Traveling to Japan just to visit… the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno? With an excellent collection of works including painters from Monet and Van Gogh to Pollock and Picasso, this is an institution art lovers won’t want to miss.
The National Museum of Western Art - image © Florentyna Leow
As Japan’s only national institution devoted to Western Art, there’s a fair amount of pressure on the National Museum of Western Art to live up to its name. But for a museum that’s only been open since 1959, it has an admirable and wide-ranging collection of art that includes many major names from the last few centuries: French painters Delacroix, Courbet, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Moreau are well-represented in the permanent collection, as are artists such as Picasso, Soutin, Dubuffet and Pollock.
The National Museum of Western Art - image © Florentyna Leow
The museum holds special exhibitions - revolving around themes and artists revered in the Western tradition, naturally - throughout the year, so there’s always something new going on. The building itself, designed by pioneering Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, will also be of interest to architecture lovers.
Weekends at this beloved public museum can be crowded, so a good time to visit is on Friday evenings when it stays open until 8pm.
Another good time to visit if you’re strapped for cash is on International Museum Day, which falls on or around 18 May. Waiving its usual entry fee, the National Museum of Western Art opens its doors to the public to celebrate and encourage awareness of the role museums play in societal development. If you do go on this day, expect crowds.
English name:
The National Museum of Western Art
Japanese name:
国立西洋美術館
English address:
7-7 Uenokoen, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0007
Japanese address:
〒110-0007 東京都台東区上野公園7-7
Opening hours:
Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday: 9:30am-5:30pm (last entry 5pm)
Friday and Saturday: 9:30am-8pm (last entry 7:30pm)
Closed Monday or the following Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday
Admission:
Adults: 500
College students: 250
High school students and younger, and 65 years old and over: free
Nearest Transport:
Train: 1-minute walk from the Park exit of Ueno Station.
Nearest Hotels:
:: Check availability and pricing for hotels near The National Museum of Western Art on Booking.com or Agoda.com.
Telephone:
+81-3-6671-9355
Website:
Official Website (English)
Near To Here:
The National Museum of Western Art is located in Tokyo's Ueno district. See our complete list of things to do in Ueno, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
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