Best Museums in Tokyo: Art, Technology & Pop Culture

Tokyo's museum scene spans centuries of Japanese art history, cutting-edge contemporary design, and uniquely Japanese pop culture institutions that exist nowhere else on earth. The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park is Japan's oldest and largest museum — 110,000 objects covering Japanese art from the Jomon period through the Edo era. The entire Ueno area functions as a museum district: the National Museum of Western Art (a Le Corbusier building on the UNESCO list), the National Science Museum, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art are all within walking distance. teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets in Toyosu are the city's most photographed art experiences — immersive digital art environments where visitors walk through and interact with projections. The Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor of Roppongi Hills combines world-class contemporary art exhibitions with one of Tokyo's best skyline views. The Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku tells the full story of Tokyo from its origins as a fishing village through to the present. The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka brings the Studio Ghibli animation universe to life — tickets must be booked months ahead.