Established in 1972, the Japan Foundation creates global opportunities to cultivate friendship and ties between Japan and the world through culture, language, and dialogue. The Foundation operates programs in the fields of arts and cultural exchange, Japanese-language education overseas, and Japanese studies and intellectual exchange. As a new cultural exchange program, we are delighted to present a touring exhibition “I Love Sushi” that focuses on sushi, the most popular Japanese cuisine around the world.
In 2013, UNESCO inscribed washoku—Japanese cuisine—on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and sushi is the archetypal example. Sushi is a refined and healthy food that looks good and tastes good, and it has already become a familiar item on menus worldwide. From its roots in Southeast Asia or Southern China, sushi reached Japan over a thousand years ago. Since then, sushi has radically changed, taking advantage of the abundance of natural resources found in and around the islands of Japan, of the application of knowledge and ideas to sushi, and of the never-ending Japanese drive to try good-tasting foods at the earliest opportunity. The type of sushi that first comes to mind for most people today is nigiri-zushi, which emerged about two hundred years ago in Edo, the city that we now know as Tokyo.
Sushi has now spread outside Japan’s borders, and is enjoyed around the world. But although it has become a familiar food, many people have only discovered a few of its attractions. This exhibition aims to provide an in-depth visual guide to the appeal of sushi. It includes the chance to learn about how Japan took in sushi in its original form, how it modified sushi to suit the natural environment, culture, and lifestyles of individual areas. It also introduces today’s vibrant sushi culture, and it encourages us to think about the potential of sushi as a food for the future in the light of contemporary food issues. The exhibition includes a simulation of a visit to a sushi shop in Japan. People who know little about sushi will greatly enjoy the exhibition, and keen fans of sushi will find it fascinating too. And we very much hope that through sushi, the exhibition will also communicate something about the history and customs of Japan.
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Hibino Terutoshi for his supervision of the preparations for this exhibition, and to all the other individuals and entities whose unstinting efforts have made the exhibition a success.
Admission: FREE
Advanced, time-specific reservations are recommended.
Gallery Hours: Open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Hourly timeslots starting at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm (4:30 pm and 5:30 pm on Thursdays)
* Closed on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Select Saturdays, and Public Holidays.
** We will also be offering additional opening hours on the following dates:
- Monday, October 5 & Wednesday, October 7, 11:30 am – 4:30 pm
- Friday, October 9, 11:30 am – 6:30 pm (Exhibition Final Day)
Exhibition Period: September 15 – October 9, 2026
Library & Gallery Opening Hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 11:30am to 4:30pm |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | 11:30am to 6:30pm |
| Friday | 11:30am to 4:30pm |
| Saturday | 11:30am to 4:30pm *Closed on select Saturdays |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
Related Programs:
In conjuction with the “I Love Sushi” exhibition, we will be holding a “Bring Your Own Bento: Japanese Language and Culture Talk” sharing the same title. Come join us on Friday September 18, 2026 either in-person or online, and learn Japanese words and phrases related to sushi, along with interesting fun facts around this theme!
For more details and to register, please visit here.
