New Balance Celebrates "Grey Days" with "GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 - Tradition and Innovation Experienced Through the Five Senses" Exhibition Featuring Five Creators
New Balance Japan, in collaboration with Avex Creator Agency, will hold the "GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 - Tradition and Innovation Experienced Through the Five Senses" exhibition from May 16 to May 30, 2026, at WALL_alternative in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo. This event celebrates "Grey Days," an annual tribute to New Balance's iconic grey color, featuring five creators who will reinterpret "grey" through multi-sensory experiences.
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New Balance Japan (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Shinichi Kubota), in collaboration with Avex Creator Agency Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shinsuke Kato; hereinafter: ACA), will hold the "GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 - Tradition and Innovation Experienced Through the Five Senses" exhibition from Saturday, May 16, to Saturday, May 30, 2026, at "WALL_alternative (Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo)." This exhibition commemorates the annual "Grey Days," which celebrates New Balance's iconic brand color, "grey."
"Grey Days" is an annual event that celebrates everything New Balance embodies. First introduced into New Balance designs in the 1980s as a practical choice for urban runners, "grey" eventually evolved into an iconic expression of the brand, shaping New Balance's identity for decades. New Balance celebrates this "grey" color throughout the month of May each year with various events and campaigns worldwide. This year, together with New Balance family ambassadors and athletes, the brand will convey the timeless appeal of "grey" through limited products, events, and stories.
About Grey Days URL: https://shop.newbalance.jp/
"GREY ART MUSEUM 2026" will be held again this year in conjunction with "MEET YOUR ART," an art project that aims to expand the possibilities of art and artists through new methods, as part of this momentous "Grey Days." In 2026, in collaboration with five creators—Kan Izumi, Kasetsu, Rei Kunimoto, Shinnosuke Tojo, and Motosuke Mandai—the exhibition will re-interpret "grey" from multiple perspectives, starting from the theme of "Heritage with Innovation." It is structured as an experiential exhibition open to the five senses, traversing the realms of space, sound, scent, experience, and food.
At the center of the venue, the products "574" and "ABZORB 2000," symbolizing "Heritage with Innovation," will be displayed. This conveys New Balance's craftsmanship, which constantly pursues better things and continues to evolve in every era. Motosuke Mandai is responsible for the venue composition and fixture production, creating a space designed specifically for this exhibition. Kan Izumi, an artist known for expressions using scent, has created a fragrance inspired by the colors of "574" and "ABZORB 2000." Visitors can take home this scent as a mouillette, expanding the visual impression of the products to the senses of smell and taste, even offering an experience of "drinking and enjoying" the scent. Calligrapher Kasetsu will write characters inspired by New Balance's history and philosophy on washi paper exceeding 2 meters, establishing the brand's spirit as a physical trace in the space. Sound artist Rei Kunimoto has created a sound installation for this exhibition, imagining the wind blowing through the city, bringing the atmosphere of the urban environment to life through sound. Furthermore, Shinnosuke Tojo will present works expressing visual fluctuations using metal processing technology and will hold a workshop on the theme of "the relationship between grey and color."
Within the venue, "Heritage with Innovation" will also be expressed through food experiences. A collaboration between Tomiki Seimen Kenkyujo, founded in 1972, and Wadaman, a sesame specialty manufacturer with over 140 years of history, will offer evolved sesame noodles combining the techniques of long-established businesses. Additionally, Kyoto-based <7T+>, which explores the possibilities of tea, and GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 have jointly developed Hojicha gelato. Historical "Charmant Wine" and signature wines from the emerging winery "Le milieu" will be offered with GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 original labels featuring Kasetsu's work. SCEN, led by Kan Izumi, will also offer "Drinking New Balance," providing an experience that transcends sight, smell, and taste.
"GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 - Tradition and Innovation Experienced Through the Five Senses" Overview
Period: Saturday, May 16, 2026 – Saturday, May 30, 2026
Participating Artists: Kan Izumi, Kasetsu, Rei Kunimoto, Shinnosuke Tojo, Motosuke Mandai
Hours: 18:00-24:00
Admission: Free
Venue: WALL_alternative (4-2-4 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Workshop Program Schedule
【GREY MAKES YOU】
Date: Saturday, May 23 (18:00–20:00)
"Grey Days" is an annual event that celebrates everything New Balance embodies. First introduced into New Balance designs in the 1980s as a practical choice for urban runners, "grey" eventually evolved into an iconic expression of the brand, shaping New Balance's identity for decades. New Balance celebrates this "grey" color throughout the month of May each year with various events and campaigns worldwide. This year, together with New Balance family ambassadors and athletes, the brand will convey the timeless appeal of "grey" through limited products, events, and stories.
About Grey Days URL: https://shop.newbalance.jp/
"GREY ART MUSEUM 2026" will be held again this year in conjunction with "MEET YOUR ART," an art project that aims to expand the possibilities of art and artists through new methods, as part of this momentous "Grey Days." In 2026, in collaboration with five creators—Kan Izumi, Kasetsu, Rei Kunimoto, Shinnosuke Tojo, and Motosuke Mandai—the exhibition will re-interpret "grey" from multiple perspectives, starting from the theme of "Heritage with Innovation." It is structured as an experiential exhibition open to the five senses, traversing the realms of space, sound, scent, experience, and food.
At the center of the venue, the products "574" and "ABZORB 2000," symbolizing "Heritage with Innovation," will be displayed. This conveys New Balance's craftsmanship, which constantly pursues better things and continues to evolve in every era. Motosuke Mandai is responsible for the venue composition and fixture production, creating a space designed specifically for this exhibition. Kan Izumi, an artist known for expressions using scent, has created a fragrance inspired by the colors of "574" and "ABZORB 2000." Visitors can take home this scent as a mouillette, expanding the visual impression of the products to the senses of smell and taste, even offering an experience of "drinking and enjoying" the scent. Calligrapher Kasetsu will write characters inspired by New Balance's history and philosophy on washi paper exceeding 2 meters, establishing the brand's spirit as a physical trace in the space. Sound artist Rei Kunimoto has created a sound installation for this exhibition, imagining the wind blowing through the city, bringing the atmosphere of the urban environment to life through sound. Furthermore, Shinnosuke Tojo will present works expressing visual fluctuations using metal processing technology and will hold a workshop on the theme of "the relationship between grey and color."
Within the venue, "Heritage with Innovation" will also be expressed through food experiences. A collaboration between Tomiki Seimen Kenkyujo, founded in 1972, and Wadaman, a sesame specialty manufacturer with over 140 years of history, will offer evolved sesame noodles combining the techniques of long-established businesses. Additionally, Kyoto-based <7T+>, which explores the possibilities of tea, and GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 have jointly developed Hojicha gelato. Historical "Charmant Wine" and signature wines from the emerging winery "Le milieu" will be offered with GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 original labels featuring Kasetsu's work. SCEN, led by Kan Izumi, will also offer "Drinking New Balance," providing an experience that transcends sight, smell, and taste.
"GREY ART MUSEUM 2026 - Tradition and Innovation Experienced Through the Five Senses" Overview
Period: Saturday, May 16, 2026 – Saturday, May 30, 2026
Participating Artists: Kan Izumi, Kasetsu, Rei Kunimoto, Shinnosuke Tojo, Motosuke Mandai
Hours: 18:00-24:00
Admission: Free
Venue: WALL_alternative (4-2-4 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Workshop Program Schedule
【GREY MAKES YOU】
Date: Saturday, May 23 (18:00–20:00)