Tokyo is a city of appetites for art, with long lines for exhibitions and concerts.
There are hundreds of museums and galleries with changing exhibitions. The visitors are never bored. There is always something new to see in the art halls of Japan.
Ready to start planning? Sign up for our weekly newsletter and get 20% off your next guidebook.In this city of constant full schedules, tickets bought in advance should be avoided on weekends and holidays. The entrance ticket is usually free. Most art institutions close on Mondays and the rest of the week, while private ones stay open longer.
People lined up for one of the first teamLab exhibitions despite a typhoon. The international art collective has been unstoppable since then. The Borderless museum in Venus Fort is closing in August of 2022.
TeamLab Planets is a place where you can climb a waterfall, step on flowers of light in warm water, and knock around giant colorful balls. In opposition to every classic rule in museums, here you should touch the art, snap photos, proclaim your excitement and have pure fun.
There are four massive exhibition spaces and two gardens, with a living orchid exhibit and occasional seasonal additions. The front yard of teamLab Planets has a public-art sculpture named Universe of Fire Particles Falling from the Sky. In the same area, there is a mirror-walled art room where one can eat ramen from vegan ramen UZU.
Tickets can be purchased in advance.
The tallest museum in Tokyo is on the 52nd and 53rd floors. Visit for the art and see the views. The open-air Sky Deck is accessible to ticket holders of the museum. It is a rare open-air observation deck in Tokyo that has a panoramic view of the Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Skytree. Tokyo Bay can be seen by day.
The museum is a private institution that has to balance cutting-edge art and pop culture. In the last few years alone, the museum has held exhibitions on the ukiyo-e painter Hokusai, as well as Hello Kitty and Attack on Titan, and it has collaborated with Hollywood darling Takashi Murakami and futurist designers and stars of Japanese architecture.
The museum has been reinventing its digital offerings since new director Mami Kataoka took over.
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The art of the prolific avant-garde namesake is always on display at this museum. The 93-year-old Kusama is best known for her polka-dot pumpkins and infinity mirror rooms.
The tickets for the Yayoi Kusama Museum are highly coveted because it is a museum dedicated to multiple artists and often changes exhibits. The museum exhibits works for the first time in Japan or the world.
A Pompeii in My Heart is an exhibit that features recent paintings, a room-sized installation and a rooftop sculpture. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
The Teien Art Museum is relatively uncrowded, and as much of a secret as it can be.
It was opened in 1983 and is located in the former residence of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, a building designated as one of Japan's Important Cultural Properties. The prince and princess lived in Paris in the golden age of art Deco and the whole building was constructed in that style.
The recent displays of glass art by Lalique have a French connection, and the exhibitions at Teien Art often focus on art Deco. The museum's upcoming spring exhibition focuses on the ideas of fashion and the world of Japanese artist Noritaka Tate.
With names such as starchitect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake involved, architecture, fashion and design otaku fall head over heels for this museum.
Every architect in Japan wants to visit the country with the most prize winning architects. 21_21 Design Sight is an art building with its sloping concrete roof and underground halls. It is made to blend into Midtown Garden greenery and to stand out with its concrete geometry.
The art exhibitions often show things you have never thought of before, such as robot monks singing sutras and a computer screen room.
The museum looks like it should be in a movie. Ivy hugs the colorful walls, while a Totoro plushie grins from a fake entrance, and one of Laputa's iron giants stands on the museum's rooftop.
There is an even more magical space in the doors of the Ghibli Museum. The piece of 35mm film that you are given a ticket from was used in theaters. You can hold it up to the light and see the scene from the film.
There is a replica of Hayao Miyazaki's work desk, as well as original Ghibli art displayed. Some of the movies that the museum screens are only available for a limited time. The cafe and museum shop is one of the best places for Ghibli merchandise.
The ticket is difficult to get due to high demand. Only advance reservations are allowed. No photos are allowed inside.
The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park is the oldest and largest museum in Japan and has a large collection of mostly Japanese artwork. The Tokyo National Museum has one of the biggest and best art and history collections in Japan, with more than 100,000 pieces, hundreds of them national treasures.
It is a must-visit for all Japan aficionados because of the many traditional Japanese items, such as kimono, samurai armor, calligraphy scrolls and ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Since most Japanese people would have visited this landmark museum early on, it is often uncrowded and relaxed. In the teahouses in the garden, you can find haiku gatherings.
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