Best Exhibitions Starting in April 2025
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Tokyo Art Beat presents a selection of the best exhibitions opening in April 2025. Bookmark the exhibitions on the TAB website or TAB app and never miss the openings and closings.
- 【Tokyo】Tapio Wirkkala: The Sculptor of Ultima Thule (Tokyo Station Gallery)
- 【Tokyo】Koji Kamoji Exhibition (Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art)
- 【Tokyo】The Exhibition of The World of Shirow Masamune: "The Ghost in the Shell" and The Path of Creation (Setagaya Literary Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Love Fashion: In Search of Myself (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery)
- 【Tokyo】Animal Exhibition — Who Are We? Where Are We Going? (Play!Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo (Tokyo National Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Godzilla the Art Exhibition (Mori Arts Center Gallery)
- 【Tokyo】Tadanori Yokoo: River of Renga (Setagaya Art Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Soundwalk Collective & Patti Smith: Correspondences (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
- 【Tokyo】Kenjiro Okazaki (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
- 【Kyoto】Yayoi Kusama Print Works: Repetition & Proliferation (Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art)
- 【Kyoto】Kyotographie International Photography Festival 2025 (Hachiku-an, etc.)
- 【Osaka】Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025 (Osaka International Convention Center, etc.)
- 【Osaka】National Treasure of Japan (Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts)
- 【Nara】Oh! Kokuho: Resplendent Treasures of Devotion and Heritage (Nara National Museum)
- 【Setouchi】 Setouchi Triennale 2025 Spring (Takamatsu Port, etc.)
【Tokyo】Tapio Wirkkala: The Sculptor of Ultima Thule (Tokyo Station Gallery)
A first large-scale solo exhibition of Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) in Japan. Wirkkala, who rose to prominence in the late 1940s and 1950s, was inspired by the vitality and dynamism of nature. He created iconic glassworks such as Ultima Thule, as well as ceramics, cutlery, furniture, wooden sculptures, and landscape art. Organized with the cooperation of the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, this exhibition will showcase approximately 300 items, including products, glass and wood sculptures, photographs, and more.
Venue: Tokyo Station Gallery
Schedule: April 5 – June 15
【Tokyo】Koji Kamoji Exhibition (Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art)
Koji Kamoji is a leading avant-garde artist who shaped the mainstream of postwar Polish art. This exhibition is his first in Japan and is organized as a small retrospective by the Zachęta National Gallery of Art and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. On view are approximately 20 paintings, 9 sculptures, 80 sketches, and 3 installations from the 1960s to the present.
Venue: Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Schedule: April 8 – June 22
【Tokyo】The Exhibition of The World of Shirow Masamune: "The Ghost in the Shell" and The Path of Creation (Setagaya Literary Museum)
Shirow Masamune is a world-renowned illustrator and manga artist. Since the 1980s, when cutting-edge technology was still unfamiliar to the public, Shirow captured the future of cyberspace in his manga and his innovations influenced the genre of manga, SF literature, and films. This exhibition will trace his creative journey from his early work Black Magic to Appleseed, Dominion, Ghost in the Shell, and beyond.
Venue: Setagaya Literary Museum
Schedule: April 12 – August 17
【Tokyo】Love Fashion: In Search of Myself (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery)
This exhibition explores inner passions and desires through fashion, examining issues related to the boundary between self and others, aging, gender, and identity. By showcasing a range of clothes from royal court costumes to modern designs, the exhibition will delve into the evolving concept of "self" and "love."
Venue: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Schedule: April 16 – June 22
【Tokyo】Animal Exhibition — Who Are We? Where Are We Going? (Play!Museum)
In collaboration with the National Museum of Nature and Science, this exhibition will explore the relationship between mammals and humans. On view are immersive installations based on themes like "The Forest of Smiles," "The Planet of Patterns," and "The Power of Tails," as well as works by contemporary artists such as Kohei Nawa and Mirocomachiko.
Venue: Play!Museum
Schedule: April 16 – July 6
【Tokyo】Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo (Tokyo National Museum)
Juzaburo Tsutaya (1750–1797) was an influential publisher in the Edo period, known for discovering ukiyo-e masters such as Katsushika Hokusai and Sharaku. This exhibition will examine his groundbreaking work in publishing, linking the vibrant culture of Edo with the world of entertainment and publishing.
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Schedule: April 22 – June 15
【Tokyo】Godzilla the Art Exhibition (Mori Arts Center Gallery)
Celebrating Godzilla's 70th anniversary, this exhibition brings together works by artists from various genres who have interpreted Godzilla in their own ways. Contemporary artists like Miran Fukuda, O Jun, Sachiko Kazama, and others will respond to the question "What is Godzilla?" with their unique artworks.
Venue: Mori Arts Center Gallery
Schedule: April 26 – June 29
【Tokyo】Tadanori Yokoo: River of Renga (Setagaya Art Museum)
An internationally recognized artist, Tadanori Yokoo began a "Renga" series based on photos he took with his classmates in his hometown in 2023. This exhibition will showcase approximately 60 new oil paintings, along with sketches, that explore the creation of a collaborative painting.
Venue: Setagaya Art Museum
Schedule: April 26 – June 22
【Tokyo】Soundwalk Collective & Patti Smith: Correspondences (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
As part of the "MOT Plus" project, this exhibition will feature works created by international icon Patti Smith and the Soundwalk Collective, exploring contemporary issues such as nuclear accidents, forest fires, and animal extinction through eight video installations.
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Schedule: April 26 – June 29
【Tokyo】Kenjiro Okazaki (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
Kenjiro Okazaki, a leading figure in contemporary Japanese art, has expanded his creative scope to include architecture, environmental planning, picture books, and robotics. This major retrospective will showcase his new works created since 2021, along with his past masterpieces, offering a deep exploration of the power of form as a method of understanding the world.
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Schedule: April 29 – July 21
【Kyoto】Yayoi Kusama Print Works: Repetition & Proliferation (Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art)
This is the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to Yayoi Kusama's prints, featuring 340 works from the Matsumoto City Museum of Art's collection. On view are works created with ukiyo-e techniques and large monochrome silkscreens, as well as works from the artist's collection.
Venue: Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art
Schedule: April 25 - September 7
【Kyoto】Kyotographie International Photography Festival 2025 (Hachiku-an, etc.)
Kyotographie is an international photography art festival held across various locations in Kyoto since 2013. The theme for it's 13th edition is "Humanity." The main program will feature 13 artist groups from 10 countries exhibiting at various venues throughout the city. Additionally, the satellite event "KG＋2025" will be held as an open-call art festival, aiming to discover and support emerging photographers and curators.
Venue: Hachiku-an (Former Kawasaki Residence), etc.
Schedule: April 12 - May 11
【Osaka】Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival 2025 (Osaka International Convention Center, etc.)
Opening at the same time as the Osaka-Kansai Expo, Study: The Osaka Kansai International Art Festival is an art festival that studies the relationship between art, people, and society. With the theme of "social impact," the festival will aim to revitalize the economy and visualize social issues through culture and the arts.
Venue: Osaka International Convention Center, etc.
Schedule: April 13 – October 13
*Dates may vary by venue.
【Osaka】National Treasure of Japan (Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts)
Held in celebration of the Osaka-Kansai Expo and the renovation of the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, this special exhibition will aim to deepen cross-cultural understanding of Japanese heritage. Bringing together these masterpieces from across Japan, the exhibition will offer a rare opportunity to experienceJapan's rich artistic and cultural legacy.
Venue: Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Schedule: April 26 – June 15
【Nara】Oh! Kokuho: Resplendent Treasures of Devotion and Heritage (Nara National Museum)
The Nara National Museum will host its first large-scale National Treasure exhibition, focusing on treasures deeply connected to Nara’s history and heritage. The exhibition will also feature remarkable artworks that could be considered future National Treasures, showcasing Japan’s finest cultural masterpieces.
Venue: Nara National Museum
Schedule: April 19 – June 15
【Setouchi】 Setouchi Triennale 2025 Spring (Takamatsu Port, etc.)
The Setouchi Triennale is a contemporary art festival held every three years on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea since 2010. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year's edition will be held over three seasons—spring, summer, and autumn—for a total of 107 days. The festival will feature 63 artists and groups from 21 countries and regions, and eight regional museums will host exhibitions featuring Japanese artists as part of a collaborative project.
Venue: Takamatsu Port, etc.
Schedule: April 18 – May 25
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