Best art galleries in Roppongi

Emmanuel Perrotin's empire stretches across eight venues in Paris, Seoul, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo – in fact, this space on the ground floor of Roppongi's Piramide Building is the gallery's first Japan outpost. Perrotin is known for representing some of the world's most celebrated contemporary stars, including Kaws, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Maurizio Cattelan, Bharti Kher and JR. Perrotin himself is often credited as 'the man who brought Takashi Murakami to the world,' having met the otaku ambassador in his twenties and having showcased Murakami's work ever since.

One of Japan’s most authoritative contemporary galleries, Tomio Koyama has the clout to pick whom it represents. It has chosen major Japanese artists including Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, as well as international figures such as American artist Dennis Hollingsworth. You'll find the gallery in Roppongi's Complex665.

Formerly housed in Kiyosumi's gallery complex, ShugoArts moved to Setagaya's Mishuku in 2015 and subsequently to its current location inside Roppongi's Complex665 in 2016. It has hosted an eclectic range of contemporary Japanese and international artists including Shimabuku, Shigeo Toya and South African photographer and videographer Candice Breitz. 

Located inside one of Roppongi's premier art venue, Complex665, this Taka Ishii Gallery (there are two more dotted around the city) showcases photography art by major international and Japanese artists including Nobuyoshi Araki, Daido Moriyama, Thomas Demand and the like. 

Atsuko Ninagawa opened this Azabu-Juban gallery in December 2007, having previously worked as a curator in New York. It’s one of the galleries from the so-called ‘post-Kiyosumi-Shirakawa generation' and represents young standard-bearers for the contemporary art world, such as Shinro Ohtake, Soju Tao, Misaki Kawai, Yukiko Suto and Yuuki Matsumura.

Some of Japan’s best-known contemporary artists – such as Yayoi Kusama, Tsuyoshi Ozawa and others who deal with the politics of identity – have shown at this well-established gallery, which moved to Roppongi in 2011 after a lengthy stint in Ginza.

Located along Roppongi's Imoaraizaka street, Hiromiyoshii showcases contemporary artists from home and abroad, covering a range of mediums including painting, sculpture and architecture. Photographers Kishin Shinoyama and Nao Tsuda are among the biggest names shown here.

This gallery is connected to the Roppongi Hills Art & Design Store and hosts a rotating line-up of contemporary art exhibitions, ranging from pieces by world-class artists like Yoshitomo Nara to ceramics and more experimental works.

Formerly based in Azabu-Juban, Gallery Side 2 moved to its current location on a Roppongi backstreet in late 2011. The gallery specialises in contemporary art from promising young Tokyo artists such as Yuko Murata, Fumito Urabe and Takeo Hanazawa, as well as a small curation by foreign artists such as Rirkrit Tiravanija.

A contemporary art gallery located behind the Azabu police station, Gallery MoMo Projects also operates a branch in Ryogoku and features mainly up-and-coming painters like Yuka Otani, Masumi Sakamoto and Yosuke Kobashi.

Nogizaka's Unlimited crosses genres with exhibitions ranging from traditional fine art to photography, architecture and experimental video. It seeks to feature talented artists who explore social issues, and have worked with the likes of Shusaku Arakawa, Toshio Shibata, Meo Saito, Toeko Tatsuno and Mika Yoshizawa.