The Japan Foundation and Centre Pompidou-Metz will present two large-scale exhibitions of Japanese architecture Japan-ness—Architecture and urbanism in Japan since 1945 and Japanese contemporary art Japanorama—New vision on art since 1970 at the Centre in Metz, France, opening in autumn 2017.

In 1986, an iconic exhibition, Avant-Garde Arts of Japan 1910-1970 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris secured a place in art history as a monumental exhibition of Japanese modern and contemporary art outside Japan. After 30 years since the exhibition, Centre Pompidou-Metz organizes Japanese Season from September 2017 to May 2018 to introduce Japanese art and culture including these two exhibitions, performing arts and various other events. This is the first time that the Centre has devoted its entire season to a single country.
The two exhibitions function as preludes for the Japonismes 2018 program, which aims at raising French interest in Japanese society and culture. This large-scale event will showcase Japanese culture in Paris and other places in 2018, the year which marks the 160th anniversary of Japan-France diplomatic relations. The Japan Foundation acts as the secretariat for Japonismes 2018.