Selected from 600 Works! Hungary's Forefront Illustrations Gather in Tokyo - "Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo"

The List Hungarian Cultural Center (Azabu Juban, Tokyo) is pleased to announce the special exhibition "Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo," showcasing contemporary Hungarian illustration art, from April 15 (Wed) to June 30 (Tue). This exhibition is a touring exhibition featuring award-winning works from the Budapest Illustration Festival (commonly known as Billufest), one of Hungary's largest illustration festivals. Additionally, two special exhibitions (V4 Matchbox Label Exhibition and an exhibition themed around constellations) will be held concurrently during the exhibition period. Illustrations, which transcend language and borders to share stories and ideas, play a crucial role in global cultural exchange today. This exhibition presents cutting-edge contemporary Hungarian works, including expressions with deep connections to Japanese culture, offering a chance to experience cultural exchange between Japan and Hungary. We invite you to visit.

＜What is the Budapest Illustration Festival (Billufest)?＞

Billufest is Hungary's largest open call exhibition and exhibition series introducing Hungarian illustration art. Held every two years since 2019, it features a wide range of artists, from emerging talents to renowned creators. Works from diverse fields such as literary illustrations, children's books, scientific illustrations, and silent books are exhibited, promoting Hungarian illustration culture to the world.

＜Highlight ① "Hungary's Forefront" Selected from 600 Works＞

This exhibition primarily features award-winning works from "Billufest," one of Hungary's largest illustration events. Billufest is known for its large-scale exhibitions comprising over 600 works, and this Tokyo exhibition showcases a carefully selected collection of highly acclaimed award-winning pieces. "Silent books," in particular, are gaining global attention as a new form of expression that tells stories solely through images, highly valued for their ability to share narratives across countries and languages. You can experience the rich expressive world of contemporary Hungarian illustration art, where the fresh sensibilities of young artists coexist with the solid techniques of experienced creators.

＜Highlight ② "Kamishibai" Connecting Japan and Hungary＞

The exhibition also features Kamishibai (paper play) works from Timotás Publishing, a children's book publisher in Budapest.

Kamishibai is a storytelling art form originating in Japan, characterized by its stage-like narrative development as pictures are shown one by one while a story is told. In Hungary, this Japanese culture has evolved in its own unique way, presented as a new form of expression that fuses children's literature and illustration. Kamishibai, which transforms picture book reading into an experience, is gaining global attention in recent years as a cultural form enjoyable for both children and adults. In addition to exhibiting Kamishibai works created in Hungary, special events such as lectures on art history and Kamishibai storytelling sessions are planned during the exhibition period. We hope you enjoy them.

＜Highlight ③ [Concurrent Exhibition ①] Matchbox Labels from Central Europe's Four Countries (V4)＞

A special exhibition featuring matchbox labels from the four Central European countries of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland (V4) will also be held. V4 refers to Visegrád Four, or the Visegrád Group, a regional cooperation framework that collaborates in many fields such as politics, economy, and culture. Hungary will serve as the presiding country from 2025 to 2026. The matchbox labels exhibited this time are from the collection of Shingo Kikuchi, a Japanese matchbox label collector. Mr. Kikuchi has been collecting European matchbox labels as a hobby and has been promoting matchbox label culture for many years, even producing books to introduce their charm. This exhibition will showcase matchbox labels from the four Central European countries from Mr. Kikuchi's valuable collection. Created between the 1950s and 1970s, they depict diverse themes such as traditional costumes, animals, and historical architecture. You can see unique and valuable visual cultural materials from Central Europe, condensed within small pieces of paper, reflecting the society, culture, and design sensibilities of the time.
【Exhibition Period】 April 15, 2026 (Wed) - May 29, 2026 (Fri)

＜Highlight ④ [Concurrent Exhibition ②] The World of Stars and Illustration＞

In the latter half of the exhibition period, the special exhibition "The World of Drawn Stars" will be held. This exhibition will showcase illustration works themed around stars and space, presenting a collection of works that reinterpret the motif of "stars," which have stimulated human imagination since ancient times, from a contemporary visual perspective. Furthermore, on June 4th, a talk event and workshop will be held by participating artists Orsolya Czireli and Csilla Gévai. The event will include explanations of the works, discussions on their creative backgrounds and approaches to stars, as well as hands-on drawing activities and a workshop for making paper "decorative kites." This is an experiential program that allows participants to deepen their understanding not only by experiencing the world of the artworks but also by creating themselves.

【Exhibition Period】 June 1, 2026 (Mon) - June 30, 2026 (Tue)

＜Highlight ⑤ Quiz Event to Win Prizes?!＞

A quiz event related to the exhibited works will also be held at the venue. By observing the illustrations closely and solving the riddles, this participatory exhibition allows visitors to enjoy the works more deeply through the quiz. Prizes are planned for those who answer all questions correctly, so please participate!

＜Special Events During the Exhibition Period (Planned)＞

■ April 15 (Wed) "Special Lecture"
"Bridges of Images - Art Exchange Between Japan and Hungary"

Lecture by Professor Emese Révész, Art Historian

■ April 21 (Tue) "Talk Event"

Tuesday Talk 24 "E-toki (Picture Explanation) ~ Matchbox Labels of Central Europe V4 ~"

Talk event by Shingo Kikuchi, Japanese matchbox label collector

■ May 19 (Tue) "Kamishibai Event"

A Kamishibai event presenting Hungarian Kamishibai in Japanese.

■ June 4 (Thu) "Workshop"

　Talk event and workshop by Orsolya Czireli and Csilla Gévai, including drawing experience and making paper "decorative kites."

For the latest information, please check the link here!

Selected from 600 Works! Hungary's Forefront Illustrations Gather in Tokyo

"Budapest Illustration Festival in Tokyo"

~ A Bridge of "Images" Connecting Japan and Hungary ~ Exhibition Overview

Period: April 15 (Wed) - June 30 (Tue)

Opening Hours: 11:00 - 17:00 (Last admission 16:45)

Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, and Japanese and Hungarian public holidays (April 29 (Wed), May 1 (Fri), May 4 (Mon) - 6 (Wed), May 25 (Mon))

Venue: List Hungarian Cultural Center, Embassy of Hungary, Cultural Department

Address: 1F, Hibiya Azabu Juban Building, 3-8-1 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Access: 3 minutes walk from Tokyo Metro Namboku Line

Phone: 03-6459-4931 (Main)