Art & Exhibits · Jingumae / Gaienmae

Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art ワタリウム美術館

A slim, striped Mario Botta building in Gaienmae that has championed edgy contemporary art since 1990, with a beloved art bookshop, On Sundays, at street level.

Hours11:00–19:00

ClosedMondays (open on holidays), exhibition changeovers

PriceAdult: ¥1,500
Student (25 and under) / 70+: ¥1,300
Elementary / junior high: ¥500

Getting thereGaienmae Station (Ginza Line, Exit 3), 8 min

Time needed1 hour

Best timeWeekday afternoons

Address3-7-6 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo

Websitewatarium.co.jp

About

Founded by Shizuko Watari, whose gallery brought Nam June Paik, Joseph Beuys and Keith Haring to Tokyo in the 1980s, Watari-um occupies a narrow triangular plot on Gaien-nishi-dori, its facade of black-and-white stripes designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Exhibitions spread up through several compact floors and range from Donald Judd and Marfa to Tokyo street artists, urban explorers and architects, often with an activist or experimental edge. Ticket holders can usually re-enter for the length of the show. On the ground floor and basement, On Sundays is one of Tokyo's best art bookshops, packed with postcards, zines and photobooks. Exhibitions change a few times a year and the museum closes between them, so check what is on.

Highlights

Mario Botta's striped triangular building
Experimental contemporary exhibitions over several small floors
On Sundays art bookshop and postcard wall
Tickets that typically allow repeat entry during the exhibition

Tips

Check the website for the current exhibition: the museum closes completely between shows.
Keep your ticket; it usually works as a pass for repeat visits during the same exhibition.
On Sundays bookshop is free to browse and open even when exhibitions are changing.
Walk on to the Ginkgo Avenue of Meiji Jingu Gaien, about 10 minutes away, in late November.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art ワタリウム美術館

About

Highlights

Tips

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