Art Museum Spots in Japan

  • Itchiku Kubota Art Museum
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    4.5
    356 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Yamanashi Pref. Minamitsurugunfujikawaguchikomachi Kawaguchi 2255
    This three Michelin star art museum exhibits the kimono of textile artist Itchiku Kubota. Kubota established a unique dyeing technique called ''Itchiku Tsujigahana'' after having been fascinated by the Tsujigahana style of fabric dyeing that flourished in the Muromachi Period before suddenly dying out. The museum displays Takeda's ''Symphony of Light'' series, which features kimono with themes including the four seasons, the ocean, and the universe. It also displays kimono featuring motifs of the many faces shown by Mt. Fuji in different weather conditions.

    The kimonos are beautiful, but I would only visit if you are in the area. The gardens in back are pretty. You can sit down for a bite to eat or get something to drink in their little cafe. The...

  • Tokyo Contemporary Art Museum
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    4.0
    254 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Koto-ku Miyoshi 4-1-1 Kiba Park

    Wonderful exhibitions in a beautiful space. We went to get into the Dior exhibition but had missed same day sales so we stayed to look at the two current displays of contemporary Japanese art...

  • Yokohama Museum of Art
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    4.0
    307 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kanagawa Pref. Yokohamashi Nishi-ku Minatomirai 3-4-1
    This art museum is notable for its distinctive symmetrical stonework exterior and for the open atrium of its grand gallery. In addition to seven exhibit halls, the museum boasts an art information center with a collection of more than 110,000 books, artist workshops, and more, making it one of the country's largest art museums. The museum, which has a collection of more than 12,000 works of modern and contemporary art, holds a wide variety of exhibitions. It is located a three-minute walk from Minatomirai Station on the Minatomirai Line.

    Thinking thatthis would be a good museum to see and learn from the areas history, well this was the plan. The lines were extremly long, but we had walked all this way, we were tired and wanted to go...

  • Suntory Museum of Art
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    4.0
    199 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Akasaka 9-7-4 Tokyo Midtown Galleria 3F
    This is an art gallery with a focus on Japanese ancient art located on the third floor of Tokyo Midtown Galleria Museum. Besides the National Treasure “Box with fusenryou design in mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e”, the gallery is home to about 3,000 works of art. There is no permanent exhibition, but wonderful planned exhibitions not bound by the norms of regular exhibitions including paintings, ceramics, lacquer work, etc. are held. In addition, the tea room “Genchoan” offers Matcha green tea and seasonal Japanese sweets. The nearest station is Roppongi Station.

    Located in the middle of an upscale shopping mall, this small but elegant museum spread over two floors is devoted to special exhibits. Admission price is typical for most top tier museums hosting...

  • Shimane Art Museum
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    4.5
    285 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shimane Pref. Matsueshi Sodeshichou 1-5
    An art museum which first opened in 1999. Located in Sodeshi Town, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, the Shimane Art Museum is one of the largest in the San’in region. A modern structure standing on the bank of Lake Shinji, the museum’s theme is an “art museum which harmonizes with water.” The museum’s collection consists of outstanding works of art in every genre, including paintings, sculptures, crafts, and photographs; the museum also displays numerous artworks which make use of water. The museum’s entrance lobby has giant windows facing Lake Shinji, and the view of the setting sun from here is spectacular (visitors may enter the entrance lobby free of charge).

    First the architecture of the museum in front of the lac is amazing. Inside permanent exhibition has very important western and japanese master piece as an enormous sculpture Victor Hugo by Rodin...

  • Kyoto Kyocera Art Museum
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    4.0
    204 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kyoto Kyoto-shi Sakyo-ku Okazakienshojicho 124

    Two special exhibits were very interesting. One on suggesting what future art will look like and one on fabric. Each entrance was priced separately. These two and the general exhibit were...

  • Lalique Museum Hakone
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    4.5
    280 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Sengokuhara 186-1
    An art museum located in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo County, Kanagawa Prefecture. The museum’s collection consists of some 1,500 pieces created by French jeweler and glass artisan René Lalique. The museum’s standing exhibition displays approximately 230 select items from amongst this collection. Visitors can view pioneering masterpieces which anticipated modern jewelry trends, perfume bottles, flower vases, and building ornamentation produced by Lalique in the latter stage of his career. There’s also an actual Orient Express train car which was decorated by Lalique and which visitors can actually see inside.

    This museum features the work of Rene Lalique who produced amazing art pieces made from glass. The museum itself is a little hard to get to but definitely easy enough and on the bus line. I’ve...

  • Hiroshima Museum of Art
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    4.5
    297 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Hiroshima Pref. Hiroshimashinakaku Motomachi 3-2 In the central park
    An art museum focusing on modern art located in Naka Ward, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture which was opened in 1978 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Hiroshima Bank. The museum has a large collection of modern art with a focus on Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne and other Impressionist artists. Including its modern Japanese art, the museum’s collection consists of some 300 works. In addition to a standing exhibition of some 90 modern French artworks, the museum also holds special exhibitions several times a year. There’s also a museum shop and fashionable café with a view of the museum’s inner garden.

    At 600 yen ($4.50) it maybe worth the experience but 1/2 the collection was closed and 1/2 the art shown on the flyer was out on loan. The grounds and the rodin sculptures are very nice...

  • Madame Tussauds Tokyo
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    4.0
    254 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Daiba 1-6-1 Dex Tokyo Beach Island Mall 3F
    Located inside the DECKS Tokyo Beach in Odaiba, Minato City, Tokyo, this is an annex of the Madame Tussauds wax museum in London. Various celebrities and famous people from around the world such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, the UK’s Prince William, former President Barack Obama and Mao Asada are reproduced in life-like form. Part of the appeal is that beyond merely looking at the forms, you can rest your arm on their shoulder and take photographs with them.

    This Madame Tussauds is MUST place to visit when you come here. You will meet a lot of world celebrities.

  • Ueno Royal Museum
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    3.5
    211 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Taitou-ku Uenokouen 1-2
    An art museum located inside Ueno Park. Since its establishment in April of 1972, the museum exhibited art from a variety of genres, including Important Cultural Properties. The museum has no standing exhibit, instead regularly hosting only creative and unique special exhibits. The Ueno Royal Museum also offers art classes for everyone from beginners to masters.

    This is a small museum at the Ueno park. It’s open on Mondays when the national museum is closed and that’s how we ended up there. During our visit, they had a thorough art exhibit about dinosaurs...

  • Hakone Museum of Art
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    4.5
    244 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Goura 1300
    This is the most historical museum in Hakone. The museum exhibition mainly focuses on Japanese “Yakimono” (earthenware) from the Jomon period through to the Edo period such as vases and pots produced from the Kamakura through to the Muromachi period in the six sites where the production of ceramic ware began in ancient Japan. On the grounds the scenery can be enjoyed from season to season as there are such attractions as the “moss garden” which is colored with moss and autumn colors, “the Japanese clover path” which is at its best in September and also the Chinese style “bamboo garden”. It is also famous for its autumnal leaf display, especially in November when the garden’s leaves change color all at once.

    Lovely historical pottery and ceramics. Not big but thoughtful, well displayed pieces. The big surprise is the exquisite garden surrounding it. The moss garden especially.

  • The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka
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    4.5
    277 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Osaka Osakashi Kita-ku Nakanoshima 1-1-26
    The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, which opened in 1982, is dedicated to ceramics from the East Asia region. The Museum’s collection—which is focused mainly on Chinese and Korean ceramics—is world-class in terms of both quantity and quality. The 300 or so representative items that make up the Museum’s permanent exhibitions effectively bring across the appeal of ceramics, such as the painstaking effort made to ensure that ceramics reflect the light to best effect. The Museum’s themed exhibitions and special exhibitions are also very popular.

    I visited this place on february, it is just nice. Easy to access by subway, just a few hundreds walking distance.

  • Narukawa Art Museum
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    4.0
    220 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Motohakone 570
    It is a museum built on the banks of Hakone’s Lake Ashi. Since the museum opened in 1988, its collection with its focus on contemporary Japanese paintings has surpassed 4,000 pieces and even now continues to increase. The museum is among the first to collect and exhibit works by not just famous artists but also works by artists who show promise for the future. From the one-sided 50-meter-wide picture window which stretches out inside the building, one can look out over the large panorama of Lake Ashi, Hakone. You can also enjoy tea and desserts from precious fine art handicraft serving dishes by Koji Ishii and Ryo Mikami in the museum’s “Kisetsufu” (Seasonal Wind) tea lounge.

    A very nice site and building. Note-the museum is open at 9am, cafe at 10. A limited amount of artwork on display and much of it not particularly impressive.

  • Mori Arts Center Gallery
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    4.0
    138 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Minato-ku Roppongi 6-10-1 Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52F
    An art gallery on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower built alongside a viewing deck. In addition to special exhibitions operated in cooperation with world-class art museums, the facility also hosts a variety of Cool Japan art shows covering topics such as anime, manga, and video games. Together with the Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor, this popular tourism spot provides visitors with the chance to enjoy high quality art not beholden to any specific genre or existing framework.

    Beautiful art gallery, well worth the trip! Especially if museums are something you enjoy when travelling.

  • Sagawa Art Museum
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    4.5
    168 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shiga Pref. Moriyamashi Mizuhochou Kitagawa 2891
    An art museum located in Kitagawa Mizuho-cho, Moriyama City. The museum’s collection consists of pieces by Japanese painter Ikuo Hirayama, sculptor Churyo Sato, and ceramic artist Kichizaemon Raku. The museum has three standing exhibit halls each supervised by one of the artists. The museum also holds special exhibitions of other artists’ works. In addition, the museum owns a Buddhist temple bell designated a National Treasure which was originally cast in 858 to serve as the bell for the Hodoin west bell tower at the Enryaku-ji Temple (note that this bell is not normally put on display).

    Great museum, just pity that they do not have English on the non-permanent exhibition. Just introduction, but explanation on each exhibit is only in Japanese. It is a gorgeous building, very...

  • Okada Museum of Art
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    4.5
    265 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Kanagawa Pref. Ashigarashimogunhakonemachi Kowakudani 493-1
    An art museum located in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo County, Kanagawa Prefecture. The museum has five floors of exhibition space, making it one of the largest art museums in Hakone. Focusing primarily on ancient to modern East Asian pottery and early modern to modern Japanese painting, including Japan’s leading artists Katsushika Hokusai, Kitagawa Utamaro, Ito Jakuchu, and Yokoyama Taikan. The museum exhibits some 450 separate works of art. There’s also a café, footbath, garden, and museum shop, giving visitors the chance to experience both art and the seasonal beauty of Hakone up close.

    箱根を代表する美術館の一つ。敷地は大きく分けて美術館と庭園の2つに構成されている。 美術館は、主に日本・中国・韓国の東アジアの美術品が展示されている。時代は紀元前のものから近現代のものまで幅広く、しかも展示数が極めて多い。展示品はいずれも一級品、もしくは歴史的に極めて価値のあるものばかりで、特に陶器や青磁を始めとする器類の展示は目を見張るものがある。説明も読まず簡単に展示品を鑑賞するだけでも、全て...

  • Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
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    4.0
    185 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Meguro-ku Mita 1-13-3 In Yebisu Garden Place
    This general photography and video museum opened in 1995. In addition to photograph and video displays, they also offer classes and community outreach. The facility was renovated in 2016. Every floor offers exhibits on a different theme. Admission depends on the current exhibitions on each floor. They host the Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions every year in February, and also offer regular photography and film workshops.

    This museum is conveniently located in Yebisu Garden Place, which can be reached via a covered passageway from the Ebisu station (very useful on a rainy day). The museum has no set admission fees...

  • Nagoya City Art Museum
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    3.5
    130 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Aichi Pref. Nagoyashi Naka-ku Sakae 2-17-25 Forest of art and science/In Shirakawa park
    An art museum which focuses on art relating to the local area but which also possesses pieces from international artists. Visitors can view School of Paris, Mexican Renaissance, and modern art. The museum also displays works by Amedeo Modigliani and Marc Chagall. The museum is located inside Shirakawa Park, where visitors can view modern sculptures by artists such as Isamu Noguchi. The museum has a library and coffee shop. The museum shop offers original merchandise such as prints of Amedeo Modigliani’s Girl with Pigtails, a piece in the museum’s collection.

    Located just next to the Science Museum, this is a rather small museum about arts. But it has a modern hype and trendy design. We were visiting the science museum, but it was closed (as its...

  • Shitamachifuzoku Museum
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    4.0
    289 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Tokyo Taitou-ku Uenokouen 2-1

    This is a small museum and it was hard to find. When we finally did find it, I found it too warm inside and we didnt stay long.

  • The Towel Museum
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    3.5
    250 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Ehime Pref. Imabarishi Asakurakami
    This is a specialist towel museum located in Japan’s leading towel production area, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. Housed within a building reminiscent of a European castle there is also a 33,000 square meter European style garden with flowers blooming throughout the year. Inside the museum visitors will find a whole range of items on display made out of towel and cloth by the writer, painter and product designer Atsuko Matano. Visitors can also take a look around the place where towels are made and have their own unique embroidery stitched into a towel they’ve purchased. There is also a shop which sells Shikoku souvenirs with a focus on towel products.

    I thoroughly enjoyed this place - it was very interesting and had a great stock of towels. I wished that I had of purchased some to bring back home.

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