In Osaka, Louis Vuitton maps the paradox of legacy and evolution through two immersive exhibitions&mdash;Visionary Journeys at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art and Yayoi Kusama: INFINITY at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka. Coinciding with World Expo 2025, the Maison revisits 170 years of heritage, artistry, and its long-standing love affair with Japan.

In the heart of Osaka, two Louis Vuitton exhibitions unfold like a conversation&mdash;between time and timelessness, legacy and reinvention, the tangible and the infinite. Coinciding with World Expo Osaka Kansai 2025 and in celebration of the House&rsquo;s 170th anniversary, &ldquo;Visionary Journeys&rdquo; at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art and &ldquo;YAYOI KUSAMA: INFINITY &ndash; Selected Works from the Collection&rdquo; at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka offer more than just luxury storytelling. They act as cultural anchors, like artifacts of a longstanding dialogue between Louis Vuitton and Japan, a relationship rich with mutual inspiration.

A Legacy Reimagined: Visionary Journeys at Nakanoshima

Curated by fashion historian Florence M&uuml;ller and brought to life by architect Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, Visionary Journeys is an immersive exhibition tracing Louis Vuitton&rsquo;s evolution through twelve thematic chapters. From its Asni&egrave;res origins to modern-day collaborations, the exhibition brings together over 1,000 objects, including 200 Japan-specific artifacts in a sensorial narrative of craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural exchange.

Visitors enter through a field of luminous Monogram washi lanterns, ascending into a hemisphere formed from 138 iconic trunks. What follows is a visual and tactile journey: from flat-top trunks and Steamer bags to contemporary installations like Trunkscapes and a celestial map of the Monogram canvas, home to an original 1897 canvas exhibited for the first time.

The highlight, perhaps, lies in the &ldquo;Louis Vuitton and Japan&rdquo; room, where historic tea sets and kawaii-influenced pieces are staged on floating tatami platforms, a stunning direct nod to the House&rsquo;s deep-rooted admiration for Japanese aesthetics. Whether it's the nod to Takashi Murakami&rsquo;s Monogramouflage, Rei Kawakubo&rsquo;s conceptual forms, or NIGO&reg;&rsquo;s streetwear sensibilities, the connection feels less like collaboration and more like kinship.
Complementing the experience is the pre-launch of Louis Vuitton &ndash; Japan: Visionary Journeys, a book co-published with Rizzoli that offers a literary companion to the exhibition&rsquo;s sweeping visual scope.

Infinity Unfolded: Yayoi Kusama at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka

Just across the city, another kind of journey awaits&hellip; this time through the liminal polka-dotted, pattern-drenched world of Yayoi Kusama. As part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton&rsquo;s Hors-les-murs program, YAYOI KUSAMA: INFINITY &ndash; Selected Works from the Collection brings together seminal works from the artist&rsquo;s decades-spanning career. Here, repetition becomes rebellion and art attempts towards self-obliteration.
The centerpiece is Infinity Mirror Room &ndash; Phalli&rsquo;s Field, Kusama&rsquo;s 1965 hallucination made real where soft textile sculptures and infinite reflections blur the line between obsession and liberation. Alongside this are newer works like Every Day I Pray for Love (2023), bridging the past and present through poetry, painting, and her most recent collaboration with Louis Vuitton.

In Kusama&rsquo;s world, dots become galaxies, and what seems like personal chaos reveals a universal order. Her works confront the viewer not only with visual intensity but with the philosophical weight of what it means to dissolve the self and in that dissolution, find freedom.

<h5 style="text-align: center;">One City, Two Journeys</h5>
Together, these dual exhibitions form a cultural constellation: the first one mapping the legacy of a Maison built on movement, and the other exploring an artist&rsquo;s lifelong expedition toward infinity. What binds them is more than just proximity; it&rsquo;s a shared reverence for transformation, a commitment to craft, and a deep-rooted dialogue between Louis Vuitton and Japan that continues to shape fashion and art in the local scene, then manifested throughout the globe.

In Osaka this summer, Louis Vuitton isn&rsquo;t just staging exhibitions&mdash;it&rsquo;s storytelling a journey (or journeys). One trunk, one dot, one memory at a time.

Louis Vuitton in Osaka: A Dual Journey of Heritage and Infinity

Recommended posts for you

Hommes

Park Bo-gum Leans Nautical in Celine at the ‘Omniscient Reader: The Prophet‘ Premiere

Shopping

The 6 Best Men’s Summer Grooming Products to Throw in Your Beach Bag

Hommes

Is the Future of Menswear… No Pants?

Hommes

Nothing Was Out of Place on Ju Ji-hoon’s Celine Tux at the Blue Dragon Series Awards

Beauty

Say Hello to Glow with Cetaphil’s New Exfoliating Duo

Fashion

Anne Hathaway Teases A First Look at Andy Sachs' Style in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'

Fashion

Louis Vuitton in Osaka: A Dual Journey of Heritage and Infinity

Beauty

10 Timeless Lipstick Trends To Celebrate National Lipstick Day