Yayoi Kusama Museum

Basic Info

Address: 〒162-0851 107 Bentencho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Opening Hours: ⏱11:00–17:30 (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun and public holidays; entry is by six timed slots: 11:00–12:30, 12:00–13:30, 13:00–14:30, 14:00–15:30, 15:00–16:30, 16:00–17:30; please arrive at least 30 minutes before your slot)

Closed: Every Mon, Tue, Wed (except public holidays), plus exhibition changeover periods, year-end/New Year and scheduled maintenance. Check the official website for details.

Official site: https://yayoikusamamuseum.jp

Museum Highlights

The Yayoi Kusama Museum sits in Bentencho, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Opened in October 2017, it is a small, privately founded museum by the internationally renowned artist Yayoi Kusama. The five above-ground floors plus one basement are finished in pristine white, decorated with Kusama’s signature polka dots and net motifs that instantly draw visitors into her surreal universe. The collection holds about 600 works including paintings, sculptures, installations and literary pieces. Through two planned special exhibitions each year, the museum shares Kusama’s powerful messages about the world, peace and love. The visitor route starts at the first-floor auditorium and leads one-way up the staircases through each floor to the fifth-floor exhibition, then returns by elevator — a thoughtful layout that lets visitors fully sink into Kusama’s artistic world.

Highlights include the second- and third-floor exhibition spaces showing classics like Infinity Nets, Pumpkins and My Eternal Soul, and immersive installations such as The Infinite Mirror Room that place visitors among endless dots and reflections. Outdoors, the giant polka-dotted pumpkin and other sculptures play off Tokyo’s cityscape, creating memorable photo spots. Even the elevator and restrooms echo polka-dot elements, so Kusama’s art philosophy is everywhere. The first-floor museum shop offers exclusive items and limited prints so you can take a piece of Kusama home. To ensure the quality of the experience, visits are by advance reservation only via the official website; each session lasts 90 minutes, creating a calm, focused art experience.

Exhibition Types

The museum centers on Kusama’s personal works, alternating regular displays with special project exhibitions. Regular exhibitions include paintings, sculptures and large-scale installations such as Narcissus Garden (1966/2020) and Flower Obsession (2017/2020), using polka dots, nets and repeated motifs to explore ideas like self-annihilation and infinite proliferation. Special projects are held roughly twice a year, each with a different theme; recent shows have dug into Kusama’s dreamy and auditory inspirations, featuring works like Pink Dots – I Want to Sleep on the Star Field (1993–1994). The museum also runs talks and activities that delve deeper into Kusama’s artistic concepts and creative process. Her print works, like the Infinity Nets and Pumpkin series, are famous for bright colors and innovative reproduction techniques, showcasing her breakthroughs in printmaking.

Background

Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano. As a child she began creating the polka-dot and net motifs inspired by vivid hallucinations and sensory experiences, developing a singular style. In 1957 she moved to New York and gained recognition in a male-dominated art world for works like the Infinity Nets, soft sculptures and large installations, becoming a pioneer among avant-garde and conceptual artists. Her practice blends pop art, minimalism and feminist themes to probe self-annihilation and endless proliferation, influencing generations of artists. After returning to Japan in 1973 she continued creating and expanded into poetry and novels, receiving Japan’s Medal of Cultural Merit in 2016. In 2017 she founded the Yayoi Kusama Museum to share her artistic philosophy about the world, peace and love with a global audience.

Kusama’s art is more than a visual treat; it carries her life story and emotional intensity. Her works transform personal pain into a universal language through dots and nets, prompting deep reflection on the cosmos and life. Tucked in peaceful Bentencho, the museum is a quiet sanctuary away from the bustle, yet its unique presence draws art lovers from around the world and has become an important contemporary art landmark.