National Museum Of Art Osaka

Those who love contemporary art won’t want to miss the National Museum of Art (NMAO). Located on Nakanoshima Island in the Kita district, NMAO boasts a fantastic collection of works including major artists such as Picasso, Cézanne, Yayoi Kusama, Tadanori Yokoo, and Tsuguharu Foujita.

[National Museum of Art, Osaka - image © Florentyna Leow]

The National Museum of Art (NMAO) might be located underground, but it is impossible to miss it if you’re headed there. From a distance, you’ll see a giant sculpture of stainless steel and glass rising into the sky, calling to mind a bamboo grove - or for most visitors, silver rabbit ears. Whatever you think of it, this César Pelli sculpture makes an entirely fitting entrance to this subterranean museum.

[National Museum of Art, Osaka - image © Florentyna Leow]

While the museum primarily displays post-war art, some notable pre-war artists feature in the collection, including Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, and Tsuguharu Foujita. Famous post-war names in the collection include Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, and Tadanori Yokoo. There are three underground floors for visitors to slowly explore.

NMAO has in its extensive collection around 6,109 works spanning a wide range of mediums from graphic designs and lithographs to sculptures and paintings. Don’t necessarily expect to be able to see works by all the famous artists mentioned above on your visit - it’ll really depend on the exhibition schedule. There are occasionally times when the permanent exhibition will be shut in favour of two temporary exhibitions. On the bright side, this means that there’ll always be something new to see on each visit.

Visiting the first floor, with its auditorium, restaurant, and gift shop, is free of charge. The museum is also open late on Fridays until 7:00pm. NMAO occasionally has open days when visitors can visit the exhibition galleries free on charge - you’ll want to check their website before your visit to see when they are.

For those in your party who aren’t interested in contemporary art, the National Museum of Science is conveniently located right next door.

English name:
National Museum of Art, Osaka

Japanese name:
国立国際美術館

English address:
4-2-55 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, 530-0005

Japanese address:
〒530-0005 大阪市北区中之島4-2-55

Opening hours:
10am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Closed Monday, or the following Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday

Admission:
Adults: 430
College students: 130

Nearest Transport:
Train: 5-minute walk from exit 2 of Watanabebashi Station on the Keihan Nakanoshima Line.
Subway: 10-minute walk from exit 3 of Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line.

Nearest Hotels:
Check availability and pricing for hotels near National Museum of Art, Osaka on Booking.com or Agoda.com.

Telephone:
+81-6-6447-4680

Website: Official Website (English)

Near To Here:
National Museum of Art, Osaka is located in Osaka’s Kita and Umeda district. See our complete list of things to do in the Kita and Umeda district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Where Are These Places Located?

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