Picks
Mori Art Museum - Art museum: Roppongi [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...
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo - Art museum: Kiyosumi-Shirakawa [Open 10am-6pm (enter by 5:30). Closed Mondays.]
One of Tokyo's best art museums, the MOT puts on well-curated exhibitions showcasing international artists, architecture, design and fashion. The permanent collection is also worth a visit, and the museum's cafe and restaurant are above average. ...
Tomio Koyama Gallery - Art gallery: Kiyosumi-Shirakawa [Open noon-7pm. Closed Sun, Mon.]
This major gallery represents over fifty Japanese and international artists, and occupies an important place in the Japanese contemporary art scene. Since 2005 it's been located in a spacious warehouse building not far from the Museum of...
Art museums
Hara Museum - Art museum: Shinagawa [Open 11am-5pm (Wed -8pm). Closed Mondays.]
Originally built in 1938 as a private home for businessman Kunizo Hara, the building was converted to use as a museum in 1979. It plays host to five or six yearly exhibitions of contemporary Japanese and international art, as well as lectures and...
Museum of Contemporary Sculpture - Art museum: Naka-Meguro [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...
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo - Art museum: Takebashi [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. ...
Setagaya Art Museum - Art museum: Setagaya-ku [Open 10am-6pm (entry until 5:30). Closed Mondays.]
The museum has a collection of over 10,000 works of modern and contemporary art, although the exhibition space is relatively small.
Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum - Art museum: Omotesando [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...
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery - Art museum: Hatsudai [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.
Watarium - Art museum: Gaienmae [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.
Art galleries
3331 Arts Chiyoda - Art gallery: Akihabara [Open noon-7pm. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays.]
Once a junior high school, this unusual art complex is still furnished with blackboards in some of the former classrooms, which are now used as offices and galleries by more than two dozen artists. The first floor gallery space is the main...
Artcomplex Center of Tokyo - Art gallery: Shinanomachi [Open 11am-8pm. Closed Mondays.]
Founded in 2007, the art complex comprises six gallery spaces, including a big basement area. Not all the galleries are open all the time, but there's usually something going on on any given day. The ground-floor cafe is open until 6pm, serves...
Gallery 5610 - Art gallery: Omotesando [Open 11am-6pm. Closed Sundays.]
This small gallery focuses on the work of graphic designers but has also presented exhibitions of ceramics, metalwork and other crafts, and photography.
Parco Factory - Art gallery: Shibuya [Open 10am-9pm (enter by 8:30pm) daily.]
This large department-store gallery organizes exhibitions with a pop-culture sensibility, generally focusing on graphic arts and illustration, toys and manga-related subjects. Note that it also doubles as an event space, so sometimes there's a...
SCAI the Bathhouse - Art gallery: Taito-ku [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...
Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo - Art gallery: Ochanomizu [Open 11am-7pm. Closed Mondays.]
Sponsored by the Tokyo metropolitan government, this branch of Wonder Site 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 worth...
Vacant - Art gallery: Harajuku [Open 1-8pm. Closed Mondays.]
Exhibitions here vary widely in content, but tend toward the edgy, underground end of the spectrum. The space is also used for live music and other events. On the ground floor is a bar-cafe with a vegetarian menu and a big shop area selling...
Other
ICC (Inter Communication Center) - Attraction: Hatsudai [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.
Nadiff a/p/a/r/t - Bookstore: Ebisu [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.
Pit Inn - Jazz club: Shinjuku [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.
SuperDeluxe - Event space: Roppongi [Open 8pm-2am daily.]
SuperDeluxe have established themselves as a center for experimental music, performance and art, with interesting events scheduled for nearly every night of the week. The monthly event called PechaKucha is especially worth checking out - it's a...
