Tokyo’s art scene is extensive and vibrant, and there’s always so much to see. Whether you want to see some traditional Japanese art or a modern exhibit, here’s a list of exhibitions happening in Tokyo that are worth checking out.
October Tokyo Art Events
On the Asymmetry of the Universe at teamLab Borderless
Tokyo’s teamLab Borderless has unveiled On the Asymmetry of the Universe, an exhibition celebrating the reopening of the museum’s Light Sculpture – Flow artwork space.
| Date & Time | Jul 8-Oct 8・8:30 a.m.–9 p.m. |
| Price | ¥3,600–¥5,600 |
| Location | teamlab borderless: Mori Building Digital Art Museum |
| More Info | ¥2,800 for children aged 13-17; ¥1.500 for children aged 4 to 12; Children aged 3 and under are free. |
Sanrio Characters Exhibition Hotel Floria Tokyo
Korea's hit Sanrio interactive exhibition will come to Tokyo, immersing fans into a cute hotel concept with themed rooms and special effects.
| Date & Time | Jul 15, 2026-May 31, 2027・10 a.m.–8 p.m.・last admission at 7:30 p.m. |
| Price | (weekdays) General and university students: ¥2400 | High school and junior high school students: ¥1600 | Elementary school students and younger: ¥1000 |
| Location | Tokyu Kabukicho Tower |
Azabudai Hills Pop Up Box Maiden's Bookshelf Exhibition
Azabudai Hills Gallery Space's new exhibition reimagines famous literature by contemporary illustrators like the Maiden's Bookshelf series.
| Date & Time | Jul 16-Aug 30・11 a.m.–8 p.m.・last admission at 7:30 p.m. |
| Price | ¥1100 |
| Location | Azabudai Hills Gallery Space |
| More Info | Tickets are only available for purchase at the ticket counter on the day of the event |
TOH Gigamart Exhibition
Creative team "TOH" will host Gigamart, an interactive art gallery with gigafied products and game where guests can steal from.
| Date & Time | Jul 18-Aug 16・12–8 p.m.・last admission at 7:50 p.m. | Weekends and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Last entry 5:50 p.m.) |
| Price | starting at ¥3200 |
| Location | Azabudai Hills Gallery |
Glad We Came - Nodoka Yamaura Exhibition
UltraSuperNew Kura art gallery will host a special exhibition with pattern artist Nodoka Yamaura titled, "Glad We Came."
| Date & Time | Jun 27-Jul 24・Reservations are required Tuesday-Friday, Walk-ins available on Saturday (11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.), closed Sunday and Monday |
| Price | Free |
| Location | UltraSuperNew KURA |
| More Info | Opening reception on June 26 (6:30 p.m.) |
Eric Carle, Illustration for "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Collection of the Eric and Barbara Carle Foundation. © 1969, 1987 Penguin Random House LLC.
Eric Carle: Art, Books and the Caterpillar
Few picture books have been loved by as many children as The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Created by American author Eric Carle, it has been translated into more than 70 languages and passed down through generations. At its heart is a simple but memorable message: a tiny caterpillar nibbles its way through the world and grows into a beautiful butterfly. It’s a story about hope, change and becoming who you’re meant to be. Marking the 50th anniversary of the book’s Japanese publication, this exhibition brings together around 180 works, including precious original illustrations and handmade “book dummies” that show how Carle’s ideas first took shape on paper. You’ll also see early pieces from his days as a graphic designer — the foundation for the playful, interactive picture books he would later become famous for.
| Date & Time | Apr 25-Jul 26・10 a.m.–6 p.m.・Closed May 7 & July 21, and on Mondays except May 4 and July 20 |
| Price | ¥1,600-¥2,300 |
| Location | Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo |
Soup As Life Exhibition
21_21 Design Sight Gallery will host an exhibition centered around soup and the origins of food, clothing and shelter.
| Date & Time | Mar 27-Aug 9・10 a.m.–7 p.m.・Last admission at 6:30 p.m. |
| Price | General: ¥1600, University students: ¥800, High school students: ¥500, Junior high school students and under: free |
| Location | 21_21 Design Sight |
Grand Van Gogh Exhibition
Van Gogh's timeless masterpiece, "Café Terrace at Night," will come to Japan for the first time in 20 years, exhibiting his art evolution.
| Date & Time | May 29-Aug 12・Sunday to Thursday: 9:00-17:30 | Friday, Saturday and public holidays: 9:00-19:00 | Admission until 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | General: ¥2800 | University and high school students: ¥1600 | Junior high and elementary school students: ¥1000 |
| Location | The Ueno Royal Museum |
| More Info | Free admission for high school students and younger until June 30 |
Soetsu Yanagi and Nihon Mingeikan
In 1926, three friends — Soetsu Yanagi, Kanjiro Kawai and Shoji Hamada — set out to found a new kind of museum, based on the word they had just coined: mingei, meaning “folk craft.” At the time, the idea that everyday objects made by unknown craftspeople held aesthetic value just like fine art was quite revolutionary. Ten years later, in 1936, that vision became tangible when the Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Mingeikan) opened its doors.This exhibition marks two milestones at once: a century since that founding prospectus and 90 years since the museum itself opened. Visitors can trace the long road to that opening and follow Yanagi’s vision — from his designs for the building to the objects he collected and the remarkable care he took with every detail, down to the cases, the wallpaper and the light.
| Date & Time | Jun 6-Aug 12・10 a.m.–5 p.m.・Closed Mondays |
| Price | ¥1,500 |
| Location | The Japan Folk Crafts Museum |
Invitation from Hogwarts at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
The Making of Harry Potter presents “Invitation from Hogwarts,” a limited-time experience running from March 18 to September 6, 2026.
| Date & Time | Mar 18-Sep 6・8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Price | ¥6,300 |
| Location | Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo |
Rina Banerjee, "A woman must keep moving…" (2022). Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.
Rina Banerjee: "You made me leave home…
Stepping into Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo feels like entering a series of mystical, layered environments built from an extraordinary array of found objects. Indian-American artist Rina Banerjee gathers items from across the globe — such as ostrich eggs, vintage glass chandeliers, copper threads and medicinal powders — and weaves them into sculptures that feel both ancient and modern. While her work directly confronts the legacies of colonialism, she does so through a lens of humor and striking beauty, creating a space where the viewer is simultaneously charmed and challenged. This exhibition, which marks the 20th anniversary of Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo and a decade of the Fondation’s international “Hors-les-murs” program, features 19 works that explore the fluid nature of identity. A highlight of the show is a monumental installation inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in Eighty Days, featuring a massive dome from which a cascade of objects is suspended. The exhibition also features Banerjee’s 2025 painting series, which integrates South Asian motifs and iconography to create female figures that echo the presence of Hindu goddesses.
| Date & Time | Mar 19-Sep 13・12–8 p.m. |
| Price | Free |
| Location | Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo |
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Extinction Exhibition
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo will host an exhibition with renowned Japanese photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto.
| Date & Time | Jun 16-Sep 13・10 a.m.–5 p.m.・Last admission 30 minutes before closing, Fridays and Saturdays open until 8:00 p.m. |
| Price | General: ¥2300, University students: ¥1200, High school students: ¥700 |
| Location | The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo |
| More Info | Admission is free for individuals aged 15 and under, and individuals with a disability plus one companion (ID is required) |
Picasso, Through the Eyes of Paul Smith
Pablo Picasso never settled into a single way of seeing. He moved restlessly — from the deep blues of grief to the splintered geometry of cubism, into ceramics, sculpture, theater and the unflinching protest of “Guernica.”This exhibition looks at all of that through an unexpected lens. British designer Paul Smith, drawing on the collection of the Musée national Picasso-Paris, has designed the layout himself — and the result is full of color and small, delightful surprises. Around 80 works, including “Portrait of a Man” from the Blue Period and “Paul as Harlequin,” unfold in a loose, easy chronology rather than a strict progression.It builds on “Picasso Celebration: The Collection in a New Light!” — the 2023 Paris show marking 50 years since the artist’s death — now traveling internationally, reimagined here as a space that feels playful, personal and alive.
| Date & Time | Jun 10-Sep 21・10 a.m.–6 p.m.・Closed Tue and August 12, open August 11. Open until 20:00 Fri & Sat. |
| Price | ¥2,400 |
| Location | The National Art Center, Tokyo |
Ron Mueck Exhibition
Ron Mueck, a contemporary artist, will hold an exhibition at the Mori Art Museum with figurative sculptures that reflect life and mortality.
| Date & Time | Apr 29-Sep 23・10 a.m.–10 p.m.・Tuesdays: 10:00-17:00 | Open until 22:00 on May 5, August 11 and September 22 | Admission until 30 minutes before closing |
| Price | Adults: ¥2500 | University and high school students: ¥1500 | Seniors: ¥2000 | Junior high school students and under: free |
| Location | Mori Art Museum |
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Updated On October 4, 2024
