women: Japanese Herstories (through 11 November 2026), on women in Japanese culture and history, and Akitsushima. The Island of Dragonflies (through 11 November 2026).

Elsewhere in Krakow, Art and Trade. Krakow of Craftsmen continues the theme of craft and everyday objects as carriers of culture - a natural next stop for anyone drawn to how design and craftsmanship narrate a society.

Tickets, opening hours, and current details about the Manggha Museum are on the museum’s website .

Museum profile: Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology .