My main reason for planning my upcoming Kansai trip just fell apart.
Hoping for everyone's kind consideration as I share some pre-departure disappointment a few weeks before my upcoming trip.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch masterpieces of the 17th century will be held in Nakanoshima Museum of Art this August 21 to September 27, 2026. Coming from a weak passport country, I felt that this would finally be my chance to see the Vermeer paintings without flying all the way to the Netherlands. I was super excited for this exhibit, so instead planning a trip to somewhere that's entirely new to me like Aomori or Okinawa, I planned for this Kansai trip instead.
So as early as January, I sorted out my annual leave dates at work, flights, accommodations, and other bookings. Pretty much every Friday, I would check the official event Instagram account and their website for any and all updates.
To be honest, I haven't looked forward to anything in a long time. I've been so afraid of making big future plans after some personal trauma, wherein those plans I invested so much time, money, and effort on just crashed and burned spectacularly. But over the first half of the year, I became so excited for the exhibit and this entire trip, my itinerary was pretty much complete last May. And I was just counting down to the ticket sales dates.
Then I got the devastating news earlier that the options for first-come, first-served sales for the general sales periods, as well as the same-day purchase tickets at NAKKA were discontinued (https://vermeer2026.exhibit.jp/tickets/). So just like that, the only feasible options for a tourist like me were scrapped.
Yes, I feel glad knowing that the exhibit already has such overwhelming support from the first round of bookings alone. I know it will be a huge success. However, I still feel disappointed knowing that I can't join the upcoming ticket lottery because I don't fulfill the requirements to make a Ticket Pia account.
Also, the oufuku hagaki (往復はがき) being considered by the organizers might not even be an option. My country's postal service is so inefficient, that a postcard I sent from Japan took more than 6 months to reach the recipient address in my country. I can't even imagine how long the round-trip for the postcard application would take!!! And using services like DHL just to gamble a chance at winning an event ticket might not even be feasible for my case as my entry will be coming from outside Japan.
Yes, this will be my third time visiting Osaka and Kyoto. I'll also be going to other places within Kansai that are completely new to me. I finally get to go take that long overdue trip off the beaten path to maximize that Kansai Wide Area Pass. I finally have dealt with the demons that kept me from enjoying even the idea of using the communal same-sex onsen in a ryokan. But I am still reeling in from the disappointment and the frustration from the news that when I get to Osaka, the upcoming Vermeer Exhibit will be so near, yet so far to me.
The only thing I can wish for as a consolation is that the merch from the event can still be purchased at NAKKA even without a ticket to the Vermeer Exhibit. 🥲