Best Exhibitions Starting in June 2025
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Tokyo Art Beat presents a selection of the best exhibitions opening in June 2025. Bookmark the exhibitions on the TAB website or TAB app and never miss the openings and closings.
- 【Tokyo】Looking at Architecture 2025: A Mansion’s Many Eras (Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Shiko Munakata Ⅰ: Inspiration from Words (Japan Folk-Craft Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Art Brut Then and Now Vol. 4: The Meeting Place of Unveiled Worlds (Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery)
- 【Tokyo】Echoes Unveiled: Art by First Nations Women from Australia (Artizon Museum)
- 【Tokyo】Takahata Isao Exhibition— The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation (Azabudai Hills Gallery)
- 【Tokyo】Dressing Up: Pushpamala N (Chanel Nexus Hall)
- 【Kanagawa】Ryosuke Hara Exhibition (Hiratsuka Museum of Art)
- 【Kanagawa】Masahiko Sato Exhibition (Yokohama Museum of Art)
- 【Kyoto】Collection Room Special Display: The Dawn of Western-style Painting: Following the Footsteps of Kuroda Jutaro (Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art)
- 【Osaka】Rich Veins of Japanese Art— Mining for Hidden Treasures (Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka)
- 【Hyogo】The Parallel Careers of Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi: A Centenial Reunion (Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art)
- 【Hiroshima】Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bomb Between Memories and Objects: Monuments, Museums, and Archives (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art)
【Tokyo】Looking at Architecture 2025: A Mansion’s Many Eras (Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum)
The former residence of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, completed in 1933, is a rare example of early Showa-era Art Deco architecture and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. Held once a year, this unique exhibition explores the architectural space and how its functions have evolved over time. The mansion has served many purposes: 14 years as a royal residence for the Asaka family; 7 years as the political base of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida; 19 years as a State Guest House; 7 years as a private event venue; and 42 years as a museum. This exhibition revisits how the building has functioned and coexisted with the people of each era.
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Schedule: June 7 – August 24
【Tokyo】Shiko Munakata Ⅰ: Inspiration from Words (Japan Folk-Craft Museum)
Renowned for his distinctive woodblock prints, Shiko Munakata drew deep inspiration from poetry and storytelling. This large-scale special exhibition—the first chapter in a planned series—focuses on his word-driven works. The displayed works reveal the artist’s profound reverence for words and ability to channel them into expressive form.
Venue: Japan Folk-Craft Museum
Schedule: June 14 – July 27
【Tokyo】Art Brut Then and Now Vol. 4: The Meeting Place of Unveiled Worlds (Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery)
This fourth installment of a series examining the global state of Art Brut turns its gaze to the United Kingdom. Curated by guest curator Jennifer Gilbert, the exhibition introduces a broad range of British Art Brut, and Outsider Art. Featuring 11 artists, including well-known figures like Madge Gill and Scottie Wilson as well as emerging talents making their Japanese debut, the show offers a rich tapestry of creative expression.
Venue: Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery
Schedule: June 21 – August 31
【Tokyo】Echoes Unveiled: Art by First Nations Women from Australia (Artizon Museum)
Art by First Nations people from Australia is being given more exposure than before as part of the recent international trend in contemporary art to reconsider works created in deeply rooted regional contexts. Moreover, within the Australian contemporary art world, many women artists with First Nations backgrounds are becoming renowned and have established international acclaim. Through the work of seven artists and one collective, four of whom are in the Ishibashi Foundation’s collection, this exhibition introduces the diversity of contemporary artistic expressions and seeks a deeper understanding and awareness of First Nations art from Australia.
Venue: Artizon Museum
Schedule: June 24 – September 21
【Tokyo】Takahata Isao Exhibition— The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation (Azabudai Hills Gallery)
Commemorating the 90th anniversary of Isao Takahata’s birth and 80 years since the end of World War II, this major retrospective—organized with support from Studio Ghibli—traces the origins of Takahata’s creative philosophy. While centering on iconic works like Grave of the Fireflies and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, the exhibition also delves into his pre-Ghibli career. Through his realism and innovative storytelling methods, Takahata laid the foundation for Japanese animation. This exhibition highlights the evolution of his artistic vision and enduring legacy.
Venue: Azabudai Hills Gallery
Schedule: June 27 – September 15
【Tokyo】Dressing Up: Pushpamala N (Chanel Nexus Hall)
The second installment in a series spotlighting Asian artists who work primarily with photography presents Indian artist Pushpamala N. Originally trained as a sculptor, Pushpamala has since the 1990s developed a distinct practice in photo-performance, using photography and video to interrogate nationhood, gender, and identity. By staging elaborate scenes using analog methods, she reconstructs visual memory embedded in history and culture, prompting viewers to question the nature of “truth” in image-making.
Venue: Chanel Nexus Hall
Schedule: June 27 – August 17
【Kanagawa】Ryosuke Hara Exhibition (Hiratsuka Museum of Art)
Known for his luminous brushwork and interest in the border between the real and the imagined, Ryosuke Hara explores the relationship between landscapes and perspective. More recently, he has treated landscapes as "placed objects," expanding his practice into three-dimensional works. This exhibition presents paintings and sculptures, including a few new works, highlighting Hara’s continued focus on the delicate boundary between humans and nature.
Venue: Hiratsuka Museum of Art
Schedule: June 14 – September 15
【Kanagawa】Masahiko Sato Exhibition (Yokohama Museum of Art)
This first-ever large-scale solo exhibition of Masahiko Sato offers a comprehensive look at his nearly 40-year career, spanning advertising, music, educational programming, and games. The exhibition not only showcases his most iconic creations but also dives into the thought processes and theories behind them. Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar works and gain new perspectives on communication and creativity.
Venue: Yokohama Museum of Art
Schedule: June 28 – November 3
【Kyoto】Collection Room Special Display: The Dawn of Western-style Painting: Following the Footsteps of Kuroda Jutaro (Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art)
Jutaro Kuroda, a prominent figure in the Kyoto Western-style painting scene, was not only a painter but also a prolific writer. His literary works conveyed the trends of European art, particularly those in France, and played a significant role in the acceptance of Western art in Japan. This exhibition traces the formation of Kyoto’s Western-style art movement through works in the museum's collection, spotlighting Kuroda’s enduring influence and the foundations he laid for future generations.
Venue: Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art
Schedule: June 20 – August 31
【Osaka】Rich Veins of Japanese Art— Mining for Hidden Treasures (Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka)
This exhibition shines a light on overlooked masterpieces and hidden gems in Japanese art—works rarely seen or not widely known beyond academic circles. The show spans from Jomon pottery to contemporary art and includes striking pieces by painters like Ito Jakuchu. With an eye toward discovering future national treasures, this exhibition invites viewers to explore Japan’s rich and diverse artistic heritage.
Venue: Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
Schedule: June 21 – August 31
【Hyogo】The Parallel Careers of Foujita and Yasuo Kuniyoshi: A Centenial Reunion (Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art)
This exhibition explores the lives and careers of two Japanese artists who found success abroad during the tumultuous first half of the 20th century: Tsuguharu Foujita in France and Yasuo Kuniyoshi in the United States. Their works are presented in chronological parallel, shedding light on their respective responses to global upheaval and artistic development across continents.
Venue: Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
Schedule: June 14 – August 17
【Hiroshima】Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bomb Between Memories and Objects: Monuments, Museums, and Archives (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art)
Marking 80 years since the bombing, this exhibition explores how memory is constructed and passed down through art. It focuses on wartime and postwar monuments and statues, while also examining institutions and media—such as museums and archives—that shape collective memory. Contemporary artists’ responses are featured alongside Hiroshima-related works from the museum’s collection. Together, they offer a space for reflection and dialogue about how memory is preserved, reshaped, and conveyed through artistic practice.
Venue: Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Schedule: June 14 – August 17
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