Hikaru no Go Original Art Exhibition Returns to Ikebukuro
The Hikaru no Go Original Art Exhibition: again runs from July 10 to July 26, 2026, at Sunshine City Exhibition Hall A in Ikebukuro. This is the Tokyo homecoming of a touring exhibition that travelled across Japan through 2025 and 2026, featuring original artwork by story writer Yumi Hotta and manga artist Takeshi Obata, the duo behind the Weekly Shonen Jump hit about the world of competitive Go.
Advance tickets cost ¥2,000 and same-day tickets at the door cost ¥2,200. The exhibition is open from 10:00 to 20:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. On the final day, July 26, the hall closes early at 17:00 with last admission at 16:30.
Tracing Hikaru's growth through original art
The exhibition traces Hikaru's growth from a middle-schooler who encounters a haunted Go board to a serious competitor chasing the Hand of God. Original manga pages from the serial run are displayed in chronological order, letting visitors follow the evolution of both the art and the story. Key scenes from the series, including Hikaru's match against Akira Toya and the Pro Exam arc, are presented through the original drawings rather than reproductions.
The exhibition shares Exhibition Hall A with the Afternoon 40th Anniversary Exhibition, which runs the same dates. The two events are separate ticketed shows, but they occupy the same hall space, and it is possible to visit both in one trip. The Hikaru no Go side focuses on a single series, while the Afternoon side spans multiple titles from the monthly manga magazine's 40-year history.
Goods and the on-site shop
An on-site shop sells newly drawn merchandise using exhibition-exclusive illustrations, and the latest information on commemorative goods is announced on the official website and social channels. The exhibition has been drawing steady attendance since it opened, and the final weekend tends to be the busiest, so weekday visits are recommended for those who want to spend time with the artwork.
Exhibition Hall A is on the 4th floor of the World Import Mart building inside Sunshine City. From JR Ikebukuro Station it is about an 8-minute walk through the Alpa shopping area. From Higashi-Ikebukuro Station on the Yurakucho Line, it is a 3-minute walk.
Hikaru no Go originally ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1998 to 2003 and sparked a measurable resurgence of interest in the board game Go among Japanese schoolchildren at the time. The anime adaptation followed, and the franchise has since been revived with new anime projects, which is part of why the touring exhibition drew enough attendance to warrant a Tokyo return. The exhibition is not just a nostalgia play for readers who grew up with the series; it also serves as an entry point for new fans who discovered the story through the newer anime instalments.
Practical Details
- Dates: July 10 to July 26, 2026
- Time: 10:00 to 20:00, last admission 19:30; July 26 closes at 17:00 (last admission 16:30)
- Venue: Sunshine City Exhibition Hall A, World Import Mart Building 4F, 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
- Nearest station: Higashi-Ikebukuro Station (Yurakucho Line), 3 min walk; JR Ikebukuro Station, 8 min walk
- Price: Advance ¥2,000, same-day ¥2,200
- Website: hikarunogo-exhibition.com
