Best Exhibitions to Visit in Tokyo 2021

Tokyo is one of the greatest cities in the world to enjoy art as it’s home to numbers of museums and galleries in various genres. From modern pop art to historical treasures, you can find a variety of world-class exhibitions in Tokyo.

Besides regular exhibitions, various temporary exhibitions are also held in many places through the year which typically run for a couple of months and sometimes tour around the country.

Temporary exhibitions are held with special concepts or exclusive collections which allow guests to enjoy rare artworks. In addition to general style art exhibitions, there are also ones featuring unique themes such as digital art, movies, anime, manga and fashion as well as playful contents. Therefore, not only art fans but also people who are interested in different genres can be enjoy special exhibitions, even kids and families.

If you live or are planning to visit Tokyo, I’d recommend you to check in advance if any special exhibitions are being held! In this article, I am listing upcoming special exhibitions in Tokyo in 2021 and when to see them. Through the list, you can find a range of special exhibitions in various genres such as Banksy and KAWS’ cool graphic art, teamLab’s latest digital art and interactive Pokemon installation art. So please check them out!

NOTE: Information may be updated or changed, so please check official websites before visiting.

-Midway Between Mystery and Symbol: Yayoi Kusama’s Monochrome

Date: 29 April to 26 December 2021

Venue: Yayoi Kusama Museum

Official Website: https://yayoikusamamuseum.jp/

-Isamu Noguchi: Ways of Discovery

Date: 24 April to 29 August 2021

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Official Website: https://isamunoguchi.exhibit.jp/english.html

-Ghibli Museum: Earwig and the Witch Exhibition

Date: 2 June 2021 to May 2022

Venue: Ghibli Museum

Official Website: https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/

-Fashion in Japan 1945–2020

Date: 6 June to 6 September 2021

Venue: National Art Center Tokyo

Official Website: https://fij2020.jp/english.html

-KINGDOM Exhibition The Road of SHIN

Date: 12 June to 25 July 2021

Venue: The Ueno Royal Museum

Official Website: https://kingdom-exhibit.com/

-Disney Princess Exhibition WHAT IS LOVE?

Date: 23 June to 29 July 2021

Venue: Shibuya Marui

-The Art of DC — The Dawn of Super Heroes

Date: 25 June to 5 September 2021

Venue: Tokyo City View

-teamLab: Catching and Collecting Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders

Date: 30 June to 22 August 2021

Venue: GINZA 456

Official Website: https://www.teamlab.art/e/collecting_butterflies/

-Pavilion Tokyo: Yayoi Kusama The Obliteration Room

Date: 1 July to 5 September 2021

Venue: Shibuya City Office Second Mitake Branch

Official Website: https://paviliontokyo.jp/pavilion-kusama

-Animation Jujutsu Kaisen Exhibition

Date: 2 July to 5 September 2021

Venue: Shibuya MODI

-THE DINOSAUR EXHIBITION 2021

Date: 10 July to 5 September 2021

Venue: Tokyo Dome City Gallery Aamo

Official Website: https://kyoryu2021.com/

-Miffy Exhibition

Date: 10 July to 12 September 2021

Venue: PLAY! MUSEUM

Official Website: https://miffy65.exhibit.jp/

-Pui Pui Molcar Town

Date: 16 July to 1 August 2021

Venue: Shibuya PARCO

Official Website: https://art.parco.jp/otherspace/detail/?id=683

-A massive screen projection reveals the world of five great painters -Hokusai, Hiroshige, Sotatsu, Korin, and Jakuchu-

Date: 16 July to 9 September 2021

Venue: Otemachi Mitsui Hall

Official Website: https://faaj.art/2021tokyo/english/

-KAWS TOKYO FIRST

Date: 16 July to 11 October 2021

Venue: Mori Arts Center Gallery

Official Website: http://www.kaws-tokyo-first.jp/

-GENKYO YOKOO TADANORI Exhibition

Date: 17 July to 17 October 2021

Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

Official Website: https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/

-Snoopy Museum: The Sporting Life Exhibition

Date: 17 July 2021 to 10 January 2022

Venue: Snoopy Museum

Official Website: https://snoopymuseum.tokyo/s/smt/page/english?ima=0000

-POKEMON COLORS

Date: 22 July to 11 August 2021

Venue: Matsuya Ginza

-Nezu Museum: Cherishing Flowers, Yearning for the Moon

Date: 22 July to 22 August 2021

Venue: Nezu Museum

Official Website: https://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/exhibition/next.html

-The Complete Hokusai

Date: 22 July to 17 September 2021

Venue: Tokyo Midtown Hall

Official Website: https://hokusai2021.jp/en/

-Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition -Memories of SAKURA-

Date: 6 to 29 August 2021

Venue: Yurakucho Marui

Official Website: https://www.0101.co.jp/405/info/index.html?contents_id=0243

-WHO IS BANKSY?

Date: 21 August to 5 December 2021

Venue: Warehouse TERRADA G1 Building

-Mika Ninagawa Exhibition

Location: The Ueno Royal Museum

Date: 16 September to 14 November 2021

Official Website: https://ninagawa-exh.com/

-Inuyasha x Yashahime Anime Exhibition

Date: 17 to 27 September 2021

Venue: Ikebukuro Sunshine City

Official Website: https://www.inuyasha-anime-exhibition.com/

-60th Anniversary Sanrio Exhibition The Beginning of Kawaii 2021

Date: 17 September 2021 to 10 January 2022

Venue: Tokyo City View

-Collecting Van Gogh: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Passion for Vincent’s Art

Date: 18 September to 12 December 2021

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Official Website: https://gogh-2021.jp/

-Roppongi Art Night 2021

Date: 23, 24, 25, 26 September 2021

Venue: Roppongi

Official Website: https://www.roppongiartnight.com/2021/en/

-Gucci Garden Archetypes

Date: 23 September to 31 October 2021

Venue: Tennozu Isle

-Hideaki Anno Exhibition

Date: 1 October to 19 December 2021

Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo

Official Website: https://www.annohideakiten.jp/

-Kimetsu no Yaiba Gotoge Koyoharu Exhibition

Date: 26 October to 12 December 2021

Venue: Mori Arts Center Gallery

-Mickey Mouse Now and Future

Date: 19 November to 19 December 2021

Venue: PARCShibuya PARCO

Official Website: https://art.parco.jp/museumtokyo/detail/?id=759

-Fullmetal Alchemist Exhibition RETURNS

Date: 18 December 2021 to 16 January 2022

Venue: Ikebukuro Sunshine City

-Harry Potter: A History of Magic

Date: 18 December 2021 to 27 March 2022

Venue: Tokyo Station Gallery

-Pokemon Fossil Museum

Date: 2022 spring

Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo

Check more up-coming special exhibitions in Japan!

Thanks for reading! Which special exhibition do you want to visit this year?? As well as exhibits, don’t miss special merchandise sold exclusively at the venues 😉

For more information about the latest trends and upcoming events in Tokyo, please check out these articles, too!

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