Galleries: overview

Things move fast in Tokyo's contemporary art scene. Some of the most significant venues to open in the last 18 months can be found in Roppongi, joining the roughly 1,000 existing galleries in the capital. The Kuma Kengo-designed Suntory Museum of Art in the new Tokyo Midtown complex handles the traditional side of things, with collections of Japanese craft and treasures. Elsewhere in Midtown, 21_21 Design Sight is a promising design research centre-cum-exhibition space, with Issey Miyake among its directors. But the most groundbreaking addition is the National Art Center, a 14,000 square metre exhibition space that plans to borrow wide-ranging collections from major international galleries, kicking off with an exhibition looking at the effects of materialism on art.

Many of Tokyo's best galleries are clustered together. Ginza boasts a diverse range of diminutive spaces, and in the unassuming area of Kiyosumi, a short distance from Tokyo Station, you'll find some of the capital’s best-known gallery complexes, housing ShugoArts, Taka Ishii Gallery, Hiromi Yoshii Gallery and the hugely influential Tomio Koyama Gallery. And Roppongi, the area once known only for all things lowbrow, now looks like one of the best destinations for art lovers. Alongside the three new spaces there's Ota Fine Arts, roentgenwerke and Taro Nasu Gallery in the Complex, and the impressive Mori Art Museum. Across town in Omotesando, the white Galeria Building is home to Art-U Room, Promo-Arte and Gallery Gan, while other venues of interest nearby include Gallery 360° and Spiral.

Tokyo’s list of galleries and art venues is constantly changing, so check the Time Out Tokyo art listings frequently to stay on top of the newest and hottest galleries to open their doors.

Note that many of the galleries below open only when they have an exhibition on, so it’s wise to call in advance or check online.

Tokyo City Guide (Edition 5)