Tokyo · Around Ueno

National Museum of Western Art

How to get there and what to see · facts checked 2026-10-24

A museum designed by the architect Le Corbusier and part of a World Heritage listing. It shows Western art built on the Matsukata Collection.

Nearest station: 1 min walk from Ueno Station
Hours: 9:30–17:30 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays); last entry 30 minutes before closing
Admission: Permanent collection: adults ¥500, university students ¥250; free for high-school students and under, and for ages 65 and over. Free on the second Sunday of most months. Special exhibitions cost extra.

What to see

Le Corbusier's building: completed in 1959, it is one of the sites in the World Heritage listing "The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier".
Matsukata Collection: Western art gathered by the businessman Matsukata Kojiro from the time of the First World War, which became the basis of the museum.
Forecourt: renovated while the museum was closed from October 2020 to April 2022.

History

It was founded in 1959 to keep and show the Matsukata Collection, which the French government returned to Japan as a gift. The building, designed by Le Corbusier, was completed in March that year.

Getting there

A one-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station, seven minutes from Keisei Ueno, or eight from Ueno on the Tokyo Metro Ginza and Hibiya lines.

Address：7-7 Ueno Park, Taito, Tokyo

Directions in Google Maps →Official website →

Before you go

Closed Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and 28 Dec–1 Jan. The permanent collection is scheduled to be closed for building work from 12 January to 19 March 2027.

Around Ueno

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Nearby sights

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Sources

Hours, prices and history come from the official websites and public tourism pages listed here. They can change, so check the official site before you go.