Worth the ticket just for the exterior.

Spaces so powerful, the architecture itself shakes your soul.

When you hear “museum,” you probably think the artworks inside are the stars. But in Japan, there are museums where the building itself grabs all the attention. Just one look at the exterior can take your breath away. Step inside, and the architecture surrounds you like a living piece of art. These are places where you don’t just “go to see an exhibition”—you go to experience the architecture. Here are 7 museums across Japan where the design and space itself are unforgettable.

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1. Tokorozawa Sakura Town (Tokorozawa, Saitama)

Built by KADOKAWA with absolute seriousness, Tokorozawa Sakura Town is a massive cultural complex where anime, manga, light novels, literature, architecture, food, and events all collide. It’s a cultural crossroads where both otaku energy and intellectual curiosity get their fill.
The standout is the Kadokawa Musashino Museum, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma. Looking like a massive stone monolith, its otherworldly exterior shifts expression depending on the angle. From afar or up close, its scale and form will pull you in and won’t let go.

Facility	Tokorozawa Sakura Town
Hours	10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Closed	Every Tuesday (open if Tuesday is a holiday) Check calendar for updates
Admission	Adults ¥3,300 / Jr. & Sr. High ¥2,800 / Elementary ¥2,000 Reservations required via this link
Photography	Allowed (no video, flash, or selfie sticks)
Address	3-31-3 Higashitokorozawawada, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-0023 Google Map
Official Site	Tokorozawa Sakura Town

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2. Simose Art Museum (Otake, Hiroshima)

Opened in March 2023 in Otake, Hiroshima, Simose Art Museum looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Shigeru Ban (famous for cardboard architecture), its colorful glass pavilions float on a shallow reflecting pool like islands you can walk between. Their arrangement can even be changed—blurring the line between art and architecture. A mirrored wall reflects the Seto Inland Sea, stretching the horizon infinitely. Just one year later, in 2024, it was recognized internationally as “the most beautiful museum in the world.”

Facility	Simose Art Museum
Hours	9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed	Mondays (open on holidays), year-end, and exhibition change periods
Admission	Adults ¥2,000 / College & HS ¥1,000 / Otake residents ¥1,500 / Under JHS free
Photography	Allowed (no video, flash, or selfie sticks) Some exhibitions may restrict photography
Address	2-10-50 Harumi, Otake, Hiroshima 739-0622 Google Map
Official Site	Simose Art Museum

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3. Art Tower Mito (Mito, Ibaraki)

The twisting glass tower near Mito Station is the iconic landmark of Art Tower Mito. Designed by the late world-famous architect Arata Isozaki, its spiraling form practically demands you stop and look up.
Inside, visual arts, theater, and music constantly intersect, with experimental exhibitions and performances from artists worldwide. It’s a cultural hub where something new is always happening.

Facility	Art Tower Mito (Tower)
Hours	Weekdays 9:30–18:00 / Sat, Sun, Holidays 9:30–19:00
Closed	Mondays (or next day if Monday is a holiday), year-end
Admission	Adults ¥200 / Elementary–JHS ¥100
Photography	Depends on exhibition. Confirm at entrance or by phone
Address	1-6-8 Goken-cho, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0063 Google Map
Official Site	Art Tower Mito

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4. Teshima Art Museum (Teshima, Kagawa)

A sacred site for the Setouchi Triennale, the Teshima Art Museum is a collaboration between artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa. Its form resembles a single water droplet solidified into architecture.
Natural light filters into a silent, cavernous space where water slowly seeps and flows across the floor. It’s less “a building” and more “an environment you surrender yourself to.” With photography forbidden, the experience feels almost spiritual—a reminder that sometimes the most profound art is simply inhabiting a phenomenon.

Facility	Teshima Art Museum
Hours	Mar 1–Sep 30: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) Oct 1–Feb end: 10:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30)
Closed	Varies seasonally. See calendar
Admission	Varies by exhibition
Photography	Not allowed (outside & shop area only for personal use)
Address	607 Karato, Teshima, Tonosho-cho, Kagawa 761-4662 Google Map
Official Site	Benesse Art Site Naoshima

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5. The National Art Center, Tokyo (Roppongi, Tokyo)

With no permanent collection, The National Art Center, Tokyo operates entirely on temporary exhibitions. Every visit is a new encounter with art.
Designed by Kisho Kurokawa, the sweeping glass façade undulates like a wave, reflecting different moods by day and night. Inside, vast atriums make the space itself part of the experience. It’s a museum where architecture is just as compelling as the art on display.

Facility	The National Art Center, Tokyo
Hours	10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) Fridays & Saturdays until 20:00
Closed	Tuesdays, year-end, plus special closures. See calendar
Admission	Varies by exhibition
Photography	Allowed for personal use only (no commercial)
Address	7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-8558 Google Map
Official Site	The National Art Center, Tokyo

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6. MIHO MUSEUM (Koka, Shiga)

Getting to MIHO MUSEUM already feels like entering a hidden paradise. After a long tunnel and a glass suspension bridge, the building emerges, designed by I.M. Pei (architect of the Louvre’s pyramid).
With 80% of the structure embedded underground, the museum seamlessly blends into the mountains around it. Light, stone, and space are stripped down to their purest form, making a visit feel like meditation—where architecture and nature become one.

Facility	MIHO MUSEUM
Hours	10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00)
Closed	Mondays (varies by season). See calendar
Admission	Adults ¥1,300 / College & HS ¥1,000 / Under JHS free
Photography	Indoor photography prohibited (outdoor partially allowed)
Address	300 Tashiro Momodani, Shigaraki-cho, Koka, Shiga 529-1814 Google Map
Official Site	MIHO MUSEUM

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7. Hoki Museum (Chiba, Chiba)

Next to Showa-no-Mori Park in Chiba, a razor-thin building juts out like it’s floating midair. This is Hoki Museum—the first museum in Japan dedicated entirely to realist painting. Designed by Nikken Sekkei and architect Reiko Tomita, its glass-and-concrete form shifts dramatically depending on perspective.
Inside, elongated galleries seem to hover above the ground, displaying hyper-detailed realist works so lifelike you’ll question whether they’re paintings at all. The harmony of art and architecture here is unmatched.

Facility	Hoki Museum
Hours	10:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
Closed	Tuesdays (or next weekday if holiday), year-end, and during exhibition changes
Admission	Adults ¥2,100 / HS, College, Seniors ¥1,600 / JHS ¥1,000 / Elementary & under ¥800
Photography	Prohibited
Address	3-15 Asumigaoka-higashi, Midori-ku, Chiba 267-0067 Google Map
Official Site	Hoki Museum

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RAW JAPAN Comment

Museums today are no longer just for “viewing exhibits”—they’ve become places to experience architecture itself. Each of these museums is a stage where the building is art, shaping the way you feel and remember your trip.
Whether it’s being overpowered by a monolith, standing in silence with natural light, or walking through a space that melts into nature, these museums prove that architecture can be just as moving as the artworks inside.

Next time you’re planning a Japan trip, consider adding one “architecture-first” museum to your itinerary. It’ll give you an experience that no photo or words can fully capture—and it might just change the way you think about museums forever.

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Source Notes

This article is based on official facility information and related press releases, summarized and restructured by RAW JAPAN editorial team.
Images: PR TIMES / official museum websites