About

The name “MoN” carries two meanings in Japanese: mon (門), meaning “gate,” and mon (問), meaning “question”. The “gate” reflects MoN Takanawa’s connection to Takanawa Gateway, a new station that connects Japan to the world. It serves as an entry point that links diverse fields such as tradition and technology, art and science, city and nature, performance and exhibition. It offers each visitor the chance to encounter unknown worlds and new versions of themselves. It also draws inspiration from the historical Takanawa Okido Gate, a former gate that once stood here at Takanawa which connected Edo with other regions across Japan. At the same time, MoN Takanawa embodies the spirit of questioning. Through its evolving themes and programs, it presents questions to society while encouraging each visitor to reflect on their own. By embracing both “gate” and “question,” MoN Takanawa seeks to weave narratives for the future together with everyone who enters.

Designed as the cultural symbol of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, this building stands as the area’s only low-rise structure, rising six stories above ground with three levels below. Its spiral exterior, making generous use of timber, rises from the earth toward the sky, expressing the connection between earth and sky, past and future, through its dynamic, revolving form. The planting throughout the building features mostly native Japanese species, allowing visitors to experience the changing seasons through blossoms that mark the flow of time in Japan.

Exterior Design Architect: KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES

MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives is built on the belief that culture is never still - it spirals, shifts, and returns, carrying stories across time and space. Our identity reflects this idea, connecting past and future through a continuous, multidimensional flow of people, ideas and experiences. The museum’s new symbol captures this spirit. Its spiral form can be read as 'M,' 'O,' and 'N,' representing the looping motion of narratives - always evolving, always alive. Its shape echoes the architecture of the building itself, while its three colours - red for the sun, green for the earth, and blue for the sea - are drawn from the rich natural landscape of Takanawa. Designed as both a global signifier and a local expression, the logo serves as a visual entry point into the museum’s wider purpose: to be a place where culture is not just preserved, but continually reimagined.

Branding Partner: Pentagram Limited

The Foundation was established on April 1, 2022 to plan and operate MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, a cultural symbol of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, an East Japan Railway Company development.

In accordance with the mission of “transporting culture to the next hundred years,” the Foundation will create and transmit new culture throughout Japan and the world by producing exhibitions, live performances, events and other various programs.