Recommended Art Exhibitions in January 2026

NPO Aoyama Design Forum presents the recommended exhibitions of art galleries and museums in December 2025. In addition to the schedule of events, we will provide you with detailed information such as the works on display. Please check the website of each museum for current opening hours before visiting.

津上みゆき《View - at 11:15 am., 30 Mar., 06-09》2009年 国立国際美術館蔵 ©Miyuki Tsugami

Collection 2 at The National Museum of Art, Osaka

This exhibition presents contemporary art created over the past 25 years since the beginning of the 21st century, offering a multifaceted perspective on shifts in sensibility and values in our time. Comprised of the special feature "Imagination in the 21st Century" and the year-round "Collection Highlights," the exhibition explores diverse artistic expressions shaped by changing social and personal environments, providing an opportunity to reconsider the present state of contemporary art.

Period: November 1, 2025 - February 15, 2026
Venue: The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Hours: 10:00 - 17:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays; admission until 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Monday
Fee: Adults 430yen, University students 130yen / Free for high school students and younger, under 18, and over 65
URL: https://tinyurl.com/4zxe2cxz

NAKED meets Gaudí at Terada Warehouse G1　

An official exhibition jointly organized for the first time in the world by the Fundació Gaudí and NAKED, INC. The exhibition showcases original drawings of the Sagrada Família, handwritten letters, tools, and other previously unseen materials. Through the latest research including handwriting analysis and immersive participatory artworks, the exhibition delves into Antoni Gaudí’s inner world and innovative thinking, offering an engaging experience for visitors of all ages.

Period: January 10 - March 15, 2026
Venue: Terada Warehouse G1 Building
Hours: Weekdays 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:00) / Weekends & holidays 10:00 - 20:00 (last entry 19:00)
URL: https://meets.naked.works/gaudi/

Yajuro Takashima Exhibition: 50 Years After His Death at Toyota Municipal Museum of Art　

《蝋燭》大正期、福岡県立美術館蔵

A large-scale retrospective commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Yajuro Takashima, a painter known for his distinctive realist depictions of candles and moons. Featuring approximately 170 works including pieces shown publicly for the first time, the exhibition examines his steadfast artistic philosophy and unique expression. This is the first presentation of the exhibition in the Tokai region.

Period: January 6 - March 15, 2026
Venue: Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Gallery 8
Hours: 10:00 - 17:30 (admission until 17:00)
Fee: Adults 1,500yen, High school & university students 1,000yen, Free for junior high school students and younger
URL: https://tinyurl.com/y7zxece9

Sol LeWitt: Open Structures at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo　

The first solo exhibition at a Japanese public museum dedicated to Sol LeWitt, a leading figure in conceptual art. Through wall drawings, sculptures, two-dimensional works, and artist books, the exhibition highlights LeWitt’s idea-centered approach to creation. Visitors can experience immersive spaces shaped by structure, color, and process, emphasizing the act of thinking as art.

Period: December 25, 2025 - April 2, 2026
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Special Exhibition Gallery 1F
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (admission until 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (except Feb 23), Feb 24
Fee: Adults 1,600yen / University & vocational students, seniors (65+) 1,100yen / Junior & senior high school students 640yen / Free for elementary school students and younger
Image Credit: Exhibition main visual design by Yuri
URL: https://tinyurl.com/5f9ea83h

Kimio Kawaguchi: Thousands are Sailing at Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex　

画像：川口起美雄《柘榴（グラナダ・アプフェル）》1977年 テンペラ、油彩、カンヴァス 個人蔵

A solo exhibition by Kimio Kawaguchi, known for his poetic landscapes created through a unique combination of tempera and oil painting. This marks his first solo show at a public museum in ten years. Approximately 40 works, from early masterpieces to recent pieces, trace over half a century of artistic practice filled with fantasy and allegory.

Period: November 1, 2025 - February 1, 2026
Venue: Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura Annex
Hours: 9:30 - 17:00 (admission until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays
Fee: Adults 700yen, Students & under 20 550yen, Seniors 65+ 350yen, High school students 100yen
URL: https://tinyurl.com/yc7598c7

Arata Isozki: Archipelogos of Architecture at Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito

《つくばセンタービル》1983年竣工、竣工写真、1983年、©Kochi Prefecture, Ishimoto Yasuhiro Photo Center　Photo: Yasuhiro Ishimoto

The first large-scale retrospective in Japan following the death of architect Arata Isozaki in 2022. Spanning architecture, urbanism, art, and philosophy, the exhibition presents his multifaceted practice as an “archipelago.” Through models, drawings, sketches, and installations, visitors gain an overview of one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, staged within the Art Tower Mito, designed by Isozaki himself.

Period: November 1, 2025 - January 25, 2026
Venue: Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (admission until 17:30)
Closed: Mondays
Fee: Adults 900yen, Groups 700yen / Free for high school students and younger, seniors 70+
URL: https://tinyurl.com/yb6ep7ed

Van Gogh’s Home: The Painter’s Legacy, the Family Collection, the Ongoing Story at Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art

Focusing on the role of Vincent van Gogh’s family in preserving and promoting his legacy after his death, this exhibition traces the transfer of his works from his brother Theo to Theo’s wife Johanna, and later to their son Vincent Willem. Featuring over 30 works from the Van Gogh Museum and rare letters, the exhibition highlights the devotion and respect that sustained the painter’s reputation.

Period: January 3 - March 23, 2026
Venue: Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays; admission until 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Jan 19, Feb 2, Feb 16, Mar 2, Mar 16
Fee: Adults 2,000yen / High school & university students 1,300yen / Free for junior high school students and younger
URL: https://tinyurl.com/yxpmxfhr

HIRAKU Project Vol.17: Kazuki Yamada “Echoes in the Earth” at Pola Museum of Art

《阿蘇に降る霜》制作風景、2022年
Frost falling in Aso
2022
(production view)

A solo exhibition by Kazuki Yamada presented as part of the HIRAKU Project, a series introducing artists supported by the Pola Art Foundation. The exhibition explores expressions that resonate with nature and the memory of place, offering a quiet yet experimental spatial experience distinctive to the project’s philosophy.

Period: December 13, 2025 - May 31, 2026
Venue: Pola Museum of Art, 1F Atrium Gallery
URL: https://tinyurl.com/22fsd9b3

THE WALL CHNEIDER meets MIDORI TAKAYAMA at WALL_alternative

A collaborative exhibition by fashion brand CHNEIDER and sculptor Mizuki Takayama. Centered on the concept of “the wall,” the exhibition explores intersections between art and fashion, examining spatial, material, and bodily relationships through an immersive installation that captures moments where different disciplines converge.

Period: January 22 - February 7, 2026
Venue: WALL_alternative
Hours: 18:00 - 24:00
URL: https://tinyurl.com/mpbxazh7

Keita Morimoto: what we told ourselves at KOTARO NUKAGA (Tennozu)　

森本啓太《Night Shift》2025

A solo exhibition by Keita Morimoto, whose paintings depict moments of contemporary urban life through dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. Referencing Baroque painting and early 20th-century American realism, Morimoto renders artificial lights such as street lamps and neon signs with striking chiaroscuro. The exhibition marks a significant moment as his international recognition continues to grow.

Period: January 17 - March 7, 2026
Venue: KOTARO NUKAGA (Tennozu)
Opening Hours: 11:30 - 18:00
URL: https://tinyurl.com/4wp8y4ct

Adrian Berg: Infinite Garden at Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art　

The first solo exhibition in Japan dedicated to British painter Adrian Berg. Known for his lifelong exploration of landscape painting, particularly his repeated depictions of Regent’s Park, the exhibition presents works from early to late periods, revealing a layered sense of time and memory embedded in his landscapes.

Period: January 24 - April 12, 2026
Venue: Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Gallery B-1
Hours: 10:00 - 17:00 (admission until 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays
Fee: Adults 1,100yen, University students 800yen, High school students & seniors 65+ 550yen, Free for junior high school students and younger
URL: https://tinyurl.com/245p4sm5

Killi Okaji: Hanging Windows at Tokyo International Gallery

A solo exhibition by Killi Okaji, who depicts urban landscapes seen through windows using traditional Japanese painting techniques. The subdued tones and flatness created by mineral pigments allow the works to blend quietly into space. By focusing on the act of “hanging” paintings, the exhibition reconsiders the intimate relationship between private rooms and pictorial space.

Period: January 17 - February 21, 2026
Venue: Tokyo International Gallery
Opening Hours: 12:00 - 18:00
URL: https://tinyurl.com/6dda4s7h