[2026–2027] Tokyo Museums Open over the Year-End and New Year Holidays: Closing Days and New Year Opening Dates for 33 Venues

Over the 2026–2027 year-end and New Year holidays, many of Tokyo’s major museums close from around Monday, December 28. On New Year’s Day 2027, Tokyo National Museum opens from 12:00 to 20:00, and the Okura Museum of Art in Toranomon opens its exhibition “New Year Traditions: Performing Arts and Art for Seeing Out the Year.” On Saturday, January 2, eight museums, including the National Museum of Western Art and The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, reopen, while The National Art Center, Tokyo and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art reopen on Wednesday, January 6. Based on each museum’s official website and press releases, this article sorts out the last opening day of the year, closure period and first opening day of 2027 for 33 museums, along with exhibitions and New Year events that can be seen over the holidays.

In 2027, New Year’s Day falls on a Friday, and January 2 and 3 are a Saturday and Sunday. When closures begin varies by museum: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum closes for maintenance from Monday, December 21, while the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum stays open until Wednesday, December 30. Even after the new year, some museums face exhibition changeovers or closures soon after the holidays, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, closed from Thursday, January 7 to Wednesday, January 20, and The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, closed from Tuesday, January 12 to Monday, February 8. January exhibitions and events as a whole are covered in our roundup of art events in January 2027.

Quick reference: Two museums state they are open on New Year’s Day, and eight reopen on January 2

Based on each museum’s official announcements, we have grouped them by first opening day of 2027. Facilities that do not specify year-end and New Year closing days, for example because they are open every day during an exhibition, are listed separately.

• Friday, January 1 (national holiday): Tokyo National Museum (12:00–20:00), Okura Museum of Art (first day of an exhibition)

• Saturday, January 2: National Museum of Western Art, National Museum of Nature and Science (according to its regular closing rules), The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Suntory Museum of Art, Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, The Sumida Hokusai Museum, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum

• Sunday, January 3: Tokyo Station Gallery, Yamatane Museum of Art

• Monday, January 4: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Mitsui Memorial Museum

• Tuesday, January 5: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (special exhibition galleries), The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, Artizon Museum, National Film Archive of Japan, Nezu Museum, The Shoto Museum of Art, Setagaya Art Museum

• Wednesday, January 6: The National Art Center, Tokyo, Ota Memorial Museum of Art

• Thursday, January 7 or later: Toguri Museum of Art (January 7), SOMPO Museum of Art (January 9), Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art (January 16), Nerima Art Museum (January 28), Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo (January 30)

• No year-end and New Year closing days specified: The Ueno Royal Museum and Mori Art Museum (both open every day during their exhibitions), Tokyo City View, teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM

• No year-end and New Year information (as of October 26): Mori Arts Center Gallery

The most common last opening day of the year is Sunday, December 27, chosen by 15 museums.

• Sunday, December 13: SOMPO Museum of Art, Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo (both the last day of an exhibition)

• Sunday, December 20: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Okura Museum of Art, Toguri Museum of Art, Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art (the last three on the last day of an exhibition)

• Wednesday, December 23: Ota Memorial Museum of Art

• Friday, December 25: Tokyo National Museum (only the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures and the Kuroda Memorial Hall from December 22 to 25; the Honkan and others until December 20), Nezu Museum

• Saturday, December 26: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, The Sumida Hokusai Museum

• Sunday, December 27: National Museum of Western Art, National Museum of Nature and Science, The National Art Center, Tokyo, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, Tokyo Station Gallery, Artizon Museum, Mitsui Memorial Museum, National Film Archive of Japan (permanent exhibition only in the galleries), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Yamatane Museum of Art, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, The Shoto Museum of Art, Setagaya Art Museum, Nerima Art Museum (last day of an exhibition)

• Monday, December 28: Suntory Museum of Art

• Wednesday, December 30: Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

• Thursday, December 31: teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM (8:00–20:00)

Ueno: Tokyo National Museum opens at noon on New Year’s Day

In Ueno Park, Tokyo National Museum opens from New Year’s Day, while Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is closed from Monday, December 21 to Sunday, January 3. Basic information on Ueno’s main facilities is summarized in our guide to museums in Ueno.

Tokyo National Museum

At year-end, only the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures and the Kuroda Memorial Hall are open from Tuesday, December 22 to Friday, December 25, and Sunday, December 20 is the last opening day of the year for the Honkan and other buildings. The content of the annual New Year event “New Year’s Visit to the Museum” for 2027 had not been announced as of October 26. In 2026 it was held from 13:00 on January 1, and the National Treasure “Pine Trees” folding screens were shown in Room 2 of the Honkan (National Treasure Gallery) until January 12. In 2027, Rooms 2 and 3 of the Honkan will be closed from Monday, December 14, 2026 to Sunday, April 25, 2027. The exhibition at the Hyokeikan is introduced in our article on the FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary Exhibition.

Last opening day of the year: Friday, December 25, 2026 (only the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures and the Kuroda Memorial Hall are open from December 22 to 25)
Closed: Saturday, December 26 – Thursday, December 31
First opening day of 2027: Friday, January 1 (national holiday), 12:00–20:00
Exhibitions: FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary Exhibition “A World of Endless Fantasy” (Hyokeikan, Friday, January 8 – Sunday, April 4, 2027), special exhibition “The Tale of Genji: The Radiance of the Court” (Heiseikan, Tuesday, January 19 – Sunday, March 14)
Official website: https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=113

National Museum of Western Art

The permanent collection galleries will close long-term for facility improvements from Tuesday, January 12 to Friday, March 19, 2027 (scheduled). The permanent collection can be seen in the new year until Monday, January 11 (national holiday).

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibitions: “Turner from Tate: Painting the Sublime, in Dialogue with Contemporary Art” (until Sunday, February 21, 2027), small exhibition “Images of the Theater: From Delacroix and Daumier to Toulouse-Lautrec and Klinger” (until Monday, January 11, national holiday)
Official website: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/jp/exhibitions/2026turner.html

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

A maintenance closure from Monday, December 21 to Monday, December 28 is followed by the year-end and New Year closure from Tuesday, December 29 to Sunday, January 3, 2027. Special exhibitions in the special exhibition galleries are closed on Mondays, so in the new year they open from Tuesday, January 5. The two free exhibitions in Galleries A, B and C do not list Monday, January 4 as a closing day, but the museum generally designates the first and third Mondays as full closing days.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 20, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 21 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5 for the special exhibition galleries
Exhibitions: “100th Anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum — What a Wonderful World: Masterworks from the Musée d’Orsay” (Saturday, November 14 – Sunday, March 28, 2027); “Opening Beginnings: 100 Years of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum” and “For You to Read the World” (both free, Thursday, November 19 – Monday, January 11, 2027, national holiday)
Official website: https://www.tobikan.jp/guide/

National Museum of Nature and Science

Dates based on the closing rules of the main Ueno building (every Monday, and December 28 – January 1 over the year-end and New Year holidays). The museum says closing days may change during special exhibitions and advises checking the official opening calendar for the latest opening days.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Official website: https://www.kahaku.go.jp/riyou/nyukan-annai/index.html

The Ueno Royal Museum

The exhibition page states “open every day during the exhibition.” The calendar on the official website also shows no closures through January 10, including December 31 and January 1, and lists January 11 (Mon, national holiday) to 20 (Wed), after the exhibition closes, as closed. There is no specific information on opening hours over the year-end and New Year holidays.

Closed: Open every day during the exhibition (closed Monday, January 11 [national holiday] – Wednesday, January 20)
Hours: 10:00–17:00
Exhibition: “Cincinnati Art Museum: European Treasures That Crossed to America” (until Sunday, January 10, 2027)
Official website: https://www.ueno-mori.org/exhibitions/article.cgi?id=12651051

Roppongi, Nogizaka and Toranomon: Mori Art Museum open every day during its exhibition, Okura Museum of Art opens on New Year’s Day

Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills specify no closing days over the year-end and New Year holidays. Meanwhile, The National Art Center, Tokyo closes for a relatively long period, from Monday, December 28 to Tuesday, January 5, and Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo has no exhibition from the close of its show on Sunday, December 13 until Saturday, January 30. How to get around the surrounding museums is introduced in our Roppongi Art Triangle guide.

The National Art Center, Tokyo

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Tuesday, January 5, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Wednesday, January 6
Exhibitions: “Shojo Manga Infinity: Moto Hagio × Ryoko Yamagishi × Waki Yamato” (Wednesday, October 28 – Monday, February 8, 2027). “The Louvre Museum Exhibition: Renaissance” runs until Sunday, December 13
Official website: https://www.nact.jp/exhibition_special/2026/shojomanga/

Mori Art Museum

The exhibition information states “open every day during the exhibition.” On Wednesday, December 30 and Thursday, December 31, weekend and holiday prices apply. As of October 26, there was no specific information on opening hours on New Year’s Day.

Closed: Open every day during the exhibition
Hours: 10:00–22:00 (until 17:00 on Tuesdays)
Exhibition: “Mariko Mori: All That Shines” (Saturday, October 31 – Sunday, March 28, 2027)
Official website: https://www.mori.art.museum/jp/exhibitions/marikomori/index.html

Tokyo City View

The observation deck on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. Its visitor information lists the observation deck’s hours from Friday, November 13 to Sunday, February 14, 2027, as 10:00–22:00 Monday to Sunday (last entry 21:30), with no closing days. As of October 26, no changes to opening hours over the year-end and New Year holidays had been announced.

Closed: No closing days listed in the hours table for Friday, November 13 – Sunday, February 14, 2027
Hours: 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:30)
Exhibition: “The Little Prince: A Sky Journey in Search of What Matters,” marking the 80th anniversary of its French publication (Friday, November 13 – Sunday, February 14, 2027)
Official website: https://art-view.roppongihills.com/jp/info/

Mori Arts Center Gallery

On the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. The exhibition opening on Friday, October 30 uses timed entry. As of October 26, the exhibition page made no mention of closing days or opening over the year-end and New Year holidays.

Closed: Not listed on the exhibition page (as of October 26)
Hours: 10:00–20:00
Exhibition: “Haruichi Furudate HAIKYU!! Exhibition: Challengers” (Friday, October 30 – Monday, January 11, 2027, national holiday)
Official website: https://macg.roppongihills.com/jp/exhibitions/haikyu-challengers/

Suntory Museum of Art

Closing days are Tuesdays and Tuesday, December 29 to Friday, January 1 (national holiday); the museum is open on Monday, December 28. Displays are changed during the exhibition to protect the works.

Last opening day of the year: Monday, December 28, 2026
Closed: Tuesday, December 29 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibition: “The Art of the Lotus Sutra: To Make Is to Pray” (Saturday, December 12 – Sunday, February 7, 2027)
Official website: https://www.suntory.co.jp/sma/exhibition/2026_4/index.html

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

Because it is closed on Tuesdays, it opens on Monday, January 4 in the new year and closes on the 5th (Tue). On Saturday, December 26, its last opening day of the year, the related event “The ‘Walking Hojo’ Walks: Shakuhachi Organ Concert and Hands-On Session” will be held from 14:00 to 17:00 (free to participate; admission required).

Last opening day of the year: Saturday, December 26, 2026
Closed: Sunday, December 27 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Monday, January 4
Exhibition: “Learning from Hojoki: Small Architecture That Reweaves Living” (until Monday, January 11, 2027, national holiday)
Official website: https://www.2121designsight.jp/program/hojoki/

Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo

The special exhibition “The Birth of Karamono: Exploring the Origins of Tea Ceremony Design” closes on Sunday, December 13. The first exhibition of 2027 is “Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum Tokyo 25th Anniversary Exhibition: Sumitomo Western-Style Painting Collection Dig!—Paintings of Joy, Encountering the Flowers of This World,” from Saturday, January 30 to Monday, March 22 (substitute holiday), and no exhibition is on view over the year-end and New Year holidays.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 13, 2026 (last day of the special exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 30 (first day of the exhibition)
Exhibition: Special exhibition “The Birth of Karamono: Exploring the Origins of Tea Ceremony Design” (Tuesday, November 3 [national holiday] – Sunday, December 13)
Official website: https://sen-oku.or.jp/t_schedule2027/

Okura Museum of Art

This museum in Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo, opens the exhibition “New Year Traditions: Performing Arts and Art for Seeing Out the Year” on Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday). The museum says it will show Noh and kyogen masks, costumes and paintings on the themes of performing arts for warding off misfortune and celebrating in advance, held over the year-end and New Year, and celebrations of longevity. Closing days are Mondays, exhibition changeover periods and the end of the year, and the current exhibition, “Beautiful Moments: Focusing on Bijinga,” runs until Sunday, December 20.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 20, 2026 (last day of the exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Friday, January 1 (national holiday) (first day of the exhibition)
Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Exhibition: “New Year Traditions: Performing Arts and Art for Seeing Out the Year” (Friday, January 1 [national holiday] – Monday, March 22, 2027 [substitute holiday])
Official website: https://www.shukokan.org/exhibition/future.html

Marunouchi, Kyobashi, Nihonbashi and Takebashi: The Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum closes for just two days

Around Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace, the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum closes for only two days, December 31 and January 1. The special exhibition at The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, which fully opened on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), uses timed entry, with no same-day tickets sold at the venue. Seikado@Marunouchi is not included in this article because we could not confirm its year-end and New Year schedule on its official website.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

“Takehisa Yumeji—An Artist Who Defined His Era” on the 1st floor, the collection exhibition “MOMAT Collection” and “Amis de Paris: Japanese Artists in Paris” in Gallery 4 on the 2nd floor all close on Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday). The museum is then closed from Tuesday, January 12 to Monday, February 8.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibitions: “Takehisa Yumeji—An Artist Who Defined His Era” (until Monday, January 11, 2027, national holiday) and others
Official website: https://www.momat.go.jp/exhibitions/570

The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan

The museum fully opened on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) and holds the special exhibition “Treasures of the Imperial Household: Where Beauty Springs” until Sunday, January 24, 2027. The exhibition is divided into first, middle and final periods, with all works changed in each period. The final period begins on Wednesday, December 23. It is closed from December 28 to January 3, and since January 4 is a Monday closing day, it reopens in the new year on Tuesday, January 5. Details of the full opening are introduced in our article on the full opening of The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibition: Special exhibition “Treasures of the Imperial Household: Where Beauty Springs” (Tuesday, November 3 [national holiday] – Sunday, January 24, 2027; final period from Wednesday, December 23)
Official website: https://shozokan.nich.go.jp/exhibitions/grand-opening-1

Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum

Although it is closed on Mondays, it is open on Monday, December 28 as a Talk Free Day and stays open until Wednesday, December 30. It is closed for two days, Thursday, December 31 and Friday, January 1 (national holiday), the shortest closure among museums with year-end and New Year closing days.

Last opening day of the year: Wednesday, December 30, 2026
Closed: Thursday, December 31, and Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibition: “Fontanesi: Italian Light, Landscapes of the Heart” (until Sunday, January 24, 2027)
Official website: https://mimt.jp/ex_sp/fontanesi/

Tokyo Station Gallery

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Saturday, January 2, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Sunday, January 3
Exhibition: “Nikolai Astrup: The Creative Garden” (Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, January 31, 2027)
Official website: http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/gallery/exhibition/202611_astrup.html

Artizon Museum

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibitions: 6th floor, “Jam Session: Ishibashi Foundation Collection × Hikaru Fujii, WHOSE LIGHT?”; 5th and 4th floors, “Étrangers: Western-Style Painters’ Experiences in Europe” (both until Sunday, January 31, 2027)
Official website: https://www.artizon.museum/exhibition/detail/608

Mitsui Memorial Museum

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Sunday, January 3, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Monday, January 4 (open despite being a Monday)
Exhibition: “National Treasure ‘Pine Trees in Snow’ and the Four Seasons” (Saturday, December 12 – Saturday, January 30, 2027)
Official website: https://www.mitsui-museum.jp/exhibition/next.html

National Film Archive of Japan

In the 7th-floor galleries of this archive in Kyobashi, Chuo City, the exhibition “Kenji Mizoguchi, Film Director: 70 Years After His Death” closes on Sunday, December 13, after which only the permanent exhibition “The History of Japanese Film Through the NFAJ Collection” is on view. The official calendar shows it closed from Monday, December 28 to Monday, January 4, 2027, with the galleries opening at 11:00 on Tuesday, January 5. Monday, January 11 (national holiday) is also shown as a closing day. The fiscal 2026 annual schedule lists the next exhibition, “Japanese Film and Storyboards: The Work of Kenshi Hashizume (provisional title)” (Tuesday, January 5 – Sunday, March 21).

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026 (permanent exhibition only in the galleries)
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibitions: Permanent exhibition “The History of Japanese Film Through the NFAJ Collection.” The exhibition “Kenji Mizoguchi, Film Director: 70 Years After His Death” runs until Sunday, December 13
Official website: https://www.nfaj.go.jp/calendar/2026-12/

Kiyosumi-Shirakawa and Ryogoku: The Sumida Hokusai Museum is also open on January 2 and 3

The Edo-Tokyo Museum, which announced in December 2025 its reopening after renovation on March 31, 2026, is not included in this article because we could not confirm its year-end and New Year schedule on its official website. Closures and reopenings of museums in Tokyo are covered in our information on museum closures and reopenings.

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

It opens on Saturday, January 2 in the new year, but it is closed from Thursday, January 7 to Wednesday, January 20 for exhibition changeovers, and the MOT Collection runs until Wednesday, January 6. In 2026, January 2 and 3 were designated “New Year openings” with free admission to the MOT Collection exhibition, but the arrangements for 2027 had not been announced as of October 26. “TOKYO ART BOOK FAIR 2026” will be held from Thursday, January 21 to Sunday, January 24 and from Friday, January 29 to Sunday, January 31.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday); Thursday, January 7 – Wednesday, January 20 (exhibition changeover)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibition: MOT Collection (until Wednesday, January 6, 2027)
Official website: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/guide/museum-info/

The Sumida Hokusai Museum

It is closed from Sunday, December 27 to Friday, January 1 (national holiday) and explicitly lists Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3 as opening days. This differs from its usual rule of closing from December 29 to January 3 for the year-end and New Year holidays. The first period of the exhibition runs until Sunday, January 24.

Last opening day of the year: Saturday, December 26, 2026
Closed: Sunday, December 27 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2
Exhibition: 10th-anniversary exhibition “Hokusai Crossover: Gathering in Sumida Across the Ages” (Wednesday, December 16 – Sunday, February 28, 2027)
Official website: https://hokusai-museum.jp/modules/Exhibition/exhibitions/view/5023

Shibuya, Aoyama and Ebisu: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum from January 2, Yamatane Museum of Art from January 3

Of the six museums in this area, only the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum opens on Saturday, January 2; the other five open on Sunday, January 3 or later. The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is not included in this article because we could not confirm its year-end and New Year schedule on its official website.

Nezu Museum

Admission prices are for online timed-entry reservations; same-day tickets cost ¥200 more across the board. The next exhibition, “The Buddhist Sculpture Collection of the Nezu Museum,” opens on Saturday, January 30.

Last opening day of the year: Friday, December 25, 2026
Closed: Saturday, December 26 – Monday, January 4, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibition: “Carved Lacquer” (Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, January 17, 2027)
Official website: https://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/jp/exhibitions/upcoming/

Ota Memorial Museum of Art

It reopens on Wednesday, January 6, the same day as The National Art Center, Tokyo. The official calendar also shows it closed from January 18 to 25, and the next exhibition, “An Art History of the Pleasure Quarters,” opens on Tuesday, January 26.

Last opening day of the year: Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Closed: Thursday, December 24 – Tuesday, January 5, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Wednesday, January 6
Exhibition: “Ukiyo-e Artists You Don’t Know” (Saturday, December 12 – Sunday, January 17, 2027)
Official website: https://www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/schedule/

Yamatane Museum of Art

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Saturday, January 2, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Sunday, January 3 (also open Monday, January 4)
Exhibition: 60th-anniversary special exhibition “The Best of the Yamatane Collection II: From Kaii Higashiyama and Ikuo Hirayama to Hiroshi Senju and Akira Yamaguchi” (Saturday, December 12 – Sunday, March 7, 2027)
Official website: https://www.yamatane-museum.jp/exhibitions/2026/yamatane-collection2.html

Toguri Museum of Art

“Fun to Explore: Ceramics of Saga and Nagasaki” closes on Sunday, December 20, and “Reverse Lookup! Auspicious Motifs: What Do Ko-Imari Patterns Mean?” runs from Thursday, January 7 to Monday, March 22, 2027 (substitute holiday). The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and open on Monday, January 11 (national holiday).

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 20, 2026 (last day of the exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Thursday, January 7 (first day of the exhibition)
Exhibition: “Reverse Lookup! Auspicious Motifs: What Do Ko-Imari Patterns Mean?” (Thursday, January 7 – Monday, March 22, 2027 [substitute holiday])
Official website: https://toguri-museum.or.jp/tenrankai/2026winter/

Tokyo Photographic Art Museum

This museum in Yebisu Garden Place gives its year-end and New Year closure on its exhibition pages as Monday, December 28 to Friday, January 1 (national holiday). “Reassembling: Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 23” on the 3rd floor and “Duet: Asian Contemporary” on the 2nd floor are free on Saturday, January 2 and Sunday, January 3. The museum is closed every Monday (or the following weekday if a national holiday), so Monday, January 4 is a closing day. All three exhibitions, including “Atsushi Okada | Phantom Horses: Yururi Island 1950–2026” in the basement, run until Sunday, January 17.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 2 (the two exhibitions on the 3rd and 2nd floors are free on January 2 and 3)
Exhibitions: “Reassembling: Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 23” (3F), “Duet: Asian Contemporary” (2F), “Atsushi Okada | Phantom Horses: Yururi Island 1950–2026” (B1F) (all until Sunday, January 17, 2027)
Official website: https://topmuseum.jp/exhibition/5423/

The Shoto Museum of Art

“Naoki Funakoshi: Giving Form to the Invisible—Another Singular Talent from the Funakoshi Family” opens on Saturday, December 5 and runs until Sunday, February 7, 2027. The exhibition page lists closing days as Mondays and the year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 – January 3), and the museum is also closed on Mondays, December 28 and January 4, so it reopens in the new year on Tuesday, January 5. It is open on Monday, January 11 (national holiday) and closed on Tuesday the 12th.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibition: “Naoki Funakoshi: Giving Form to the Invisible—Another Singular Talent from the Funakoshi Family” (Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, February 7, 2027)
Official website: https://shoto-museum.jp/exhibitions/214naoki/

Others: Five facilities in Shinjuku, Kinuta, Toyosu, Shiodome and Nerima

SOMPO Museum of Art

At this museum in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, “Albert Marquet,” marking the museum’s 50th anniversary, closes on Sunday, December 13, and the next exhibition opens on Saturday, January 9, 2027. Its closing-day rules include “exhibition changeover periods” and “the year-end and New Year holidays.”

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 13, 2026 (last day of the exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 9 (first day of the exhibition)
Exhibition: “Seiji Togo: 130th Anniversary of His Birth,” marking the museum’s 50th anniversary (Saturday, January 9 – Sunday, February 21, 2027)
Official website: https://www.sompo-museum.org/exhibitions/2025/togoseiji-130th-anniversary/

Setagaya Art Museum

This museum in Kinuta Park will close for large-scale renovation from April 2027 to January 2030 (scheduled).

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026
Closed: Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4, 2027
First opening day of 2027: Tuesday, January 5
Exhibition: “Tetsuro Komai, Copperplate Printmaker: Like Constellations Spreading on the Palm” (Saturday, November 28 – Sunday, January 31, 2027)
Official website: https://www.setagayaartmuseum.or.jp/exhibition/special/detail.php?id=sp00231

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM

This facility in Toyosu, Koto City, shortens its hours to 8:00–20:00 on Thursday, December 31 (last entry one hour before closing). As of October 26, the closing days it had announced were Thursday, November 5 and Thursday, December 3, with no specific information on hours on New Year’s Day.

Closed: Thursday, November 5 and Thursday, December 3
Hours: 8:00–22:00 (8:00–20:00 on Thursday, December 31)
Period: Until the end of 2027
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/planets/

Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art

The current exhibition, “The Design of Shoya Yoshida: The Future Envisioned by the New Mingei Movement,” closes on Sunday, December 20, and “Swedish Tableware: Living with Gustavsberg” opens on Saturday, January 16, 2027. Its closing-day rules include “exhibition changeover periods” and “the year-end and New Year holidays,” and no exhibition is on view over the holidays. Before the exhibition closes, the museum will open on Wednesday, December 16, one of its Wednesday closing days, and stay open until 20:00 on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19. On Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from Saturday, November 28 to Sunday, December 20, timed-entry reservations are requested (no reservation needed on weekdays).

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 20, 2026 (last day of the exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Saturday, January 16 (first day of the exhibition)
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30; until 20:00 on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19)
Exhibitions: “The Design of Shoya Yoshida: The Future Envisioned by the New Mingei Movement” (until Sunday, December 20), “Swedish Tableware: Living with Gustavsberg” (Saturday, January 16 – Monday, March 22, 2027 [substitute holiday])
Official website: https://panasonic.co.jp/ew/museum/exhibition/26/261015/

Nerima Art Museum

At this museum in Nukui, Nerima City, “Eboshi Yuasa and a Collection of Postwar Avant-Garde Fables of Transformation” closes on Sunday, December 27. According to the fiscal 2026 annual schedule, the first display of 2027 is an exhibition presenting the results of the workshop series “Natural History of Nerima” (2nd-floor gallery, Thursday, January 28 – Sunday, February 14), and no exhibition is on view over the year-end and New Year holidays. Closing days are Mondays, the year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 – January 3) and exhibition preparation periods.

Last opening day of the year: Sunday, December 27, 2026 (last day of the exhibition)
First opening day of 2027: Thursday, January 28 (first day of the results exhibition)
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Exhibition: “Eboshi Yuasa and a Collection of Postwar Avant-Garde Fables of Transformation” (Saturday, October 31 – Sunday, December 27)
Official website: https://www.neribun.or.jp/event/detail_m.cgi?id=202608151786784919

Editor’s perspective

Laying out the official announcements of the 33 museums shows that first opening days in 2027 span nearly a month, from Friday, January 1 (national holiday) to Saturday, January 30. Two museums, Tokyo National Museum and the Okura Museum of Art, explicitly state that they open on New Year’s Day, and a total of 12 open by Sunday, January 3, including the National Museum of Nature and Science (according to its regular closing rules). Adding the four facilities that do not specify year-end and New Year closing days, for example because they are open every day during exhibitions, brings the total to 16.

Tokyo National Museum’s New Year’s Day hours are 12:00–20:00, four hours longer than on New Year’s Day 2026 (13:00–17:00). The shortest closure is the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum’s two days; conversely, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, including its maintenance closure, is closed from Monday, December 21 to Sunday, January 3, and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art from Thursday, December 24 to Tuesday, January 5. On Monday, January 11 (national holiday), the National Museum of Western Art, the Artizon Museum, The Sumida Hokusai Museum, the Yamatane Museum of Art, the Setagaya Art Museum and others are open, closing on Tuesday the 12th instead.

Another feature of this winter is that many museums close exhibitions or shut down right after the new year. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo’s “Takehisa Yumeji—An Artist Who Defined His Era,” 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT’s “Learning from Hojoki” and the Mori Arts Center Gallery’s “HAIKYU!! Exhibition” end on Monday, January 11 (national holiday), The Ueno Royal Museum’s “Cincinnati Art Museum” exhibition on Sunday, January 10, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo’s MOT Collection on Wednesday, January 6. The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (January 7–20) and The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (January 12 – February 8) then close, and the National Museum of Western Art’s permanent collection galleries also close from January 12. These exhibitions can be seen in the new year only until mid-January.

Frequently asked questions

Which Tokyo museums are open on New Year’s Day (January 1)?

The museums officially announcing New Year’s Day opening are Tokyo National Museum (12:00–20:00) and the Okura Museum of Art, which opens its exhibition “New Year Traditions.” Mori Art Museum and The Ueno Royal Museum say they are “open every day during the exhibition,” and Tokyo City View and teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM do not include New Year’s Day among their announced closing days.

Until what date can I visit museums at the end of the year?

Among the 33 museums in this article, the most common last opening day of the year is Sunday, December 27, chosen by 15 museums. The Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum is open until Wednesday, December 30 and the Suntory Museum of Art until Monday, December 28, and teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM is also open on Thursday, December 31, from 8:00 to 20:00.

Will Tokyo National Museum hold its “New Year’s Visit to the Museum” in 2027?

As of October 26, the content of the 2027 “New Year’s Visit to the Museum” had not been announced. The museum says it will open from 12:00 to 20:00 on Friday, January 1, 2027 (national holiday). In 2026, the event was held from 13:00 on January 1, with a feature linked to the zodiac sign of the horse, a lion dance, taiko drumming and more.

*Information as of October 26, 2026. Please check the official websites for the latest information.

*Top image: The Honkan of Tokyo National Museum (photographed in 2010; Photo: Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on each museum’s official website and press releases (as of October 26, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team