Art Museum Spots in Tokyo Area

  • Shunkaen Bonsai Museum
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    4.5
    69 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Edogawa-ku Nihori 1-29-16
    Located in the Niihori district of Tokyo’s Edogawa City this is an art museum dedicated to bonsai founded by bonsai artist Kunio Kobayashi which has won various awards such as the Prime Minister’s Award. As a facility to spread the appeal of bonsai with the world, it has bonsai pines standing in a row in the Japanese garden that is complete with a pond. The beautiful bonsai adorning the tokonoma and reception rooms in the Japanese-style house are a must-see. The museum also holds a bonsai experience classroom available for a fee, and this is also one sightseeing spot that is often frequented by non-Japanese.

    Great place to visit whether you are into bonsai or not. The trees are amazing, living works of art. The woodwork in the buildings is excellent workmanship. There are student there that will guide...

  • Toyo Bunko Museum
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    4.0
    97 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Bunkyo-ku Hon-komagome 2-28-21
    "Shelves stacked with colorful books are beautifully illuminated by subdued lighting. The sight reminds one of the efforts and passion of our predecessors that were put into books. Standing in front of the ""Morrison Stacks,"" the centerpiece of the museum, one is overwhelmed by the magnificence of the bookshelves, which live up to their reputation as ""the most beautiful bookshelves in Japan."

    三菱財閥が収集してきた東洋学関連古書の図書館である。 学究の徒でもない限り、それらを閲覧することはまずなかろうという和洋中の膨大な数の文献を所蔵している。図書館機能だけの施設なら行くこともないのだが、美術品の企画展もやることあるので、機会あれば行ってみようかと思っていた。 で、上京の折、時間ができたので初訪問した。 やってた企画展は「シルクロードの旅展」。美術展ではないけど、高校で日本史取らず世...

  • Shibuya Municipal Shoto Art Museum
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    4.0
    65 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Shibuya-ku Shoto 2-14-14

    Totally depends what exhibition is on but it is a very cool building and a great place to escape the crowds of Shibuya (5 mins up the hill from Tokyo Honten) The nearby Shoto park is also very...

  • Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo
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    4.0
    72 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Nerima-ku Shimoshakuji 4-7-2
    An art museum standing along Metropolitan Road 245 in Shimoshakujii, Nerima City. The museum displays works by Chihiro Iwasaki, a painter with a home and studio in Shimoshakujii known for her watercolors and picture books depicting children. The museum also holds exhibitions on related themes.

    子供向けの絵本の挿絵を多く描いていたいわさきちひろさんの自宅兼アトリエの跡地にあります。 現在、黒柳徹子さんがこの美術館と安曇野にある美術館、両方の館長を務めているそうです。 大きな通りから少しだけ中に入った閑静な場所で、不整形な建物であるゆえにその隙間となる中庭が落ち着いた雰囲気を醸し出していました。 実際にご本人が使ったアトリエをそのまま残してあるのが、とても興味深かったです。

  • Mori Art Museum
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Roppongi 6-10-1 Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 53F
    This international modern art gallery is located on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. A variety of planned exhibits are hosted throughout the year during which times the gallery remains open until 10 p.m. (excluding Tuesdays), allowing one to casually stop by after work or dinner. The 52nd floor, Tokyo City View, cafes and restaurants offer a panoramic view of Tokyo while enjoying a meal or tea. The closest station is Roppongi Station.
  • Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
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    4.0
    66 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Hachioujishi Yanomachi 492-1
    An art museum located close to Soka University in Yano-machi, Hachioji City, Tokyo. The museum was established by Soka Gakkai International founder Daisaku Ikeda. The museum's collection of some 30,000 paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and crafts covers a broad array of periods and regions, including Western art from the Renaissance to the modern day and photographs dating back to the birth of the art form.

    This museum has the largest collection of Western art of any museum we have been to so far. The collection is very well balanced as far as major schools of art being represented across a historical...

  • Eisei Bunko Museum
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    4.0
    78 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Bunkyou-ku Mejirodai 1-1-1
    An art museum located close to Higo Hosokawa Garden in Mejirodai, Bunkyo City, Tokyo. The museum is housed inside the former home of the Hosokawa marquis family on the grounds of a former Hosokawa estate. The museum's collection consists of historical materials and works of art passed down in the Hosokawa family which were donated by Moritatsu Hosokawa and Morisada Hosokawa, the 16th and 17th respective heads of the family. The museum holds a variety of themed public exhibitions each year in spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

    Small museum and was totally packed with locals. We could see a snake of people forming before the museum opened and joined the queue. I believe we were one of the rare foreigners there. Every step...

  • Hasegawa Machiko Art Museum
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    4.0
    74 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Setagaya-ku Sakurashinmachi 1-30-6
    This is a private art museum exhibiting works of art which Machiko Hasegawa, the author of the comic, “Sazae-san”, and her older sister Mariko collected during their lifetime. The museum showcases about 700 artifacts starting with paintings by Japanese and Western artists, glass and ceramics. The exhibitions are changed several times a year. There is also a corner exhibiting ceramics and watercolor works produced by Hasegawa Machiko, and original drawings such as “Sazae-san” and “Ijiwaru Baasan”. The “Sazae-san Anime Exhibition” is held every summer. Bronze statues of the characters which appear in Sazae-san are lined up on “Sazae-san-dori Street” which continues on from Sakurashinmachi Station.

    桜新町駅から徒歩7分ほど。 1985年開館。長谷川町子と姉・毬子が蒐集した美術品を展示する個人美術館。入館料は900円(長谷川町子記念館と共通)で、記念館喫茶部の100円券が付く。館内撮影不可。展示室は1階と2階に1部屋ずつ。訪館時は収蔵コレクション展「日本の四季」が開かれており、東山魁夷や加山又造などの作品を展示していた。また2階には「アニメの部屋」もあり、サザエさんの制作過程の紹介、昔放送した...

  • The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Chiyoda-ku Kitanomarukouen 3-1
    Located close to the South Entrance to Kitanomaru Park, near the Imperial Palace, the National Museum of Modern Art (MOMAT), which opened in 1952, was Japan’s first national art museum. The MOMAT Collection features around 200 items from the more than 12,500 artworks held by the museum, showcasing a wide range of works in various genres—including Nihonga (Japanese-style modern painting), Western-style oil paintings, watercolors, sculpture, photographs, etc.—from the early 20th century to the present day. Several special exhibitions on unique themes are held every year.
  • WATARI-UM Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
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    3.5
    74 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Shibuya-ku Jingumae 3-7-6
    A private art museum in Jingumae, Shibuya. It focuses on worldwide contemporary art and holds numerous exhibitions based on original concepts such as photography and designs. The building, with the impressive striped patterned outer wall, was designed by a Swiss architect, Mario Botta. The name of the museum comes from director and the curator of the museum, the Watari Family.

    This is an art museum owned by an individual, mainly characterized by an exhibition of contemporary art. When I visited, an exhibition of famous Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto was held. There...

  • Ad Museum Tokyo
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    4.0
    58 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Higashi-shinbashi 1-8-2 Caretta Shiodome B2F
    Japan's only advertising museum opened in 2002. They have a collection of approximately 320,000 items from the Edo period to the present day on display. There are few museums like it in the world. They aim to deepen the understanding of the social and cultural merits of advertising. Displays are split into a permanent exhibit focusing on the history of Japanese advertising and special exhibits of award -winning advertising from Japan and abroad and other original displays. Group tours are available with guided explanation of developments in Japanese advertising. Admission and tours are free. Some portions must be booked in advance.

    Being situated in Shiodome business district, the area is very busys during weekdays, and very quiet during weekends. In any case, the museum is never packed, as it is a bit out of the way. Yes, the...

  • Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts
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    4.0
    51 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Machidashi Haramachida 4-28-1
    Opened in 1987, the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts is one of the few museums in the world dedicated to print art. The museum collects, preserves, and researches Japanese print art from the Nara period to the modern age as well as print art from around the world. The museum also has a studio where you can experience the fun of making print art yourself. Each printmaking course has a specified enrollment period and requires advanced registration.

    At the Southern Entrance to Serigaya Park. Approx. 1km walk from Machida station, not a hard walk. Has access for prams & wheelchairs, as you approach from the West entrance you will see a path to...

  • Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square
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    4.5
    54 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Akasaka 8-1-22
    This place typically displays and sells approximately 3,500 items of traditional craftsmanship from around Japan that have received special designation from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, including textiles, pottery and Japanese washi paper. In addition to the usual exhibits, they host special exhibitions that change every two weeks. Popular features include the performance corner where one can watch craftsmen use their artisanal techniques up close, and the corner that allows visitors to try making their own crafts. It’s an excellent place not only to find everyday items but also souvenirs that are unique to Japan.

    A lovely selection of beautifully hand crafted items in many traditional materials. Yes, the items are not cheap but they are high quality and I found easy to pack textile items for everyone on my...

  • FUJIFILM SQUARE
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    4.0
    68 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Akasaka 9-7-3 Tokyo Midtown West 1F

    Fujifilm Square is a small photo museum and display center for Fujifilm’s latest cameras and hardware. It is located in the Tokyo Midtown Shopping Center, which is in Akasaka, next to the Roppongi...

  • The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Taitou-ku Uenokouen 12-8
    An art museum located on the campus of the Tokyo University of the Arts in Ueno Park, Taito City, Tokyo. The museum stores, researches, and displays some 29,000 works of art collected since before the university's predecessor, the Tokyo Fine Arts School, was established. The main building hosts a student cafeteria, museum shop, and art supplies shop. Other museum facilities, such as the Chinretsukan Gallery and Masaki Memorial Gallery, are used for special exhibitions.
  • TOKYO POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, SUGINAMI Animation Museum
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    4.0
    49 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Suginami-ku Kamiogi 3-29-5 Suginami Hall 3F
    "A facility where you can learn about, experience, and gain a deeper understanding of Japanese animation across the generations. This is the first facility in Japan that provides a comprehensive introducing to the entire genre, from its history to its future. Entry is free. They screen a wide range of anime, including historic films, art anime, and popular works. They also hold exhibits providing the latest anime information. In addition, there is a monthly ""picture-story show"" as well as ""Parapara Animation"" workshops where you can learn about the anime creation process. The weekends can get crowded with families."

    it was free entry, so thats the best thing obviously. It was really epic to see where and how animation started. They had some interactive areas and some places were you could sit down and trace and...

  • Yayoi Kusama Museum Yayoi Kusama Museum
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Shinjuku-ku Bentencho 107
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Shirokanedai 5-21-9
    An art museum located in Shirokanedai, Minato City, Tokyo. The museum is housed in the former residence of Prince Asaka, an art deco structure built in the early Showa period (1920s to 30s) now designated an Important Cultural Property. The museum conducts a variety of exhibitions on art deco and other themes. A new annex was built in 2014. Elevators were also installed and work was continued on the museum garden, with all construction finally being completed and all museum facilities being opened to the public in March 2018.
  • Japan Olympic Museum
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    4.0
    33 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Shinjuku-ku

    The Japan Olympic Museum is situated across the street from the National Stadium. It offers a look at the history of the Olympic Games, with an emphasis on those games that were held in Japan. The...

  • Gyokudo Art Museum
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    4.0
    38 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Oumeshi Mitake 1-75
    An art museum located in Mitake, Ome City, Tokyo, where Gyokudo Kawai, the great master of Japanese painting in modern times, lived. Exhibitions change seven times throughout the year depending on the season ensuring visitors will always see something new every time they visit. The building is wheelchair friendly, and not only are the exhibits well worth seeing but the gallery room itself, reconstructed to how it would have looked at the time is also a must-see. As well as being able to enjoy some soymilk yuba (dried bean curd skin) udon in the restaurant, Imoutoya, there are also plenty of local souvenirs to be had such as local sake and confectionery.

    Loved this small museum. I wasnt familiar with the artist Gyokudo beforehand but was impressed with his talent. Wish I couldve taken a photo of some of his landscapes and flowers. Just stunning...

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