11 best art exhibitions showing in Osaka and Kyoto right now

After a series of high-profile exhibitions at Tokyo’s Ginza Six and Saitama’s Hyper Museum Hanno, Kenji Yanobe is bringing his signature cat-astronauts, known as Ship’s Cat, to Osaka.

Born in Osaka, Kenji Yanobe is known for his functional mechanical sculptures. Ship’s Cat, arguably his most popular work to date, is an ongoing series that began in 2017. These regal ‘catstronauts’ are imagined as guardian spirits for travellers. One edition, Ship’s Cat (Muse), now stands outside the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka as a permanent installation.

Held at MASK (Mega Art Storage Kitakagaya), a repurposed art warehouse formerly used for steel processing, this exhibition revolves around Luca, the solar tower-shaped spaceship first seen in the now-concluded Big Cat Bang exhibition at Ginza Six. It’s displayed alongside other sculptures from the Ship’s Cat series, as well as works by other artists from MASK’s collection.

Born in Osaka, Yasumasa Morimura is one of the most compelling Japanese artists of our time. A conceptual photographer, filmmaker and visual artist, Morimura is best known for appropriating iconic Western paintings and classic imagery from history and popular culture. He inserts himself into these works as a form of self-portraiture through expert use of props, costumes, make-up and digital manipulation.

Since the debut of Portrait (Van Gogh) in 1985, Morimura has produced self-portraits based on works by renowned artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Velázquez, Johannes Vermeer and many more. While often cheeky, witty and even humorous, his meticulous recreations of some of the art world’s most recognisable masterpieces not only challenge our relationship with the originals but also highlight Japan’s fascination with Western culture.

Marking the 40th anniversary of his career, Morimura has organised this retrospective exhibition to showcase one work from each year between 1985 and 2024. Here, you can also explore a chronological timeline of his artistic journey, view four of his personal favourite pieces, and discover previously unreleased works for the first time.

The National Museum of Art, Osaka’s regular Collection exhibitions offer a glimpse into the museum’s extensive holdings, which span primarily from the 19th to early 20th century. Collection 2, however, adds a special feature to complement the usual Collection Highlights.

Titled ‘The Imaginative Power of the 21st Century’, the special presentation reflects on the first 25 years of this century, exploring both our current state of affairs and the trajectory ahead. At the turn of the millennium, few could have predicted the sweeping changes that had come to completely transform our lives, values and perspectives. This exhibition examines our recent history through contemporary works created over the past quarter-century.

The Collection Highlights section is lighter in subject matter, showcasing some of the museum’s most iconic works alongside recent acquisitions. Notable new additions include pieces by Joseph Beuys, Takashi Murakami, Maureen Gallace and Maria Farrar.

The 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris was a landmark event in art history. It marked the launch of the Art Deco movement, one of the most influential design styles of the 20th century. For its centenary celebration in 2025, the Nakanoshima Museum of Art is hosting a special exhibition focused on the graphic art and design of the era, with a particular emphasis on its portrayal of women.

You can expect to see rare and exquisite Art Deco works from across Europe, especially France, including jewellery, perfume bottles, dresses and classic cars. The exhibition also features around 100 vintage posters that capture the glamorous image of the modern woman as envisioned a century ago.

As 2026 marks 160 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Italy, the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts is showcasing selected works from the Italy Pavilion of the now-concluded Osaka Expo. The three principal pieces on display exemplify the universal human ideals of faith, justice and knowledge.

Measuring 193cm in height, the imposing Farnese Atlas from the 2nd century AD is widely celebrated as one of the greatest examples of classical sculpture. It depicts the giant Atlas from Greek mythology carrying the celestial sphere on his shoulders, with the globe intricately carved with constellations and the zodiac.

The Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci created the Codex Atlanticus in the 15th century, a collection of drawings and writings covering his wide-ranging intellectual pursuits, from mathematics and astronomy to civil engineering and military technology. Selected pages from this collection are being displayed in Japan for the first time.

Completing the trio is the Banner of Justice (1496) by Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, the esteemed teacher of another Renaissance figure, Raphael. This oil-on-canvas painting is a notable example of religious art from the Italian Renaissance.

Osaka-born Koide Narashige (1887–1931) was a pioneering figure in Western-style Japanese painting, and this comprehensive exhibition at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art marks his first major retrospective in 25 years.

A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts, Narashige produced a prolific body of work in oil painting, focusing primarily on still lifes and female nudes. It was his portrayals of the female nude, however, that earned him lasting acclaim. Particularly notable are the works produced during the final five years of his life, following his move to Ashiya in 1926. These paintings defined his signature style and celebrated the beauty of the female form.

One of the most prolific artists of our time, Yayoi Kusama has created a strikingly diverse body of work spanning painting, sculpture, performance art and fashion. Yet across all mediums, her art is consistently defined by themes of obsessive repetition and proliferation, expressions she has described as a form of ‘self-therapy’ born from her hallucinations.

What sets Kusama apart is her ability to continually reinvent these signature motifs in imaginative ways. Her work always feels fresh, even as it remains instantly recognisable. This thematic continuity is on display in the small but curated exhibition now showing at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka until January 2026. Titled ‘Infinity – Selected Works From The Collection’, the showcase brings together pieces from her early career through to her most recent creations.

The clear highlight of the exhibition is the Infinity Room, which transforms her repetitive motifs into a physical, immersive experience. ‘Infinity Mirror Room – Phalli’s Field (or Floor Show)’ (1965/2013) is one of the earliest works in her widely celebrated ‘Infinity Mirror Room’ series.

Black Jack is a manga series by the legendary Osamu Tezuka, the creator behind some of Japan’s most iconic characters, including Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. First published in the 1970s, Black Jack follows the dramatic medical adventures of its enigmatic surgeon protagonist.

This exhibition at the Abeno Harukas Art Museum is the largest-ever showcase dedicated to Black Jack. On display are more than 500 original manuscripts, alongside issues of Weekly Shonen Champion (where the manga first appeared as a series), first-edition volumes published in the 1970s, and handwritten drafts from over 200 episodes. These rare materials are presented alongside archival documents that highlight Osamu Tezuka’s creativity and passion.