Tokyo · Roppongi and Minato

The National Art Center Tokyo

The National Art Center opened in 2007, designed by the architect Kisho Kurokawa: a wavy glass facade and the largest exhibition hall in Japan. The museum has no permanent collection of its own, only borrowed and changing exhibitions, including exhibitions by independent artist groups (salon) alongside blockbuster exhibitions on loan from abroad.

In the atrium stand two large inverted cones, and on top of them sit a cafe and the Paul Bocuse restaurant. It is worth visiting even without an exhibition ticket, just for the architecture and the coffee.

The current exhibition, 'Louvre Renaissance', runs until 13 December 2026 and brings Leonardo da Vinci's 'La Belle Ferronnière' to Japan for the first time. From 28 October 2026 to 8 February 2027 a shojo manga exhibition runs alongside it, on Moto Hagio, Ryoko Yamagishi and Waki Yamato.

Good to know

Closed on Tuesdays, except when a holiday falls on a Tuesday: then it is open, and closed on the following working day.
The two inverted cones in the atrium, with a cafe and a restaurant, are worth a visit even without an exhibition ticket.

What is nearby

Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Here
The National Art Center Tokyo
~8 min
21_21 Design Sight More to see
A design research center in a building by Tadao Ando, inside Midtown Garden. ¥1,600, closed on Tuesdays.
¥1,600 · ≈ $1010:00-19:00Maps Source
~8 min
Midtown Garden Street
An open lawn and an avenue of sakura trees along the entrance. Free.
FreeMaps Source
~9 min
Toraya Koryo Tokyo Midtown Cafe
A tea room of the traditional confectioner Toraya, on the basement floor of the Midtown Galleria. Seasonal anmitsu, about ¥1,300.
11:00-21:00Maps Source
~9 min
THE COVER NIPPON Shopping
A shop of Japanese handmade goods from all over the country, ceramics, textiles and homeware, on floor 3 of the Midtown Galleria.
11:00-20:00Maps Source
~9 min
Maruya Honten Tokyo Midtown Food
A branch of an unagi chain from Nagoya that serves hitsumabushi: eel on rice that you eat in three ways. About ¥5,000 to ¥7,000 per person, relatively expensive.
11:00-23:00Maps Source

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Full page for The National Art Center Tokyo