Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum

The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is one of the most architecturally distinguished cultural venues in Japan, occupying the 1933 Art Deco mansion built as the official residence of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, a member of the imperial family who studied in Paris and was profoundly influenced by the European Art Deco movement. Designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2015, the main building features interiors designed by the celebrated French artist Henri Rapin and decorative glasswork by the legendary designer Rene Lalique, who contributed glass panels, door handles, chandeliers, and a dramatic entrance figure. The museum opened to the public in 1983 and underwent extensive renovation in 2013, reopening in 2014 with a sleek contemporary annex designed in collaboration with artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. Exhibitions at the museum are varied and changing, ranging from Art Deco retrospectives and Lalique jewellery shows to photography, craft, and contemporary art. Once a year, the building itself becomes the subject of an exhibition, with rooms ordinarily closed to the public opened for viewing. The 19,000-square-meter grounds contain a beautifully landscaped Japanese-style strolling garden with a traditional teahouse, a Western-style garden, and an expansive lawn featuring sculptures. The museum is a 7-minute walk from Meguro Station or 6 minutes from Shirokanedai Station.