Hara Museum Of Contemporary Art

October 2022: Please note Hara Museum of Contemporary Art has now permanently closed. Please see our Shimbashi, Shiodome, Hamamatsucho and Shinagawa page for other things to see and do in the area.

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Shinagawa, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art houses a strong collection of post-1950s art including works by Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara, and Mark Rothko. It’s a must-visit for fans of art, and a lovely green respite from urban Tokyo to boot.

[Hara Museum of Contemporary Art - image © Florentyna Leow]

Tokyo has many galleries and museum spaces for contemporary art, but few have buildings as beautiful as the art they house.

Designed by Jin Watanabe, the same architect behind Wako in Ginza and the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is a beautiful example of Art Deco-influenced Japanese early modern architecture. It was converted from a private residence to a museum and opened to the public in 1979.

[Hara Museum of Contemporary Art - image © Florentyna Leow]

Today, the museum holds around 1000 works of contemporary art from the post-1950s, including major artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Yoshitomo Nara, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. It’s not all paintings: there’s photographs, videos, installations, and sculptures, too. The museum also regularly hosts events and lectures to promote up-and-coming domestic and international artists.

Besides the artworks inside the building and the building itself, it’s also worth visiting this museum for the sculpture garden. Don’t forget to check out Cafe d’Art, where the menu changes to reflect the theme of the current exhibition - so you can look at your cake and eat it too.

English name:
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art

Japanese name:
原美術館

English address:
4-7-25 Kita-shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 140-0001

Japanese address:
〒140-0001 東京都品川区北品川4-7-25

Opening hours:
Tuesday and Thursday-Sunday: 11am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Wednesday: 11am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm)
Closed Monday or the following Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday

Admission:
Adults: 1100
70 years old and over: 550
College and high school students: 700
Junior high and elementary school students: 500

Nearest Transport:
Train: 15-minute walk from the Takanawa exit of Shinagawa Station on the JR Yamanote line.

Nearest Hotels:
Check availability and pricing for hotels near Hara Museum of Contemporary Art on Booking.com or Agoda.com.

Telephone:
+81-3-3445-0651

Website: Official Website (Japanese or English)

Near To Here:
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Tokyo’s Shimbashi, Shiodome, Hamamatsucho and Shinagawa district. See our complete list of things to do in Tokyo’s Shimbashi, Shiodome, Hamamatsucho and Shinagawa district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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