This independent Yokohama art gallery is working hard to raise the city’s profile on the global art scene. Located off the beaten track in the Ishikawacho district just south of the Nakamuragawa River, Launch Pad Gallery was opened in 2014 by photographer-painter Fred Vee and locally born printmaker Ling Liu.
The duo, along with their two cats who are often on the premises, exhibit the work of emerging artists from Japan and around the world. Creators shown so far have hailed from as far afield as the USA, Europe and South Africa, with the modestly sized gallery space allowing for real intimacy with whatever is on the walls. Exhibitions each last for a period of two weeks, so there’s always something fresh to see.