Musée d’Orsay Exhibition “What a Wonderful World” Opens November 14 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, with “The Gleaners” in Japan for the First Time in 23 Years

“100th Anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum — What a Wonderful World: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay” (Japanese title: “The Joy of Living Now”) opens at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum on Saturday, November 14, 2026. It runs until Sunday, March 28, 2027, organized by the museum, the Musée d’Orsay, Nikkei Inc. and others. About 110 works from the collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and photographs, are presented. Millet’s “The Gleaners” comes to Japan for the first time in 23 years, and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and Gauguin’s “Arearea” for the first time in 16 years.

Highlights of the Musée d’Orsay exhibition

The theme, “the joy of living now,” was developed as a project celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Musée d’Orsay and the 100th anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. From the roughly 100,000 works in the Musée d’Orsay’s collection, the two museums selected works that convey hope. The exhibition is structured in seven chapters, which the museum says “weave together the precious moments of life.”

According to the museum’s commentary, the 19th century was an age when industrial development swelled the middle class and technological innovation transformed society. Artists turned a keen interest to expressing the familiar “now,” depicting newly emerging ways of life and landscapes in new styles. Participating artists include Jean-François Millet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.

Main works coming to Japan

The museum lists the following three works at the top of its “highlights.”

• Jean-François Millet, “The Gleaners” (in Japan for the first time in 23 years)

• Vincent van Gogh, “Starry Night” (in Japan for the first time in 16 years)

• Paul Gauguin, “Arearea” (in Japan for the first time in 16 years)

The museum says that these and other works from the Musée d’Orsay “are leaving Paris and coming to Tokyo for this exhibition alone.” The exhibition’s spatial design is by Cécile Degos, a scenographer active in France, including at the Musée d’Orsay.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum at 100, and the Musée d’Orsay

According to the museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum opened in 1926 as Japan’s first public art museum. From Thursday, November 19 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), it is also holding two free exhibitions commemorating its 100th anniversary: “For You to Read the World” and “Opening the Beginning: 100 Years of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.” The centennial activities are introduced in our article on the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum’s 100th anniversary.

At the commemorative lecture on November 14, Édouard Papet, chief curator of sculpture at the Musée d’Orsay, will speak (applications closed). On Saturday, February 6, 2027, Akiya Takahashi, director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, will give a lecture titled “40 Years of the Musée d’Orsay.” Takahashi was on the staff of the Musée d’Orsay’s preparatory office before its opening. Admission is free, with a capacity of 220, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis from 10:00 on Thursday, January 7, 2027.

Tickets, and how to avoid crowds

Admission is 2,400 yen for adults, 1,300 yen for university and vocational school students and 1,600 yen for those aged 65 and over. Advance tickets (adults 2,200 yen, university and vocational school students 1,100 yen, aged 65 and over 1,400 yen) are on sale until Friday, November 13. Those aged 18 and under and high school students and younger, as well as holders of a physical disability certificate or similar plus caregivers (up to one), are admitted free.

On weekdays from Tuesday, December 8 to Friday, December 18, university and vocational school students are also admitted free. On Family Day, the third Saturday of each month and the following Sunday, Tokyo-resident guardians (up to two) accompanying children under 18 pay half the regular adult price. These tickets are sold only at the museum’s ticket counter, and proof of address is required.

Gallery hours are 9:30 to 17:30, and until 20:00 on Fridays (last entry 30 minutes before closing). The galleries are closed on Mondays, Tuesday, November 24, from Tuesday, December 22 to Sunday, January 3, 2027, Tuesday, January 12 and Tuesday, March 23, but open on Monday, November 23 (national holiday), Monday, January 4, Monday, January 11 (national holiday) and Monday, March 22 (substitute holiday). The museum’s page makes no mention of timed entry (as of October 19), so check the entry method on the official website before the opening.

At the National Museum of Western Art’s Tate Turner exhibition, showing a ticket stub or similar from this exhibition at the ticket window gives 100 yen off a same-day ticket for the Turner exhibition. The two exhibitions overlap from November 14 to February 21, 2027.

Editor’s perspective

The exhibition looks at the “now” of the 19th century, when industrialization and technological innovation transformed daily life. Setting the joys of everyday life as the theme of a commemorative exhibition for the museum’s centenary reveals the question the exhibition poses. This autumn and winter’s exhibitions are summarized in our guide to autumn and winter exhibitions in Tokyo.

Overview

Name: 100th Anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum — What a Wonderful World: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay
Dates: Saturday, November 14, 2026 – Sunday, March 28, 2027
Hours: 9:30–17:30 (until 20:00 on Fridays; last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays, Tuesday, November 24, Tuesday, December 22 – Sunday, January 3, 2027, Tuesday, January 12 and Tuesday, March 23 (open on Monday, November 23 (national holiday), Monday, January 4, Monday, January 11 (national holiday) and Monday, March 22 (substitute holiday))
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Special Exhibition Rooms
Admission: Adults 2,400 yen (advance 2,200 yen), university and vocational school students 1,300 yen (advance 1,100 yen), aged 65 and over 1,600 yen (advance 1,400 yen). Advance tickets on sale from Monday, September 28 to Friday, November 13, 2026. Free for those aged 18 and under, high school students and younger, and others
Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Musée d’Orsay, Nikkei Inc., TV TOKYO Corporation, BS TV TOKYO Corporation
Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Official website: https://www.tobikan.jp/exhibition/2026_orsay.html
*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: From a press release by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on information on the official websites of the organizers, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (as of October 19, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team