Top 20 Museum Exhibitions to See This Summer in Tokyo
"Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei" at the Mori Art Museum
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Here is a selection of the best exhibitions in Tokyo and the Kanto region to enjoy during the summer of 2024. Don't forget to bookmark the exhibitions on the TAB website or TAB app to never miss the openings and closings.
Some museums also extend opening hours and offer special prices during summer break. See the news for more information:
- 1. Giorgio De Chirico: Metaphysical Journey (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
- 2. Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei (Mori Art Museum)
- 3. Junji Ito Exhibition "Enchantment" (Setagaya Literary Museum)
- 4. Yoichi Umetsu "Exhibition Maker" (Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art)
- 5. Trio: Modern Art Collections from Paris, Tokyo and Osaka Exhibition Organized with the Collaboration of the Musée dArt Moderne de Paris, Paris Musées (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)
- 6. Another Aspect of Le Corbusier – Exploring His Paintings (Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts)
- 7. The Complete Works of Kyuyoh Ishikawa (Ueno Royal Museum)
- 8. Takehisa Yumeji: Taisho Romanticism and the New World (Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum)
- 9. Manuscripts from the Naito Collection in the National Museum of Western Art (National Museum Of Western Art, Tokyo)
- 10. Junichi Nakahara "Year 111" (The Shoto Museum of Art)
- 11. Toulouse-Lautrec, Elegance of the Master of the Belle Époque (Sompo Museum of Art)
- 12. Rei Naito "Come and Live - Go and Live" (Tokyo National Museum)
- 13. Ueshima Museum Opening Exhibition (Ueshima Museum)
- 14. Kenzo Takada Exhibition (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery)
- 15. Jean-Michel Folon "Agency of Imaginary Journeys" (Tokyo Station Gallery)
- 16. Clamp Exhibition (The National Art Center, Tokyo)
- 17. Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64 - Eyes of the Storm (Roppongi Hills Tokyo City View)
- 18. Place and Piece: Where Was this Work Displayed, Who Loved It, and Why Is It Here Now? (Artizon Museum)
- 19. A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
- 20. Keiichi Tanaami "Adventures in Memory" (The National Art Center, Tokyo)
1. Giorgio De Chirico: Metaphysical Journey (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum)
Giorgio de Chirico is one of the great masters of the 20th century, whose "metaphysical paintings" profoundly influenced numerous artists and international art movements.
Dividing de Chirico's 70-year painting career into different themes, the exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum covers the entire range of his artistic output, from early to late-period works.
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Dates: April 27 - August 29
Fee: Adults ¥2200; University Students ¥1300; Seniors 65 & Over ¥1500; High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
*Reservations are required with designated time slots on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and from August 20 onwards.
2. Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei (Mori Art Museum)
Theaster Gates has earned international acclaim for a practice that traverses multiple media and genres, primarily focusing on sculpture and ceramics but also encompassing architecture, music, performance, fashion, and design. Trained as a sculptor and urban planner, Gates has been influenced by Japanese craft and culture over the past 20 years. This is his first solo exhibition in Japan and the largest ever in Asia, with the speculative proposition of "Afro-Mingei" as the central backbone of the presentation. This exhibition showcases major bodies of existing and never-before-seen works that demonstrate the influence of Japanese culture on Gates' practice.
Venue: Mori Art Museum
Schedule: April 24 - September 1
Fee: [Weekdays] Adults ¥2000, University & High School Students ¥1400, Seniors 65 & Over ¥1700.
[Weekends and Public Holidays] Adults ¥2200, University & High School Students ¥1500, Seniors 65 & Over ¥1900.
*Discount with MuPon
3. Junji Ito Exhibition "Enchantment" (Setagaya Literary Museum)
Manga artist Junji Ito depicts a beautiful yet grotesque world. His work has captivated readers both domestically and internationally, engulfing the entire world in a whirlwind of excitement. This is the first large-scale solo exhibition of Ito's work, displaying original hand-drawn illustrations, artworks, and paintings. In addition to his debut work, Tomie, the exhibition also features manga series such as Uzumaki, Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection, and Soichi's Beloved Pet. Find more details in the exhibition photo report.
Venue: Setagaya Literary Museum
Schedule: April 27 - September 1
Fee: Adults ¥1000; Seniors 65 & Over, University and High School Students ¥600; Junior High and Elementary School Students ¥300; Persons with Disability Certificates ¥500.
4. Yoichi Umetsu "Exhibition Maker" (Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art)
Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, is holding an exhibition of the contemporary artist Yoichi Umetsu. The title Exhibition Maker refers to an anecdote about how Harald Szeemann referred to himself as a "maker of exhibitions" at the time before the term "curator" was commonly used worldwide. The exhibition is centered around a collection of artworks gathered through the connections of Shizuko Watari (former museum's director), most of which have never been publicly displayed at the Watari Museum.
Venue: Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Schedule: May 12 - August 4
Fee: Adults ¥1500; University Students (Under 25), High School Students, Seniors 70 & Over, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion ¥1300; Junior High and Elementary School Students ¥500.
*Discount with MuPon
5. Trio: Modern Art Collections from Paris, Tokyo and Osaka Exhibition Organized with the Collaboration of the Musée dArt Moderne de Paris, Paris Musées (The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo)
This exhibition is an unprecedented and unique experiment in which works from the collections of the three museumsーthe Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, and the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osakaーare selected to form a series of trios. The exhibition features 34 trios of over 150 works, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, designs, and videos by 110 artists, presented in seven chapters according to themes and concepts to propose a new way of looking at modern art from the early 20th century to the present day.
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Schedule: May 21 - August 25
Fee: Adults ¥2200; University Students ¥1200; High School Students ¥700; Junior High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
6. Another Aspect of Le Corbusier – Exploring His Paintings (Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts)
Le Corbusier is often regarded as a key figure of 20th-century architecture. However, he is also known as an artist who left behind numerous artworks. This exhibition presents approximately 130 pieces from the Taisei Corporation Le Corbusier Collection, which houses some of the world's most significant works. It is the first time in approximately 30 years that the collection's drawings and papier collé works will be displayed comprehensively.
Venue: Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts
Schedule: June 25 - August 12
Fee: Adults ¥1500, University and High School Students ¥1000, Junior High School Students and Under free.
7. The Complete Works of Kyuyoh Ishikawa (Ueno Royal Museum)
The Complete Works of Kyuyoh Ishikawa is a two-part exhibition that reveals the full scope of Kyuyoh Ishikawa's creative process and calligraphy that reflects his time. This large-scale exhibition is divided into two separate parts: the "Classics" section will feature works based on literary classics such as The Tale of Genji, Essays in Idleness, as well as Sakazuki Senji Mon, a 1000 Chinese characters poem written on 1000 sake cups. On the contrary, the "Situational" section features work based on contemporary texts, including Ishikawa's writings.
Venue: Ueno Royal Museum
Schedule: June 8 - July 28
Fee: Adults, University and High School Students ¥2000; Junior High School Students and Under free.
8. Takehisa Yumeji: Taisho Romanticism and the New World (Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum)
Yumeji Takehisa is a painter and poet who symbolized the "Taisho romanticism" era. Although he never received formal art training, Takehisa developed his unique style through self-study and gained popularity with lyrical portraits of women, known as the "Yumeji style." As a graphic design pioneer, he also worked on book and magazine covers and designs for clothing and other goods, always searching for beauty in everyday life. Featuring approximately 180 works, this exhibition commemorates the 140th anniversary of Takehisa's birth and traces his life from a new perspective based on the latest research.
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Schedule: June 1 - August 25
Fee: Adults ¥1400; University Students ¥1120; High School and Junior High School Students, Seniors 65 & Over ¥700.
*Discount with MuPon
9. Manuscripts from the Naito Collection in the National Museum of Western Art (National Museum Of Western Art, Tokyo)
Before the invention of printing, manuscripts were the primary medium through which people in medieval Europe preserved their faith and disseminated knowledge. These manuscripts sometimes became luxurious items, adorned with elaborate decoration and elevated to the status of fine art. This exhibition brings together approximately 150 items, mainly from the Naito Collection, along with items from university libraries in Japan. It explores manuscripts' roles and decorative features from the medieval to early modern periods, including Bibles, poetry collections, and antiphonaries.
Venue: National Museum Of Western Art, Tokyo
Schedule: June 11 - August 25
Fee: Adults ¥1700; University Students ¥1300; High School Students ¥1000; Junior High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
10. Junichi Nakahara "Year 111" (The Shoto Museum of Art)
Junichi Nakahara was involved in illustration, magazine editing, and fashion and interior design and might have been best described as a multi-creator. To commemorate the 111th anniversary of his birth, this exhibition introduces a variety of works, including magazines, clothing, paintings, and dolls. Explore Nakahara's charms through his creations borne out of a wish to "make books that would once again fill people with dreams, hopes, and the desire for a beautiful life" in the turbulent period after World War II.
Venue: The Shoto Museum of Art
Schedule: June 29 - September 1
Fee: Adults ¥1000; University Students ¥800; High School Students, Seniors 60 & Over ¥500; Junior High and Elementary School Students ¥100.
11. Toulouse-Lautrec, Elegance of the Master of the Belle Époque (Sompo Museum of Art)
This exhibition introduces approximately 240 graphic works of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the famous artist of French fin-de-siècle, from the Firos Collection, one of the finest private collections of Lautrec in the world. The exhibition features lithographs, posters, and illustrations and includes magazines and books that Lautrec helped design.
Venue: Sompo Museum of Art
Schedule: June 22 - September 23
Fee: Adults ¥1800; University Students ¥1200; High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates free.
12. Rei Naito "Come and Live - Go and Live" (Tokyo National Museum)
Rei Naito is known for her works combining delicate motifs, everyday objects, natural elements, and environmental interaction. Throughout the exhibition, Tokyo National Museum halls, illuminated by natural light, will evoke the realms of life and death that once existed with the sun and the intimate harmony between man and nature. Naito's artwork will evoke the continuous creative endeavors in which one can glimpse the longing for "creation" that humanity has repeated and the pursuit of "life" that connects to the present.
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Schedule: June 25 - September 23
Fee: Adults ¥1500; University Students ¥1000; High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
13. Ueshima Museum Opening Exhibition (Ueshima Museum)
Ueshima Museum is a new museum opened in Shibuya to showcase the Ueshima Collection, a collection of contemporary art collected by businessman and investor Kankuro Ueshima. This exhibition brings together works by internationally renowned domestic and international artists such as Ryoji Ikeda, Olafur Eliasson, Theaster Gates, Chiharu Shiota, Kohei Nawa, and Takashi Murakami.
Venue: Ueshima Museum
Schedule: June 1 - December (TBC)
Fee: Adults ¥1500, High School and Junior High School Students ¥1000, Elementary School Students and Under free.
14. Kenzo Takada Exhibition (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery)
Founder of the clothing brand Kenzo, Kenzo Takada was one of the first Japanese designers to venture to Paris, where he created a style that shattered the conventions of the fashion world. This exhibition traces the evolution of Takada, known as the "magician of colors," through costume displays and design sketches.
Venue: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Schedule: July 6 - September 16
Fee: Adults ¥1600, University and High School Students ¥1000, Junior High School Students and Under free.
15. Jean-Michel Folon "Agency of Imaginary Journeys" (Tokyo Station Gallery)
Jean-Michel Folon is one of the most prominent Belgian artists of the late 20th century. Folon's works, characterized by their vibrant colors and poetic quality, may initially appear beautiful and refreshing, but they also conceal powerful critiques of harsh realities. This retrospective exhibition showcases approximately 230 pieces ranging from early drawings to watercolors, prints, posters, and late three-dimensional works.
Venue: Tokyo Station Gallery
Schedule: July 13 - September 23
Fee: Adults ¥1500, University and High School Students ¥1300, Junior High School Students and Under free.
16. Clamp Exhibition (The National Art Center, Tokyo)
Formed in the mid-1980s, Clamp (stylized in all caps) is a creative collective of four women creating manga in various genres. Their notable works include X (1992), Magic Knight Rayearth (1993), Cardcaptor Sakura (1996), Chobits (2000), xxxHOLiC (2003), and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle(2003). Celebrating the collective's 35th debut anniversary, a large-scale exhibition of original artwork is now on view at The National Art Center, Tokyo, tracing their creative activities and worldview.
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo
Schedule: July 3 - September 23
Fee: Adults ¥2100; University Students ¥1400; High School Students ¥1000; Junior High School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
17. Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64 - Eyes of the Storm (Roppongi Hills Tokyo City View)
In 2023, the highly acclaimed Paul McCartney Photography Exhibition 1963-64 - Eyes of the Storm attracted numerous celebrities and enjoyed great success. This year, the exhibition is coming to Japan. On view are approximately 250 photographs documenting the period from 1963, when the Beatles became a social phenomenon, to 1964, when they triumphantly returned to the US for the Ed Sullivan Show. These images include rare photographs, some of which were taken by McCartney himself or were printed from negatives and contact sheets that had not been printed for 60 years.
Venue: Roppongi Hills Tokyo City View
Schedule: July 19 - September 24
Fee: Adults ¥2600, University and High School Students ¥1800, Junior High School Students and Under ¥1000.
18. Place and Piece: Where Was this Work Displayed, Who Loved It, and Why Is It Here Now? (Artizon Museum)
Today, the works of art displayed in a museum are public objects anyone may enjoy seeing. However, when those works were created, they were made as furnishings for a residence or painted to decorate a private roomーthey came about through a relationship with the person who owned them. Moreover, they passed into other persons' hands or were inherited by later generations. This exhibition presents works from the Ishibashi Foundation Museum and intends to explore the situations under which artworks were created and how they were treated and passed on.
Venue: Artizon Museum
Schedule: July 27 - October 14
Fee: [Online Reservation Tickets] Adults ¥1200 [On-Site Tickets] Adults ¥1500; Students (*Reservation Required for High School Students and Over), Persons with Disability Certificates + 1 Companion free.
19. A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
Presently comprising over 3,000 items, the Takahashi Ryutaro Collection is one of the most important collections of Japanese contemporary art in terms of quality and quantity. A showcase of outstanding works by artists with a highly critical mindset, this exhibition explores the state of contemporary Japan from the specific viewpoint of a 1946-born art collector.
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Schedule: August 2 - November 10
Fee: Adults ¥2100; University Students, Seniors 65 & Over ¥1350; High School and Junior High School Students ¥840; Elementary School Students and Under, Persons with Disability Certificates + 2 Companion free.
20. Keiichi Tanaami "Adventures in Memory" (The National Art Center, Tokyo)
Keiichi Tanaami became a leading figure in Japan's underground art scene primarily because of his work in magazines and advertisements. From the 1960s until today, he has prolifically produced paintings, collages, sculptures, animations, experimental video pieces, and installations, applying methodologies and techniques he developed in the design field. This exhibition is the first major retrospective covering Tanaami's creative journey of more than 60 years, highlighting his status as a role model for contemporary artists.
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo
Schedule: August 7 - November 11
Fee: Adults ¥2000, University Students ¥1400, High School Students ¥1000, Junior High School Students and Under free.
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