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Tokyo Trip: Most Popular Art Museums in Tokyo and Surroundings (August 2019 Ranking)

Tokyo Trip: Most Popular Art Museums in Tokyo and Surroundings (August 2019 Ranking)

Last updated: 19 September 2019

Here are the best Art Museums in Tokyo and Surroundings, with travel tips and more, according to LIVE JAPAN, a top-class travel website for visitors to Japan. Our ranking is based on the most popular pages viewed by foreign visitors in a given category.

For instance, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Venetian Glass Museum, The National Art Center, Tokyo and other related spots will be listed. Be sure to check them out during your visit to Tokyo and Surroundings!

1.Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

1.Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

It opened in Marunouchi, Tokyo in spring of 2010. A five-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station. It has held three periodic displays of modern art covering from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Official website is http://mimt.jp/. The red brick building is the reproduction of Mitsubishi Ichiban Museum (designed by Josiah Conder) that was built by Mitsubishi in 1894. The collections mainly include the Western art works from the late 19th century which is around the same age when the building was built, and it handles the works of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Odilon Redon and Felix Vallotton. In the building, there are a musical café bar, Café1894; a museum shop, Store1894; and the Marunouchi history-experiencing space, Archive Room. The director is Akiya Takahashi. Operated by Mitsubishi Estate Home Co, Ltd.

  • Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum
    • Address 2-6-2, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005
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    • Nearest Station Tokyo Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Yokosuka Line / JR Sobu Main Line / JR Sobu Main Line (Rapid) / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Chuo Main Line / JR Keiyo Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)
      5 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-5777-8600

2.Venetian Glass Museum

2.Venetian Glass Museum

Hakone Garasunomori Museum, or the Venetian Glass Museum in Hakone, is the first museum to specialize in Venetian glass in Japan. On the premises, there are the Venetian Glass Museum, which exhibits 100 excellent works of Venetian glass objects from the 15th century to 19th century, and the Modern Glass Museum, which exhibits glass sculptures of contemporary artists. In the garden, from which the entire Owakudani Valley can be viewed, “Hikari-no-Kairo,” a crystal glass arch sparkles in seven colors reflecting the sunlight. Also, the seasonal exhibits such as cherry blossoms, Japanese silver grass, and Christmas trees made of crystal glass are must-see. There is a workshop where you can experience glass making, and you can create your original work there. A restaurant where you can enjoy live canzone sung by an Italian singer (six performances a day) and a museum shop that handles 100,000 items of Venetian glassworks and accessories are also on the premises. The museum is a 25-minute bus ride from the Hakone-yumoto Station by the Hakone Tozan (mountain) bus.

3.The National Art Center, Tokyo

3.The National Art Center, Tokyo

The museum is directly connected to Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line or a 5- minute walk from the Toei Bus stop, Aoyama Saijou. The building was designed by Kisho Kurokawa based on the concept ”a museum in the forest”. Its impressive and unique appearance can be considered itself to be a piece of art. Making the most of its exhibition space which is one of the largest in Japan, the museum focuses on serving as a venue for special exhibitions to introduce progressive artworks both in Japan and abroad and public offered exhibitions for major domestic artist groups. You can see books, magazines, journals, exhibition catalogs and other materials related to art and use the database for search in the art libraries. The museum also offers rental baby push chairs and a nursing room for those who visit with small children and a restaurant and cafe spaces for a break. Before you leave, stop by the museum shop to see artistic original items. You may find something you like.

4.Tokyo Station Gallery

4.Tokyo Station Gallery

The Tokyo Station Gallery, located in front of the Marunouchi North Exit of the JR Tokyo Station, is probably the most convenient art gallery in Japan to access by the public transportation. It was in 1998 when this art gallery opened its doors on the premises of the majestic Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building, which speaks of the modern history of Japan. It reopened in the fall of 2012 when the renovation and restoration work for the station building was completed. The exhibition floors comprises the modern third floor and the second floor, where a historical ambiance can be felt. The highlight of the gallery is the exhibition room on the second floor where the brick walls originally constructed are made the best use of, and this is the only place you can see the brick walls that are older than 100 years in one place. You can enjoy an architectural attraction in addition to exhibitions with various themes. The circular corridor on the second floor, from which you can observe the traffic of people within the station, will not let you feel bored. In the museum shop on the second floor, original goods you can only see at the art gallery located within the Tokyo Station can be purchased.

  • Tokyo Station Gallery
    • Address 1-9-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-0005
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    • Nearest Station Tokyo Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Yokosuka Line / JR Sobu Main Line / JR Sobu Main Line (Rapid) / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Chuo Main Line / JR Keiyo Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3212-2485

5.TOTO GALLERY・MA

5.TOTO GALLERY・MA

Since its opening in October, 1985, TOTO GALLERY・MA has carried on its devotion to solo exhibitions by Japanese and foreign architects and designers. The gallery provides exhibitors with the unique opportunity to fully demonstrate their individuality by granting them free reign of the entire gallery, making the structure part of the ”work”. The configuration of the gallery itself is interesting in that exhibition room 1 on 3F and exhibition room 2 on 4F are mutually accessible through the outside courtyard. Although spatially a smaller gallery at just 240 square meters, exhibitors can convey their philosophies and values in a condensed and highly expressive manner. In addition, the 2F museum shop “Bookshop TOTO” offers books, magazines, home decor and other items specially and personally selected by the gallery staff.

  • TOTO GALLERY・MA
    TOTO GALLERY・MA
    TOTOギャラリー・間
    • Address TOTO Nogisaka Building 3F, 1-24-3 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0062
    • Nearest Station Nogizaka Station (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3402-1010

6.Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

6.Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum opened in 1926 as the first public museum in Japan. A 7-minute walk from the park exit of JR Ueno Station, it is in Ueno Park, which also houses a zoo, a historical museum, a science museum, as well as a number of other art museums. Near 300 exhibitions are held every year, including a variety of planned exhibitions, exhibitions in cooperation with art organizations, exhibitions of groups of works by the general public, and special exhibitions where you can enjoy famous paintings from both Japan and overseas. The museum is also involved in an undertaking called the Art Communication Programs, which hosts various workshops as well as programs for art appreciation. Aiming to act as a “Doorway to Art,” the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum can be enjoyed by people of all ages. There are cafes and restaurants in the building where you can not only take a rest but also enjoy a full and proper meal. Designed by the grandmaster Japanese modernist architect Kunio Maekawa, even the building by itself is an attractions. Please find the details for each floor here. http://www.tobikan.jp/en/guide/floormap.html

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
    • Address 8-36, Uenokouen, Taitou-ku, Tokyo, 110-0007
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    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      7 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-3823-6921

7.ART FRONT GALLERY

7.ART FRONT GALLERY

Art Front Gallery is commercial art gallery in Daikanyama, close by Shibuya and Ebisu.

Our gallery features contemporary artists, especially those active in Asia. In addition to monthly exhibitions by internationally active artists including Leandro Erlich, Tadashi Kawamata, and Shinji Ohmaki, we maintain a permanent collection of artwork evoking a delicate Japanese atmosphere.

We also offer works of art from popular artists whose pieces decorate some of the top hotels in Tokyo, from large pieces to small souvenir-size items, and from works on canvas to glass and ceramics. Art is also available through the café at the nearby T-SITE building.

Working alongside artists participating in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and the Setouchi Triennale, our gallery space provides project information. Artworks which question the spirituality and social nature of the era portray the essence of the current art scene in Japan. We appreciate if you could contact us prior to your visit. We will await you with artwork that you may be interested in.

8.Mori Art Museum

8.Mori Art Museum

The art museum is located on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower with over 200 retail shops, a multiplex and a hotel. The museum focuses on modern art exhibitions, but also holds other events as well to give people the oppertunity to appreciate and learn about art, such as educational programs and lectures from globally well-known artists. There is an observation deck as well as the museum cafe & restaurant on the 52nd floor, so you can also enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo or have a relaxing break and enjoy a coffee or a meal after visiting the exhibition. Another great point about the museum is that it is open until 10:00 p.m. (except for Tuesdays, when it closes at 5 pm). Connected directly to Roppongi Station on the Hibiya Line via concourse, it is very convenient.

  • Mori Art Museum
    • Address 6-10-1, Roppongi Roppongi Hills forest tower 53F, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-6153
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    • Nearest Station Roppongi Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line / Toei Oedo Line)
    • Phone Number 03-5777-8600

9.Narukawa Art Museum

9.Narukawa Art Museum

Located near Lake Ashino-ko in Hakone, the Narukawa Art Forum opened for the purpose of creating a future genre of Japanese painting. The majority of the collection is contemporary Japanese paintings, over 4,000 works. It also contains 150 works by Kyujin Yamamoto, a recipient of the Order of Cultural Merit; and 40 works by Ikuo Hirayama, notable for his scenes of the Silk Road. Works by these two painters form the core of the collection. The permanent exhibition displays Chinese hidden treasures (works of jade and ivory, giant balls, and sculptures). Special exhibitions are held four times a year, with each exhibition displaying works that fit the theme, regardless of a painter's status. The museum also commands magnificent views; its panorama of Lake Ashino-ko through a 50-meter-wide window is the best in Hakone. In the cafe, you can enjoy powdered green tea in fine porcelain. The museum is right near Moto-hakone Harbor bus stop.

  • Narukawa Art Museum
    • Address 570, Motohakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, 250-0522
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    • Nearest Station Odawara Station (Tokaido Shinkansen Line / JR Tokaido Main Line / JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Odakyu Odawara Line / Hakone Tozan Railway / Izuhakone Railway Daiyuzan Line)
    • Phone Number 0460-83-6828

10.The National Museum of Western Art

10.The National Museum of Western Art

The National Museum of Western Art is the only national art museum devoted to a wide range of Western art. The core of the museum is the Matsukata Collection, a French art collection that is mainly comprised of Impressionist paintings and Rodin's sculptures. The building itself is of historical value and is one of the attractions in addition to the art collection. The main building was designed by the renowned 20th-century French architect, Le Corbusier, and was designated as an Important Cultural Property (architecture) in 2007. In the museum's permanent collection are approximately 5,500 works, including Western paintings from the late medieval period through the beginning of the 20th century and modern French sculptures, such as Rodin's, are displayed throughout the year. It is conveniently located, only a one-minute walk from the JR Ueno station. In the main building is a cafe-restaurant where you can enjoy a cup of tea and a meal overlooking the courtyard garden.

  • The National Museum of Western Art
    • Address Ueno Park 7-7, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0007
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ueno Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen Line / Tohoku Shinkansen Line / Akita Shinkansen Line / Yamagata Shinkansen Line / Joetsu Shinkansen Line / Hokuriku Shinkansen Line / JR Keihin-Tohoku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Tohoku Main Line / JR Utsunomiya Line / JR Takasaki Line / JR Joban Line / JR Ueno Tokyo Line / Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
      1 minute on foot
    • Phone Number 03-5777-8600
*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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