The best art exhibitions to see in Tokyo in 2026

The start of the year is always a time of intense anticipation for art fans in Tokyo, with the city’s numerous superb museums revealing their exhibition schedules for the coming 12 months. And with the full 2026 slate now out, we’re confident calling this year’s crop of shows one of the most plentiful in recent memory.

First, you have your big international touring shows featuring artistic superstars from Picasso to Ron Mueck and the Young British Artists of the ’90s – an eclectic line-up spread out from February all the way to September.

Then there’s a treasure trove of solo exhibitions highlighting domestic heavy hitters including Hajime Sorayama, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Minami Tada – the latter the focus of a long-awaited mega-retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in autumn.

All that and so much more – these are the very best shows to see in Tokyo this year.

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