Opened in March 2010, the site of the former Rensei Junior High School may still look like an educational institution from the outside, but its interiors have been transformed to serve a very different purpose. Each classroom is dedicated to a gallery or creative space, whose occupants are free to experiment with the interior any way they choose. As such, every room feels like a world of its own: some simply display paintings gallery-style while others fill the space with installations. Artists can often be found in their classroom galleries and are happy to explain their art. The first floor houses a bigger gallery where large-scale exhibitions take place on a rotating basis, in addition to a café, gift shop, and small playroom for kids.
The name ‘3331’ comes from a play on the old Edo custom called ‘Edo Ippon Jime’, whereby a person would shout ‘Iyo-o!’ and clap their hands 3 times, followed by another 3 claps, and the another 3 claps before finally ending with a single clap.