When I was younger and traveling around the world, I had no interest in museums. I saw them simply as tourist attractions. As I continued traveling, however, I gradually found myself seeking out contemporary art museums. It was because I had come to appreciate museums not only for the artworks they contain, but also for the spaces they create. This page brings together the contemporary art museums that have left the strongest impression on me.
Ranking
#1 : Enoura Observatory (Odawara, Japan)
Probably a museum, but not like museum in the suburbs of Odawara city in Japan. Experience a new form of contemporary art.
#2 : teamLab Borderless (Tokyo, Japan)
I entered teamLab’s digital art space, still skeptical. One image caught my eye, and I stopped. Before I knew it, tears came to my eyes.
#3 : National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo(Tokyo, Japan)
Tokyo. Experiencing Japanese modern and contemporary art in a spacious and quiet space.
#4 : Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan)
Roppongi, Tokyo. Tour the contemporary artworks on the top floor of skyscraper and be dazzled by the Tokyo scenery stretches out behind the artworks.
#5 : Nakamura Keith Haring Collection (Yamanashi, Japan)
Keith Haring Museum in Yamanashi. Feeling the 80’s while watching the artworks of the pioneer of street art.
#6 : Hara Museum ARC (Gunma, Japan)
In the north part of Tokyo. Stroll through the relaxing space at the foot of the mountain and encounter a space that combines Japanese and contemporary art.
#7 : Artizon Museum(Tokyo, Japan)
The center of Tokyo. When entering a modern building and see a rich collection of abstract paintings, I have the illusion that I am in an overseas museum.
#8 : Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (Tokyo, Japan)
A gallery in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Visiting an exhibition by an artist never heard of, amazed by the excellent works and space.
#9 : Nezu Museum (Tokyo, Japan)
In Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, I entered the grounds and walked along a bamboo-lined path. Looking back, I noticed a tsukubai. It made me think of a roji, the path to a tea house.
#10 : Chiba City Museum of Art (Tokyo, Japan)
It is 7 p.m. on a Saturday in Chiba City, just outside Tokyo. I walk through the museum’s calm galleries, suddenly find one of On Kawara’s orange date paintings, and simply cannot walk away.
#11 : Art Factory Jonan island (Tokyo, Japan)
A warehouse district in the south part of Tokyo. Beyond a maze of carbon-paper blocks, a vast, silent space opens up like a school gymnasium – art and stillness in the same breath.
Originally published on Jun 14 2026
Last updated on Jul 8 2026
