Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is an art museum in Ueno Park that brings together several exhibition spaces within a modern building. The architecture divides into different areas for temporary exhibitions, spread across multiple floors and connected by wide corridors.

The building opened in 1926 as the first public art museum in Japan and served as a model for other cultural institutions across the country. A new main structure replaced the original in 1975, shaping the appearance visitors see today within the park.

The name reflects its status as a public institution serving the greater Tokyo area. Visitors experience rotating exhibitions featuring contemporary artists alongside works from the collection, offering insight into both local and international art movements.

The museum sits about seven minutes on foot from Ueno Station in the northern part of the park. Entrances are at ground level, and exhibition spaces spread across different floors, all accessible by elevator.

The exterior facade shows characteristic concrete elements in the postwar modern style that was typical for Japanese cultural buildings in the seventies. Visitors entering find an open hall with a high ceiling that serves as a meeting point and orientation landmark.

Location: Ueno-kōen

Inception: 1926

Architects: Kunio Maekawa

Official opening: May 1, 1926

Part of: Ueno Imperial Grant Park

Address: 8-36 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0007

Phone: +81338236921

Website: https://tobikan.jp

GPS coordinates: 35.71720,139.77300

Latest update: December 19, 2025 23:55