Ueno Best Museum Guide 2024! 10 Must-see Ueno Museums

Ueno is one of Tokyo's most popular tourist destinations. Home to Japan's first established zoo and an expansive park, the area boasts Japan's premier collection of art museums and museums, making it a deeply enriching cultural experience.

As a Shinkansen (bullet train) stop, Ueno offers excellent access to Japan's Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, making it an ideal base for tourists exploring the country.

Despite being located in central Tokyo where rapid development continues, Ueno remains popular for preserving its retro atmosphere from before and after World War II.

Today, we'll introduce you to the artistic pleasures of Ueno, a multi-faceted district located near another famous tourist spot, Asakusa. Let's dive deep into the highlights of 10 must-see museums, art galleries, and art spots!

Ueno: Tokyo's Premier "Cultural District" with a Concentration of Facilities

As mentioned earlier, Ueno hosts some of Japan's finest national art galleries and museums. While strolling through the nature-rich Ueno Onshi Park (Ueno Park), visitors can appreciate international artistic works, historical buildings, and artifacts from ancient excavation sites. This culturally rich area offers deep experiences across nature, art, and science.

Why are there so many museums and art galleries in Ueno Onshi Park?

In the late 1800s, during a period of political reform and Western cultural influence, the government launched a national project called the Naikoku Kangyo Exposition. Ueno Park was chosen as the main venue for many of these exhibitions. This led to the construction of Japan's first art museum and venue designs by British architects, establishing the cultural foundation that continues today.

The Naikoku Kangyo Exposition featured and awarded success to the most cutting-edge artists of the time, including Japanese Western-style painters, lacquer craftsmen, and painters. From this point, Ueno developed into a cultural center.

10 Must-Visit Museums and Art Galleries in Ueno

TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

Source:Official website

The Tokyo National Museum, established in 1872, is Japan's oldest museum. Over its 150+ year history, it has amassed approximately 120,000 items, including 89 National Treasures and 649 Important Cultural Properties. The museum specializes in precious artworks, historical documents, and archaeological artifacts from Japan and other Asian countries.

The vast 100,000m² grounds feature six exhibition buildings:

- The Main Building
- Heiseikan
- Toyokan (Asian Gallery)
- Horyuji Homotsukan (Gallery of Horyuji Treasures)
- Hyokeikan
- Kuroda Memorial Hall

While the collections are the main attraction, the buildings themselves are must-see architectural treasures. Designated as Important Cultural Properties, these masterpieces span from the 1600s to the 2000s. The grand staircase in the Main Building's atrium entrance is particularly spectacular, along with its interior decorations.

Address: 13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry 4:30 PM)
Extended hours: Fridays, Saturdays, and November 3 until 8:00 PM (Last entry 7:30 PM)
Closed: Mondays (except holidays, then closed the following weekday), December 17, 2024, and December 23, 2024 - January 1, 2025
Phone: 050-5541-8600
Official Website: https://www.tnm.jp/

The Heiseikan Building - A Notable Highlight

source:Official website

The Heiseikan, located at the left rear of the Tokyo National Museum, primarily hosts special exhibitions. Built in 1993 to commemorate the Emperor's marriage, it features:
- Four special exhibition rooms on the second floor
- Archaeological exhibition room on the first floor
- Lecture hall and lounge areas

The Heiseikan excels in Japanese archaeological exhibitions, displaying artifacts from 40,000 years ago when humans first settled in Japan. Visitors can examine the evolution of pottery, dogū figurines, ornaments, and ritual objects through the ages. It's fascinating to compare the changing pottery designs and varying expressions of the dogū figures.

TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM

Source:FASHION PRESS

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (locally known as "Tobikan") will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. As one of Japan's premier art museums, it consistently hosts notable exhibitions featuring both global and Japanese masterpieces. The museum draws large crowds for special exhibitions of renowned artists like Taro Okamoto and Henri Matisse.

The building itself, particularly the 1975 new wing designed by modernist architect Kunio Maekawa, is an architectural masterpiece. The structure incorporates various artistic elements, making the building itself an artwork. The colorful walls of the adjacent Public Gallery are especially beautiful when illuminated at night.

Address: 8-36 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Last entry 5:00 PM)
Closed: 1st and 3rd Mondays (next day if holiday)
Phone: 03-3823-6921
Official Website: https://www.tobikan.jp/

National Museum of Nature and Science

Source:Wikipedia

If you're interested in natural history and science technology history, the National Museum of Nature and Science is a must-visit destination at Ueno. As Japan's only comprehensive national science museum, it houses an extensive collection of specimens and materials including animal, plant, and fungal specimens, living plants, minerals, fossils, human bones, and scientific/technological historical materials. The collection exceeds 4.9 million items, with approximately 25,000 pieces on permanent display.

From dinosaurs to cutting-edge space technology, both adults and children become immersed in the numerous curiosity-inspiring exhibits. Photography is permitted in many areas of the museum (though flash photography is prohibited), so feel free to bring your camera along.

The museum is primarily divided into two buildings: the Japan Gallery (Nihonkan) and the Global Gallery (Chikyukan). The Japan Gallery offers learning opportunities about the formation of the Japanese archipelago and the lives of ancient Japanese people. Meanwhile, the Global Gallery's highlight is its impressive dinosaur exhibits. The crowded display of taxidermied mammals and birds is equally spectacular.

Address: 7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (Last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (When Monday is a holiday, closed the following Tuesday)
Phone: 050-5541-8600
Official Website: https://www.kahaku.go.jp/

The Ueno Royal Museum

Source:Google Maps

The Ueno Royal Museum is a quintessential Ueno art museum, known for its extensive collection of woodblock prints depicting local Ueno scenes.

The museum houses works by Utagawa Hiroshige, a ukiyo-e artist (woodblock print artists who flourished from the 1600s to early 1900s) acclaimed by art enthusiasts worldwide. The collection spans from ukiyo-e prints of the 1700s-1800s to early 1900s works influenced by ukiyo-e traditions.

The museum is also famous for regularly hosting diverse exhibitions, including major international shows, ukiyo-e exhibitions, and manga exhibitions.

Located just 3 minutes on foot from Ueno Station's Park Exit, it's an easily accessible art spot perfect for combining with a stroll through Ueno Park. Currently closed for renovations from September 16, 2024, to February 12, 2025.

Address: 1-2 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00-17:00 (Last entry at 16:30)
Closed: Irregular (Varies by exhibition)
Phone: 03-3833-4191
Official Website: https://www.ueno-mori.org/

The National Museum of Western Art

Source:Official website

The National Museum of Western Art is Japan's only national museum dedicated to Western art.

The museum's core collection is the Matsukata Collection (an art collection assembled by Japanese businessman Kojiro Matsukata in the early 1900s, specifically referring to the French art collection centered on Impressionist paintings and Rodin sculptures) that was donated and returned by the French government.

The collection primarily features Western paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings from the Renaissance to the mid-20th century, including masterpieces by renowned artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso. The museum building itself is also notable as one of Le Corbusier's representative architectural works and is registered as a World Heritage site. Following the April 2022 renovation of its forecourt, visitors can now experience the building's original appearance.

Address: 7-7 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30-17:30 (Last entry at 17:00)
Friday and Saturday: 9:30-20:00 (Last entry at 19:30)
Closed: Mondays (When Monday is a holiday, closed the following weekday), December 28-January 1
*Additional temporary openings and closures may occur
Phone: 050-5541-8600
Official Website: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/jp/

Shitamachi Museum

Source:TAITO Cultural Marche

The Shitamachi Museum is located by the Shinobazu Pond in Ueno Park and serves as a facility preserving the traditional culture of Tokyo's downtown area. 

The museum is currently closed for renovation, with plans to reopen in March 2025.

The highlight here is experiencing a realistic recreation of Tokyo's downtown streetscape from the early 1900s. Visitors can step inside to glimpse the lifestyle of that era, featuring typical merchant buildings called "dashigetazukuri" and nagaya tenements surrounded by narrow alleyways known as "uradana."

The interior is furnished with actual household items and daily tools from the period. Visitors can sit at a chabudai (low dining table) or in front of a nagahibachi (long brazier) used for boiling water and keeping warm. This immersive experience allows you to deeply appreciate the atmosphere of old downtown Tokyo, the lives of its residents, and the changing seasons.

Address: 2-1 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30-16:30 (Last entry 16:00)
Closed: Mondays (or following weekday if Monday is a holiday), Dec 29-Jan 3, and special maintenance periods
Phone: 03-5846-8426
Official website: https://www.taitogeibun.net/shitamachi/

Ueno Pavilion, University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts

Source:Tripadvisor

Tokyo University of the Arts is Japan's premier art university, producing renowned artists like pianist Ingrid Fuzjko Georgii-Hemming and contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

The university's art museum is popular among art enthusiasts. It houses and displays approximately 30,000 items collected over 135 years, since the founding of its predecessor institutions (Tokyo School of Fine Arts and Tokyo Music School) in 1889.

The annual large-scale exhibition "Geidai Collection Exhibition" offers students and art fans a precious opportunity to experience high-quality pieces from their diverse collection. Uniquely, it includes graduation works by world-renowned artists like Taikan Yokoyama, who revolutionized modern Japanese painting.

Address: 12-8 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00-17:00 (Last entry 16:30)
Closed: Varies by exhibition
Phone: 050-5541-8600
Official website: https://museum.geidai.ac.jp/

Geidai Art PIaza

Source:Official website

The "Geidai Art Plaza" is a gallery and shop jointly operated by Tokyo University of the Arts and a publishing company, with the theme "Fill Every Home in Japan with Art!" It showcases works by students, alumni, and professors associated with the university. Visitors can freely browse without hesitation.

Currently, they hold bimonthly exhibitions where artwork is available for purchase. Don't miss "NoM cafe" in front of Geidai Art Plaza. Operating alongside the Art Plaza since its opening in 2018, the cafe is known for its excellent chai and coffee, attracting many regular customers seeking a peaceful retreat.

Address: Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts Campus, 12-8 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00-18:00
Closed: Mondays (Open on holidays/substitute holidays, closed following business day) *May close during exhibition changes
Phone: 050-5525-2102
Official website: https://artplaza.geidai.ac.jp/

Asakura Museum of Sculpture

Source:Wikipedia

The Asakura Museum of Sculpture was the home and studio of Asakura Fumio, a sculptor who played a leading role in Japan's sculpting world. 

The building, which served as both his atelier and residence, was designed by Asakura himself and shows meticulous attention to detail in every aspect. Named "Asakura Choso Juku" (Asakura Sculpture School), it was also a place where he opened his doors widely as an educational institution to nurture his disciples.

Currently open to the public, visitors can enjoy not only numerous sculptural works but also the building's magnificent architecture. The space beautifully fuses Japanese and Western styles, featuring a tatami room where Asakura practiced his hobby of ikebana (flower arrangement), a garden surrounded by trees at the building's center, and a rooftop garden offering panoramic views of the cityscape.

Come experience the artistic lifestyle beloved by this extraordinary sculptor.

Address: 7-18-10 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:30-16:30 (Last entry at 16:00)
Closed: Mondays and Thursdays (If a holiday falls on these days, closed the following weekday), New Year's holidays
*May close temporarily for exhibit changes
Phone: 03-3821-4549
Official Website: https://www.taitogeibun.net/asakura/

For those interested in Japanese culture, we recommend the "Asakusa Cultural Walk & Matcha Making Tour" in Asakusa!

Why not extend your trip from Ueno to enjoy a tour immersing yourself in Japanese culture in Asakusa?

Walk along the 300-year-old Nakamise shopping street with a knowledgeable local guide. Visit the main attraction, Sensoji Temple, and learn deeply about Japanese customs and cultural aspects related to temples and Buddhism.

Experience various condensed aspects of Japanese culture and traditions, including a tea ceremony where you can enjoy matcha, and lunch where you can make your own monjayaki and okonomiyaki, popular Japanese soul foods.

Meeting Point: In front of Kaminarimon Police Box, Asakusa Police Station (1-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Asakusa Station on Tobu Line, Tokyo Metro, or Toei Subway
Tour Area: Asakusa
Start Time: 11:00

For more details, visit: https://www.magical-trip.com/product/86a08414-88c3-44cf-8111-cc3895896f45