Exploring Japan in 2025: Must-See Arts Events and Exhibitions

Hey there, fellow adventurers! If you’re planning a trip to Japan in 2025, get ready for an amazing lineup of events and exhibitions that you won’t want to miss. From groundbreaking art festivals to cultural retrospectives, here’s your guide to making your Japanese journey unforgettable, complete with all the details on when, where, and how much.

Must-See Event: Osaka Expo 2025

Venue:	Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka
Date:	April 13 to October 13, 2025
Pricing:	Adult One-Day Ticket: ¥4,000 to ¥7,500 Children (Ages 4-11): ¥2,200 (approx. $15 USD) Children under 3: Free Season Pass (Multiple entries): ¥14,000 (approx. $94 USD)
How to Get to Yumeshima, Osaka for the Expo 2025	From Osaka City Center: Take the Osaka Metro Chuo Line to “Yumeshima Station,” which takes about 30 minutes. From Kansai International Airport (KIX): Option 1: Take the Nankai Electric Railway to “Namba Station” (approximately 40 minutes), then transfer to the Osaka Metro Chuo Line to reach “Yumeshima Station.” The entire journey takes about 70 minutes. Option 2: Take the JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service to “Bentencho Station” (approximately 40 minutes), then transfer to the Osaka Metro Chuo Line. The total travel time is around 65 minutes.

First on our list is the grand World Expo. This isn’t just any expo; it’s a once-in-a-generation event! The last time Osaka hosted something like this was back in 1970. This year’s theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives to Shine,” promises to pull in over 160 countries, showcasing innovations that will leave you in awe.

Imagine walking through the world’s largest wooden structure, the “Circular Roof,” designed by Sou Fujimoto, where you can soak in the harmony of traditional Japanese architecture with modern tech. And for all you anime lovers, there’s a gigantic 17-meter Gundam waiting to be seen, lighting up the night sky with its very own show.

Find out more:

Your Guide to Expo 2025 Osaka: Everything You Need to Know

Osaka, Kansai Expo 2025 in Japan: The Must-See Event of the Year!

World Expo Kansai Japan Official Site

Art Lovers, Rejoice! Setouchi International Art Festival (Setouchi Triennale 2025)

Venue:	Various locations in Kagawa and Okayama Prefectures
Date:	April 18 to November 9, 2025
Pricing:	General Admission: Varies by island, typically around ¥3,000 (approx. $20 USD) per art site Special Events require separate tickets, ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥5,000 (approx. $7 to $34 USD)
Traveling from Okayama or Takamatsu to the Islands	To visit the various islands from either Okayama or Takamatsu, you can take a ferry. The ferry ride typically lasts between 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the specific island you’re heading to.

Now, if you’re into art, the Setouchi International Art Festival is your next stop. This festival transforms the islands into an open-air gallery with the theme “Sea Revival,” blending art, culture, and nature in a way that’s both beautiful and thought-provoking.

(photo credit: https://setouchi-artfest.jp/en/place/naoshima/)

With 17 exhibition zones, including the famous Naoshima, you’ll get to see new art projects and performances, like the one by Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. Plus, Tadao Ando’s new museum on Naoshima is a must-visit for those who love how architecture plays with light.

Read More:

Setouchi Triennale 20205 Official Website

A Tribute to a Music Legend: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Venue:	Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
Date:	December 2024 to March 2025
Pricing:	Adult: ¥1,500 (approx. $10 USD) University Students: ¥1,000 (approx. $7 USD) High School Students and Younger: Free
How to reach:	By Train: From Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station on the Hanzomon Line: Exit at B2 and walk for about 9 minutes. From Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station on the Toei Oedo Line: Exit at A3 and walk for approximately 13 minutes. From Kiba Station on the Tozai Line: Exit from exit 3 and it’s a 15-minute walk. By Bus: From Kikukawa Station on the Shinjuku Line, you can take the Toei Bus bound for “Shimbashi”, “Fukagawa Shako”, or “Kiba Station” and get off at “Tokyoto-Gendai-Bijutsukan”. Alternatively, from any station, you can take the Toei Bus bound for “TOKYO SKYTREE Sta.” and alight at “Tokyoto-Gendai-Bijutsukan”.

For music and art enthusiasts, the “Ryuichi Sakamoto | Seeing Sound, Listening to Time” exhibition is a poignant journey through the works of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. This exhibit will take you through his experimental installations, celebrating his life’s work across music, film, and environmental activism. It’s a chance to experience how sound can paint pictures and tell stories.

Dive into Monet’s Dive into Monet’s World at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of ArtWorld

Venue:	Kyoto Kyocera Museum of Art
Date:	Mar 7th – Jun 8th 2025
Pricing:	General Admission: ¥2,300
How to Get to the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art	Take the Kyoto Subway Tozai Line to “Higashiyama Station.” From there, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the museum. From Kyoto Station: The entire journey from Kyoto Station to the museum should take about 20 minutes.

Get ready for an artistic journey as the much-awaited exhibition, “Monet: The Water Lilies,” arrives at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art. Mark your calendars for March 7 to June 8, 2025, as this event promises a deep dive into the mesmerizing world of Claude Monet.

The exhibition will showcase around 50 of Monet’s masterworks, with a special treat for Japanese audiences – seven pieces that have never been shown in Japan before. Imagine standing before these canvases, feeling the serene beauty of Monet’s garden through his brushstrokes.

The heart of this collection comes straight from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, known for its rich cache of Monet’s art. You’ll see grand, expansive paintings, some stretching over two meters wide, where Monet played with abstraction and vivid strokes to capture the dance of light on water and foliage. Complementing these are works drawn from local Japanese collections, making this the largest ever presentation of Monet’s water lily series in Japan.

Important Note: The museum will be closed on Mondays throughout the exhibition, except for special openings on April 28 and May 5 during the Golden Week holidays. This is your chance to escape into the tranquil beauty of Monet’s vision, so don’t miss out on this captivating experience in the heart of Kyoto

Tokyo’s Time Capsule: Dive into the World of Ukiyo-e with a Modern Twist

Venue:	Warehouse Terrada, 2-6-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Date:	9.30am-8pm (last entry 7.30pm); closed on Dec 31 and Jan 1 . Now Until 31 Mar 2025
Pricing:	Early-bird ¥2,500 (university and high school students ¥1,700, junior high school students and younger children ¥1,000, free for children under 3); Normal admission ¥2,700, university and high school students ¥1,900, junior high school students and younger children ¥1,200
How to Get to Warehouse Terrada	By Train: Tokyo Monorail: Take the Tokyo Monorail to Tennozu Isle Station. Upon arriving, use the central exit, and Warehouse Terrada is just a 3-minute walk away. Rinkai Line: Use the Rinkai Line to get to Tennozu Isle Station. Exit from the B exit, and you’ll be at Warehouse Terrada after a 2-minute walk. From JR Shinagawa Station: If you’re starting from JR Shinagawa Station: Exit from the Konan exit, then you can take the Toei Bus #98 towards Ota-shijo. Alight at the Shintoukaibashi bus stop, which is about a 3-minute walk from Warehouse Terrada.

If you’re looking for more than just sightseeing, this exhibition is where history, art, and technology converge to offer a unique experience in Tokyo. Ukiyoe Immersive Art Exhibition is perfect for those who love art, want to learn something new, or are just looking for an immersive experience that stands out from the usual tourist paths. So pack your curiosity along with your camera, and get ready to see the world of ukiyo-e in a way that’s never been possible before.

Get your travel gear ready for a cultural experience that blends centuries-old art with today’s tech! If you’re heading to Tokyo between December 21st, 2024, and March 31st, 2025, make sure to carve out time for the “Ukiyo-e in Motion Exhibition” in Shinagawa. Here’s your guide to experiencing the Edo Period like never before.

Ukiyo-e, those exquisite woodblock prints that have encapsulated Japan’s daily life, landscapes, and theatrical performances for centuries, are now the stars of a high-tech spectacle. This exhibition features over 300 iconic works by artists like Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige, brought to life through 3DCG animation and projection mapping.

Imagine wandering through 10 themed zones where each step you take is into another aspect of Edo culture, now vibrant, moving, and interactive. It’s not just about looking at art; it’s about stepping into it. Alongside these digital displays, you’ll find historical prints, modern reprints, and educational panels that enrich your understanding of ukiyo-e’s place in Japanese history.

A unique aspect of this exhibition is that photography is not only allowed but is part of the experience. Snap away, and you’ll leave with more than just memories; you’ll have your own personal collection of art in motion.

Extend Your Cultural Expedition:

The “Ukiyo-e in Motion” experience doesn’t stop at the exhibition’s end:

• PIGMENT TOKYO invites you to a workshop where you can work with “Hokusai Blue,” the famous blue ink used in ukiyo-e, to create your own artwork on postcards.
• WHAT CAFE offers a menu straight out of an Edo woodblock print with dishes like the Ukiyo-e Cream Soda and the “Akafuji Omu Hayashi,” inspired by Hokusai’s “Red Fuji.” There’s also a special photo spot for you to capture your culinary adventure.
• PETALS TOKYO enhances your stay with an exclusive package that includes a traditional breakfast inspired by ukiyo-e themes, merging your accommodation with your cultural journey.

Discover the Future at Mori Art Museum’s “Future and the Arts”

Venue:	Mori Art Museum (53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower)
Date:	2025.2.13 [Thu] – 6.8 [Sun] (Thursday, February 13 – Sunday, June 8, 2025) Open every day Hours 10:00-22:00 10:00-17:00 on Tuesdays Open until 22:00 on Tuesdays of April 29 and May 6, 2025.
Pricing:	[Weekdays] Adults 2,000 yen (1,800 yen) Students (University/Highschool) 1,400 yen (1,300 yen) Children (Jr. High Students and under) Free Seniors (Ages 65 and over) 1,700 yen (1,500 yen) [Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays] Adults 2,200 yen (2,000 yen) Students (University/Highschool) 1,500 yen (1,400 yen) Children (Jr. High Students and under) Free Seniors (Ages 65 and over) 1,900 yen (1,700 yen)
How to Get to Mori Art Museum	By Train/Subway: Roppongi Station: Hibiya Line or Toei Oedo Line – Exit at Roppongi Station. From there, it’s a short walk to Roppongi Hills: Hibiya Line: Use Exit 1C and walk for about 5-7 minutes. Toei Oedo Line: Use Exit 3 and walk for about 10 minutes. Azabu-Juban Station: Namboku Line – Exit via Exit 4 or 5 and walk for about 12 minutes to reach the museum. By Bus: Several buses stop near the Roppongi Hills area: Toei Bus: Look for buses that stop at “Roppongi Hills” or “Roppongi Sta. Mae”. From the bus stop, it’s a quick walk to the museum.

If you’re in Tokyo and love diving into the future through art, you’ve got to check out the “MACHINE LOVE” exhibition at Mori Art Museum . It’s not just another art show; it’s a journey where art and technology blend to give you a taste of what tomorrow might look like.

This exhibit is all about the magic that happens when AI, game engines, and virtual reality (VR) team up with artists. Imagine walking into spaces where the art isn’t just on the walls but all around you, creating immersive experiences that feel like stepping into another world. “MACHINE LOVE” shows off how these technologies can create art that’s beyond what we’ve seen before, using digital data to paint pictures in ways that challenge our ideas about creativity.

One fascinating aspect is how the art here tackles big questions. You’ll see works that make you think about identity, like how virtual avatars can represent new forms of gender and race, free from real-world constraints. Then there are pieces that bring hyperreal landscapes to life, making you feel like you’re standing in a place that’s both familiar and completely alien.

But it’s not all about the visuals. This exhibition makes you ponder life’s big issues – from ethics to the environment, from history to the very idea of diversity. It’s a place where art and technology talk to each other about our future, stirring up feelings of love, empathy, excitement, fear, and even a bit of anxiety about what’s coming next.

As you wander through “MACHINE LOVE”, you’ll see art that’s been co-created by machines and humans, offering a unique look at how we might live with technology in the years ahead. It’s an experience that mixes the real with the virtual, inviting you to envision a future where we navigate uncertainty with creativity and hope.

So, if you’re planning your Tokyo adventure, make time for “MACHINE LOVE”. It’s more than art; it’s a conversation about our tomorrow, happening right here, in one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Read More

MACHINE LOVE: Video Game, AI and Contemporary Art Official Website

Wrapping Up

Japan in 2025 is set to be a playground for the curious, the artistic, and the culturally inclined. Each event or exhibition isn’t just a visit; it’s an experience, a story, a piece of history or future to carry with you. So pack your bags, plan your itinerary, and prepare to be inspired. Remember, these are just highlights; Japan has even more to offer. Keep an eye out for updates, and maybe share your own experiences in the comments below. Happy travels!