8 biggest art exhibitions coming to Tokyo in 2023

Henri Matisse (1869–1954) is regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and a handful of his works can often be found in numerous exhibitions in Tokyo every year. This upcoming showcase at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, however, is a particularly noteworthy event as it is the first large-scale Matisse retrospective Japan has seen in almost 20 years. 

Most of the works are borrowed from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which boasts one of the world’s most extensive collections of the artist’s work. The roughly 150 works on display range from early oil paintings to sculptures and the paper cut-outs that defined the artist’s self-proclaimed ‘second life’, when intestinal cancer caused him to be bedridden for months at a time 

Friday Road Show is a long-running weekly TV segment that began in 1985, where full-length, family-friendly films are broadcast every Friday evening on Nippon TV (NTV). The broadcasting network has a strong relationship with Studio Ghibli, as the channel has featured the illustrious anime studio's films over 200 times in the decades since Hayao Miyazaki released his first feature, 'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' (1984). 

In this joint exhibition between NTV and Studio Ghibli, anime fans can revel in the magic of the animation studio through Takayuki Takeya's sculptures of the creatures seen in Studio Ghibli's debut film, the studio's stained glass mirror lantern, and other mesmerising installations. 

This summer, The National Art Center Tokyo is hosting an exclusive exhibition of about 120 works from the renowned Tate museum in the UK. Featured installations all relate to the theme of light and span 200 years of art history using mediums such as painting, photography, sculpture, drawing and motion picture.

Expect works from artists famous for their mastery of depicting light in natural environments, such as John Constable and Claude Monet, as well as those who work with light in a more abstract sense using modern technology. This includes contemporary visionaries like James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson and Yayoi Kusama, who will be presenting one of her iconic infinity rooms, ‘The Passing Winter’.

British artist David Hockney is set to unveil his first large-scale solo exhibition in Japan in 27 years this summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Hockney, who is regarded as one of the most versatile artists of our time, has spent the last 60 years of his career producing paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and even digital art to explore nature, landscapes and human relationships.

This upcoming showcase will feature more than 100 of Hockey’s works, making it the artist’s most comprehensive exhibition ever held in Japan. Works range from his early masterpieces painted on the West Coast of the United States in the 1960s to a series of large-scale paintings created during the Covid-19 lockdown in Normandy, northern France.

This Yves Saint Laurent retrospective coming to The National Art Center in autumn is the only appropriate follow-up to the Christian Dior exhibition taking place right now. Though he was only 21 years old when he was catapulted to the top of the French couture industry as head designer of the Dior fashion house, Saint Laurent went on to become one of the greatest visionaries of 20th century fashion. 

This is the first time an official Saint Laurent retrospective is being staged in fashion-frenzied Tokyo, so you can expect a lot from the momentous collaboration with the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. There will be roughly 110 pieces to see, including garments like the 1965 Mondrian dresses, accessories, sketches and photographs of the designer at work.

French artist Claude Monet was initially ridiculed for his impressionism, which consisted of painting thin, rapid strokes using vivid colours. Still, he is now recognised as one of the greatest artists of his time, and 2024 will mark 150 years since the world’s first impressionist exhibition was held in Paris in 1874.

This year, Japan is hosting two significant retrospectives dedicated to Monet and his works in Tokyo and Osaka to celebrate the momentous anniversary. The exhibition in Tokyo will be held at the Ueno Royal Museum from October 20 to January 28 2024, and showcases everything from his early portraits to late landscapes, including pieces from his famous ‘haystacks’ series.