Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum from January 2027; First Collaboration with the Museum’s Collection

The Tokyo National Museum (Ueno, Tokyo) will hold the Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Exhibition “A World of Endless Fantasy” in the Hyokeikan from Friday, January 8 to Sunday, April 4, 2027. It is organized by the museum and the FF40 Anniversary Exhibition Executive Committee, made up of Square Enix, TV Tokyo and others. Tracing the series’ path since the first title in 1987 through famous scenes and music from successive titles, it is the first collaboration in the series’ 40 years with cultural properties in the Tokyo National Museum’s collection. Tickets are date-specified on all days, and tickets for Period 1, covering visits through February 5, are on sale.

Why the Tokyo National Museum? The Hyokeikan, opened in 1909, is the venue

The venue, the Hyokeikan, is an Important Cultural Property that opened in 1909 as a building incorporating Western architectural styles. According to the museum, “Final Fantasy” started from Western medieval fantasy and has fused diverse elements such as Eastern motifs and science fiction. The museum presents the exhibition’s staging here by likening this path to the origins of the Hyokeikan.

According to the organizers, the first title in the series was released on December 18, 1987, and the series marks its 40th anniversary in December 2027. Cumulative worldwide shipments and digital sales exceed 212 million units. In 2017 it was certified by Guinness World Records as the “role-playing game series with the most titles” (87 titles).

What can be seen? Famous scenes and music, and collaborations with the museum’s collection

The exhibition looks back on the series’ 40 years with famous scenes and music from successive titles. The latest titles, “FINAL FANTASY XIV: EVERCOLD” and “FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION,” are also introduced. Interactive content that lets visitors experience the game worlds in real space is also planned, with details to be announced in due course.

New exhibits combining masterpieces from the Tokyo National Museum with the series will also appear. The example released so far is “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Nihonbashi) × Kugane (FFXIV).” The cards given as a bonus to Period 1 ticket buyers come in two designs: this pairing and “Peacock Wisdom King × Joshua Rosfield (FFXVI).” The number of exhibits and the chapter structure had not been announced as of October 19.

Tickets and prices: date-specified tickets on all days; Period 2 onward to be announced later

The “Early-Bird Date-Specified Ticket” now on sale costs 3,200 yen for adults, 2,400 yen for students (university, vocational school and high school students) and 1,100 yen for children (junior high and elementary school students) (tax included). Buyers choose a morning (9:30–13:30) or afternoon (13:30–last admission) entry slot. The “+9999 (Counter Stop) Goods Ticket,” which comes with a framed pin badge set of logos from successive titles (limited quantity), costs 13,199 yen for adults, 12,399 yen for students and 11,099 yen for children.

The run is divided into three periods. General sales for Period 1 (visits from January 8 to February 5) run from 9:30 on September 24, 2026 to 23:59 on January 7, 2027, through asoview!, Seven Ticket, the SQUARE ENIX app and JRE MALL Ticket. General sale dates for Period 2 (February 6 – March 5) and Period 3 (March 6 – April 4) will be announced later. Buyers receive one venue-exclusive “SQUARE ENIX Gallery Card -Extra Edition 01-,” chosen at random from two designs for each period.

Opening hours, closing days and access

Opening hours are 9:30–17:00, extended to 20:00 every Friday and Saturday and on Sundays followed by a Monday national holiday or substitute holiday (last entry 30 minutes before closing). The museum is closed on Mondays, but it is open on January 11, February 22, March 22 and March 29 and closed on Tuesday, January 12 and Tuesday, March 23.

It is a 10-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station or the South Exit of Uguisudani Station, and a 15-minute walk from Ueno Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya Lines, Nezu Station on the Chiyoda Line and Keisei Ueno Station. During the run, the special exhibition “The Tale of Genji: The Radiance of the Court” is also held in the Heiseikan from Tuesday, January 19 to Sunday, March 14. From Wednesday, January 13 to Monday, March 22, a special audio guide for the TNM collection exhibitions and a puzzle game are also planned as part of a collaboration with Juufuutei Raden.

Editor’s perspective

What sets this exhibition apart is that a game’s commemorative exhibition makes use of both an Important Cultural Property building and cultural properties in the museum’s collection. The interactive content and the number of exhibits have not yet been revealed. Visitors planning to come in Period 2 or later will have to wait for the general sale dates to be announced. Other exhibitions in 2027 are gathered in our 2027 exhibition schedule. Game, anime and manga exhibitions are introduced in our guide to anime, manga and game exhibitions.

Overview

Name: Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Exhibition “A World of Endless Fantasy”
Dates: Friday, January 8 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
Hours: 9:30–17:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays followed by a Monday national holiday or substitute holiday; last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (open on January 11, February 22, March 22 and March 29), Tuesday, January 12, Tuesday, March 23
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Hyokeikan
Address: 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Early-Bird Date-Specified Tickets: adults 3,200 yen, students 2,400 yen, children 1,100 yen (tax included; date-specified tickets on all days)
Organizers: Tokyo National Museum; FF40 Anniversary Exhibition Executive Committee (Square Enix, TV Tokyo, Movic, TOPPAN, TOPPAN CROLLE, Nikkei Inc.)
Special sponsor: GALLERIA (Thirdwave)
Official website: https://www.jp.square-enix.com/ff40th/exhibition/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Exterior of the Hyokeikan, Tokyo National Museum, February 2017 (photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on the announcement by TV Tokyo, a member of the FF40 Anniversary Exhibition Executive Committee (September 10, 2026), press materials from Tsuburaya Fields Holdings (September 30, 2026) and information on the Tokyo National Museum’s official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team