The History Of The Museum Of Contemporary Art Tokyo In One Minute

Enter the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, built specifically to preserve and appreciate today’s artists who will be tomorrow’s legends. Discover the history of the largest modern art museum in Japan.

After World War II, many Japanese, including artists, found themselves going through a cultural identity crisis. They struggled with the integration of Western methods and influence, wondering how the two seemingly opposing forces of East and West could come together in art. Were Western methods sufficient to express the Japanese aesthetic ideals or spirit? The answer was no, and these days, Japan’s national identity is stronger than ever. Contemporary Japanese life – and its unique cultural identity – is alive in modern art.

Contemporary art allows us to reflect on our modern societies and the issues we face. In 1995, the largest contemporary art museum in Japan, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, opened to protect and share art created by both Japanese and international artists in the post-war and modern period. It displays not only pieces of traditional art, such as painting and photography, but all manner of design, from fashion and architecture to sculpture and paper craft. The museum keeps a rotating collection of 5,500 artistic pieces for exhibition and fills three floors with temporary displays from local or overseas contemporary artists. In this way, it manages to keep its collection fresh and its patrons coming back for more.

In addition to the art collections, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo houses a vast library of more than 270,000 books, magazines and catalogues on subjects relating to art, and the Atrium. The latter is home to the Atrium Project, an annually rotating artistic display built specifically for the venue; it never fails to disappoint in scale or skill.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.