In a city where there are already more museums and galleries than you can shake a very big stick at, 3331 Arts Chiyoda manages to stand out as something different and memorable. Based in a renovated junior high school a little way north of Akihabara, it holds a diverse range of exhibitions and events, with a strong focus on creativity and innovation.
The main gallery spaces are on the first floor, and you'll find all sorts of things here: solo exhibitions, group or university shows, and in all kinds of media, from painting and sculpture to ceramics and textiles. The exhibitions can often be curate's eggs (good in parts, baffling in others), but they're good and spacious so there's a lot to see, and I've always found something interesting or engaging here. It's also free to get in so I can't really have cause for complaint.
Elsewhere, the building's past as a school gives it a fun, quirky atmosphere; there's still a big blackboard at the end of the rest area by the entrance on the first floor, and big old communal sinks by the stairwells in the basement. On the upper floors the layout has actually been left unchanged, so you walk down die-straight corridors to visit the various galleries and exhibition spaces housed in former classrooms. On the second floor, for example, there are some spaces for smaller exhibits, the Tokyo branch of a Kyoto-based gallery, a space run by Tama Art University, and a gallery run by Able Art Japan, an NPO promoting work by disabled artists.
Practicalities: to get there, you can take the Yamanote line to Akihabara or Okachimachi stations, from where it's seven or eight minutes' walk. Alternatively, it's just a minute from Suehirocho station on the Ginza subway line. As well as the galleries, there's a cafe where you can get snacks and light meals, and a shop selling a range of goods and souvenirs.
Finally, why '3331'? This name comes from a traditional Japanese handclap rhythm - three bursts of three quick handclaps followed by a single clap - used for encouragement or celebration. It's a completely fitting name for a place that both encourages and celebrates artistic creativity with such energy.
