A smallish restaurant with a big name is in the works for Tokyo’s historic Old Town neighborhood, but it’s only just starting to get the attention of locals.
In late August, an artist group from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market took on the task of transforming the space, which once housed a sushi restaurant and a Japanese-themed bakery, into an interior art gallery.
Called “Diner Interiors,” the project features more than 100 pieces from around Japan, with the goal of turning it into a space that invites visitors into a dining experience.
For the first time, the group’s artist is actually building the building themselves, said Masashi Matsui, the artist behind the work, which is part of a series called “Tsukiji Market Interior Art.”
In an interview with Newsweek, Matsui said he was inspired to build the diner by a visit to Tokyo.
The city is home to some of the countrys most expensive and famous restaurants, including a sushi bar and a sake house.
“I saw the food here and I thought, ‘I could do a lot of work to turn it into an experience,'” Matsui told Newsweek.
“I’m a big fan of food, so I thought I could turn this place into a food museum.”
Tsuyama is known as a hub for art and culture, so the Japanese artist hopes to show the world just how diverse the city is.
The artworks are part of an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, which will feature an interactive, interactive experience that will feature visitors visiting the cafe and the interior art.
In addition to the artwork, the exhibition is featuring the work of the Japanese-American artist’s father, who has a long history of working in the food industry.
“When I came here to Japan, I saw a restaurant that was really popular, but not much of an art museum,” Matsui recalled.
“It was an art gallery, but this place was more like a restaurant.”
The family that built the cafe is the same family that owned the restaurant, which he opened in the 1970s.
“This restaurant was really just a place where people could come for food, but when I moved to Tokyo, I was really drawn to the idea of an interior design company,” Matsukawa said.
“That’s how I found myself wanting to work on this.”
Tokyo has been looking to open a food-centric, contemporary, and international restaurant for years.
The countrys first food-focused restaurant, the Takayama restaurant in Ginza, opened in 2005.
But the restaurant is now defunct and closed to the public, and many in the city say it didn’t succeed.
A new restaurant, Diner Interior Art, will open in Tokyo’s Old Town in late 2018, which should bring a new era to the scene.