In a suburban part of Shinjuku, a smooth white building rises five stories high—a museum completely devoted to the works of Yayoi Kusama.
The building looks slim, but it houses a bulk of the larger-than-life and avant-garde artist’s pieces, including an installation of her “infinity room” series (an Instagram sensation which, in the past, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors in stateside exhibitions) to polka-dotted paintings and sculptures.
The museum changes its exhibition two times a year, and as it’s still relatively new, it’s only cracked the surface of the prolific artist’s work.
The collection of Kusama’s works is presented in two exhibitions each year, together with lectures and various other events. The museum hopes to widely share the message of world peace and love for humanity that Kusama has promoted, while also engaging people from all backgrounds with contemporary art.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum was founded by the avant-garde Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and is run by the Yayoi Kusama Foundation.
It opened in 2017 with the aim of spreading and promoting Kusama’s art, exhibiting her works and related materials to contribute to the development of art as a whole.
Getting There:
- 7-minute walk from the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line “Waseda” station Exit 1
- 6-minute walk from Toei Subway Oedo Line “Ushigome Yanagicho” station East Exit.
Admission Fee:
Adults: JPY 1,100 Children aged 6 - 18: JPY 600
*Children under age 6 are free of charge. *Group rates are not applicable.
Opening Hours: Thursdays to Sundays and National Holidays (11:00 - 17:30) .
Importance Rating: 6/10.
Busyness Rating: 6/10.
Top Tips:
- All tickets must be purchased in advance online. Entry is timed and only valid for a specific 90-minute time slot.
- Tickets go on sale at 10 am (Japan Time) on the first day of each month for entry in the month after next (for example, tickets for December 1 through December 24 go on sale from October 1).
