teamLab, Ghibli & the Best Museums in Tokyo

Tokyo has an outstanding range of museums, from immersive digital art to anime and samurai history. Several require advance tickets, so plan ahead.

teamLab Planets and teamLab Borderless

• teamLab Planets (Toyosu): you walk barefoot through water and mirrored rooms. Wear shorts or clothes you can roll up above the knee.
• teamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills): artworks move between rooms with no fixed route.
• Book timed tickets online in advance; prices vary by date. Allow 2–3 hours.

Ghibli Museum (Mitaka)

The whimsical museum designed by Hayao Miyazaki. Tickets are only sold in advance for set dates and times, typically released monthly and selling out fast. There are no on-the-day tickets. Combine with Inokashira Park and Kichijōji. (The separate Ghibli Park is in Aichi, near Nagoya.)

Art

• Mori Art Museum (Roppongi Hills): contemporary art, open late, combined with Tokyo City View.
• National Museum of Western Art (Ueno): Le Corbusier-designed, part of a World Heritage listing.
• 21_21 Design Sight and National Art Center (Roppongi).

History and culture

• Tokyo National Museum (Ueno): Japan's largest collection of Japanese art and artefacts — samurai armour, swords, ceramics.
• Edo-Tokyo Museum (Ryōgoku): check reopening status after its renovation.
• Samurai Ninja Museum and similar small experiences offer hands-on fun.

Pop culture and quirky

• Cup Noodles Museum (Yokohama): make your own cup noodles.
• Pokémon Center and Nintendo TOKYO (Shibuya Parco) — shops rather than museums, but must-visits for fans. See our anime & pop culture hub.
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter (Toshimaen): advance tickets required.

Tips

• Many museums close on Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a holiday).
• Last entry is often 30 minutes before closing.
• The Grutto Pass offers discounted entry to many Tokyo museums.