Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

May 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2028

Fellowship•Japan · Tokyo

TOKAS International Creator Residency Program

Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture

Application Deadline

Closed · June 16, 2026

Reopens ~Jun 2027

Official Page

The International Creator Residency Program is run by Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS), an art centre operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. It invites established creators from anywhere in the world to spend three months living and working at TOKAS Residency in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, developing new work and exchanging ideas with other resident creators. The residency runs across three seasonal windows and takes six creators in total, two per window. Each residency ends with an OPEN STUDIO, where residents present the outcomes of their stay, and residents also submit a project report.

Benefits & funding

  • Round-trip economy-class airfare between the nearest airport to your home and Tokyo (Narita or Haneda)
  • Living expenses (per diem): JPY 4,200 per day, consumption tax excluded
  • Fee for the creative work or project: JPY 300,000, consumption tax excluded
  • A furnished single room (25 m²) with kitchen, bathroom and Wi-Fi; a twin room (49 m²) for duos
  • Access to shared studios (125 m² and 48 m²), a networking room, library and laundry
  • Income tax of 20.42% is deducted from the per-diem and work-fee amounts

Eligibility

  • Resides outside Japan (a duo qualifies if at least one member resides outside Japan)
  • Five or more years of experience in visual arts, design or architecture
  • Able to communicate in English with resident creators and TOKAS staff
  • Independent and able to live and work on one’s own
  • Students are ineligible, except Ph.D. candidates, as of the time of participation
  • No age limit; applicants who took part in a previous International or Local Creator Residency cannot reapply to the same program

Can you apply?

Worth a closer look

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  • Experience required

    ≥ 5 yrs

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Application process

  1. 1
    Watch the TOKAS open-call page for the annual call (the 2027 cycle ran 19 May – 16 June 2026)
  2. 2
    Download the application package and complete the PDF application form in English
  3. 3
    Prepare two letters of recommendation from arts or cultural professionals and a portfolio (max 6 pages, 3 projects, under 10MB)
  4. 4
    Upload the form, letters and portfolio through the online submission form before the deadline (18:00 JST)
  5. 5
    Await the two-stage document screening; final results are posted on the TOKAS website

Program timeline

  1. Application opens for the 2027 cycle

    May 19, 2026

  2. Application deadline, 18:00 JST

    Jun 16, 2026

  3. External-jury screening (late August)

    Aug 1, 2026

  4. Final results announced on the TOKAS website (early October)

    Oct 1, 2026

  5. First residency window begins (May–July 2027; further windows Sept–Nov 2027 and Jan–Mar 2028)

    May 1, 2027