9 of the Best Museums in Tokyo and How To Visit

After its smash success 5-year run in Odaiba, teamLab Borderless went on hiatus before reopening in February of 2024 with a permanent location in central Tokyo's Azabudai Hills. The rebooted teamLab Borderless is better than ever, with many of the favorite exhibitions from the previous location, such as the Infinite Crystal Universe, alongside a smattering of new ones. Digital art is combined with sound and even scent design that bounces, flows, and undulates from room to room, sometimes changing in response to visitor interaction.

Don’t miss: The multisensory Peace can be Realized Even without Order: Dissolving Light, with sound by Hideaki Takahashi. In this installation, a spectral orchestra is projected on shifting curtains of mist.

Japan’s oldest national museum and largest art museum, the Tokyo National Museum houses more than 100,000 items in its collection. Objects include Japanese and Asian art from ancient to modern, Buddhist devotional art, bird and flower scrolls, folk dolls, woodblock prints, pottery, and more. Sprawling and a bit grand, the sturdy buildings were constructed during the Meiji Period, and the museum has been at this location since 1882, though it was established a few years earlier.

Don’t miss: Period costumes in the Japanese Gallery such as samurai armor, 17th-century kimono, and netsuke, the carved charms used to counterbalance a carryall pouch.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum—a former residence of Prince and Princess Asaka—was built after the Prince studied military tactics in France, and they both became enamored of the French art deco style. Henri Rapin and René Lalique designed many of the interiors, with characteristic glass- and tile-work, ironwork, and murals. Outside, the museum's grounds encompass both Japanese and European-style gardens. The residence was converted into an art museum in 1983.

Don’t miss: The glass relief door in the entryway by Rene Lalique, complemented by the intricate mosaic floor by Takashi Ohga.

Animation fans are likely already familiar with Ghibli Studios, which created major anime canon films including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and—more recently—The Boy and the Heron. The museum's western-Tokyo campus combines the feeling of a studio tour and a children’s museum. Among its collections are whimsical statues; a Catbus playroom for little ones only; a movie theater showing a short animated film; and sketches, stills, and works-in-progress from various Ghibli productions. Be sure to reserve these Tokyo museum tickets online at least a month in advance, as they sell out quickly.

Don’t miss: The Robot Soldier (from Castle in the Sky) on the rooftop garden.

Fans of dinosaur bones and natural history will find a lot to love at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno. Although the multiple dinosaur fossil exhibits are the main draw—including a number of fossils that were found within Japan—there are also extensive exhibits on other animals and sea life, explorations of the evolution of the planet and humankind, and a section dedicated to advances in science and technology within Japan.

Don’t miss: The Japanese People and Nature exhibit on the second floor of the Japan Gallery.

Located in the city’s western suburbs, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is a must for architecture fans or anyone seeking historical museums in Tokyo. The dozens of preserved buildings date from the 1600s to the 1900s and show a snapshot of life in the Edo Period through to when the city’s name was changed to Tokyo. You’ll find family residences, farmhouses, storefronts such as a paper umbrella shop, and more. Especially since so many of Tokyo’s buildings were destroyed in the firebombing of World War II, these structures are an important time capsule.

Don’t miss: Thatched roof farmhouses of the Tenmyo and Yoshino families provide a glimpse into life as a farmer in feudal Japan.

A hidden gem in a busy part of Tokyo, the Nezu Museum's highlights include a collection of Buddhist art, pre-modern calligraphy and painted scrolls, and a lovely classical garden with winding paths and a babbling brook, decorated with stone lanterns and a small shrine. The garden goes from brilliant green in the summer to ablaze with color in the autumn, and is worth several visits during different seasons.

Don’t miss: The Nezu Café was designed by famed architect Kengo Kuma and serves delicate sweets in a meditative environment.

Encased in an undulating, soaring steel and glass structure designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, The National Art Center Tokyo offers a grand venue for art from all over Japan. With more than a dozen exhibition rooms over the 46,000-square-foot (14,000-square-meter) space, the center hosts shows from a variety of associations and collectives rather than keeping its own collection. There are a mix of free and fee-for-admission exhibitions which usually feature contemporary art.

Don’t miss: The building is beautiful in its own right—it's a wonderful place to explore light and patterns with photography.

Literally translated to “Future Museum,” Miraikan (aka The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) is an interactive science museum where visitors can experience hands-on exhibits. Kids and science geeks alike will love exploring the limits of inner and outer space in the Explore the Frontiers area, manipulating data panels in the Discover Your Earth zone, and envisioning the future alongside cutting-edge technology in the Create Your Future exhibition. Consider it one of the best museums in Tokyo for families.

Don’t miss: The Hello! Robot exhibition on the third floor showcases the latest in robotics with a variety of both cute and practical robots.