The world’s most populous city has something for art-lovers of every taste
By Alice Wollocombe
In a city of vast tower blocks and unmarked doors, navigating the art scene in this city of 37 millions souls can sometimes feel like entering a labyrinth. This guide breaks down the Tokyo art scene by neighbourhood, highlighting the artistic diversity of its inner cities, from medieval watercolour scrolls and European masters to Japan’s unique animation work and the latest contemporary art.
Minato
The Roppongi district of Minato City is a cultural powerhouse, home to several museums within walking distance which together form the “Art Triangle.”
Located on the top floor of a 54-storey tower, the Mori Art Museum is known for its grand scale contemporary art exhibitions, from retrospectives to provocative explorations of AI. Bonus: The Tokyo City View observation deck offers stunning panoramic views over the city.
Mori Art Museum
A major landmark for its striking, undulating glass facade and one of Japan’s largest exhibition spaces with 45,000 square metres, the National Art Center, Tokyo focus on contemporary art. With no permanent collection of its own, it presents a changing series of mixed media exhibitions intended to highlight ‘new expression’.
An installation by Damien Hirst from the exhibition YBA & Beyond at the National Art Center, Toyko
Traditional Japanese arts and crafts is the focus at the Suntory Museum of Art (run by the drinks multinational), with permanent collections and temporary exhibitions exploring the history of lacquerware, ceramics and kimono textiles. As a further insight into the country’s ancient art and culture, you can sip a refreshment at the green tea ceremony. PLEASE NOTE: The museum is closed for renovation until Apr 21, 2026.
‘Kimono on Hanging Racks’, six-panel folding screen, Edo period, 17th century (Suntory Museum of Art)
A short stroll south of Roppongi, the Nezu Museum houses the private collection of pre-modern Japanese and East Asian art assembled by the late businessman and philanthropist Nezu Kaichirō. Highlights include Buddhist sculpture, calligraphy and one of Japan’s most important collections of tea ceremony utensils. Due to their fragile nature, some of the objects are constantly rotated. The architecture and surrounding Japanese gardens alone are worth the visit.
Head of a Seated Bosatsu (Bodhisattva), sandstone, China Tang dynasty, 7th-8th century (Nezu Museum)
Located in a 1930s Art Deco residence which was once home to Prince Asaka, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum places emphasis on the setting as well as the exhibitions. The surrounding gardens, almost unchanged from their original conception, are an oasis in the busy city, while the exhibitions tend to focus on contemporary and decorative arts, often curated to respond to the historic space itself.
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
An immersive digital dream-world, TeamLab Borderless is one of Tokyo’s most visited art attractions, where projection, sound and movement combine to create a trance-like atmosphere. PLEASE NOTE: Online pre-booking is essential.
TeamLab Borderless
Taito
Within Taito city, the leafy Ueno Park is home to Tokyo’s grand old museum district.
Providing a great introduction to ancient Japanese culture, including the Samurai, Geishas and Imperial living, the Tokyo National Museum is one of Japan’s oldest and most important institutions. The grand, Imperial Crown-style buildings comprise three museums in one: the central Honkan building, where visitors can walk through Japanese history from the Jōmon period (c.14,000-300BC) to the modern day; the Toyokan, which focuses on art from across Asia; and the Heiseikan, which hosts large scale exhibitions.
Tokyo National Museum
Designed by Le Corbusier, the National Museum of Western Art has a remarkable collection of European masterpieces, spanning the Renaissance to Modernism. It was originally assembled by the industrialist Kojiro Matsukata during a 20th century trend when Japanese collectors acquired western art. Recently, the museum has also unveiled a stunning new collection of enamel artworks donated by the renowned jewellery artist Mitsuo Kaji.
Edgar Degas, ‘Woman Sponging Her Back’, c.1888-92 (National Museum of Western Art)
Just a short hop from Ueno is Scai the Bathhouse, a unique gallery housed in a 200-year-old former bathhouse. Behind its traditional facade, the sleek white cube interior is one of Tokyo’s most respected contemporary art spaces.
Moon Kyungwon & Jeon Joonho, ‘Phantom Garden’, still image (Scai the Bathhouse)
Shinjuku
The five-storey Yayoi Kusama Museum offers a deep look into the life and psyche – struggles with mental health, reoccurring themes of obsession – of one of Japan’s most celebrated artists, famous for her signature polka dot motif. PLEASE NOTE: Online pre-booking is essential.
Yayoi Kusama, ‘Flower Obsession’
Sumida
The Sumida Hokusai Museum celebrates the life and work of the locally born and world renowned artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), best known for his woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, possibly the most reproduced artwork ever. Along with his artist daughter Ōi, Hokusai redefined Japanese painting and printmaking. The museum tells his story through original works, quality replicas and interactive displays.
Katsushika Hokusai, ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’
Chuo
Hidden beneath the headquarters of the Japanese skincare giant which operates it, the Shiseido Gallery has long championed emerging Japanese artists. It opened its doors in 1919, making it one of Japan’s oldest contemporary galleries.
Shiseido Gallery
Named for its desire to expand artistic horizons, the Artizon Museum is home to the collection assembled by the Bridgestone Tyres founder Ishibashi Shojiro, who dedicated his life to introducing western art to Japan. This quietly ambitious player in the Tokyo art scene blends old and new, from Monet to Cézanne to post-war Japanese art to contemporary works.
Claude Monet, ‘Regatta at Argenteuil’, c.1872, from the exhibition Monet: Questioning Nature (Artizon Museum)
Shibuya
Spread across Shibuya, the Nanzuka collective is an active player in the underground contemporary art scene. Nanzuka Underground is the collective’s oldest and most iconic location, known for its bold, edgy exhibitions which blur the lines between street culture, fine art and the surreal. Nanzuka Public is the collective’s more recent outdoor curatorial platform, displaying large scale, rotating installations throughout the year.
Christian Rex van Minnen, ‘Still Life with Extispicy and Slolubus’ (Nanzuka Underground)
‘Nihonga’ – literally, ‘pictures in a Japanese style’ – is an approach to watercolour which emphasises harmony with nature, often centring on themes such as seasons, poetry or food. A hidden gem, the Yamatane Museum of Art is the ideal place to immerse yourself in traditional and modern works inspired by this aesthetic.
Hayami Gyoshu, ‘Camellia Petals Scattering’ (Yamatane Museum)
Meguro
One of the top photography institutions in Japan, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum has three galleries tracing the history of the medium, from early Japanese work to contemporary global image-making, from vintage prints to experimental techniques. The museum also has a vast photography library which is open to all free of charge.
Fujioka Aya, from the series Here Goes River, 2013-2017 (Tokyo Photographic Art Museum)