National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, abbreviated as MOMAT, holds the distinction of being Japan’s first national art museum, established in 1952 and relocated to its current building in Kitanomaru Park in 1969. Designed by architect Kunio Maekawa and later expanded, the museum stands in a lush setting just across from the moat of the Imperial Palace, combining history, nature, and art in a single destination. The museum’s collection is among the largest in the country, comprising more than 13,000 items including paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs, videos, and calligraphy, with a focus on Japanese art from the Meiji era onward. The signature MOMAT Collection exhibition, spread across floors two through four, presents approximately 200 works per season and offers an unparalleled survey of over a century of Japanese artistic development in a single viewing. Special temporary exhibitions on the ground floor bring international loans and thematic perspectives to complement the permanent holdings. On the top floor, the relaxation space known as A Room With a View provides panoramic views of the Imperial Palace East Garden, one of the most beautiful vistas available within a Tokyo museum. The museum closes between exhibitions, so checking the schedule in advance is recommended. A museum shop and cafe are located within the building.