Art and culture Andrea González
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Tokyo’s coolest museums

Japan’s capital has one of the most interesting and eclectic museum scenes on the planet. With options for all tastes, in Tokyo you can get inspired by places such as 21_21 Design Sight if you like design, by the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum if you’re a fashion fan, or by the Mori Art Museum, one of the most important institutions on the contemporary art scene across the entire Asian continent. Looking for more fun options? Don’t miss the Ghibli Museum, a mecca for followers of the legendary animation studio, and the Toy Museum, which is a paradise for the little ones.

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  1. 1 Contemporary Art

    One of the world’s contemporary art capitals, Tokyo boasts acclaimed institutions such as the Mori Art Museum, located on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. The museum is celebrated for its critically acclaimed exhibitions, characterized by the exhaustive research of its curators—a hallmark of its reputation. Until 19 January 2025, the Louise Bourgeois exhibit can be visited and, from February, MACHINE LOVE presents works by 12 artists who explore the intersection between art, video games and artificial intelligence. Nearby is the National Art Center, a masterpiece in itself. Designed by the architect Kishō Kurokawa, it was founded in 2007 as an ‘empty’ museum intended to house different exhibitions at the same time. Its schedule of events and exhibitions is constantly being updated. Finally, don’t miss the Yayoi Kusama museum, where the Japanese artist’s work is studied by means of different exhibitions every year, and the museum of Sumida Hokusai, where you can gain an in-depth understanding of the Japanese master.

    In the image, the entrance to the Mori Art Museum, with a triangular structure in which the entrance to the museum is the vanishing point of the whole building
    Photo of the Central Atrium of the Mori Art Museum. Photo courtesy of Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

  2. 2 Design

    There’s no place like 21_21 Design Sight, a museum dedicated to contemporary design in all its forms, to explore the cutting-edge Tokyo scene. The space was founded by the visionary designer Issey Miyake and designed by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Inside different exhibitions await, allowing visitors to explore how design impacts our daily lives, from technology to architecture, including how it is expressed in fashion and transport. A perfect museum for lovers of architectural design is Archi-Depot. A true one-off, it is dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of mock-ups and models by famous architects such as Kengo Kuma and Shigeru Ban, combining the concepts of a materials warehouse and an art gallery. Its current exhibition, the largest it has organised to date, is called SENSE OF STRUCTURE: From Horyuji Temple to the Universe and covers 1,400 years of the history of Japanese architecture.

    In the image, the inner vertex where the two outer walls of the building, made of concrete, steel and glass, meet. A flight of stairs leading nowhere and a door opening into a mysterious room can also be seen
    View of one of the spaces of 21_21 Design Sight, an impressive design by Tadao Ando. Photo by Masaya Yoshimura

  3. 3 Fashion

    Today, Japanese aesthetics are not only a reference, but also a source of inspiration and respect for the fashion industry. The Japanese capital is home to institutions such as the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum, which has an extensive collection that includes both traditional Japanese clothing and international haute couture, and explores how Western and Asian aesthetics have been related throughout history. And, although this destination isn’t a museum, the Harajuku district is the place to explore the universe of Japanese urban fashions, such as Kawaii, Lolita and Gothic aesthetics. Stroll along Takeshita Street to visit the shops specialising in each style. Special events will take place during the next Tokyo Fashion Week, held from 17-22 March.

    In the picture, traditional tunics of Imperial Japan, those closest to the camera richly embroidered in gold on red velvet
    Some of the pieces on display at the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum are masterpieces from different Asian cultures. Photo courtesy of Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum

  4. 4 Children

    Tokyo offers different options for children, while also fulfilling the dreams of grown-ups. The perfect example is the Ghibli Museum, dedicated to the animation studio where films such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away were made. This museum has different exhibition spaces, a small theatre where short films are screened and many areas for children to enjoy at will. Children are also the main players in the Tokyo Toy Museum, which houses an extensive collection of toys from all over the world and from different eras. The museum encourages creativity and free play, so children will be able to interact with the exhibits and enjoy many different areas to explore for themselves.

    In the picture, one of the green and yellow metal signs leading to the Ghibli Museum, surrounded by cherry blossom trees
    The Studio Ghibli museum will delight both young and old fans, perfect for sharing a memory between parents and children

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