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The entrance of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park

No. 40 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 1,715,830 visitors in 2025

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Tokyo, Japan · City guide: Tokyo

Japan's first public art museum, in Ueno Park, home to big touring exhibitions and art society shows.

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Photo: Joe Mabel on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is No. 40 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 1,715,830 visitors in 2025, down 14% on 2024. It opened in 1926 as Japan's first public art museum.

The current red-brick building in Ueno Park, designed by Kunio Maekawa, opened in 1975. Rather than a large permanent collection, the museum hosts major special exhibitions of Japanese and international art, as well as shows by art societies and groups.

The red-brick Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, designed by Kunio Maekawa
The red-brick Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, designed by Kunio Maekawa. Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest; popular exhibitions are very busy at weekends and near closing dates. Check the official website for what's on.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Special exhibitions

    Large touring exhibitions, often of European masters or Japanese art, change through the year.

  • 2

    Art society exhibitions

    Galleries for exhibitions by artists' associations and groups, often free or inexpensive.

  • 3

    The building

    Maekawa's partly sunken brick building, with a plaza and a large silver sphere sculpture at the entrance.

  • 4

    Ueno Park

    The museum is one of several in the park, close to the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art.

Getting there

The museum is in Ueno Park, about a 7-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Each exhibition has its own ticket. Check the official website for prices, hours and closing days.
Time needed
One to two hours per exhibition.
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY). Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small restaurants, shrines and markets.
Visa & entry
Citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and EU countries, can visit Japan visa-free for short stays. Register on Visit Japan Web (vjw.digital.go.jp) before you fly to get QR codes for immigration and customs. Check Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the rules that apply to your passport.

Official information: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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