[Autumn/Winter 2026] Guide to Evening Openings at Tokyo Museums: Open Until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, Plus Extended Hours in November

Evening openings continue at Tokyo’s museums in autumn and winter 2026, mainly on Fridays and Saturdays. The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art and The National Art Center, Tokyo are open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and the Mori Art Museum is open until 22:00 except on Tuesdays. From Thursday, November 5 to Friday, November 27, Tokyo’s metropolitan museums and others hold “Autumn Night Museum” for the first time, extending their hours until 20:00, mainly on Fridays. This article summarizes the days and hours of evening openings, checked on each museum’s official website, along with evening discounts.

What is changing for museums at night in autumn and winter 2026?

Autumn Night Museum is organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture (Arts Council Tokyo). It covers six facilities: the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery. Visitors entering after 17:00 on evening opening days get free admission if they are students, and adults and those aged 65 and over receive a discount comparable to the group rate (excluding some exhibitions). The discounts apply to tickets bought at the counter on the day, and at the Teien Art Museum also to online purchases (our article on Autumn Night Museum).

From 17:00 on Saturday, October 31 to 6:00 on Sunday, November 1, Roppongi Art Night 2026 runs all night, and the Mori Art Museum stays open until 6:00 the next morning. In Ueno, the Tokyo National Museum specially lights up the Honkan from Friday, October 30 to Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday).

As the quick reference below shows, the museums open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays are mainly national institutions, while many of those open until 20:00 only on Fridays are private museums. In November, metropolitan museums join them. On the other hand, some museums are ending their evening discounts. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo will end its “discount from 17:00” for the collection exhibition (300 yen for adults, 150 yen for university students) with the fee revision on February 9, 2027. After the revision, admission will be 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for university students.

Quick reference: Evening openings by day of the week

• Until 22:00: Mori Art Museum (until 17:00 on Tuesdays), TOKYO NODE “Yoshirotten” exhibition (Monday to Saturday; until 20:00 on Sundays and holidays)

• Until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays: Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Western Art, The National Art Center, Tokyo (during special exhibitions), The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan (from its full opening on November 3)

• Until 20:00 on Fridays: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (during special exhibitions), Suntory Museum of Art, Artizon Museum (except holidays), Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum (except holidays), SOMPO Museum of Art, Tokyo Station Gallery (during the “Water Margin” exhibition)

• Until 19:30 on Saturdays: Edo-Tokyo Museum

• Until 19:00 every day: 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT (closed Tuesdays)

• Until 20:00 on designated days in November (Autumn Night Museum): Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery

At most museums, last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

Ueno: TNM and the National Museum of Western Art open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays

The Tokyo National Museum is open until 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays followed by a Monday holiday (normally 9:30–17:00). The special exhibitions “Daitokuji” and “Utagawa Hiroshige: Edo’s Best Angles” are also open until 20:00 on Sunday, November 1, Monday, November 2 and Sunday, November 22. From Friday, October 30 to Monday, November 2, the Honkan is specially lit up until 20:00 to coincide with the Ueno Park light event “Soene Akari Park® 2026” (lights on at 17:30 on October 30). On Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), the lights are on from 17:00 to 18:00, and the exhibitions close at 17:00.

The National Museum of Western Art keeps both the permanent collection and special exhibitions open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays (normally 9:30–17:30). The Tate Turner exhibition, opening on Saturday, October 24, is also open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is open until 20:00 on Fridays during special exhibitions (normally 9:30–17:30). This applies to the Musée d’Orsay exhibition opening on Saturday, November 14 and the two free 100th anniversary exhibitions from Thursday, November 19. Friday, November 20 and Friday, November 27 are Autumn Night Museum evening opening days, with a mini concert in the auditorium on the 20th. There is no discount after 17:00 for the Orsay exhibition.

Access: The Tokyo National Museum is a 10-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station and the South Exit of Uguisudani Station, the National Museum of Western Art a 1-minute walk from JR Ueno Station (Park Exit), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum a 7-minute walk from the Park Gate of JR Ueno Station. All the facilities in Ueno are introduced in our Ueno museum guide.

Roppongi and Toranomon: Mori Art Museum open until 22:00

The Mori Art Museum is open 10:00–22:00, closing at 17:00 only on Tuesdays. During “Mariko Mori: All That Shines,” which opened on Saturday, October 31, it is open every day, but closes at 18:00 on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) and at 17:00 on Friday, November 27. On October 31, it stays open until 6:00 the next morning for Roppongi Art Night.

The National Art Center, Tokyo is open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays during special exhibitions (normally 10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays). The Louvre exhibition is also open until 20:00 from Monday, December 7 to Saturday, December 12, its timed-entry period. The Suntory Museum of Art is open until 20:00 on Fridays, until 20:00 on Saturday, November 7 and until 21:00 on Saturday, October 31. 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is open until 19:00 every day (closed Tuesdays) and until 22:00 on October 31.

At TOKYO NODE in Toranomon Hills, “Yoshirotten: Communication with the Beyond / BEYOND EARTH” runs from Friday, October 30, 2026 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday). The exhibition venue on the 45th floor is open 13:00–22:00 on weekdays, 10:00–22:00 on Saturdays and 10:00–20:00 on Sundays and holidays. The “Beyond Earth Garden” on the 49th floor is open 17:30–22:00 daily; entry is free, but a separate online ticket is required. Discounts and access for the three museums are summarized in our guide to the Roppongi Art Triangle.

Takebashi, Marunouchi, Kyobashi and Shinjuku: Museums open on Friday evenings

• The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo: 10:00–17:00, until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. “Takehisa Yumeji—An Artist Who Defined His Era” opened on Friday, October 23. The discount from 17:00 for the collection exhibition continues until January 11, 2027. 3-minute walk from Exit 1b of Takebashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line

• The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan: Fully opened on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) with the special exhibition “Treasures of the Imperial Household: Where Beauty Springs Forth.” 9:30–17:00, until 20:00 every Friday and Saturday (last entry 19:30). Timed entry, with no same-day tickets sold at the venue. About a 5-minute walk from Otemachi Station (Exit C13a)

• Artizon Museum: 10:00–18:00, until 20:00 every Friday except holidays. “Étrangers: European Experiences of Western-Style Painters” and other exhibitions open on Saturday, October 24. About a 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station (Yaesu Central Exit)

• Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum: 10:00–18:00. Until 20:00 on Fridays except holidays, the second Wednesday of the month and weekdays in the final week of an exhibition. After 17:00 on the second Wednesday of every month, a counter-only “Magic Hour Ticket” (1,600 yen) is available. “Fontanesi: Italian Light, Landscapes of the Heart” runs until January 24, 2027. 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station (Marunouchi South Exit)

• Tokyo Station Gallery: 10:00–18:00, until 20:00 on Fridays. “Water Margin” runs until Sunday, November 8

• SOMPO Museum of Art (1-26-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku): 10:00–18:00, until 20:00 on Fridays. The 50th anniversary “Albert Marquet Exhibition” runs until Sunday, December 13

Autumn Night Museum: Metropolitan museums open until 20:00 in November

Evening opening days in November and eligible exhibitions differ by facility. All offer benefits for entry after 17:00, and students include university and graduate students, vocational school students and high school students. Documents verifying age or student status are required.

• Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, in Kiba Park): Until 20:00 every Friday in November. Eligible are “Tada Minami—Still, shimmering light,” “Synchronic Constellations” and the MOT Collection “Seeing a Light from Another Time Now”; after 17:00, admission is 20% off and free for students. A mini concert is held on Friday, November 13

• Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (5-21-9 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku): Until 20:00 on Friday, November 6, Friday, November 13, Friday, November 20, Saturday, November 21, Friday, November 27, Saturday, November 28, Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5. “Marimekko: The Power of Patterns” requires timed reservations; after 17:00 it is free for students and at the group rate for adults and those aged 65 and over. The gardens are covered by the same benefits, and the museum restaurant is open until 21:00 on evening opening days

• Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (in Yebisu Garden Place): Special evening openings from 17:00 to 20:00 on Thursdays and Fridays from Thursday, November 5 to Friday, November 27. For “Duet: Asian Contemporary” and “Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 23,” students and high school students are free in the evening, and adults and those aged 65 and over pay the group rate. Evening openings of the “50th Kimura Ihei Award Commemorative Photography Exhibition” (until November 23) on B1F are until November 20. A mini concert is held on Thursday, November 12

• Edo-Tokyo Museum: Until 20:00 on Fridays, November 6, 13, 20 and 27 (until 19:30 on regular Saturdays). For the permanent exhibition and the special exhibition “A Bridge of Knowledge in Japan–U.S. Exchange,” students are free after 17:00, and adults and those aged 65 and over pay the group rate. From Saturday, November 28, the special exhibition “Maruyama Okyo: Beyond the Real – A Spatial Revolution” opens. 3-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Ryogoku Station

• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum: Friday, November 20 and Friday, November 27. The two 100th anniversary exhibitions are free for everyone throughout their runs

• Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery: The “Art Brut 2026 Touring Exhibition” is open free until 20:00 on Fridays in November

Relatedly, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum holds “Special Evening Opening: Building Light-Up” from 16:30 to 20:30 on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7. Mini concerts planned by Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre are held at five facilities, starting at the Edo-Tokyo Museum on Friday, November 6, with no advance application required. Each lasts 20 minutes, and the concerts at the Edo-Tokyo Museum require a permanent exhibition ticket.

Name: Autumn Night Museum 2026
Period: Each facility’s evening opening days from Thursday, November 5 to Friday, November 27, 2026 (until December 5 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum)
Hours: Until 20:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing, except at the Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery)
Organizers: Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs), Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture (Arts Council Tokyo)
Official website: https://www.rekibun.or.jp/crossing/nightmuseum/

Frequently asked questions

Which museums are open on Saturday evenings?

The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, The National Art Center, Tokyo (during special exhibitions), The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan are open until 20:00. The Mori Art Museum and the Yoshirotten exhibition at TOKYO NODE are open until 22:00, and the Edo-Tokyo Museum until 19:30. The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is also open until 20:00 on Saturdays, November 21, November 28 and December 5.

Which museums offer evening discounts?

During Autumn Night Museum in November, eligible exhibitions are free for students after 17:00, and adults pay a fee comparable to the group rate. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo offers a discount from 17:00 for its collection exhibition until January 11, 2027. The Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum sells the Magic Hour Ticket after 17:00 on the second Wednesday of every month.

Which museums in Ueno cannot be visited in the evening?

The Ueno Royal Museum (during the Cincinnati Art Museum exhibition) and the National Museum of Nature and Science close at 17:00. The National Museum of Nature and Science does not hold regular evening openings. Sales have ended for the “Premium Evening Opening” that the Ueno Royal Museum plans for the Cincinnati Art Museum exhibition on Friday, November 20.

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

*Top image: “Special Evening Opening: Building Light-Up” at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (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 official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 20, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team