This museum, the country's first one dedicated to contemporary international and Japanese art, is worth visiting not only for its changing roster of exhibitions but because of the building itself: a 1938 Bauhaus-style Art Deco home that was built for the current director's grandfather by Jin Watanabe, who is also known for his design of the Tokyo National Museum. It stages four to six exhibitions a year, including one that draws from the museum's own collection of 1,000 works, which focuses on paintings and sculptures from the 1950s onward and includes works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, and Yayoi Kusama. Don't miss a peek at the downstairs toilet by Yasumasa Morimura (it's an art exhibit), and a great way to conclude the hour or so you'll spend at the museum is over a cup of coffee or snack at the museum's very pleasant cafe, which overlooks the museum's inner garden and offers outdoor seating.
Tokyo› Attraction
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku
Our Rating
Hours
Tues, Thurs–Sun, and holidays 11am–5pm, Wed 11am–8pm (till 5pm if Wed is a national holiday); closed during exhibition changes
Transportation
Station: Shinagawa (Takanawa exit, 15 min.)
Phone
03/3445-0651
Prices
¥1,100 adults, ¥700 high-school and college students, ¥500 children
Web site
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Map
4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku TokyoNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.