Contemporary art picks
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Mondays.]
BankArt Station, spread out over 1,500 square meters inside Shin-Takashima Station, is the largest of several Yokohama galleries run by the government-supported BankArt 1929 arts program, and it's probably the best venue for contemporary art in...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Consisting of two large gallery spaces and a small library nook where you can look over artists' scrapbooks, MoMo puts on regular shows of their mostly Japanese contemporary artists. They also take part in international art fairs in Basel, Miami...
[Open 10am-10pm (Tue -5pm). Open every day.]
Here on the 53rd floor of the Mori Tower, museum visitors can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the city after seeing an exhibition. The space itself is relatively large for Tokyo, and exhibitions are well curated, often featuring Asian as well...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
With a history dating back to 1993, Ota has established itself as a pioneer in the world of Japanese contemporary art, and was an early promoter of artist Yayoi Kusama, among others. One of the gallery's goals is to support art with a regional...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
This influential gallery represents artists Ilya Kabakov, Jan Fable, Tomoko Yoneda, and Naofumi Maruyama. The relatively spacious two-room gallery is located in the "complex 665" gallery building, along with Tomio Koyama and Taka Ishii. All three...
[Open 11am-6pm (Fri -8pm). Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
By assembling several major galleries in two massive warehouse buildings, Terrada Art Complex has rather successfully pursued their mission of "making Tennoz Isle into a hub of artistic culture." The complex is now an important stop on any...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Mondays.]
Sponsored by the Tokyo metropolitan government, the Tokyo Arts and Space gallery introduces the work of up-and-coming young artists in Tokyo. A diverse selection of art is on display in the three floors of galleries, and there's usually something...
Art museums
[Open 10am-6pm (enter by 5:30). Closed Mondays.]
After a three-year hiatus for renovation work, Tokyo's premier contemporary-art museum finally reopened in March 2019, incidentally giving a boost to the handful of small independent galleries that have gathered in the neighborhood. The museum's...
[Open 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays.]
The work of 56 contemporary Japanese artists is presented on two indoor floors and four spacious outdoor areas, with over 200 pieces in all. There's a small tearoom inside the museum, although it isn't always open. Admission is free - just sign...
[Open 10am-5pm (Fri -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
One of several museums and other attractions located in Kitanomaru Park just across the moat from the Imperial Palace, MOMAT displays an extensive collection spread out over three floors, and is well worth a visit for those with an interest in art. ...
[Open 10am-6pm (enter until 5:30pm). Closed Tuesdays.]
The artist and sculptor Taro Okamoto is known for his iconic, cartoonish and somewhat surrealist large-scale public sculptures. The museum occupies the space that he used as a studio and residence for fifty years, until his death in 1996. Upstairs...
[Open 11am-7pm (Fri, Sat -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
In addition to contemporary fine arts, the gallery also presents diverse and well-put-together shows covering fashion, architecture and design. Attached is an interesting museum shop called Gallery 5, run by Nadiff art bookstore.
[Open 10am-6pm (entry until 5:30pm). Closed Mondays.]
Run by the Tokyo metropolitan government, this first-rate museum showcases both Japanese and international photographers. Around twenty exhibitions a year are held in the museum's three gallery spaces. A branch of Nadiff bookstore, located on the...
[Open 11am-7pm (9pm Wed). Closed Mondays.]
The relatively small exhibition space here hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists from around the world. Attached to the museum is an excellent art bookstore called On Sundays.
[Open 11am-5pm. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.]
Best known internationally for her prolific work with orange polka dots, the avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist Yayoi Kusama now has a new museum (as of October 2017) devoted to her work and life. There's a lot to see, with closely packed...
Art galleries
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Established in 1988 by Musashino Art University, this non-profit gallery is a platform for guest curators to introduce talented new artists. When you visit, don't miss the smaller exhibition room behind the reception desk, which also includes a...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
This small one-room gallery puts on some interesting shows and installations from their roster of Japanese and international artists. It's worth checking out for a few minutes if you're making a coffee pilgrimage to the Allpress Espresso Roastery...
[Open 11am-6pm. Closed Thursdays.]
This relatively large contemporary art gallery is conveniently located just behind Yokohama City Hall, in one of the beautifullly restored Imperial Silkworm Warehouses originally built in 1926. Run by the BankART 1929 NPO, they exhibit a range of...
[Open 11am-8pm daily.]
Sprouting out of the backstreets of Harajuku like some bargain-basement Pompidou Centre is the Design Festa Gallery. If not Tokyo's most avant-garde art space, the gallery - an offshoot of Design Festa (Japan's biggest art and design event, held...
[Open 11:30am-9pm daily.]
Located in the basement of the Diesel fashion brand's flagship store in Shibuya, this two-room gallery presents shows by well-known international artists, many with a strong anime or pop-culture sensibility. There are four shows per year, and...
[Open noon-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays.]
Since its debut at the Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair in 2009, the mission of this small gallery has been to showcase work that "treads the boundary between art and non-art," representing an interesting group of both international and Japanese artists....
[Open noon-8pm (Sun -5pm). Closed Mondays.]
This compact Harajuku gallery is devoted to showcasing the work of Japanese illustrators, and there are generally fresh new shows every week. Much of the work is quite affordably priced, and there are usually postcards and other goods for sale as...
[Open 10am-6pm. Closed Mondays.]
This small, three-room rental gallery has frequent short-running group shows of up-and-coming Japanese artists and art students. Although the space is small, there are a number of other galleries in the immediate neighborhood, so this can be one...
[Open 11am-8pm daily.]
This small two-room gallery located next to the MOMA Store specializes in contemporary Japanese art, and it's generally worth checking out if you happen to be passing by.
[Open noon-7pm. Closed Monday-Thursday.]
Representing mostly young Japanese contemporary artists, Harmas runs this small gallery space and also participates in a number of international art shows around the world. The gallery is open only on weekends (Friday through Sunday), but they have...
[Open 1-7pm. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays.]
This local gallery puts on regular shows of up-and-coming international artists in their compact one-room exhibition space. It can be combined with visits to the nearby Gallery Niw and other galleries in neighborhing Kagurazaka, but you might want...
[Open 11am-7:30pm. Closed Mondays.]
Produced by the Japan Photo Arts Society, Kanzan puts on exhibitions of contemporary photography and other art. They have different guest curators for each show in order to present work from a variety of different perspectives. And be sure to...
[Open noon-7pm. Closed Sun, Mon, Tue, holidays.]
Koki Arts' gallery director grew up in New York City, and his gallery represents both American and Japanese contemporary artists at various stages of their careers, with the goal of introducing American artists to Japan and vice versa. In addition...
[Open noon-7pm. Closed Mondays.]
With multiple small showrooms spread out over two rather compact floors, Makii Masuru is a bit more spacious than most of the galleries in the area, and hosts some interesting group shows of international artists. They're located just north of the...
[Open 2-7pm. Closed Mon, Tue.]
This small building on a Bakurocho side street looks like it's midway through the process of being demolished, but it's actually home to three cutting-edge contemporary art galleries on its three floors. It's definitely worth stopping by if you're...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Manga, anime, toys and other aspects of pop culture are the inspiration for many of the shows at this international gallery. The exhibition area is comfortably spacious and can accommodate fairly large shows. As with all independent galleries,...
[Open noon-8pm daily.]
A well-stocked bookstore specializing in contemporary art, photography, architecture and design. After you're done browsing here you can drop in to three or four small contemporary-art galleries that share the building with the bookstore.
[Open 2-7pm. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays.]
Open since June 2019, PARCEL showcases up-and-coming Japanese and international artists, typically in month-long shows. The main exhibition area is a two-level space just to the left of the entrance to the DDD Hotel, but they have an exhibit area...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Parisian art dealer Emmanuel Perrotin, known abroad as the man who introduced Takashi Murakami to the world (he has represented Murakami since 1993), opened this gallery in 2017 after expanding from Paris to New York, Hong Kong and Seoul. The...
[Open noon-7pm. Closed Sun, Mon.]
Occupying a renovated 200-year-old bathhouse, this cutting-edge gallery represents some of Japan's best-known contemporary artists. The space itself is fairly small, so it's best to combine a visit here with other sights in the neighborhood. Also...
[Open noon-6:30pm. Closed Mondays.]
A small gallery located on a Bakurocho side street, San Ai regularly puts on one-week shows of up-and-coming Japanese artists. Hours and days of operation may vary depending on the exhibition.
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
One of Tokyo's better-known contemporary art galleries, Taka Ishii occupies the third floor of the "complex 665" gallery building in Roppongi. The gallery also regularly publishes art books showcasing their broad roster of artists, and participates...
[Open 1-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Representing a handful of Japanese artists, this small gallery puts on several shows a year. Hours and days of operation may vary depending on the exhibition.
[Open noon-5pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Taro Nasu first opened his namesake contemporary art gallery in 1988, moving it in 2019 to its current location alongside several other galleries in the very arty Piramide Building in Roppongi. The gallery represents two dozen well-established...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
This major gallery represents over fifty Japanese and international artists, and occupies an important place in the Japanese contemporary art scene. Represented artists include Benjamin Butler, Atsushi Fukui, Ryan McGinley, Mika Ninagawa, Yoko Ono,...
[Open 11am-7pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, holidays.]
Wako represents a roster of major contemporary European and international artists like Gerhard Richter and Wolfgang Tillmans, and aims to introduce important artists who have not been shown very often in Japan. The gallery is located in the...
Other venues
[Open noon-5pm. Closed Mondays.]
ICC explores the interface between electronic technology and the arts with varying degrees of success. Some of the installations here seem more like cool toys than groundbreaking art, but there's always some fun stuff to look at and play with.
[Open 24 hours a day.]
A large sculpture of a fish with a human face and a bust of Frederick I on its back is a startling sight to run across when you're out for a walk. It's just one of several unusual artworks on display in the tiny park in front of the Tokyo campus of...
[Open 2:30-5, 7:30-10:30pm daily.]
It may be smoky and cramped, but you can hear some of the most interesting local and international jazz in town here.
Art bookstores
[Open noon-6:30pm daily.]
Despite their compact gallery space, the Global Architecture Gallery puts on some excellent exhibitions focusing on contemporary Japanese and international architecture. They also publish books and magazines, and run a very well stocked architecture...
[Open 10:45am-7pm (Fri, Sat -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
Run by the NADiff chain of art bookstores, Gallery 5 serves as the museum shop for the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. In addition to art books they also carry an interesting selection of experimental music as well as arty toys.
[Open 11am-6pm (Fri -7pm). Closed Sun, Mon.]
Established by Toto, the manufacturer of bathroom appliances, Gallery Ma is a small two-story gallery located above a Nogizaka showroom. They specialize in modern architecture and contemporary design, with frequent exhibitions devoted to...
[Open 10am-6pm. Closed Mondays.]
The museum shop of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT) is one of the biggest branches of the NADiff chain of art bookstores. You'll find a wide selection of art books and postcards as well as artsy gift-shop goods such as tote bags,...
[Open noon-8pm daily.]
A well-stocked bookstore specializing in contemporary art, photography, architecture and design. After you're done browsing here you can drop in to three or four small contemporary-art galleries that share the building with the bookstore.
[Open 11am-8pm. Closed Mondays.]
Located next to the Watarium Museum's exhibition space, the museum bookstore has an impressive selection of imported art books, nicely printed art postcards, and various items notable for their design. There's a small cafe space downstairs.