A look at upcoming exhibitions and art shows across Tokyo for the month of August. Whether you want to see some traditional Japanese art or a modern exhibit, here’s everything worth checking out.
Tokyo Art Shows in August
Kimono Masterpieces with Yuzen Dyeing Exhibition
The Kimono Masterpieces with Yuzen Dyeing exhibit at Marubeni Gallery will feature yuzen-dyed pieces including kimono and Edo-era scrolls.
| Date & Time | Aug 05-Sep 25・10:00-17:00・last admission 16:30 |
| Price | ¥500 |
| Location | Marubeni Gallery |
| More Info | Marubeni Gallery only accepts cashless payments, closed on sundays and public holidays |
Taro Gomi Picture Book World Exhibition
Explore the world of picture books at the Picture Book World Exhibition featuring Gomi Taro, author and illustrator of over 400 books.
| Date & Time | Aug 8, 2025-May 27, 2026・10:00-18:00 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Mikka Lirio Ichibankan |
| More Info | A separate Mikka admission fee is required for other in-house exhibits |
© Moe Nakamura / Pola Museum Annex
Moe Nakamura Solo Exhibition: Connect Connect
Known for her distinctive sculptures fashioned from logs of camphor wood, Moe Nakamura conveys a unique blend of whimsy, warmth and nostalgia through her works. The “Connect Connect” exhibition at the Pola Museum Annex comprises both wooden carvings and two-dimensional pieces. It explores the general theme of connections in various forms, particularly in relation to the ideas of art and emotion, and of memory and the future. Nakamura contemplates the impact the pandemic had on the way we connect with one another, and how it reaffirmed the importance of community.
| Date & Time | Aug 19-Sep 28・11:00-19:00・last entry 18:30 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Pola Museum Annex |
esc: Clothing Store Escape Room Experience
Conceptual clothing brand Tokiqil and Parco Games have collaborated to create Esc, an escape room game and shopping hybrid attraction.
| Date & Time | Aug 22-Sep 07・11:00-21:00・last entry on the final day is 17:45 |
| Price | weekdays: ¥3300, weekends and holidays: ¥5500 |
| Location | Ikebukuro Parco |
| More Info | up to 3 people can participate with one ticket, in addition each person must purchase at least ¥1100 worth of products per visit |
Aki Sasamoto's Life Laboratory
Explore Aki Sasamoto's 20-year journey in Laboratory, blending sculpture, performance and video at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
| Date & Time | Aug 23-Nov 24・10:00-18:00・Last entry 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | ¥1500 |
| Location | Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo |
| More Info | Discounts for students |
Collage of Artworks featured in Lai Lai Wang Wang | © KOSAKU KANECHIKA
Kosaku Kanechika Group Exhibition: Lai Lai Wang Wang
Kosaku Kanechika’s Kyobashi location presents a group exhibition in collaboration with Hirano Kotoken, a leading dealer of Chinese and Korean ceramics. “Lai Lai Wang Wang” — meaning “back and forth” in Chinese — highlights an array of antique pieces from China and Korea alongside contemporary works by Yutaka Aoki, Junko Oki, Takuro Kuwata, Ataru Sato, Miwa Kyusetsu XIII, Noritaka Tatehana, Ana Benaroya and Dan McCarthy. It’s a rare opportunity to see ceramic works from the Han and Tang dynasties of China, including sculptural pieces. This will also mark Kosaku Kanechika’s first display of works by New Jersey-based painter Benaroya, who focuses on female perspectives, desires and queer sensibilities through depictions of bold, muscular physiques.
| Date & Time | Aug 23-Oct 04・11:00-19:00・Closed on Sundays & Mondays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Kosaku Kanechika, Kyobashi |
“Dwelling Places for Brazen Fruit” (2025) © Mannat Gandotra
Mannat Gandotra Exhibition: Containers of Madness
Mannat Gandotra, an up-and-coming painter born in India and based in the UK, presents her vibrant, energetic compositions in a solo exhibition. “Containers of Madness” refers to the idea that visual elements confined within the frame of the canvas are constantly striving to transcend boundaries. Along the way, they collide with and repel one another, while maintaining a precarious sense of harmony. According to Gandotra, her dynamic style stems from an interest in jazz music and the concept of atonality; she is inspired by sounds that reject hierarchical tonal structures, allowing chords and harmonies to emerge unexpectedly within a progression. Ragamala, a genre of Indian miniature painting that captures the melodies and timbres of traditional music, also informs Gandotra’s language.
| Date & Time | Aug 23-Oct 11・11:00-19:00・Closed on Sundays and Mondays |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Ota Fine Arts |
© Naoki Ishikawa
Naoki Ishikawa Photography Exhibition: Ascent of 14, 2001-2024
“Ascent of 14” showcases photographer Naoki Ishikawa’s incredible 23-year-long journey through the Himalayas. Starting with an Everest expedition in 2001 when he was 23, Ishikawa has scaled all 14 of the world’s greatest peaks. Along the way, he shot some breathtaking landscapes. Many of those scenes are being shown to the world for the first time.
| Date & Time | Aug 29-Sep 18・10:00-19:00・Last Entry 18:50, Last Day Until 14:00 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Fujifilm Square Fujifilm Photo Salon Spaces 1 & 2, Mini-Gallery |
60th Anniversary Gacha Gacha Exhibition
Gachapon, or capsule toys, have been a staple of Japanese pop culture. Marking the 60th anniversary of gachapon in Japan, the Marunouchi Building is hosting a special exhibition highlighting the evolution of the toys and some of the biggest names in the industry.
| Date & Time | Jul 26-Aug 15・10:00-19:00・Last Admission at 18:30, Closes at 17:00 on the last day of the exhibit (Last Admission: 16:30) |
| Price | ¥1200 for adults, ¥1000 for high school students, ¥800 for elementary and junior high school students, free for preschool children |
| Location | Marunouchi Building |
Leo Lionni: Creation of Picture Books Exhibition
A new exhibition in Tokyo explores the world of Leo Lionni, the renowned American-Dutch children's book author and artist.
| Date & Time | Jul 05-Aug 27・10:00-19:00・last admission at 18:30 |
| Price | ¥2400 for adults, ¥1700 for university/high school students, ¥1300 for junior high school and elementary school students |
| Location | Hikarie Hall |
Exhibition: World Fair in Japan 1970-2005
Architecture fans will delight in this deep dive into Japan’s Expo designs, from Osaka in the ’70’s to Aichi 2005’s eco-conscious pavilions.
| Date & Time | Mar 08-Aug 31・10:00-16:30 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | National Archives of Modern Architecture |
| More Info | Closed on Mondays, except public holidays (closed the following day instead) |
The Fear Exhibition
The Fear Exhibition, at the Beam Gallery in Shibuya, explores fears and anxieties of the human heart. Focusing on both conventional and irrational fears, the exhibit is an opportunity for visitors to explore a wide range of phobias while also confronting their own fears.
| Date & Time | Jul 18-Aug 31・11:00-20:00・last admission 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | ¥2300 |
| Location | Shibuya Beam |
Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition
Take a nostalgic step back in time into the Heisei era at the TBS Neo Heisei Retro Exhibition inside the Shibuya Seibu department store.
| Date & Time | Jul 24-Aug 31・10:00-20:00 |
| Price | ¥1800 |
| Location | Shibuya Seibu department store |
| More Info | Free for elementary school students and younger accompanied by a parent or guardian. By presenting any type of disability certificate, visitors and up to one accompanying person can enter for free. |
Kokeshi Art Exhibition
Tokyo Mokunavi invites guests to learn more about kokeshi, traditional Japanese wooden, dolls through their new exhibition.
| Date & Time | Jun 26-Sep 09・10:30-18:30・Closed on Wednesdays; closed from August 12 to August 15 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Tokyo Mokunavi |
Isao Takahata Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation
Explore the life and legacy of Isao Takahata, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, through rare art and materials from his iconic films, including Grave of the Fireflies, opening this summer at Azabudai Hills Gallery.
| Date & Time | Jun 27-Sep 15・10:00-20:00・Last Entry 19:30 |
| Price | ¥1,200-¥2,000 |
| Location | Azabudai Hills Gallery |
Escaping From Fatigue Exhibition
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation is holding an exhibit exploring fatigue and the best strategies to combat stress.
| Date & Time | Jul 16-Sep 15・10:00-17:00・Closed on September 2 and September 9 |
| Price | Free |
| Location | The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Japan (Miraikan) |
Tove Jansson and the Moomins Exhibit
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the beloved Moomin novels, the Mori Arts Center Gallery will host a special exhibit.
| Date & Time | Jul 16-Sep 17・10:00-18:00・last admission 30 minutes before closing; open 10:00-20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and day before holidays |
| Price | ¥2500 for adults and university students, ¥1600 for high school and junior high school students, ¥900 for elementary school children, free for preschool children |
| Location | Mori Arts Center Gallery |
| More Info | Guests who present a disability certificate receive half price admission and one accompanying ticket free of charge |
Ooku: Women of Power in Edo Castle
Ooku: Women of Power in Edo Castle is a new special exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum running from July 19 to September 21 organized in cooperation with the Tokugawa Memorial Foundation. The exhibit features over 180 artifacts, connecting guests to the Empress Dowagers, concubines and maids of the shogunate.
| Date & Time | Jul 19-Sep 21・~17:00・closed on July 22, open until 20:00 every Friday and Saturday, last admission 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | ¥2100 for adults, ¥1300 for university students, ¥900 for high school students |
| Location | Tokyo National Museum |
Wanoakari x Hyakudan Kaidan 2025 - A Gathering of 100 Onis
Inside the Hyakudan Kaidan, 38 artists of various genres and specializations come together for an intricate display of traditional and contemporary art. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the exhibit, and the 2025 theme is "A Gathering of 100 Onis."
| Date & Time | Jul 04-Sep 23・11:00-18:00・Last admission at 17:30, exhibition closes at 17:00 on August 16 (last admission at 16:30) |
| Price | ¥1800 for adults, ¥1200 for university and high school students, ¥1000 for junior high school and elementary school students |
| Location | Hyakudan Kaidan - Hotel Gajoen Tokyo |
| More Info | discounts are available for groups of 2 or more, group tickets are not available at the student price |
'Deep Space: To the Moon and Beyond' Exhibition
The Miraikan in Odaiba will host an exhibition on the latest space exploration technologies, building rockets and the future of space travel.
| Date & Time | Jul 12-Sep 28・10:00-17:00・last admission 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | ¥2200 for adults, ¥1400 for junior high school students and children under 18, ¥700 for elementary school students |
| Location | The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Japan (Miraikan) |
| More Info | Closed on July 15, September 2, September 9, September 16 |
Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition
"Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition" will display over 100 pieces of shunga art from the Edo period in a former Noh stage.
| Date & Time | Jul 26-Sep 30・11:00-21:00・Last admission 30 minutes before closing; open 10:00 - 21:00 on weekends and holidays |
| Price | ¥2200 |
| Location | Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage |
| More Info | No admission for those under 18; Free admission for persons with disabilities and one accompanying person; This exhibition requires advance reservations |
The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest
The Mori Art Museum will be exhibiting "The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest," a comprehensive overview of projects from architect Sou Fujimoto's design journey.
| Date & Time | Jul 02-Nov 09・10:00-22:00・10:00-17:00 on Tuesdays, Open until 22:00 on September 23 |
| Price | ¥2300 for adults, ¥2000 for seniors, ¥1400 for university/high school students, free for children |
| Location | Mori Art Museum |
| More Info | admission price varies on weekends and holidays, online tickets are discounted |
Tokyo Exhibitions in August
Ando Teru Exhibition: The Sculptor of The Hachiko Statue
This exhibition revisits the sculptor behind Shibuya’s beloved Hachiko statue, marking 80 years since his death.
| Date & Time | Jun 21-Aug 17・10:00-20:00 |
| Price | ¥1000 |
| Location | The Shoto Museum of Art |
| More Info | Closed on Mondays (except for July 21, and August 11, 2025), July 22(Tue.), and August 12(Tue.), 2025 |
Related Posts
- Vatican Returns 26 Martyrs of Japan Portraits to Japan After 94 Years
- Kioi Seido: Tokyo’s Enigmatic ‘Building With No Purpose’
Updated On August 5, 2025
