Mori Art Museum to Close for Renovation from September 24, 2027; Reopening Planned for Late April 2028

The Mori Art Museum (Roppongi, Tokyo) will close from Friday, September 24, 2027 for repairs and renovation of its facilities and various equipment. It is scheduled to reopen in late April 2028. Mori Building Co., Ltd. announced the schedule for fiscal 2027 on August 25, 2026. Before the closure, the museum will hold the exhibition “The World Is Made of Play: Art, Children and Society,” from Thursday, April 29 (a public holiday) to Thursday, September 23 (a public holiday), 2027.

When does the closure begin and end?

The closure begins on Friday, September 24, 2027, with the museum devoting the second half of fiscal 2027 to the renovation. The repairs and renovation cover the facilities and various equipment; the press materials do not give specific details of the work. The museum is scheduled to reopen after the renovation in late April 2028.

The fiscal 2027 exhibition listed in the press materials is “The World Is Made of Play,” and the closure begins the day after it ends. Admission and opening hours for this exhibition had not been announced as of October 19.

The exhibition before the closure, “The World Is Made of Play”: what can visitors see?

The exhibition reexamines “play,” born of curiosity and the spirit of inquiry, from multiple angles through the lens of contemporary art. It brings together works that invite spontaneous play and immersive installations that stir bodily senses. It also takes up works that question social norms, participatory works and historical practices from the 1950s onward.

Planned artists include Monster Chetwynd, Aki Kondo, Yuriko Sasaoka and Do Ho Suh (subject to change). The exhibition is curated by Manabu Yahagi, associate curator at the Mori Art Museum, Hirokazu Tokuyama, senior curator, and Victor Wang, adjunct curator.

Another feature is that it welcomes children as co-creators of the exhibition. In the press materials, museum director Mami Kataoka explains that fiscal 2027 was planned with the idea of making the Mori Art Museum a place where children encounter contemporary art. She says the museum hopes to offer experiences that stimulate the imagination across generations.

The Chiharu Shiota exhibition passes 2 million visitors on tour: Mori Art Museum exhibitions traveling abroad

The same press materials also reported on the overseas tours of exhibitions organized by the Mori Art Museum. “Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles,” held at the Mori Art Museum in 2019, has been touring abroad. With its showing at the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, Italy (October 22, 2025 – June 28, 2026), total attendance passed 2 million. The figure is the total for nine venues, including the Mori Art Museum.

The exhibition’s next venue is the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada, from Saturday, September 26, 2026 to Sunday, February 14, 2027. “The Architecture of Sou Fujimoto: Primordial Future Forest,” held in 2025, is also touring to the JUT Art Museum in Taipei, from Saturday, August 15, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027.

Exhibitions to see before the closure

“Mariko Mori: All That Shines” opened on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Running until Sunday, March 28, 2027, the solo exhibition presents about 40 works from more than 30 years of activity. The large-scale interactive installation “Wave UFO,” which uses a brainwave interface, is also on display. On the opening day, October 31, the museum stays open until 6:00 the next morning for Roppongi Art Night 2026. Details are in our article on Mariko Mori: All That Shines.

The press materials do not say how the museum will operate between the close of that exhibition and the opening of “The World Is Made of Play.”

Editor’s perspective

In 2027, other museums will also be closing for renovation. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa will close from May 2027 to March 2028. The Hiroshima Museum of Art is scheduled to close from Sunday, August 1, 2027 to Thursday, November 2, 2028. The Setagaya Art Museum is also scheduled to close from April 2027 to January 2030.

As closures overlap, the Mori Art Museum will mark a pause with an exhibition centered on children. The specifics of the renovation have not yet been announced, so further news on the reopening in late April 2028 is awaited. Each museum’s schedule is gathered in our guide to museum closures and reopenings.

Frequently asked questions

When will the Mori Art Museum close, and until when?

It will close from Friday, September 24, 2027 for repairs and renovation of the facility and its equipment. It is scheduled to reopen in late April 2028.

Which exhibitions can I see before the closure?

“Mariko Mori: Sansan” runs from Saturday, October 31, 2026 to Sunday, March 28, 2027. The last exhibition before the closure is “The World Is Made of Play: Art, Children and Society,” from Thursday, April 29 (national holiday) to Thursday, September 23, 2027 (national holiday).

Which artists will be in “The World Is Made of Play”?

Planned participating artists include Monster Chetwynd, Aki Kondo, Yuriko Sasaoka and Do Ho Suh (subject to change). The exhibition will feature works that invite spontaneous play, immersive installations and participatory works.

Overview

Name: The World Is Made of Play: Art, Children and Society
Dates: Thursday, April 29 (public holiday) – Thursday, September 23 (public holiday), 2027
Venue: Mori Art Museum (53rd floor, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower)
Hours and admission: Not announced as of October 19
Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Curators: Manabu Yahagi, Hirokazu Tokuyama, Victor Wang
Closure: From Friday, September 24, 2027 (for repairs and renovation of facilities and various equipment)
Reopening: Scheduled for late April 2028
Official website: https://www.mori.art.museum/jp/
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Mori Art Museum (Roppongi Hills) (photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from Mori Building Co., Ltd. (August 25, 2026) and information on the Mori Art Museum official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team