“There’s only so much that I can express about Japanese culture through Art Aquarium,” Kimura says. “In a way, it only scratches the surface. For over ten years, I’ve worked to create an opportunity for people to come in contact with and truly experience Japan’s cultural heritage. Suigian goes one step further and makes it possible to dig deeper into that world.”

Indeed, Suigian is a deep dive into what most people consider irretrievable scenes from the past. Japan’s golden age of performance comes alive in the 21st century through Kimura’s thoughtfully designed interior, which features an original Edo period oimatsu (old pine tree) kagamiita (panel) drawing in Kano -ha (Kano school) style from Kyoto. Goldfish are a motif throughout, and a panel of theater masks from Kimura’s personal collection of Japanese artifacts and crafts decorates one wall. Minus some bold modern touches to ground its guests in reality, the space is a totally immersive step back in time.

The real treat is Suigian’s program of traditional Japanese performances, including noh, kyogen, bunraku (puppet theater) and Nihonbuyo (dance). While this kind of entertainment tends to be pricey, very long and highly difficult to understand at most other venues, Suigian makes it simple and affordable. A brief video installation explains the 650-year history of noh — a mystical form of theater blending dance, music and drama — before each performance, and audience members even get to see the performers without their masks on, an act that is strictly forbidden in more traditional spaces. Suigian is also the only venue in Japan to house different schools of noh, kyogen and other performance styles under the same roof.