Nagoya not only houses ancient and historical art but also fantastic museums and galleries exhibiting old and new artworks of Japanese designers.
Even during a short stroll around the city center, you can drop in at multiple museums dedicated to modern art.
To make it easier for you we have prepared this list of the best art museums and modern art galleries in Nagoya.
Article Contents
The Aichi Triennale Art Festival, an exhibition of controversy and creativity.
The Aichi Triennale is one of the largest international art festivals in Japan held in and around Nagoya. The first festival was held in 2010, and since then it has been held every three years.
The latest festival, the Aichi Triennale 2019 was held from August 1 to October 14. There were three main venues in Nagoya and one in Toyota. The festival hosted more than 90 artists from more than 30 different countries and regions. The festival hosted very creative and surprising works such as the “Vocabulary of Solitude” a workpiece created by the Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone.
Featured concerts by renowned Japanese musical artists such as Sakanaction were also on the program.
The festival also featured several works that brought controversy to the festival, which ended with the cancellation of the exhibition of the work. Take a look at the Aichi Triennale 2019 here.
The next festival will be held on 2022.
1. Daiichi Art Museum
This museum houses a very good collection of two periods of the art of glass, modern and contemporary, of two great representative artists: the French, Émile Gallé (Art Nouveau) and the American, Dale Chihuly (contemporary art).
Daiichi Art Museum (大一美術館)
Entry Fee: Adult 800 yen, child 400 yen
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 17:00; closed Mondays
Address: 1-22 Kamotsukicho, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 453-0843
Phone: (+81) 052-413-677
Website | Google Maps
2. Nagoya City Art Museum
Nagoya City Art Museum has been collecting and exhibiting the works of local and foreign artists of modern art.
*Temporarily closed due to Covid-19
Nagoya City Art Museum (名古屋市美術館)
Entry Fee: Adult 300 yen, child 200 yen
Opening Hours: 9:30 – 17:00; closed Mondays
Address: 2−17−25, Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0008
Phone: (+81) 052-212-0001
Website | Google Maps
3. Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
Aichi Prefectural Museum has collected more than 8,000 works focusing on 20th-century art from Japan and abroad such as Gustav Klimt, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Bonnard Max Ernst, and Taikan Yokoyama. Also, the museum has a complete collection of German expressionism and surrealism works, and also postwar art of the United States.
The special collection donated by Nagoya art collector Teizo Kimura has more than 3,000 works including modern Japanese-style paintings, chinaware, and Buddhist images, and these works are displayed in the Teizo Kimura Collection Room and in some of the special exhibitions.
You can enjoy some of the art collections of the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art on the virtual museum page here.
Another special exhibition, the Studio Ghibli Exhibition, was supposed to be held during the summer of 2020, but because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the exhibition was postponed with no start date yet.
Instead of the full exhibition they held a mini Ghibli exhibition from July 22 to September 3 2020.
Find more information about the mini exhibition here.
Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art (愛知県美術館)
Entry Fee: Adult 500 yen, child 300 yen
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 18:00; closed Mondays
Address: 1-13-2 Higashisakura, Higashi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8525
Phone: (+81) 052-971-5511
Website | Google Maps
Get to know more about Nagoya Local Food with our Specialties of Nagoya Food Tour.
4. Furukawa Art Museum/Annex Tamesaburo Memorial Museum
Furukawa Art Museum exhibits very fine pieces of contemporary Japanese paintings. It also displays oil paintings, ceramics, and crafts.
Just 3 minute walk from the museum you can find a nice traditional styled Japanese tea house that was the residence of the founder of the museum, Tamesaburo Furukawa.
Once you pay the admission fee, you can freely walk around the tea house and choose the tea room you want to stay in.
Tamesaburo Memorial Museum is a wonderful place to sit down and enjoy a cup of Matcha green tea along with a Japanese sweet while enjoying the view of a Japanese garden. The tea bowls are part of a great tea bowl collection, so ask the staff about the story of your bowl.
After your relaxing tea break, try a light walk around the Japanese garden.
Furukawa Art Museum/Annex Tamesaburo Memorial Museum (古川美術館・分館 爲三郎記念館)
Entry Fee: Adults 1,000 yen, child 500 yen
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 17:00; closed Mondays
Address: 2-50 Ikeshitacho, Chikusa Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 464-0066
Phone: (+81) 052-763-1991
Website (Japanese only) | Google Maps
If you are interested in the Japanese tea ceremony this post will introduce you to tea ceremonies and other beautiful tea houses in Nagoya, where you can experience the Japanese tradition for yourself.
5. The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Art
The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Art has a collection focusing on artworks of French artists from the 18th to the 20th century displaying pieces of the Rococo, Romanticism, Neoclassicism, Realism, and Impressionism.
The museum also has other collections of glass crafts and furniture.
The Yamazaki Mazak Museum of Art (ヤマザキマザック美術館)
Entry Fee: Adult 1,000 yen, child 500 yen
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 17:30; closed Mondays
Address: 1-19-30 Aoi, Higashi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 461-0004
Phone: (+81) 052-937-3737
Website | Google Maps
6. IdcN International Design Center Design
The International Design Center Design hosts small temporary exhibits displaying new designers’ creations and new design products by companies. Take a look at the creators’ shop Loop, a small design shop where new and young designers are selling their works.
IdcN International Design Center Design (国際デザインセンター)
Entry Fee: Varies depending on the exhibition
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 20:00
Address: 3−18−1 Design Center Building, Sakae, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0008
Phone: (+81) 052-265-2128
Website | Google Maps
Step into Japan’s past wearing a beautiful traditional Kimono and exploring the oldest parts of Nagoya with our Nagoya Kimono Old Town Walking Tour.
7. Esplanade Gallery
Located on the historical Endoji Shopping Street, the Esplanade Gallery was the former residence of a merchant family. This small gallery displays different kinds of exhibitions from local designer’s masterpieces to private collections.
Esplanade Gallery (エスプラナードギャラリー)
Entry Fee: free
Opening Hours: 13:00 – 18:00; Saturdays and Sundays 12:00 – 18:00
Address: 1-34-1 Nagono, Nishi Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 451-0042
Phone: (+81) 052-870-0827
Website (Japanese only) | Google Maps
Get a glimpse into the world of Sake with our very new “Nagoya Sake Tasting Night Tour”. By joining this tour you will learn a lot more about Japan’s most famous drink while sampling a wide variety of different types of Sake in combination with delicious Izakaya foods. Tour details and booking here↓
If you love visiting museums, take a look at these two posts on industry as well as history museums in Nagoya:
9 Must-Visit Industry and Technology related Museums in Nagoya
12 Must-Visit History and Culture related Museums in Nagoya
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