Setagaya Art Museum to Close for About Two Years and Ten Months from April 2027 for Major Renovation; Reopening Planned for February 2030

The Setagaya Art Museum (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo) will close from April 2027 to January 2030 (planned) for major renovation work. The closure will last about two years and ten months, with reopening planned for February 2030. The reason is that 40 years have passed since its completion and its facilities have aged. The renovation is based on Setagaya City’s medium- to long-term maintenance plan and is the museum’s first major renovation. During the work, the grounds, including the garden, will be off-limits, and the museum’s restaurant and café will close along with the museum.

When does the closure begin? The schedule for preparatory work and renovation

The museum announced the closure on its website on June 1, 2026. According to the October 11, 2026 version of its “Frequently Asked Questions,” preparatory work such as moving items within the museum will begin in April 2027, with renovation work scheduled to start from July. The work will be carried out by Setagaya City.

The closure is long because the work will renovate facilities that have not been renovated in 40 years as well as the interior of the storage rooms. The collection numbers 19,000 works, and moving all of them out and back in takes a long time.

Why now? A string of museum closures in 2027

In 2027, other museums will also close for renovation. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa will close from May 2027 to March 2028, and the Hiroshima Museum of Art is scheduled to close from August 1, 2027 to November 2, 2028. The Mori Art Museum will close from September 24. Each museum’s schedule is summarized in our museum closure and reopening information.

What will be renovated? From air conditioning to a complete overhaul of the toilets

The renovation is not a rebuilding, and the current building is expected to remain. The work spans the following four areas.

• Architecture: Replacement of fittings and elevators, renovation of interior ceilings, floors and walls, and waterproofing renovation

• Electrical equipment: Conversion to LED, and replacement of emergency power, fire alarms, emergency exit lights and more

• Water supply, drainage and sanitation: Replacement of piping and pumps, complete renovation of the toilets, and renovation of fire extinguishing equipment

• Air conditioning: Renovation of air conditioning to protect artworks, and replacement of steam piping

During the work, the entire site will be enclosed by temporary fencing, and the garden will also be off-limits.

Activities during the closure: Outreach classes and “100-yen workshops”

The museum says exhibitions at other venues and displays of collection works during the closure are “under consideration.” Loans of works from the collection will in principle be suspended during the closure. Information during the closure will be posted on the museum’s official social media and other channels.

The art appreciation classes for fourth graders at all city elementary schools will be held as outreach classes, with curators visiting the schools. “100-yen workshops” will be held about once a month at facilities in the city, such as the Miyamoto Saburo Memorial Art Museum, a branch of the museum, and community centers. The “Art University” lecture series will be suspended, and the museum is considering holding online courses and short intensive special courses at facilities in the city. The citizens’ exhibition will not be held at the museum.

Rentals of the Citizens’ Gallery and auditorium are scheduled to resume from April 2030. The Kiyokawa Taiji Memorial Gallery, another branch, is being designed for reconstruction, and its citizens’ gallery will be suspended for construction from fiscal 2027 onward. When it will reopen has not been decided.

Exhibitions to see before the closure

In the 1st-floor galleries, “Swedish Textiles: Nordic Design Alive in Daily Life and Nature” is on view until Sunday, November 15. Centered on vintage textiles, it presents about 200 works and related materials (our article on the Swedish Textiles exhibition).

From Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, January 31, 2027, the museum holds “Etcher Tetsuro Komai: Like Constellations Spreading in the Palm of a Hand.” Centered on the museum’s Yoshiharu Fukuhara Collection, it traces the career of the printmaker, who died 50 years ago, through about 300 works and materials (our article on the Tetsuro Komai exhibition).

From Saturday, February 13 to Wednesday, March 31, 2027, the museum plans “Selections from the Setagaya Art Museum Collection: Planet of Life – Us in the Setabi Forest.” It is the third installment of the “Setabi Forest Series” drawn from the museum’s collection, following animals in 2023 and plants in 2025, and its theme is “humans.” The main visual uses Henri Rousseau’s “War” (1894). Admission is 500 yen for adults.

Overview

Name: Closure of the Setagaya Art Museum for major renovation work
Closure period: April 2027 – January 2030 (planned), about two years and ten months
Reopening: February 2030 (planned)
Work: Preparatory work from April 2027, renovation work from July onward (carried out by Setagaya City)
Address: 1-2 Kinuta Park, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry to exhibitions 17:30)
Inquiries: Setagaya Art Museum, 03-3415-6011 / About the renovation: Culture and International Affairs Section, Lifestyle and Culture Policy Department, Setagaya City, 03-6304-3427
Official website: https://www.setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/news/entry.php?id=nw00758 (FAQ: https://www.setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/assets/document/kaishu_faq.pdf)
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: The pergola of the Setagaya Art Museum (photo: Avenafatua, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from the Setagaya Art Museum (notice of June 1, 2026, and the October 11, 2026 version of its “Frequently Asked Questions”) and information on its official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team