Geidai Collaboration Project

What is the Geidai Collaboration Project?

Mizuho has been collaborating with Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai) for the Geidai Collaboration Project. Based on the concepts of “energizing with art,” “making art more accessible,” and “creating change with the power of art,” the project seeks to help address social issues, including gender inclusivity, well-being, and creation of innovation, while co-creating a prosperous and sustainable future where art and culture thrive alongside the economy.

The project also encompasses various related partnership initiatives currently underway. Going forward, we plan to call for widespread participation from colleagues who relate to the project’s philosophy and will broaden the range of activities.

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Tokyo Geidai Artfes

Tokyo Geidai Artfes is an online art festival organized by Tokyo Geidai and sponsored by Mizuho. It cultivates artists by providing current students and graduates of Tokyo Geidai with a venue to present their work, compensating for the decline in such opportunities since the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Tokyo Geidai’s collaboration with the other members of Arts 7, an international partnership between art universities, the art festival puts forth the theme of “world peace” and encourages people to think collectively about global-scale social issues.

Tokyo Geidai Art Festival: Art Exhibition at Mizuho in New York

The 2025 Tokyo Geidai Art Festival had the theme of Japanese art and culture connecting history and the present to the future.

Based on employee voting at Mizuho, President Katsuhiko Hibino of Tokyo Geidai selected works for the Mizuho Award and the President's Award. These award-winning works can be viewed here.

To support global connections for the artists and help expand their opportunities across borders, an exhibition event featuring the award-winning works was held at Mizuho Americas in New York on July 17, 2026.

As an additional bonus accompanying the Mizuho Award and the President's Award, the two student artists who received the awards were invited to New York. Through presentations and networking with local employees and external guests, the event gave the artists an opportunity to meet new people, including visitors and stakeholders, and broaden the reach of their works.

A reception party was also held for invited guests, including Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike and Ambassador and Consul-General Satoshi Katahira of the Consulate General of Japan in New York. Many attendees gathered at the venue and showed interest in Japanese artistic culture and the expression of the next generation of artists.

In addition, Emi Mori's work "Drifting, Enveloping," which received the Mizuho Award, was acquired by Mizuho Americas as the first piece for the new Mizuho Art Collection.

Mizuho Art Collection

DRIFTING, ENVELOPING

_{Emi Mori}₂₀₂₆_{GLASS
30 x 18 x 18 INCHES}

Comments by participating artists and project representatives

Emi Mori

Artist / Mizuho Award recipient

Having the opportunity to exhibit in New York and to have people from outside Japan view my work directly, while also hearing a variety of impressions and feedback, was an extremely valuable experience. In addition, being able to interact with so many people was a great source of inspiration that will carry over into my future creative activities.

I am also deeply honored to have my work selected for the Mizuho Art Collection. I am very happy that it was recognized and included as one of the collection's pieces. I will carry this experience forward and continue to devote myself even more to my work.

Yuki Kimura

Artist / Tokyo Geidai President's Award recipient

By placing my work in the real-world setting of a bank in New York, a city with a different culture, I was able to discover new possibilities for artistic expression that differ from the museums, theaters, and game shows where I have exhibited until now.

The perspectives I gained through direct exchanges with people working in offices—whom I would not normally encounter—and with local art professionals were a major discovery for me, and I feel they will become an important guide for my future activities.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Mizuho group and everyone at Tokyo Geidai for broadening the possibilities of artists beyond disciplinary boundaries, as well as to the viewers who took an interest in the works and approached us.

Katsuhiko Hibino

President
Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo Geidai)

A great many Japanese artists, including Tokyo Geidai graduates, have visited New York, stayed here, and produced and presented works here. However, the university did not have a system in place to support such activities. Against this backdrop, the exhibition of outstanding works from the Tokyo Geidai Art Festival at Mizuho Americas' New York office, as an extension of the collaborative project between Tokyo Geidai and Mizuho that began in Japan, is a truly groundbreaking development.

It is particularly noteworthy that, in Tokyo Geidai's 139th year since its founding, the university has launched activities in New York for the first time, and that this unprecedented collaboration between Mizuho and Tokyo Geidai has extended overseas.

The fact that these developments came together in New York is something that makes us feel great potential for the future of finance, economics, and art education.

Natsumi Akita

Chief Branding Officer
/ Chief Culture Officer
Mizuho Financial Group

I believe that art has the power to move people's hearts, break through fixed ideas, and give rise to new innovations. I also believe that this power is extremely important for companies and for society as a whole. Through our partnership with Tokyo University of the Arts, I am deeply proud that we were able to introduce outstanding young Japanese artists on the global stage that New York provides.

Mizuho hopes to be there for Japanese artists as they take their first step toward entering this global stage. For their new artistic endeavors to take shape, not only the power of the works themselves but also the presence of supporters who believe in them and connect them to the world is essential. That is why Mizuho wants to play a role in supporting art and opening up global opportunities for artists.

Going forward, we will continue to serve as a bridge connecting Japan with the world, and people to people, while strongly supporting the efforts of artists who are opening up the future.

Attending this event in New York and seeing so many people engage seriously with the works and listen carefully to the artists' messages, I was once again reminded of the significance of this initiative.

New York is a city where culture and talent from around the world come together. Seeing young Japanese artists confidently present their work there and receive empathy and support was both reassuring and a source of pride.

This event marks a new beginning. I sincerely hope this first step will help Japanese artists reach the world and lead to many more opportunities and encounters. Mizuho will continue to stand alongside the artists' efforts and support their path toward the future.

Booklet

TOKYO GEIDAI ART FESTIVAL (PDF/4,433KB)

Other Projects

Aizu Project

This project aims to promote art-based regional revitalization and talent development at Mizuho Bank branches in Japan’s outlying areas. A pilot program is currently underway at Aizu Branch with support from Hajimari Art Center, the Aizu Culture and Art Forum, and other museums and cultural organizations active around Aizu and Fukushima. It features lectures, workshops, and research to help the people working at the Aizu Branch develop their creativity.

IR presentation materials

The covers of our financial results materials for shareholders and investors now feature artwork by Tokyo Geidai students, reflecting Mizuho’s corporate Purpose of “Proactively innovate together with our clients for a prosperous, sustainable future.”

Art and Gender Study Group

Tokyo Geidai and Mizuho together launched an Art and Gender Study Group, which organizes invited lectures with experts and conducts joint research. The study group is working to address gender-related social issues through joint research, lectures, and workshops.