The 2,200-sqm art space features 11 rooms filled with over 1,000 archival gems, alongside over 200 Japan-specific memorabilia.
Japan is where ideas and creativity flourish at every corner, and Louis Vuitton has decided that it is high time to showcase the country’s tremendous impact on the luxury sphere, specifically that of its own. Louis Vuitton then launched its “Visionary Journeys” exhibit in Osaka, which offers a fresh take on the house’s history and reflects its commitment to innovation and creativity “through the lens of Japan.”
Housed in the Nakarosima Museum of Art, Louis Vuitton: Visionary Journeys in Osaka is the exhibition series’ first museum presentation after touring cities like Bangkok and Shanghai, where it was just part of a pop-up. It is curated by historian Florence Muller and brought to life by architect Shohei Shigematsu to take fashion enthusiasts on an enthralling multi-storey voyage through LV’s 170-year history.
Like the exhibit’s first two installments, Visionary Journeys in Osaka “explores how Louis Vuitton continues to reimagine the art of travel, expanding its pioneering and artistic perceptions on fashion, culture, and beauty,” according to the label. Shigematsu, meanwhile, describes it as a “spatial translation of Louis Vuitton’s legacy—a journey not just through objects but through ideas.”
“Osaka, with its historical role in trade and craftsmanship in Japan to the world, provided a fitting stage to explore and communicate the maison’s identity—from its history of craftmanship to the ever-expanding diversity of reinventions,” the architect added.
The 2,200-sqm art space features 11 rooms filled with over 1,000 archival sketches, artworks, leather goods, ready-to-wear and couture collections, alongside over 200 Japan-specific memorabilia. These rooms are categorized into four zones: history, timeless codes, process behind the craft, and cultural dialogues.
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Visitors are welcomed by an installation called “Trunkscapes,” comprising eight 12.5-meter lanterns built from vertically stacked LV trunks, wrapped in Monogram washi paper, and illuminated with a soft ambient glow. The massive art pieces create a striking first impression while they are hung all the way up the ceiling of the five-storey museum.
Another Trunkscapes structure invites guests to enter the galleries. This installation, located at the galleries’ entrance, takes the form of a hemispherical dome assembled from 138 vintage LV trunks. It is placed on a glass floor to create an image of a complete globe, reflecting the house’s identity that is shaped by travel.
The journey begins in the section titled “Asnière,” which highlights Louis Vuitton’s early history, from a Parisian workshop to a global luxury brand, through archival sketches, vintage photographs, and rare footage of its workshop in Rue Neuve des Capucines in 1854 Paris. The story continues in “Origins,” which features 320 artifacts and 316 cutouts that shaped the evolution of Louis Vuitton. It emphasized the label’s creativity and innovation in crafting durable and functional luggage through archival pieces, including a zinc trunk and the rare “Secrétaire Bureau Stokowski” that the house’s famed founder built as a traveling desk.
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Louis Vuitton’s world-class craftsmanship is further showcased in the “Workshop” gallery, which replicates the house’s Asnières workshop, with live demonstrations by its artisans. Meanwhile, the “Testing” gallery is where robotic arms and mechanical devices perform real-time strength and durability tests on various LV products, including an 18-year-old swatch of a monogram canvas.
The ”Atelier Rarex” is where guests step inside a mirrored room inspired by the Maison Vendôme, Louis Vuitton’s largest store that is located in Paris. The gallery features a curated collection of rare couture pieces, including those worn by celebrities at the Met Gala and the Academy Awards.
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Louis Vuitton pays tribute to its “long-standing and precious relationship with Japanese culture” through the exhibit titled “Collaborations.” Here, fashion aficionados enter 360-degree domes with kaleidoscopic walls showcasing the house’s iconic collaborations with Japanese artists such as Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Kawakubo, and NIGO.
“Louis Vuitton: Visionary Journeys” in Osaka is open to visitors until September 17, 2025. Entrance fee is at JPY2,000 (P800) for adults and JPY1,500 (P600) for students. It is highly recommended that you book your visit in advance here.
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