Tokyo & Kyoto What's On & Events
- Published on : 24/12/2012
- by : Japan Experience
- Youtube
What's On in Tokyo & Kyoto: A Select Guide to Tokyo Events and Kyoto Events
- Tokyo Art Exhibitions
- Tokyo Festivals
- Tokyo Events
- Tokyo Music
- Tokyo Film
- Tokyo Theater
- Tokyo Gay & Lesbian
- Tokyo Flea Markets
- Tokyo Fairs
- Tokyo Sports
- Nagoya Events
- Kyoto Exhibits
- Kyoto Music
- Kyoto Film
- Kyoto Flea Markets
- Kyoto Sports
- List Your Event
- GoodsFromJapan
Read regularly updated listings of what's happening right now or is upcoming in Tokyo and Kyoto, including festivals, exhibitions of art, crafts and photography, parties, flea markets, concerts and more.
Tokyo Art Exhibitions What's On
Tokyo Art Exhibitions What's On
Please note that museum exhibitions listed are generally special exhibitions only, and that unlisted regular exhibitions (usually from a museum's archives) are not necessarily included. Go to each museum's website to see what else may be on.
Discounts with the Tokyo Grutt Pass
What's on in Tokyo Map
See a Google Map for the locations of the Tokyo venues covered in the listing below.
Click on icon at top left corner of above Google Map to display galleries listed below. Use mouse scroll wheel to zoom in. The numerous participating creators are from Japan and all over the world.
21_21 Design Sight
Secret Source of Inspiration: Designers' Hidden Sketches and Mockups
Sketches, drawings and mock-ups by current members of the Japan Design Committee, showing what goes on behind the scenes in the production of great design. Reservation required.
November 22, 2019 - September 9, 2020
1,200 yen for adults
11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (last entry 5 p.m.)
Closed Tuesdays
At Tokyo Midtown. Map
Ancient Orient Museum
Burial Mounds in Bahrain – Excavations of a Tumulus Cluster at Maqaba
Looking at excavations of a tumulus cluster at Maqaba in Bahrain, which reveal the influence of ancient Palmyra (present day Syria) on Bahrain during the Tylos period (330 BC-629 AD). It is believed that this project will facilitate understanding of how ancient Palmyra influenced ancient Bahrain during the Tylos period.
February 22 - July 12, 2020
600 yen for adults.
10 am-4:30 pm (last entry 4 pm), open every day, but closed December 26, 2019 - January 3, 2020
Seventh floor of Sunshine City Ikebukuro Sunshine 60 Building
7F, Sunshine City Bunka Kaikan, 3-1-4 Higashi Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8630. Map
Artizon Museum
Tomoko Konoike: Flip
Billed as a static "jam session," whereby the artist, Tomoko Konoike (b.1960) was commissioned to create her New Age-style nature-themed works drawing inspiration from art in the museum's collection.
June 23, 2019 - October 25, 2020
1,100 yen for adults.
In Kyobashi, 5 mins walk east of Tokyo Station.
Read more about the Artizon Museum. Map
The Bunkamura Museum of Art
The Bunkamura Museum of Art comprises the Bunkamura Gallery, Bunkamura Box Gallery, and Bunkamura Wall Gallery, featuring a variety of typically week-long exhibitions of solo Japan artists. See what's on now in the Bunkamura Galleries Free entry.
Bunkamura Museum
A Big Wave of Realist Paintings
Realist paintings from the collection of the Hoki Museum.
June 11 - 29, 2020
1,600 yen for adults
10 am to 6 pm (last entry 5:30 p.m.). Closed December 3. In Shibuya. B1 floor of Bunkamura. Map
Canon Gallery S
Kiyotaka Moro-oka: Expressing the Kernel
Kiyotaka Moro-oka (b.1948) is a Japanese photographer much of whose work focuses on European cities. This exhibition of over 100 photographs seeks to present the essence of artist's perceptions of urban Europe.
June 15 - July 25, 2020
Free entry
10:30 am-5 pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays. Free entry.
8 mins walk from Konan Exit, JR Shinagawa Station; 10 mins walk from Keihin Shinagawa Station. Map
Design Festa Gallery
A bohemian gallery in two locations (Gallery East and Gallery West - less than a block from each other) in Tokyo's Harajuku street fashion district, with numerous short-running exhibitions by up and coming young artists. Has a bar & cafe too. Design Festa Gallery exhibition schedule. 11 am-8 pm daily. Map
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Excavations in the Japanese Archipelago 2020
A display of almost 700 objects from 51 archaeological sites throughout Japan, to provide a greater sense of familiarity with Japan's once-buried cultural artifacts.
June 13 - August 3, 2020
1,400 yen for adults (1,600 yen to include regular museum entry)
9.30 am - 5.30 pm. Closed Mondays.
In Ryogoku. 03 3626 9974. Regular entrance fee, 600 yen for adults. More about the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Map
Eisei-Bunko Museum
No Exhbition At Present
Exquisite treasures from all over the East and Middle East, featuring the ornate "Kingin-sakushu-ryoumon-kyo" mirror, a National Treasure from over two millennia ago.
Reopening June 27, 2020
1,000 yen for adults
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (last entry 4 p.m.) Closed Mondays except when Monday is a national holiday.
From JR Mejiro Station board a Toei Bus bound for Shinjuku Eki Nishiguchi and alight at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo-mae bus stop. 3 mins walk. 03 3941-0850. Map
Fujifilm Square
The Colors and Shapes of Kyoto, Takeji Iwamiya—In Pursuit of the Beauty of Japan
Takeji Iwamiya (1920 – 1989) was a photographer best known for his depiction of Japanese beauty in architecture, art and crafts. This exhibition showcases approximately 30 of his works on Kyoto.
June 9 - 30, 2020
Free entry. 10 am - 7 pm. Last entry 6:50 pm. Open every day.
The Photo History Museum at Fujifilm Square, in Tokyo Midtown, Roppongi. Map
Fukagawa Edo Museum
Manga of Edo
Manga are the Japanese version of what are called comic books in English. The history of manga is a long one, and this exhibition looks at manga in pre-modern Tokyo.
June 1 - November 8, 2020
Viewable with the normal entrance fee to the whole of the museum of 400 yen for adults
9.30 a.m.-5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 pm) daily. Closed 2nd and 4th Monday of each month and December 29, 2019 - January 3, 2020. In Fukagawa, Tokyo.
1-3-28 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0021. Map
Ghibli Museum
"Sketch, Flash, Spark!" – From the Ghibli Forest Sketchbook
A tour through the patchwork of sketches of creative ideas that fueled film director Hayao Miyazaki's success. Includes short films.
November 16, 2019 to May 2021 (tentative)
Included in admission to the museum. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Read more about Ghibli Museum. In Mitaka City. Map
The Gotoh Museum
Scrolls
Scrolls and calligraphic wall hangings through the ages.
June 27 - August 2, 2020
1,000 yen for adults.
10 am-5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm), closed Mondays.
5 minutes' walk from Kaminoge Station, Tokyu Oimachi Line (local train)
3-9-25 Kaminoge, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8510. Map
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Yasumasa Morimura: Ego Obscura, Tokyo 2020
Yasumasa Morimura (b.1951) is an Osaka artist who creates self-portraits in which he re-enacts famous paintings, movies and moments in history.
January 25 – April 12 (Sunday), 2020
1,100 yen for adults
11 am - 5 pm (Wed. 11 am - 8 pm, except when Wednesday is a public holiday: 11 am - 5 pm).
Closed Mondays, except when Monday is a public holiday (in which case closed Tuesday). Near Shinagawa Station. 03 3445 0651. 1,000 yen for adults. Map
Idemitsu Museum of Arts
Introduction to Ceramics: Enjoying Color, Pattern and Form
Following the threads of Japanese creativity in the history of its ceramics making, which has undergone many permutations since the first extant pottery created over 16,000 years ago.
November 23, 2019 - February 2, 2020
1,000 yen for adults
10 am - 5 pm (until 7 pm Fridays). Closed Mondays. On the 9th floor of the Teigeki Building in Marunouchi. 03 5777 8600 (Hello Dial General Information). Map
Isetan Art Gallery
See what's on now at the Isetan Art Gallery: featuring a variety of typically week-long exhibitions of solo artists. Entry free.
10:30 am - 8 pm. On the 5th floor of the Isetan Department Store, Main Store, in Shinjuku. Tel. 03 3352-1111 (General info). Map
JCII Camera Museum
Cameras and Photographers: A 180 Year History of Materials and Expression
Celebrating 30 years of the JCII Museum with an exhibition on the vital relationship between photographers and their tools of trade, camera.
October 29, 2019 - March 22, 2020
300 yen. 10 am - 5 pm. Last entry 4:30 pm. Closed Monday.
Near Kojimachi. Map
Japanese Sword Museum
The 65rd Newly Designated Important Swords and Fittings Exhibition
The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords regularly holds appraisal examinations with the objective of authenticating swords owned by members of the public. This exhibition shows newly discovered treasures.
January 11 - February 16 ,2020
1,000 yen for adults
Closed Mondays, and from December 25 until into the New Year. In Ryogoku. Japanese Sword Museum website. Map
Japan Football Museum
Samurai Blue: Final Asian Qualifiers Road to Russia
All about Japan's national soccer team and its quest for glory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
December 3, 2016 - indefinite
500 yen for adults
Closed Mondays. Map
Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art
From the Museum Collection
See a list of the works currently on display at Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art 1,300 yen for adults
631 Sakado, Sakura City, Chiba prefecture, 9:30 am - 5 pm (last admission 4:30 pm) (Closed Mondays.) Tel. 043 498 2672.
About an hour and a half out of Tokyo. See the Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art access page for details of how to get there and back.
Map
Leica Professional Store Tokyo
Tue-Sat 11 am-7 pm. Free entry.
4 min walk from Exit A1, Ginza Subway Station. 5 min walk from Central Exit of Yurakucho Station
2F, Tokaido Ginza Building, 6-4-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061. Tel 03 6215 7074. Map
Matsuoka Museum of Art
The Matsuoka Museum Of Art Is Currently Closed For Renovations
Shirokanedai, Tokyo, 10 am - 5 pm (Closed Mondays.) Tel. 03 3822 1111.
Read more about the Matsuoka Museum of Art. Map
Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)
Permanent Exhibition Only At Present
Permanent Exhibitions
Tsunagari: the relationship between life and the Earth; Explore the Frontiers: how the Earth is constructed; Create Your Future: Exploring ideas about how humanity should approach future living.
Permanent exhibitions: 620 yen for adults, 210 yen for under-18s.
Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 10 am-5 pm (Closed Tuesdays). 03 3570 9151. Free every Saturday for 18 y.o. and under. Map
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo 三菱一号館美術館
Children as Seen by Artists
Pictures of children by Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre Bonnard, Édouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis and Félix Vallotton
February 15 - June 7, 2020
1,700 yen for adults.
2-6-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
10 am - 6 pm, but until 9 pm on Fridays, the second Wednesday of the month, and weekdays during the final week of an exhibition. Last entry until 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed Mondays, but open on Mondays that fall on public holidays).
Read more about the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo. Map
Mizuma Art Gallery
Rina Mizuno: Unable to See Whole
Works by Rina Mizuno (b.1989) featuring a powerful element of fantasy combined with vivid and poetic painterly expression.
March 4 - 28, 2020
Ichigaya, Tokyo, 11 am-7 pm (Closed Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays). 03 3268 2500.
Read more about the Mizuma Art Gallery. Map
Mori Art Museum
Future and the Arts: AI, Robotics, Cities, Life - How Humanity Will Live Tomorrow
Subtitled "What Is True Affluence, What Is It to Be Human, What Is Life?" this exhibition involves no less than 32 artists, each addressing these questions through their multifarious works.
November 19, 2019 - March 29, 2020
1,800 yen for adults
Roppongi Hills, Mori Tower 53F, 10 am - 10 pm (10 am - 5 pm on Tuesdays). 03 5777 8600. Map
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
Dumb Type: Actions ＋ Reflections
Dumb Type is a multi-media performance artist group founded in 1984 known for its inventive, non-hierarchic pieces which develop as collaborations between individual members. Enjoy numerous memorable installations created by this vanguard of modern Japanese art.
November 16, 2019 – February 16, 2020
1,400 yen for adults
Near Kiyosumi-shirakawa station.
Read more about the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Map
National Art Center, Tokyo
Treasures from Budapest: European and Hungarian Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest and the Hungarian National Gallery
Celebrating 150 years of Japan-Hungary friendship, this exhibition brings to Japan 130 masterpieces that span four centuries, from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. From the collections of Hungary's two biggest art galleries: the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest and the Hungarian National Gallery. Titian, El Greco, Renoir, Monet, Markó Károly the Elder, Vaszary János, and many other greats.
December 4, 2019 - March 16, 2020
1,700 yen for adults
10 am - 6 pm (Fridays & Saturdays till 8 pm). Last entry 30 minutes before closing time. Closed Tuesdays). 03 6812 9900. In Roppongi. (Exit 6 of the Nogizaka subway station , exit 7 of Roppongi Station ).
Read more about the National Art Center, Tokyo. Map
National Film Archive of Japan (formerly the National Film Center)
Rethinking Postwar Japanese Documentary Films
Looking at documentary films after the Second World War in Japan though new eyes.
January 24 – March 8, 2020
520 yen for adults on the day
See what else is happening in Tokyo Film. Map
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
The Window: A Journey of Art and Architecture through Windows
Windows, as depicted in art, with all sorts of peripheral information about windows. Presented in association with the Window Research Institute. Featuring works by Henri Matisse and others.
November 1, 2019 - February 2, 2020
1,200 yen for adults
Peter Doig
"Painter of romantic, but uncanny landscapes, Peter Doig (b. 1959) has been named one of the most important artists in the world today."
February 26 - June 14, 2020
1,200 yen for adults
Takebashi Subway Station, Line, exit 1B. Tel. 03 5777 8600
Open 10 am - 5 pm, (till 8 pm Fridays). Closed Monday. Map
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo: Crafts Gallery
20 passions for Crafting Crafts
Presenting the passions of 20 modern craftspeople from such hints as their words, actions, and achievements.
December 20, 2019 - March 8, 2020
250 yen for adults
03 5777 8600. Hours: 10 am-5 pm. Last admission 4.30 pm. Closed Mondays. Located 300m west of the National Museum of Modern Art. Map
National Museum of Nature and Science Ueno Park
Permanent exhibitions include:
-Animals of the Earth: The Endurance of Mammals and Birds
-"Woodland Wonder" Exploratory Space
-Progress in Science and Technology: Human Design and Creativity
-"Hands-on Experiments" Exploratory Space
-Biodiversity: "We are All Part of the Same Ecosystem"
-Solving the Mysteries of the Dinosaurs
-The Evolution of Life: "From the Earth' s Origin through to the Birth of Humans"
-The Natural World: "The Universe, Matter, and the Laws of Physics"
-"Behind the Scenes at the National Science Museum": Collecting and Studying Samples and Making Them Available to the Public.
Special Exhibition
Mummies of the World: the Quest for Eternal Life
A wide-ranging look at mummies: the ideas behind them, how they were prepared, and what they can tell us of the civilizations that created them.
November 2, 2019 - February 24, 2020
1,600 yen for adults, 600 yen for school age on the day. (Special novelty tickets for higher prices also available)
Ueno Park, 9 am-5 pm, Fridays 9 a.m.-8 p.m., closed Mondays. 03 5777 8600. 500 yen (300 yen for astronomical night viewing, or for ordinary group entry). 620 yen for adults for permanent exhibitions. Free for pupils up to and including senior high school. Map
National Museum of Western Art: Ueno Park
The Habsburg Dynasty：600 Years of Imperial Collections
An exhibition celebrating 150 years of friendship between Austria and Japan.
October 19, 2019 – January 26, 2020
1,600 yen for adults on the day
9.30 am - 5.30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays 9:30 am - 8 pm, Closed Mondays. 03 5777 8600. Map
Nezu Museum
Paintings Created as Sets
An exhibition covering East Asian art from a number of countries, characterized by being presented as a set of works.
January 9 - February 11, 2020
1,100 yen for adults
10 am-5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm). Closed Monday except when Monday is a public holiday, in which case open Monday and closed the next day, Tuesday.
In Minami Aoyama
6-5-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062. Map
Nikon Museum
Taizo Ichinose, the Reality of War, the People Who Live Within the Smoke of Gunpowder
Photos taken in wartime by Japanese photographer Taizo Ichinose (1947-1973) plus some memorabilia.
January 6 - March 28, 2020
Free entry
In Shinagawa. Map
Nikon Plaza Shinjuku Gallery 1
An ongoing series of short-term exhibitions by various photographers. See the above link for details.
10:30 am - 6:30 pm, Monday to Saturday (including public holidays). Closed Sunday. Closes at 3pm on the final day of an exhibition. Free entry.
Constantly changing, short-term photography exhibitions often running concurrently. Check the Nikon Plaza website for details.
28F, Shinjuku L Tower, 1-6-1 Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan 163-1528. Map
Ota Memorial Museum of Art
Ukiyo-e Painting Masterpieces from the Ota Memorial Museum of Art
A "best of" exhibition of ukiyoe from the Museum's extensive collection. Includes the famous "Tiger in the Rain" by Katsushika Hokusai.
January 11 - February 9, 2020
700 yen for adults
Jingumae. 03 3403 0880. Map
SCAI The Bathhouse
No Exhibition At Present
Tue - Sat, noon - 6 p.m. Closed Sun., Mon. & public hols. Yanaka, near Nippori Station. 03 3821 1144. Admission free. Map
Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum of Art
Closed Until February 14, 2020, In Preparation For Relocation
In West Shinjuku. Open 10 am-6 pm Mon-Sat, 10 am-8 pm Fri. Entry till 30 mins before closing time. Closed Mondays. Tel. 03 5777 8600. Map
Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo
Closed For Renovations Until December 2021
Museum hours: 10 am - 5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm). Closed Mondays (except when Monday is a national holiday, in which case it closes the next day). 3 mins walk from Roppongi-Itchome subway station on the Namboku Line. No parking lot. 03 5777-8600. Map
Setagaya Art Museum
Ikko Narahara Photographs: The Promised Journey to Spain
Photographs taken in Spain between 1962 and 1965 by the legendary Japanese photographer, Ikko Nakahara (b.1931).
November 23, 2019 - January 26, 2020
1,000 yen for adults
10 am-6 pm. Last admission 5.30 pm. Closed Mondays (except when Monday is a national holiday, when it closes the next day). 03 3415 6011. Map
Shoto Museum of Art
The World of Sarah Bernhardt, Luminary of the Belle Époque
An overview of the life and art of Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), one of France’s most famous actresses.
December 7, 2019 － January 31, 2020
500 yen for adults
10 am - 6 pm, (until 8 pm on Fridays). Last entry 30 minutes before closing time. Closed Mondays.
In Shibuya. 03 3465 9421. Map
Sumida Hokusai Museum
Hokusai vs. His Pupils
Comparing works by Hokusai with those by his pupils, and elucidating where the master influenced them and where they influenced or even outshone him.
February 4 - April 5, 2020
1,200 yen for adults
Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo. Hours; 9:30 am-5:30 pm (Closed Mondays, except when Monday is a national holiday, in which case, closed Tuesday).
Read more about the Sumida Hokusai Museum. Map
Suntory Museum of Art
The Suntory Museum Of Art Is Closed For Renovation Until May 12, 2020
English audio guide 550 yen.
10 am-6 pm, but 10 am-8 pm Friday and Saturday. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing time. Closed every Tuesday. In Tokyo Midtown, Roppongi. Map
Taka Ishii Gallery Photography/Film
Sanya Kantarovsky: Paradise
"Four paintings and four woodblock prints created by Sanya Kantarovsky in collaboration with The Adachi Institute of Woodcut prints in Tokyo"
January 24 – February 22, 2020
Free entry. 3F complex665 Building, 6-5-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032. 11 am - 7 pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays). 03 5575 5004. Map
TeNQ
Ultraman Zero: A 10-Year Path
A comprehensive and detailed look at the dynamic 10 years that have passed since the new superhero was conceived back in 2009.
November 8, 2019 - March 1, 2020
Included in the general admission fee of TeNQ (1,800 yen for on-the-day tickets for adults).
Mon-Fri 11 am-9 pm (last entry 8 pm); Sat/Sun/public holidays 10 am-9 pm (last entry 8 pm)
In Tokyo Dome City Tel. 03 3814 0109. Map
The Tobacco & Salt Museum
Tobacco and Salt Museum's Poster Collection
The Museum's collection of advertising posters glamorizing tobacco smoking, from the nineteenth century on.
December 14, 2019 – February 16, 2020.
10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Closed Mondays, and December 29, 2019 - January 3, 2020
100 yen for adults, 50 yen for children
In Sumida ward, just a little south of the Tokyo Skytree. Map
Toguri Museum of Art
Toguri Museum, Best of Collection: Imari and Nabeshima
Imari ware originated in Arita, in what is now Saga Prefecture, the home of Japan's first domestic porcelain. Nabeshima ware was produced exclusively as gifts of tribute to the shogun. This exhibition showcases the best of the musuem's collection of both kinds.
April 11 - June 7, 2020
1,000 yen for adults
Ceramics museum in Shibuya 10 am - 5 pm. Last entry 30 mins before closing time. Closed Mondays (but open if Monday is a public holiday), and open on the 4th Monday of the month as "Free Talk Monday" when you can talk to your heart's content in the gallery without having to worry about disturbing anyone. Map
Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
The Glamor, Glitter and Greatness of the 20th Century Theater: Through the Lens & Life Magazine
A photographic exhibition in the New Wing of the museum celebrating 20th century theater as depicted in Life Magazine.
February 1 - March 19, 2020
1,300 yen for adults
In Hachioji. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Mondays except when a public holiday, when it closes on Tuesday. Map
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Vilhelm Hammershøi and Danish Painting of the 19th Century
"Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) quietly and resolutely painted close acquaintances, landscapes, and subdued interiors. Influenced strongly by 17th-century Dutch genre painting."
January 21 – March 26, 2020
1,600 yen for adults at the door
Ueno Park. Tel. 03 3823 6921.
Open every day except Monday, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm (last entry 5:00 pm). Open until 8:00 pm (last entry 7:30 pm) on Fridays. Map
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
René Lalique: Modernity and Elegance
Glass works by René Lalique (1860-1945) created at the height of the Art Deco movement.
February 1 - April 7, 2020
1,100 yen for adults
10 am-6 pm (last admission 5.30 pm). Second and fourth Wednesday (but open if the day falls on a national holiday, in which case closed the next day.) 100 yen for admission to the Museum garden.
.5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato, Tokyo 108-0071
Tel. 03 3443 0201. Map
The Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park
Man, God & Nature in the Ancient World: Masterpieces from The Al Thani Collection
117 masterpieces from the collection assembled by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a prince of the royal family of Qatar. Ancient civilizations across the world produced these magnificent artworks, which will be presented under the themes of "man," "god," and "nature."
November 6, 2019 - February 9, 2020
620 yen for adults
See what's on now in the Honkan (Main Gallery) of the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno
More exhibitions at the Tokyo National Museum The Tokyo National Museum has numerous simultaneous exhibitions covering a wide range of fields. Go here for information on more exhibitions in English.
9.30 - 5 pm (until 8 pm Fri, until 6 pm Sat/Sun)
Entry until 30 min before closing time. Closed Mondays. 03 5159 5874. In Ueno Park. Map
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Kazuo Shiraga: a Retrospective
Kazuo Shiraga (1924-2008) was a modern artist and a member of the avant-garde Gutai group. His performatative paintings have earned him a place in the pantheon of Japanese modern art.
January 11 - March 22, 2020
1,200 yen for adults
11 am - 7 pm (till 8 pm on Fri, Sat). Closed Mondays. In Hatsudai, 03 5280 9996. Map
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Numerous short-term exhibitions run concurrently at this museum. See the museum website for details.
In Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Tel 03 3280-0099. Map
Ueno Royal Museum (Ueno no Mori Bijutsukan)
No major exhibition at present, but several concurrent small exhibitions, mainly of Japanese calligraphy, running for a few days each throughout the next month. See the Museum website for details.
Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm, Sat 9 am-8 pm, Sun 9 am-6 pm
In Ueno Park. Map
University Art Museum - Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
See what's on now at the University Art Museum - Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In Tokyo University of the Arts Exhibition Hall, 2F. Free.
10 am-5 pm (Last entry 4.30 pm). Closed on Mondays.
In Hatsudai. Inquiries: NTT Hello Dial: 03 5777 8600. Map
Watarium - the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Philippe Parreno: A Manifestation of Objects
Philippe Parreno (b.1964, France) treats the exhibition itself as a medium, and weaves together numerous installations he created between 1994 and 2006 to convey his view of art and the world.
November 2, 2019 - March 22, 2020
1,000 yen for adults (or 1,600 yen for a two-person ticket).
11 am-7 pm (until 9 pm on Wednesdays). Closed on Mondays.
In Jingumae. 03 3402-3001. Map
Yayoi Kusama Museum
Spirits of Aggregation
First produced in 1961, Yayoi Kusama's Accumulation or Aggregation is a series of repeated identical motifs. This body of art began with two-dimensional collages, using everyday objects such as stickers, before extending into the medium of soft sculpture – domestic objects, including furniture, covered with proliferations of sewn, stuffed fabric phalli.
October 10, 2019 – January 31, 2020
1,000 yen for adults (pre-bookings only, you cannot just turn up and gain entry)
In Bentencho, Shinjuku. Map
Yokohama Museum of Art
Sumikawa Kiichi : Concave and Convex
Sumikawa Kiichi (b. 1931) is one of Japan’s preeminent postwar abstract sculptors, and this exhibtion is the first solo exhibition of the artist in the Kanto area.
February 15 - May 24, 2020
1,500 yen for adults on the day
In Yokohama. 10 am - 6 pm, but till 8 pm on Fridays. (Admission till 30 minutes before closing). Closed Thursdays. 10-minute walk from Sakuragicho station (JR Tokyu Toyoko Line, Yokohama subway) or 3 minutes from Minatomirai station (Minatomirai line) from the "Museum" exit or Keyaki Street exit. 045 221 0370. Map
Tokyo Events What's On
Infinity Books & Cafe Japan
Acoustic Open Session
A monthly get-together in this east-end Tokyo second-hand English bookshop for those with something musical to share or share in. Second Saturday of every month.
Azumabashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo-just across the bridge from Asakusa. Many other weekly music events are held too. See the Infinity Books & Cafe Facebook page Tel 080 3412 2564. Map
Tokyo Festivals
Tokyo Events
Tokyo Dome, in Koishikawa, Tokyo
Akarenga "Red Brick Warehouse", Yokohama
Yokohama Minato Mirai 21
Yoyogi Event Plaza
(Across from Yoyogi Park, next to Yoyogi National Stadium)
Tokyo Music
Ax
Shibuya Ax is a large rock concert hall near Yoyogi Park featuring Japanese rock acts.
2-1-1 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041. 03 5738-2020 In Shibuya. Tel. Creativeman 03 3462-6969.
Billboard Live
An upscale Roppongi venue with an almost-nightly line-up of jazz, vocals, rhythm'n'blues, and classic rock, pop and lounge artists, international and local. In the Tokyo Midtown complex. Has an Osaka branch too.
4F Garden Terrace, Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052.
03 3405-1133 (Inquiries weekdays: 11 am-10 pm, Sat/Sun/public holidays: 11 am-9 pm, days with no shows: 11 am-7 pm.
Blue Note
Blue Note monthly schedule
In Minami Aoyama, nearest station: Omotesando Subway Station, exit B3, Chiyoda Line. 03 5485 0088.
Blues Alley
Blues Alley monthly schedule (in Japanese only), mainly Japanese performers only; in Meguro.
03 5740 6041.
Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Shibuya. 03 5485-0088.
Bunkyo Civic Hall
Kasuga. 03 5803 1100.
Google Map to Bunkyo Civic Hall
Club Quattro
Club Quattro monthly online schedule In Shibuya, 03 3477 8750.
The Cotton Club
The Cotton Club recreates the experience of the original Prohibition-era New York Cotton Club, but in the radically upmarket setting of Tokyo's Marunouchi district. International - and local - acts croon, strum, tinkle and percuss loungy, adult-oriented music in this venue with capital-A ambiance. Book ahead.
Performances: 5 pm - 11 pm daily, but 4pm - 10:30 pm on Sat. Sun, public holidays. 5 mins walk from Tokyo Station.
Tokia 2F, Tokyo Bldg., 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6402. 03 3215-1555 (Inquiries/bookings: 11 am - 10:30 pm, but 11 am - 9 pm Sat. Sun, public holidays.)
Harlem
Harlem is a legendary Shibuya dance club now with a more than 20-year history, and regular parties with prominent DJs (mainly hip-hop) almost every night of the week: "Amazing Sundayz" on Sunday, "Red Zone" on Tuesday, "Party Naked" on Wednesday, "Never Broke" or "Dance Holic" on most Thursdays, "Punch Out" on Friday, and "Monster" on Saturday. Harlem monthly schedule. Opens 10 or 11 pm. Closed Mondays and some Thursdays.
2,3F, Dr. Jeekahns, 2-4 Maruyamacho Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0044
03 3461-8806
Hitomi Memorial Hall
Hitomi Memorial Hall schedule (Japanese language only) Sangenjaya Station, 03 5465 1233.
Kawasaki Sangyo Shinko Kaikan
Kawasaki (8 minutes walk from Kawasaki station) 044-548-4111.
Koseinenkin Kaikan
Shinjuku, 03 3356-1111.
Liquid Room, Ebisu
Higashi, Shibuya-ku; Info: Flip Side 03 3470 9999
Makuhari Messe
in Chiba City; 2-1 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba City; 043-296-0001
Minato Mirai New Port
Minato Mirai New Port, Yokohama 045 671 9911.
Nakano Sun Plaza:
Get off at Nakano Station, north exit. Next to Nakano Ward Office.
Shinjuku Pit Inn East Exit, Shinjuku Station. 03 3354-2024
Saitama Super Arena
in Saitama.
Shibuya Nest
03 3462-6969
(click on "Access Map") in Shibuya 03 3444 6751.
Shibuya O-East
(click on "Access Map") in Shibuya 03 3444 6751.
Shinjuku Bunka Center
in Shinjuku, 03 5467 7880.
SuperDeluxe SuperDeluxe monthly schedule Near Roppongi Hills. 03 5412 0515.
Tokyo International Forum Hall
Tokyo International Forum Schedule Flea markets, fairs, seminars.
In Yurakucho 03 3746 1152.
Womb
Womb website
2-16 Maruyamacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Womb map
03 5459 0039.
Yoyogi National Stadium (map in Japanese, Sendagaya Station) 03 3498 9999.
Zepp
in Odaiba, 03 5466 0777.
Tokyo Film What's On
Tokyo Theater and Performance What's On
Setagaya Public Theatre / Theatre Tram
4-1-1 Taishiodo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0004, Japan. Tel. 03 5432 1526
Tokyo Gay and Lesbian What's On
ArcH (B1F, Dai-2 Hayakawaya Building, Shinjuku 2-14-6, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022. Tel. 03 3352 6297.
Diamond Cutter
A long-running once-a-month lesbian night (women only), happening on the second Saturday of every month in Shinjuku Ni-Chome. Jointly hosted by two bars: Aisotope Lounge and the DiamondHolic shot bar.
2,500 yen (2,000 yen if you go in cosplay)
Aisotope Lounge, Saint Four Building 1F, Shinjuku 2-12-16, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022. Tel. 03 3352 6297. DiamondHolic, Kurihara Building 2F, Shinjuku 2-18-8, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022. Tel. 03 3225 5088
Club Asia, 4F, No.8 Yazawa Bldg., 2-21-7 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Tel. 03 5458 2551.
Heaven's Door
Takimoto Bldg 2F, 2-17-10 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 03 3411-6774
Morph
To get there: Exit 7, Roppongi subway station, Oedo Subway Line. Walk 100m down the road, walking away from the Tokyo Midtown complex. Downstairs from the Seven Eleven convenience store.
Roppongi GM Bldg., B1, Roppongi 4-11-11, Minato ward, Tokyo. Tel: 03 5414 2683 (English not spoken).
Tokyo Flea Markets
Oedo Antique Market
A bustling event featuring everything from clothing, to bric-a-brac to treasures in the heart of Tokyo at one of the metropolis's most cutting edge venues.
9 a.m. - 4 p.m., 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month (occasionally cancelled if coinciding with another event, or in bad weather.)
At the Tokyo International Forum, outdoors, on the plaza between the glass lobby building and the main building.
Free
Yasukuni Shrine Antique Market
A laid-back weekly Sunday market in the spacious grounds of Yasukuni Shrine.
8 a.m. - mid-afternoon, every Sunday.
At Yasukuni Shrine: 5 mins from Kudanshita Station (Hanzomon, Shinjuku, Tozai subway lines), 10 mins from east exit of Iidabashi Station (JR Chuo/Sobu line) (right out of the east exit and under the railway line)
Free
Shinagawa Intercity Flea Market
A big, very popular weekly flea market in Shinagawa. Over a hundred stalls crowded with up to 2,000 treasure- and bargain-hunters.
10 am - 4 pm every Sunday
In the Atrium and Galleria of the Shop & Restaurant Building in the Shinagawa Intercity complex. A few minutes walk from the Konan Exit of Shinagawa Station.
Free
Heiwajima Antique Show
A massive indoor market with decades of history, noted for its quality--happens five times a year for three days at a time. Over 280 sellers of treasures from yesteryear. Next dates:
March 6, 7, 8 (Fri., Sat., Sun.), 2020
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (but closes at 4 p.m. on the last day, meaning last entry at 3 p.m. on Sunday)
On the 2F of the Ryutsu Center Building, in front of Ryutsu Center Station on the Tokyo Monorail, Ota ward, Tokyo.
Free
Tokyo Fairs
Most trade fairs in Tokyo happen at the Tokyo Big Sight venue in Ariake, Tokyo Bay. (See "Tokyo Big Sight Events").
Tokyo Sports What's On
Major Events
Soccer
TokyoVerdy: Home games are played March to late-November at Ajinomoto Stadium, 03 3635 8985. Tobakyu Station on the Keio Line.
FC Tokyo: Home games are played March-late November at Ajinomoto Stadium, 03 3635 8985. Tobakyu Station on the Keio Line.
Baseball
Tokyo Giants: Home games are played at Tokyo Dome 03 5800 9999. Suidobashi or Korakuen stations.
Yakult Swallows: Home games are played at Jingu Stadium, 03 3404 8999. Kokuritsukyogijo or Gaienmae stations.
Nagoya What's On
Sports
Baseball
Chunichi Dragons: Home games are played at Nagoya Dome. Nagoya Dome-mae Yada Station on the Meijo Line.
Soccer
Nagoya Grampus: Home games played at either Paloma Mizuho Stadium or Toyota Stadium. Mizuho Undojo Nishi or Toyota stations.
Kyoto Exhibits What's On
Hosomi Museum
Okuratouen: 100 Years of Japanese Tableware
Okura Art China is a ceramics brand founded in 1919, and which has grown to fame for its exquisite Western-style porcelain.
January 7 - March 29, 2020
1,400 yen for adults
10 am-6 pm. Closed Mondays, unless Monday is a public holiday (in which case closed Tuesday). A 10 minute walk from the Higashiyama Station on the Tozai Subway Line. (Hosomi Bijutsukan)
6-3 Okazaki-saishoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto. Tel. 075 752 5555.
Kyocera Museum of Art
The Museum's regular collection features Qianlong glassware from the Chinese Qing dynasty (18th century), 347 copper plate prints by Picasso on the theme of love for women, modern Japanese Nihonga paintings, Western-style paintings and sculptures by Japanese artists, and Kyocera fine ceramic Gyokuji tea utensils.
Free admission
10 am - 5 pm (last admission at 4:30 pm). Open every day.
Kyocera Corporation Global Head Office, 1st floor
6 Takeda Tobadono-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City, Japan 612-8501
From Takeda Station (Kintetsu Kyoto Line or Karasuma Subway Line) take a Kyoto City bus from the northwest exit to Pulse Plaza Mae (5 minutes from Takeda Station).
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Historieta: Comic Books from Mexico
Looking at the history and culture of comic books in Mexico. Over 100 exhibits.
December 7, 2019 - February 25, 2020
Accessible with general admission to the museum, 800 yen for adults.
10 am-6 pm (last admission 5:30 pm). Closed Wednesday (except when Wednesday falls on a national holiday, in which case, closed Thursday.).
Tozai or Karasuma Subway Line, Oike Station, a two minute walk. 075 254 7414
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art (Kyoto Shi Bijutsu Kan)
Numerous exhibitions, mainly of Japanese art.
From Kyoto Station, take bus 5 or 100. From the Tozai Line's Higashiyama Station; a 5-minute walk. 075 771 4107
Kyoto National Museum (Kyoto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan)
Regular Exhibtion Only At Present
Kannon Worship: The Thirty-three Pilgrimage Sites of Western Japan
An artistic tribue to the oldest pilgrimage route in Japan, said to date from the 8th century.
April 11 - May 31, 2020
1,600 yen for adults
See also thematic exhibitions at the Kyoto National Museum. (Click on one of the 13 themes on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors).
520 yen for adults for everything but special exhibitions
Access: At Kyoto Station, go to bus platform D2 in front of the station. Take city Bus #206 or #208 to "Hakubutsukan Sanjusangendo-mae" bus stop. A one-minute walk. Keihan Railways: get off at Shichijo Station. Walk east along Shichijo Street (about 7 minutes) to the Museum. Tel. 075 541 1151.
Miho Museum of Art
Closed December 16, 2019 - MARCH 13, 2020
Miho Bijutsu Kan Tel. 0748 82 3411.
Access to and more about the Miho Museum of Art.
Museum of Kyoto
Kyoto Art for Tomorrow 2020
Modern art pieces in various media by artists based in Kyoto.
January 25 - February 9, 2020
500 yen for adults. On the 3rd floor.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. (until 7:30 p.m. on Fridays). Last entry 30 minutes before closing time. Closed Mondays and 28 December 2019 - 3 January 2020. (Kyoto Bunka Hakubutsukan, 075 222 0888). Access to and more about the Museum of Kyoto.
3 minutes' walk from Exit 5 of Karasuma Oike Station on the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines.
7 minutes' walk from Exit 16 of Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Line.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (MOMAK)
Works by the prominent 20th-century Italian ceramicist, Nino Caruso (1928–2017), with a focus on the mythology and symbolism in his work.
January 4 – February 16, 2020
1,000 yen for adults
Closed Mondays (except when Monday is a public holiday, when it closes Tuesday instead). Closed December 25 - January 4. (Kyoto Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan, 075 761 4111). From Kyoto Station, take bus #5. From the Tozai Line's Higashiyama Station, a five minute walk.
The Ritsumeikan International Peace Museum (Ritsumeikan Daigaku Kokusai Heiwa Bijutsukan)
Anti-war hall with an extensive collection of Imperial Army artifacts. Periodic exhibits. From Kyoto Station, take bus #50 or #205. 300 yen. 075 465 8151
Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Kyoto
A Tale Beginning with Monet: Western Painting of the Sumitomo Collection
Paintings from the late 19th-early 20th centuries by both Western and Japanese painters, in the Western style.
March 14 - May 17, 2020
Museum hours: 10 am - 5 pm (last entry 4:30 pm). 800 yen for adults. Closed Mondays (except when Monday is a national holiday, when it closes the next day). 24 Shishigata-nishimomiya-no-mae-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto. In front of the Kyoto City bus "Nishimomiya-no-mae-cho" bus stop. Tel. 075 771 6411
Kyoto Music What's On
Kyoto Kaikan Dai-ichi Hall: 0570 000 403.
Lab Tribe
Lab Tribe schedule, 075 254 1228.
Live Spot Rag
075 255 7273. On Kiyamachi, north of Sanjo. Kyoto Empire Building, 6F
Metro
Kyoto's best night club. Features kool to kool, latin, rub-a-dub, techno, house, and more. Major acts and DJs. 075 752 2787 Access.From Exit Two of the Marutamachi Station on the Keihan Line.
Parker House Roll
Restaurant/bar with live performances. 075 353 8042. On the east side of Karasuma Dori between Manjuji and Matsubara (north of Gojo) in the basement of the "Members Golf Building."
Taku Taku
Live performance space. Schedule, 075 351 1321. From Exit 5 of the Shijo Subway Station.
Urban Guild
Live performance space Monthly schedule 075 212 1125. On Kiyamachi on the south side between Sanjo and Shijo.
World
Night club and performance space. 075 213 4119. Just north of Shijo-Kiyamachi. On the west side of the street in the Imagium building.
Kyoto Film
Minami-Kaikan (Japanese map, Toji Station).
Alternative Cinema; 075 661 3993.
Kyoto Cinema (click on "map"; Karasuma Station): 075 353 4723.
Kyoto Flea Markets
Kyoto Flea Markets
Toji Temple (buses #19/20/208) from Kyoto Station). Known as Kobo-san, this flea market is held on the 21st of the month. At Toji Temple Market. Get there early and bargain hard.
Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (buses #203/204/205/10 /51/55 from Shijo Kawaramachi. Hakubaicho Station on the Keifuku Line). Known as Tenjin-san, this market is held on the 25th of the month. Get there early and bargain hard.
Hyakuman-ben (buses #17 and 206 from Kyoto Station, buses 201, 31, 17, 17 from Shijo Kawaramachi). This open air market is held at Chion Temple across from Kyoto University on the 15th of the month.
Other Events What's On
Kyoto Sports What's On
Soccer
Kyoto Sanga FC: Home games are played March-late November at Nishikyogoku Stadium. Nishikyogoku Station on the Hankyu Line.
List Your Exhibit/Event in Japan Visitor What's On
Contact JapanVisitor.com to have your event listed: List Your Event.
Books on Japan
What's On in Tokyo and Kyoto is a current listing of museum and art exhibitions in Tokyo, craft gallery exhibitions, concerts, performances, dance events, club nights, flea markets and festivals in Japan's two cultural hubs.
