The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo “MOMAT Collection (2026.9.29–2027.1.11)”
This autumn, the MOMAT Collection offers visitors the chance to encounter a wide variety of masterpieces, including Important Cultural Properties representing the museum’s Japanese-style painting collection. In Room 1 on the fourth floor, the first half of the exhibition, through November 15, features Kiyokata Kaburaki’s Tsukiji Akashicho (Important Cultural Property), returning to the collection exhibition for the first time in seven years. The display is also linked with the museum-wide autumn event “MOMAT Autumn Festival.” Gallery 4 on the second floor presents Japanese artists in Paris, while the third floor features a selection of works related to stories and narratives.
Period: September 29, 2026 – January 11, 2027
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Collection Gallery, 2F–4F
Hours: 10:00–17:00; Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (open October 12, November 23 and January 11), October 13, October 22, November 24, and December 28–January 1
Admission: Adults 500 (400); university students 250 (200). Free for high school students and younger, visitors under 18 and visitors aged 65 and over. Visitors with disability certificates and one accompanying person are also admitted free. Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more. Discount admission after 17:00 on Fridays and Saturdays: adults 300, university students 150. Admission is free on Culture Day, November 3.
Image credit: Fujishima Takeji, Perfume, 1915
URL: https://www.momat.go.jp/en/exhibitions/r8-2

Tokyo Photographic Art Museum “Assembling Anew: Memories, Materials, Context, Technology — Contemporary Japanese Photography vol. 23”
The 23rd edition of the museum’s series introducing emerging Japanese artists presents Sayuri Ichida, Taro Karibe, Tamotsu Nomura, Baku Hashimoto and Asako Fujikura. The exhibition focuses on the processes through which the artists draw on existing memories, materials, technologies and their respective contexts to assemble new images. Their works employ a wide range of techniques and media, including AI, CG, stop-motion animation and distinctive approaches to photography and editing. Together, they reveal the expanding possibilities of contemporary photographic and moving-image expression and explore new images emerging at the boundary between what has been recorded and what has been imagined.
Period: September 30, 2026 – January 17, 2027
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, 3F Exhibition Gallery
Hours: 10:00–18:00; Thursdays and Fridays until 20:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (open when Monday is a national holiday and closed the following weekday), New Year holidays
Admission: Adults 700, etc.
Image credit: Taro Karibe, Shoot the Rock You See in That Sea #30, 2022, inkjet print, collection of the artist, ©Taro Karibe
URL: https://topmuseum.jp/exhibition/5423/?lang=en

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa “NEUTRAL COLORS NEW CIRCUIT”
In an age overflowing with information, this exhibition turns attention to the emotions that can be preserved precisely because they are printed on paper. NEUTRAL COLORS began in 2019 from a desire to print only as much as necessary of the “feelings” worth keeping on paper, rather than simply reproducing the “information” circulating online. It is at once a publisher, the name of a magazine and a printing and bookbinding studio. The exhibition introduces its interconnected practices of reporting, editing, design, layout, printing, binding and distribution, as well as its distinctive handmade approach using techniques such as risograph printing to communicate personal experiences, creativity and memories.
Period: September 15, 2026 – April 18, 2027
Venue: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Design Gallery
Hours: 10:00–18:00; Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00; January 2–3 until 17:00
Closed: Mondays (open September 21, October 12, October 26, November 23, January 11 and March 22), September 24, October 13, October 27, November 24, December 29–January 1, January 12 and March 23
Admission: Free
Image credit: Photo: Ryo Adachi; Courtesy of 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
URL: https://www.kanazawa21.jp/data_list.php?g=126&d=259

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo “Synchronic Constellation: Cross-Boundary Perspectives in Art”
Beginning with Le Moulin, a film about the modernist poetry group Le Moulin Poetry Society formed in Taiwan in the 1930s, this exhibition reconsiders modern Taiwan and Japan through diverse forms of art and culture. The film’s director, Huang Ya-li, serves as guest curator. Approximately 200 works of modern Taiwanese art and 600 related materials are presented alongside around 100 works from Japan. Paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and archival materials from more than 15 museums and private collections in Taiwan are introduced across six sections. Like a constellation of intersecting relationships, the exhibition offers an opportunity to reconsider the modern era from a contemporary perspective.
Period: September 5 – December 13, 2026
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Exhibition Gallery 1F/3F
Hours: 10:00–18:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (open September 21, October 12 and November 23), September 24, October 13 and November 24
Admission: Adults 2,000; university/vocational school students and visitors aged 65 and over 1,400; junior high and high school students 800; elementary school students and younger free
URL: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/Constellation/

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo “MOT Collection: Past Light, Present Sight”
The MOT Collection presents works from the museum’s holdings from a variety of perspectives. This edition focuses on “light” and “time,” incorporating newly acquired works. Light emitted by distant stars tens of thousands of years ago, changing sunlight, faint moonlight, electric light and the fleeting glow of fireflies provide different ways of considering time. The exhibition includes works by Mami Kosemura, Kimio Tsuchiya, Arisa Kumagai and Hikaru Fujii being shown for the first time since entering the collection, alongside representative works by Yayoi Kusama, Ushio Shinohara, Tadanori Yokoo and others. Together, they invite visitors to consider the layers of the past contained within the present.
Period: September 19, 2026 – January 6, 2027
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Collection Gallery
Hours: 10:00–18:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing. Open until 20:00 every Friday in November.
Closed: Mondays (open September 21, October 12 and November 23), September 24, October 13, November 24 and December 28–January 1
Admission: Adults 500; university/vocational school students 400; high school students and visitors aged 65 and over 250; junior high school students and younger free. Junior high, high school, vocational school and university students are admitted free October 10–12.
Image credit: Kimio Tsuchiya, Absence, 1992. Photo: toshiyukiudagawa
URL: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/mot-collection-260919/

NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC] “ICC Annual 2026: What Is Left, What Remains, and What We Take on”
The ICC Annual series presents media art and other diverse forms of expression emerging from today’s media environment. ICC Annual 2026 focuses on the relationships between history, technology and media, considering how they have contributed to the formation of history and memory while also examining the act of leaving or preserving something itself. The works can be approached from perspectives including structures of selection and exclusion inherent in recording media and the circulation of images and accompanying dynamics of power in digital environments. By asking what is left behind and how we receive what remains, the exhibition invites a renewed consideration of history and memory.
Period: June 20 – November 8, 2026
Venue: NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], Gallery B, Tokyo Opera City Tower 4F, 3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00–18:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, closed the following day; open September 22), maintenance day August 2
Admission: Adults 800 (700); university students 600 (500); anechoic chamber work experience 200; annual passport 2,000. Prices in parentheses are for groups of 15 or more. Free for visitors with disability certificates and one accompanying person, visitors aged 65 and over, and high school students and younger.
Image credit: Image design: Keiji Terai
URL: https://www.ntticc.or.jp/en/exhibitions/2026/icc-annual-2026/

Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM] “Otomo Yoshihide + YCAM New Exhibition ‘Improvisation!’”
This large-scale exhibition brings together the creative practice of musician Yoshihide Otomo around the central theme of “improvisation.” New works created in collaboration with YCAM and artists from a variety of disciplines unfold across the venue. Rather than reproducing predetermined forms, the exhibition is grounded in expressions generated through interaction with other performers and the surrounding environment, creating a rich world in which sounds and presences collide and resonate. Extending beyond the studios to the courtyard and Yamaguchi City Central Park, the project develops as an unpredictable 136-day practice, offering visitors encounters with expressions that continue to change throughout the exhibition period.
Period: October 17, 2026 – March 1, 2027
Venue: Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM], Studio A, Studio B, courtyard, Yamaguchi City Central Park and other locations
Hours: 10:00–19:00
Closed: Tuesdays (or the following day when Tuesday is a national holiday), December 29–January 3
Admission: Adults 1,000; Yamaguchi City residents and visitors aged 29 and younger 500; any members and visitors aged 18 and younger free; visitors with disability certificates and one accompanying person free. Foyer, courtyard and Yamaguchi City Central Park areas are free.
Image credit: Yoshihide Otomo + Yasuhiro Aoyama + Takayuki Ito, without records (2008), Photo: Ryuichi Maruo (YCAM)
URL: https://www.ycam.jp/en/

Kyoto National Museum Special Exhibition “The Tale of Genji: Radiant Culture of the Japanese Imperial Court”
Often described as the world’s oldest full-length novel, The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu during the Heian period and remains one of the great works of Japanese literature. This special exhibition brings together paintings and decorative arts depicting scenes and motifs from the story, along with manuscripts and commentaries handed down through later generations and performing arts inspired by the tale. By approaching the work through art, literature and performance, visitors can rediscover the many dimensions of a masterpiece that has continued to lend its radiance to Japanese culture over the centuries. It is the first large-scale Tale of Genji exhibition at the Kyoto National Museum in approximately 50 years.
Period: October 6 – November 29, 2026
Venue: Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing
Image credit: Illustrated Handscroll of The Tale of Genji (Moriya Version), “Aoi” (detail), Kyoto National Museum
URL: https://www.kyohaku.go.jp/eng/exhibitions/special/2026_genji/

Abeno Harukas Art Museum “ANDREW WYETH―Boundaries or Windows”
Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009), widely admired as a painter of America, remains highly popular in Japan. Looking closely at familiar landscapes and people, Wyeth developed a distinctive realist language through which he portrayed the nature and everyday life of the United States. The quiet atmosphere, subtle light and striking human presence found in his paintings continue to captivate audiences today. This eagerly awaited retrospective is the first in Japan since the artist’s death and offers a valuable opportunity to encounter the breadth and enduring appeal of Wyeth’s art.
Period: October 3 – December 6, 2026
Venue: Abeno Harukas Art Museum, Abeno Harukas 16F, 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, Osaka
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 10:00–20:00; Monday, Saturday, Sunday and national holidays 10:00–18:00. Admission until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: October 5
Admission: Adults 2,200 (advance/group 2,000); university and high school students 1,800 (advance/group 1,600); junior high and elementary school students 500 (advance/group 300)
URL: https://wyeth2026.jp/english.html

Tokyo Arts and Space “Reenactment of Being — TOKAS Project Vol. 9”
The ninth TOKAS Project explores art and society from multicultural perspectives while promoting international exchange. This edition commemorates the 20th anniversary of exchange between TOKAS and its partner institution in Seoul and focuses on artists from Japan and Korea who have participated in past residency programs. Jaepil Eun, Dohee Kim, Donghee Koo, Minha Park and Arata Mino present works that reconstruct reality through their own bodily experiences. Through the act of “reenactment,” memories and experiences are brought into the present once again, offering an opportunity to reconsider what it means to “be” here and now and to reflect on life in contemporary society.
Period: October 3 – November 8, 2026
Venue: Tokyo Arts and Space Hongo
Closed: Mondays (open October 12), October 13
URL: https://tinyurl.com/36yec9yr

The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex Polish Poster II from the Museum Collection: Former Collection of Copperplate Print Artist Watanabe Chihiro”
Polish poster art has attracted international attention for its originality and artistic quality. This collection exhibition focuses on works formerly owned by etching artist Chihiro Watanabe (1944–2009), presenting a selection by poster artists active around the time of the Eastern European revolutions of 1989. Approximately 70 works by four artists—Mieczysław Górowski, Stasys Eidrigevičius, Wiktor Sadowski and Wiesław Wałkuski—are on view. Through bold compositions, vivid colors and imaginative imagery, the exhibition reveals the distinctive appeal of Polish poster design and the ways in which the dramatic social changes of the period found expression in graphic art.
Period: October 17, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Venue: The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex
Hours: 9:30–17:00. Admission until 16:30.
Closed: Mondays (except November 23 and January 11), December 28–January 4
Admission: Adults 250 (150); visitors under 20 and students 150 (100); visitors aged 65 and over 100; high school students 100. Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more. Junior high school students and younger, visitors presenting eligible disability certificates or Mirairo ID, and generally one accompanying person are free. Free admission days: November 3 and November 17.
Image credit: Wiesław Wałkuski, Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet, 1996, print on paper, collection of The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama
URL: https://www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp/exhibition/2026-a-collection1/

Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture “Discover And Enjoy Kyoto Even More Through Pictures”
With a history spanning more than a thousand years, Kyoto continues to fascinate visitors from around the world. This exhibition introduces the city’s many attractions through Japanese paintings from the early modern to modern periods. Works depicting familiar landmarks, festivals and traditions include scenes of Rakuchu Rakugai and the Aoi Festival. Subjects unique to Kyoto, such as geiko, maiko and Kyoto vegetables, are presented alongside confectionery wrapping papers designed by artists including Tessai Tomioka and Yoson Ikeda. Whether visitors know Kyoto well or are discovering the city for the first time, the exhibition offers new perspectives on its culture and encourages them to discover and enjoy Kyoto through pictures.
Period: October 3, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Venue: Saga Arashiyama Museum of Arts & Culture
Hours: 10:00–17:00. Last admission at 16:30.
Closed: December 15, December 30–January 1, January 19, February 9 and February 21. On February 20, the museum closes at 14:00, with last admission at 13:30.
Admission: Adults/university students 1,000 (900); high school students 600 (500); elementary/junior high school students 400 (350); visitors with disabilities and one accompanying person 600 (500) each; preschool children free. Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.
URL: https://www.samac.jp/en/exhibition/detail.php?id=72

Pola Research Institute of Beauty & Culture 50th Anniversary Project “Adorning Myself” Part II: “Living with Fragrance”
Fragrance has accompanied everyday life since ancient times, forming a culture of adornment passed down across eras and regions. The final exhibition in the institute’s 50th anniversary project introduces ancient Greek perfume vessels, perfume bottles symbolizing the flourishing of European perfume culture, and objects related to incense and kōdō, the Japanese art of appreciating incense. From religious rituals and personal grooming to refined forms of recreation, fragrance has played a remarkable variety of roles in human life. By tracing this history, the exhibition explores the richness and depth of fragrance as an invisible form of adornment that has shaped culture and daily life across centuries.
Period: October 9, 2026 – April 2, 2027
Venue: Pola Research Institute of Beauty & Culture, Cosmetic Culture Gallery, Pola Aoyama Building 1F, 2-5-17 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays 11:00–17:00. Last admission at 16:30. Some Thursday visits require reservations.
Closed: December 24, 25 and 31, 2026; January 1, 7 and 8 and February 11, 2027
Image credit: One Hundred Beauties at Famous Places in Edo: Koishikawa Ushitenjin, by Utagawa Kunisada III, inset by Utagawa Kunihisa, 1857
URL: https://www.cosmetic-culture.po-holdings.co.jp/en/

Roll “Takuro Kuwata and Qusamura: A plastic pot and a succulent”
This exhibition brings together ceramic artist Takuro Kuwata and Qusamura, the plant shop led by Kohei Oda. Working with the concept of plants that “have a good face,” Oda has selected distinctive specimens to be planted in plastic pots created by Kuwata. The collaborative works, developed over approximately a year and a half, mark the first joint project between Kuwata and Oda. The exhibition presents and sells these combinations of individual plants and unconventional vessels, highlighting the new expressions that emerge when the two come together. An artist talk with Kuwata and Oda is also scheduled for 17:00 on the opening day, October 3.
Period: October 3–25, 2026
Venue: Roll
Hours: 13:00–19:00
Closed: Mondays
URL: https://yf-vg.com/roll/tk_q_appaas

HERALBONY LABORATORY GINZA Gallery “Mika Kamijo: Many Many Eyes of the Marvelous Universe”
This solo exhibition presents the imaginative world of Mika Kamijo, winner of the JINS Award at the HERALBONY Art Prize 2024 and the Jury Special Award / Hiromi Kurosawa Award in 2026. Cells, microorganisms, organs, mysterious and unsettling dreams, yokai, aliens and even dogū figurines populate a universe that expands from inside the human body to far beyond the Earth. Remarkably, these fantastic images are created from fragments of everyday life, including aluminum foil, medicine packaging, worn fabrics and calendars. Familiar materials are transformed into unfamiliar beings, revealing an extraordinary universe shaped from the ordinary objects that surround us.
Period: October 3 – November 16, 2026
Venue: HERALBONY LABORATORY GINZA Gallery
Hours: 11:00–19:00
URL: https://heralbony.com/en/pages/hlg

FOAM CONTEMPORARY “Takumi Ueda: Sandlot: Organic Alternation / Dasu”
Takumi Ueda returns to FOAM CONTEMPORARY at Ginza Tsutaya Books for his first solo exhibition at the venue in three years. Combining new and earlier works, the exhibition unfolds like an archive tracing changes in the artist’s thinking and expression. It revisits themes and approaches that have appeared throughout his practice, including improvisation, images of mother and child, works on plywood, repeated layering of paint and drawing. A worktable will also be installed in the gallery during the exhibition, where Ueda plans to create works in public. Visitors can therefore experience not only completed works but also the process of creation itself as part of the exhibition.
Period: October 10 – November 4, 2026
Venue: FOAM CONTEMPORARY
Hours: 11:00–20:00. Until 18:00 on the final day.
URL: https://store.tsite.jp/ginza/event/art/57115-0923320930.html