Must-See Art Exhibitions in Japan: September 2025

September 2025 in Japan is set to be a vibrant month for art enthusiasts, with a diverse range of exhibitions across Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Aichi, and Shiga. These events showcase everything from classical masterpieces and traditional Japanese crafts to contemporary international art.

Tokyo & Yokohama Exhibitions

“The Van Gogh Museum: The Painter’s Legacy, the Family Collection, the Ongoing Story”

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Ueno Park).
Dates: September 12 (Fri) – December 21 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: The first exhibition in Japan focusing on the Van Gogh family collection, showcasing over 30 masterpieces and four personal letters. This exhibition is part of a Japan tour.

“Ōoku: Women of Power in Edo Castle”

Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan (Ueno).
Dates: July 19 (Sat) – September 21 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: Offers a rare glimpse into the Ōoku through approximately 180 treasured artifacts, including kimonos and historical documents, contrasting popular fiction with a truthful portrayal of this unique historical world.

“ICE AGE – Discover the World 40,000 Years in the Past”

Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno).
Dates: July 12 (Sat) – October 13 (Mon), 2025.
Highlight: Explores human coexistence with giant animals during a glacial period, featuring powerful displays and the first-in-Japan display of actual Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon skulls.

Gei-sai and “KOMOGOMO EXPO”

Venue: Ueno Park (Tokyo University of the Arts for Gei-sai; fountain plaza for KOMOGOMO EXPO).
Dates: September 5 (Fri) – September 7 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: Gei-sai is the annual school festival of Tokyo University of the Arts, featuring student art, music, and a portable shrine (Mikoshi) parade. The “KOMOGOMO EXPO” is an art event by alumni for young artists, offering a platform for direct interaction between artists and visitors.

Tokyo Gendai Art Fair

Venue: PACIFICO Yokohama, Exhibition Hall C/D (Yokohama, near Tokyo).
Dates: Public Days: September 12 (Fri) – September 14 (Sun), 2025. VIP Preview & Vernissage: September 11 (Thu), 2025.
Highlight: The third edition of this international art fair, featuring over 70 galleries globally. It includes programs centered on art awareness, education, new programming strands like an artist prize, and a special exhibit on Japanese craft by women artists.

“109th NIKA ART EXHIBITION 2025”

Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo (Roppongi).
Dates: September 3 (Wed) – September 15 (Mon), 2025.
Highlight: The annual exhibition by the NIKAKAI Association of Artists, featuring painting and sculpture. It also includes a poster design competition with the theme “Japanese Regional Cuisine.”

“Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory”

Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Koto-ku).
Dates: August 23 (Sat) – November 24 (Mon), 2025.
Highlight: The first mid-career retrospective for the New York-based artist, exploring her two decades of performance, dance, installations, and video. It will feature performances within custom-built spaces.

Sou Fujimoto: Primitive Future Forest

Venue: Mori Art Museum (Roppongi Hills, Tokyo).
Dates: July 2 (Wed) – November 9 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: The first major Tokyo retrospective for architect Sou Fujimoto, showcasing nearly 30 years of his work through over 100 projects and 1,000 architectural elements. The exhibition includes a 1:5 scale model of the Grand Roof Ring for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Roppongi Art Night 2025

Venue: Roppongi area.
Dates: September 26-28, 2025.
Highlight: A large-scale international art festival transforming the entire Roppongi area.

Tokyo Odaiba Triennale 2025

Venue: Odaiba area (including Daiba Park and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation).
Dates: September 26-28, 2025.
Highlight: A separate large-scale international art festival taking place across Odaiba, including Daiba Park and Miraikan.

“Timeless Art Deco with Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry”

Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (Shirokanedai).
Dates: September 27 (Sat), 2025 – January 18 (Sun), 2026.
Highlight: Celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition where Van Cleef & Arpels won a Grand Prize. Features approximately 250 creations and over 60 archival documents within the Art Deco architecture of the museum.

“The Ishibashi Foundation Collection Highlights”

Venue: Artizon Museum (Kyobashi).
Dates: March 1 (Sat) – September 21 (Sun), 2025 (Concluding September 21).
Highlight: Showcases masterpieces from the Ishibashi Foundation Collection, including modern Western, Japanese modern and contemporary art, and features a Digital Collection Wall.

“Renoir / Cézanne – Pioneers of Modernity”

Venue: Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo (Marunouchi).
Dates: May 29 (Thu) – September 7 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: An international exhibition featuring approximately 50 masterpieces by Renoir and Cézanne, exploring their influence on modern art, and including works by Picasso. This is the exclusive Japanese venue.

Hyemi Hwang, ‘Elogia’

Venue: Whitestone Gallery, Tokyo.
Dates: August 22-September 13, 2025.
Highlight: A solo exhibition by artist Hyemi Hwang.

80th Memorial Kohdo Art Exhibition 2025

Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo.
Dates: September 17-29, 2025.
Highlight: No specific highlight provided, but it’s the annual 80th memorial exhibition.

Beyond Tokyo: Regional Exhibitions

Biwako Biennale 2025: Flux

Venue: Primarily Omihachiman City and Hikone area, Shiga Prefecture (historic merchant houses, Chomyoji Temple, Okishima Island).
Dates: September 20 (Sat) – November 16 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: The 11th edition of this international art festival, transforming vacant heritage buildings into immersive art spaces, featuring approximately 70 artists exploring the theme “Flux” (constant motion and transformation).

Aichi Triennale 2025: A Time Between Ashes and Roses

Venue: Aichi Arts Center (Nagoya), Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum (Seto), and various locations in Seto City.
Dates: September 13 (Sat) – November 30 (Sun), 2025 (79 days).
Highlight: The sixth edition of Japan’s largest international contemporary art festival, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, featuring 61 artists/groups from 22 countries. It explores transformation, renewal, and the human condition in relation to crisis and change, with contemporary art and performing arts programs.

Yakushigawa Chiharu Exhibition

Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, The Triangle.
Dates: September 9 (Tue) – November 16 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: This free admission exhibition showcases new abstract paintings by Yakushigawa Chiharu, focusing on her “knock series” which explores the relationship between “pairs” through bodily movements.

The 100th Anniversary of Mingei: Kyoto’s Legacy of Everyday Life

Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Main Building (South Wing).
Dates: September 13 (Sat) – December 7 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the “mingei” (folk art) term, revealing the deep relationship between the Mingei movement and Kyoto through various craft works and historical materials.

Hello Kitty Exhibition -As I change, so does she-

Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Higashiyama Cube.
Dates: September 25 (Thu) – December 7 (Sun), 2025.
Highlight: Celebrates Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary with the largest display of merchandise, artist collaborations, original video content, and photo opportunities, exploring the character’s evolution.

Special Exhibition Song and Yuan Buddhist Painting: Early Chinese Masterpieces in Japan

Venue: Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing.
Dates: September 20 (Sat) – November 16 (Sun), 2025 (divided into two installations).
Highlight: Showcases important early Chinese Buddhist paintings (10th-14th centuries) brought to Japan, exploring their artistic quality and cultural integration. It includes an international symposium.

Immersive Museum OSAKA 2025 Impression & Japonism—Van Gogh & Hokusai, Monet & Hiroshige

Venue: Dojima River Forum, Osaka.
Dates: May 31 (Sat) – September 5 (Fri), 2025 (closed June 24-July 3).
Highlight: The third installment of the immersive series, focusing on the cross-cultural influence between Impressionism and Ukiyo-e through projection mapping and interactive areas.

sakamotocommon OSAKA 1970/2025/Osaka/Ryuichi Sakamoto

Venue: VS., Grangreen Osaka, Umekita Park North Park, Osaka.
Dates: August 30 (Sat) – September 27 (Sat), 2025.
Highlight: The first large-scale exhibition dedicated to Ryuichi Sakamoto in his hometown, recreating the impact of the 1970 Osaka Expo on him. Features Baschet sound sculptures, re-creation of Sakamoto’s reading space, and grand piano performances.

Koide Narashige: In Pursuit of Oil Painting for the Japanese

Venue: Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, 4F Galleries.
Dates: September 13 (Sat) – November 24 (Mon), 2025.
Highlight: The first retrospective in 25 years for this leading Japanese Western-style painter from Osaka. It showcases his oil paintings, including female nudes, sketches, and book designs.

This comprehensive list offers a glimpse into the vibrant art scene awaiting visitors to Japan in September 2025, providing opportunities to explore various artistic expressions across multiple cities. Haven’t you booked your trip yet?