Kusama in her Mirror Room (Pumpkin) 1991, collection of Hara Museum ARC, installation view: the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993 © YAYOI KUSAMA

1973 She returned to Japan, where she settled permanently. Four years later, she was voluntarily hospitalized in Tokyo.

1978 Publication of her first novel, Manhattan Suicide Addict.

1987 Her first retrospective exhibition was held at Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art in Fukuoka.

1989 She came into the American and European art scenes, where she experienced some sort of revival. She became the first Japanese artist to be featured on the cover of the Art in America magazine.

1993 She returned to the Venice Biennale, this tiem officially, to represent her country at the Japanese Pavilion.