[Autumn/Winter 2026] Museum Guide to Nakanoshima, Osaka: Nakanoshima Museum of Art, National Museum of Art, Central Public Hall and More

In Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka, the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Museum of Art, Osaka are both about a 5-minute walk from Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line. At the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, the “NHK Sunday Museum 50th Anniversary Exhibition” runs until December 20, and “The British Museum’s Japanese Art Collection: A Hundred Flowers in Bloom – Edo Painting Across the Sea” opened on Saturday, October 31. The National Museum of Art, Osaka opens the special exhibition “Where Words Overlap” on Tuesday, December 1. Here are each museum’s exhibitions, opening hours, prices and access.

Why Nakanoshima now? A partnership between two museums and a 50th anniversary

The National Museum of Art, Osaka opened in 1977 in the building of the former Expo Museum of Fine Arts in the Expo ’70 Commemorative Park (Suita, Osaka Prefecture). In November 2004 it held the grand opening of its new building in Nakanoshima. Designed by César Pelli, the building is a fully underground museum, with all its main functions, including the galleries, below ground. In fiscal 2026 it is holding collection exhibitions under the title “50th Anniversary Pre-Program.”

The plan for the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka goes back to the basic concept for projects marking the 100th anniversary of the Osaka City municipal system in 1983. A preparatory office was set up in 1990, and the museum opened on February 2, 2022. It is the first museum in Japan to adopt the concession method for operating a public facility. The building, designed by Katsuhiko Endo, who was selected through an open design competition, treats the “Passage,” an atrium spanning the first to fifth floors, as its backbone.

Since October 10, works from the National Museum of Art, Osaka collection have been shown free of charge at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka as part of “Korenaka,” a partnership project that draws on both museums’ collections and expertise. On November 3, a symposium featuring the directors of both museums will also be held. Meanwhile, admission to the National Museum of Art, Osaka collection exhibition will rise from 430 yen to 1,000 yen for adults on December 1, following the revision of national museum fees.

Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka: NHK Sunday Museum at 50, the British Museum and 100 Years of Women Who Create

The “NHK Sunday Museum 50th Anniversary Exhibition” in the 5th-floor galleries (until December 20) presents rare footage from the program together with artworks. It shows more than 140 works by about 60 artists, from Jomon pottery to crafts and contemporary art. Takahashi Yuichi’s “Oiran” (Important Cultural Property), Ito Jakuchu’s “Stone Lanterns” folding screens, Tomoko Konoike’s “Hide Stage Curtain” and Fukumi Shimura’s “Maihime” are shown only at the Osaka venue. Tetsuya Ishida’s “Man Who Can No Longer Fly,” Miyako Ishiuchi’s “Hiroshima #9 donor: Ogawa, R.” and Katsura Funakoshi’s “Lunar Eclipse Reflected in Water” are also on view, and some works will be changed during the run (our article on the NHK Sunday Museum exhibition).

In the 4th-floor galleries, “The British Museum’s Japanese Art Collection: A Hundred Flowers in Bloom – Edo Painting Across the Sea” runs from Saturday, October 31 to Sunday, January 31, 2027. The exhibition draws mainly on Edo painting from the British Museum’s Japanese collection. Works include Kitagawa Utamaro’s “Courtesan Reading a Letter,” returning from Britain to Japan for the first time, Maruyama Okyo’s folding screens “Crossing with Tiger Cubs” and Katsushika Hokusai’s block-ready drawings for “The Great Picture Book of Everything.” Kano school sliding-door paintings now divided among Aomori, London and Seattle are also shown together (our article on the British Museum exhibition).

In the 2nd-floor multipurpose space, “NMAO Satellite,” which shows works by eight artists from the National Museum of Art, Osaka collection free of charge, ran until Saturday, November 7. Works by Yasumasa Morimura, Chiharu Shiota, Kodai Nakahara, Ryan Gander and others are on view. Aiko Miyanaga’s “nakasora – 20 liters of the sea –” (2012) is made from materials including water from the Dojima River and a 20-liter glass bottle. “Osaka Directory 13 Supported by RICHARD MILLE” (Hazuki Tachibana) opens on November 14, and No. 14 in the same series (Teppei Sako) on December 19.

From Saturday, January 9, 2027, “100 Years of Women Who Create” opens in the 5th-floor galleries. The exhibition traces about 50 women artists from the Taisho era to the Reiwa era across 10 chapters (our article on 100 Years of Women Who Create).

Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30; the British Museum exhibition is open until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: Mondays (open on November 23 and January 11), Tuesday, November 24. The British Museum exhibition is also closed on December 31, January 1 and January 12
Admission: NHK Sunday Museum 50th Anniversary Exhibition: adults 2,000 yen, high school and university students 1,200 yen, elementary and junior high school students 500 yen / British Museum exhibition: adults 2,300 yen, high school and university students 1,400 yen, elementary and junior high school students 500 yen
Address: 4-3-1 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
Access: About 5 minutes southwest from Exit 2 of Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line; about 10 minutes west from Exit 4 of Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line
Official website: https://nakka-art.jp/

National Museum of Art, Osaka: Aki Sasamoto until November 3, then “Where Words Overlap” from December

The special exhibition “Aki Sasamoto: Laboratory” in the B3F galleries runs until Tuesday, November 3 (a public holiday). In it, the artist herself enters spaces combining string, tubes, everyday objects, sound and words to perform. At the end of the run, “E_O” and “Wrong Happy Hour” are scheduled for Friday, October 30. Performances including “Yield Point” take place on Saturday, October 31, and performances including “Secrets of My Mother’s Child” on Sunday, November 1. Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 are special free admission days, when both the special exhibition and the collection exhibition can be seen free of charge (our article on the Aki Sasamoto exhibition).

From Tuesday, December 1, the special exhibition “Where Words Overlap” runs until Sunday, March 14, 2027. Focusing on places long regarded as border zones of Asia, it takes up moving images, images and words connected with places where languages, ethnicities, cultures and ideologies intersect. The 16 participating artists and groups include Kenshichi Heshiki, Motoyuki Shitamichi, Cao Fei, Chikako Yamashiro, Meiro Koizumi, Ilya Kabakov and Kei Imazu. “50th Anniversary Pre-Program, Collection 2: The Contemporary Becoming History” also starts at the same time (our article on Where Words Overlap).

Kei Imazu is also taking part in the new display opening at the Naoshima New Museum of Art on December 12 (our guide to the art islands of Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima). This winter, works by the same artist can be seen in both Osaka and Naoshima.

Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); until 20:00 on Fridays (last entry 19:30)
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, open and closed the following Tuesday), during exhibition changes, and over the New Year holidays (December 28, 2026 – January 4, 2027)
Admission: Aki Sasamoto and “Where Words Overlap”: adults 1,800 yen, university students 1,200 yen (night discount on Fridays after 17:00), free for high school students and younger and those under 18. The special exhibition ticket also covers the collection exhibition. Collection exhibition only: adults 430 yen, university students 130 yen, rising to 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for university students from December 1
Address: 4-2-55 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
Access: About 5 minutes southwest from Exit 2 of Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line; about 10 minutes west from Exit 3 of Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line
Official website: https://www.nmao.go.jp/

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka and the Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, near Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan line, has been closed since Monday, August 3, 2026, for renovation work on its restrooms, air conditioning and other facilities. It is scheduled to reopen around April 2027, and details will be announced on its official website and social media. During the closure, the café “café KITONARI” remains open, and the museum shop operates online only.

The Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art, a branch of the Kosetsu Museum of Art, is on the 4th floor of Nakanoshima Festival Tower West. It presents the collection of Japanese and East Asian antique art assembled by Ryohei Murayama, founder of The Asahi Shimbun. It is directly connected to Higobashi Station on the subway and Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan line. Check the official website for current exhibitions and opening hours.

The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka: Closed until around April 2027. Right by Exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line. Official website: https://www.moco.or.jp/
Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art: 4th floor, Nakanoshima Festival Tower West. Official website: https://www.kosetsu-museum.or.jp/nakanoshima/

Osaka City Central Public Hall

Construction of the Osaka City Central Public Hall began in 1913, funded by a donation from Osaka citizen Einosuke Iwamoto, and was completed in 1918. In December 2002, it became the first public hall building in western Japan to be designated a national Important Cultural Property. Its official website offers a 3D virtual tour with 360-degree panoramic views of the interior.

Light events in Nakanoshima Park are introduced in our article on NAKANOSHIMA ART LIGHTS 2026.

Hours: 9:30–21:30
Closed: Fourth Tuesday of each month (the next weekday if it is a public holiday), December 27 – January 4
Address: 1-1-27 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
Access: About a 1-minute walk from Exit 1 of Naniwabashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line; about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Yodoyabashi Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and Keihan Main Line
Official website: https://osaka-chuokokaido.com/ja

Editor’s perspective

It is worth noting that a national museum and a City of Osaka museum have begun a partnership that draws on each other’s collections and expertise. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, “NMAO Satellite,” part of that partnership, places works in open spaces unlike the galleries, aiming to create opportunities for visitors to come across artworks unexpectedly. The project also lists promoting and revitalizing local culture among its goals.

On the other hand, the National Museum of Art, Osaka’s special exhibition and collection exhibition both end on November 3, and the next displays begin on December 1. With the Museum of Oriental Ceramics also closed, a November visit to Nakanoshima will center on the two exhibitions at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka. From December, “Where Words Overlap” at the National Museum of Art, Osaka is added. Outside Nakanoshima, MASK, a storage facility in Kitakagaya, Suminoe Ward, Osaka, holds “Open Storage 2026,” showing large works by Kohei Nawa and others free of charge, from October 30 to November 29 (open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays).

Frequently asked questions

Can I visit the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Museum of Art, Osaka in one day?

Both are about a 5-minute walk from Exit 2 of Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line, and both open at 10:00. The National Museum of Art, Osaka is open until 20:00 every Friday, as is the British Museum exhibition at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka. Until November 3, a stamp rally covering both museums is also being held.

How do I get there from JR Osaka Station?

The Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka and the National Museum of Art, Osaka are about a 20-minute walk southwest of JR Osaka Station. By Osaka City Bus, take route 53 or 75 from JR Osaka Station to “Taminobashi,” then walk about 2 minutes southwest to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka or about 3 minutes to the National Museum of Art, Osaka.

Is the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka open?

It has been closed for renovation work since Monday, August 3, 2026, and is scheduled to reopen around April 2027. The café “café KITONARI” remains open during the closure.

Is admission to the National Museum of Art, Osaka collection exhibition changing?

Following the revision of admission fees for the national museums’ collection exhibitions, it will be 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for university students from December 1. Free admission continues for high school students and younger, those under 18, those 65 and over, and holders of a disability certificate and one caregiver. A special exhibition ticket also covers the collection exhibition shown at the same time.

*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Kodai Nakahara, “Radio Control 4,” 1990–91, collection of the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Photo: Kazuo Fukunaga (from a press release by the Agency for Cultural Affairs)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 20, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: For the projection mapping on the Osaka City Central Public Hall (OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026) mentioned in this article, HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE, was selected as the best proposer for the production work (About us).

From Friday, December 11 to Friday, December 25, projection mapping will be shown on the east facade of the Central Public Hall as part of “OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance 2026.” Screenings are scheduled from 17:30 to 21:30 (our article on the Osaka Festival of the Lights 2026; our article on the Central Public Hall projection mapping).