The first non-Japanese to head a leading art museum in Japan, British-born Elliott has the knowledge, expertise, and respect of the international art community to successfully turn MAM into Tokyo's first major institution for contemporary art. Before coming to MAM Elliott had headed The Museum of Modern Art Oxford and Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

Elliott says his views of Tokyo have changed during the two years he has lived here - all for the better. "When you come to a new place you have good thoughts. Otherwise, you wouldn't do it," he says. He particularly likes the vibrancy of the city: "It really does stay open 24 hours. Even London isn't like that."

At the same time he has also been pleasantly surprised to find quiet spots around the busy city, in spite of the warnings that Tokyo does not have much open space or greenery. "The idea of space is perhaps different than in a Western city. I see lots of trees." His favorite part of Tokyo is "the Aoyama cemetery," he says, laughing. "I like cemeteries." He has also taken a fancy to the small, neighborhood shrines that dot the urban landscape. "They present a really great oasis, a reflection of the city."

Tokyo, he notes, offers artistic surprises in its own distinctive way. "It doesn't comply with Western notions of what constitutes a great city. It's not as grand. But it offers something else, a sense of discovery and excitement."

For instance, it boasts some of the best works by the world's leading modern architects. "There is Raphael Vignoly's Tokyo Forum," he points out. "Richard Rogers did a couple of buildings, including the Kabukicho Project in Shinjuku, and I really admire works by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Yoshio Taniguchi, Fumihiko Maki, Toyo Ito, and Kisho Kurokawa."

As a centerpiece of the sprawling Roppongi Hills complex, the Mori Art Museum is poised to play a major role in bringing art closer to people's lives. While most museums in Japan close by around 6 p.m. - staying open until perhaps 8 p.m. one day a week - MAM is open through 10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and until midnight on Friday through Sunday. (It closes at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.)

"We get quite a few people who come late at night." Visiting a museum after dinner is something new for Tokyo residents. "We get all kinds of visitors - we're not just catering to old people or to young people." There're enough things going on inside Roppongi Hills and in the surrounding neighborhood to attract people at all hours. "They come up to the museum after they've been shopping or dining. Some of them come to enjoy a beer on the fifty-second floor. We give them a new experience."

"We also try to present a relaxed and pleasantly challenging space," he says. "It's about having fun, but not mindless fun. We invite visitors to get involved, to participate in the process of making a visit to MAM an enjoyable experience."

The response thus far has been very positive. "Happiness: A Survival Guide for Art and Life," the museum's inaugural show that Elliott organized with guest curator Pier Luigi Tazzi, attracted over 750,000 visitors during its three-month run. This figure is comparable to the most popular art exhibition in 2003 - "Peter the Great" at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, which attracted 767,000 visitors, according to the international publication The Art Newspaper. (The distant second was "Leonardo da Vinci: Master Draftsman" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, attended by 401,004 people.)

Without doubt, one of the big attractions of the museum is the panoramic view it affords of the Tokyo skyline. "There's a very interesting balance between the inside, the art, and the view, which is stunning, particularly at nighttime," says Elliott. "And the art has to be strong enough to command the attention of our visitors."

Although he is charmed by the city, he thinks Tokyo could take a few steps to become a true cultural leader of the region. "It's very convenient to get around once you are here, but getting out is a hell of a job," he laments, noting that the distance from Narita to central Tokyo makes it "a difficult place to visit." Another hurdle is the relatively few people who speak English.

"We are one of the first truly bilingual public institutions in Tokyo, maybe in Japan," he says of MAM. Most of the museum staff are fluent in at least Japanese and English. Elliott, who did not speak Japanese before coming to Tokyo is now learning the language, often starting out speeches with several Japanese phrases. The exhibition catalogues and other related documents are fully bilingual.

He believes, though, that the high level of interest in contemporary art is enough to overcome the language barrier. Tokyo has many talented people in the fine arts, photography, and graphic arts like manga and anime, so "there's great richness and many layers of possibilities," says Elliott. The biggest challenge they face is that posed by the slow domestic market, which is not yet sufficiently developed to support all these talented artists.

"Interestingly, there is an external market," he says, referring to such artists who have established themselves outside Japan as Yoshitomo Nara, Takashi Murakami, Nobuyoshi Araki, Yasumasa Morimura, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Tatsuo Miyajima. Interest in contemporary Japanese art "hasn't stretched far beyond (these artists), but people are hungry for more. There's a great feeling of expectation," he says.

Elliott believes that MAM has "in a small way" made a contribution to this trend. Tokyo had been "a city without any focus for contemporary culture, particularly visual art." Being smack in the middle of the city, MAM almost dares local residents to care about contemporary art. Given the long lines outside the entrance on many weekends, the museum appears to be succeeding.