#Exhibitions

Who Was Toshusai Sharaku? The “Mystery Artist” Who Vanished After Ten Months: Major Actor Prints, Theories on His Identity, and Where to See Them

Toshusai Sharaku debuted suddenly in 1794 with 28 mica-ground okubi-e actor portraits and disappeared about ten months later. A guide to his four periods and major works, the theories about who he was, and where to see his prints.

Who Was Kitagawa Utamaro? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of Beauties Behind “Three Beauties of the Kansei Era,” and Where to See Them

Kitagawa Utamaro won fame with okubi-e close-up portraits of women, working with the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo. A guide to his life and major works, his clash with the shogunate’s censorship, and where to see his work, including the British Museum’s Edo painting exhibition.

Who Was Utagawa Hiroshige? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master of “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and Where to See Them

Utagawa Hiroshige won fame with “The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido,” and his “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” was copied by Van Gogh. A guide to his life and major works, the color known as “Hiroshige blue,” and where to see his prints, from the Tokyo National Museum’s Hiroshige exhibition to museums named after him.

Who Was Katsushika Hokusai? The Life and Major Works of the Ukiyo-e Master Behind “The Great Wave,” and Where to See Them

Known worldwide for “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” Katsushika Hokusai kept painting until his death at 90. A guide to his life, his major works from “Hokusai Manga” and “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” to the paintings of his final years, and where to see them, including The Sumida Hokusai Museum and the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse.

What Is Japonisme? How Ukiyo-e Influenced Monet and Van Gogh, and Related Exhibitions to See in Japan Now

Japonisme was the craze for Japanese art in late-19th-century Europe. How did ukiyo-e influence Monet and Van Gogh? A guide to the key artists and works, and related exhibitions in Japan in 2026–2027.

[Autumn/Winter 2026] Marunouchi, Kyobashi and Nihonbashi Art Guide: Artizon, Mitsubishi Ichigokan, Tokyo Station Gallery and More

Around Tokyo Station, museums are clustered in the station building and in buildings designated Important Cultural Properties. We summarize exhibitions at six museums, including the Artizon Museum and the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, as of October 31, three exhibitions opening in November and December, opening hours, admission and walking routes, along with the current status of the closed Idemitsu Museum of Arts.

[2026] Free Museums on Culture Day: 10 Venues Including the National Museum of Western Art and Tokyo National Museum on November 3

We put together 10 national museums and other facilities in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Osaka that offered free admission on Culture Day, Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday). In most cases only collection or permanent exhibitions were free, and special exhibitions remained charged, but the National Crafts Museum and the National Film Archive of Japan also made their special exhibitions free.

“Hakuin World” at the Eisei Bunko Museum and Waseda University’s Aizu Museum: The First Joint Project Linking the Collections of Moritatsu Hosokawa and Shigenori Tomioka

The first joint project of the Eisei Bunko Museum (Bunkyo City) and the Waseda University Aizu Museum (Shinjuku City) presents paintings and calligraphy by the Edo-period Zen monk Hakuin Ekaku at both venues. The Eisei Bunko Museum’s exhibition runs until Sunday, November 29, and the Aizu Museum’s until Tuesday, December 8; admission to the latter is free.

National Archives of Japan’s “Playful Spirits” Is Free Until December 6: Edo-Period Books and Records Featuring Kappa and Mermaids

The National Archives of Japan’s exhibition “Playful Spirits: Yokai and Fantastic Beasts in the Edo Period” is being held at its Tokyo main building in Takebashi. It presents records of the uncanny written down by people of the Edo period, including the “Suiko Koryaku,” which shows five different scenes of kappa. Until Sunday, December 6, free admission.

“Uketsu’s Strange World Exhibition.” in Tennoz Until January 17: A One-Third-Scale Model of the “Strange Houses” Home and 11 Floor Plans in 3D

The first large-scale exhibition by horror writer Uketsu, known for “Strange Houses,” is being held at Warehouse TERRADA’s G1 Building in Tennoz. It features a one-third-scale model of the house from the story, models of 11 floor plans and a “forest” visitors can walk through. Until Sunday, January 17, 2027, with timed entry on weekends, holidays and during the winter vacation.

“Seeds and Roots: Cultivating the City” at Tokyo Opera City Until December 20: Ten Artists from Art, Architecture and Fashion

Taking the new ecosystems that arise in the gaps of the city as a clue, this exhibition explores ways to restore our connection with nature. Ten artists from contemporary art, architecture and fashion reconsider the city through everyday activities such as living, wearing and eating. Until Sunday, December 20; ¥1,800 for adults.

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

For 33 major museums in Tokyo, we checked their last opening day of the year, closure periods and first opening day of 2027 against official announcements. On New Year’s Day, Tokyo National Museum and the Okura Museum of Art are open, and on Saturday, January 2, eight museums, including the National Museum of Western Art, reopen.

How to Attract and Host a Touring Immersive Exhibition: Venue Requirements, Organizing Structures and Regional Case Studies

Touring immersive exhibitions that project images travel around Japan, organized by local broadcasters, newspapers and local governments, with production companies handling planning and production. From official announcements and public materials, we sorted out venue size and power, the division of organizing roles, and dates, prices and visitor numbers.

[March 2027] Art Event Calendar: Art Fair Tokyo, the Boso Art Festival, a Kyoto Art Fair and More

In March 2027, art fairs follow one after another in Kyoto and Tokyo, and two art festivals with Fram Kitagawa as general director open in Chiba Prefecture. Covering venues from Aomori and Kanazawa to Tottori, we list in date order 11 events opening in March and 20 exhibitions continuing from February or earlier.

The 16th Gwangju Biennale Runs Through November 15: Artistic Director Ho Tzu Nyen Gathers 43 Participants in a Single Building

The 16th Gwangju Biennale, with Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen as artistic director, is on view in Gwangju, South Korea, through Sunday, November 15. It brings 43 artists and groups together in a single building, including 60 paintings by Tokyo-based Sasaki Ken.

[2026–2027] Guide to Exhibitions at Museums Abroad: 15 Shows in London, Paris and New York, from Van Eyck to Mika Ninagawa

We have selected 15 exhibitions on view or opening between October 2026 and February 2027 at major museums in London, Paris and New York. Based on each museum’s official announcements, we list dates, scale, prices and related exhibitions held in Japan during the same period.

Turner Prize 2026 Shortlist Exhibition Now On in Middlesbrough, UK: Winner Announced December 10, Prize of £25,000

MIMA in Middlesbrough, UK, is holding a free exhibition of the four artists shortlisted for the 2026 Turner Prize, Britain’s contemporary art award. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at MIMA on December 10 and receives £25,000.

V&A East Museum Marks Six Months in East London: A Five-Story New Museum with a Free Permanent Display of 500-Plus Objects, Paired with a Storehouse

On April 18, 2026, the UK’s V&A opened a five-story new museum in Stratford, East London. It shows more than 500 objects in a free permanent display, also holds paid exhibitions, and operates as one of two sites alongside a collection storehouse that opened in 2025.

The 61st Venice Biennale Runs Through November 22: Awards Decided by Visitor Vote After Jury Resigns; Ei Arakawa-Nash at the Japan Pavilion

The 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, conceived by the late Koyo Kouoh, runs through Sunday, November 22. After the jury resigned, the awards are being decided by visitor vote, and Ei Arakawa-Nash’s Japan Pavilion exhibition travels to Tokyo in 2027.