37 Recommended Exhibitions Starting in October: From Marimekko and Turner to Mariko Mori, Zen and Ghibli [2026 Edition]

Tokyo Art Beat
A selection of 37 exhibitions opening nationwide in October 2026, including Marimekko, Turner, Mariko Mori, and Zen and Ghibli.

Summary

This guide highlights 37 recommended exhibitions opening across Japan in October 2026. In Tokyo, highlights include "Icons and Image Makers" at Chanel Nexus Hall, "T3 PHOTO FESTIVAL TOKYO 2026" at Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, the "Marimekko Exhibition" at Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, "The World of Mari Yamazaki" at Setagaya Literary Museum, "Katsushika Oi's 'Yoshiwara Keisei Shin Bijin Awase'" at Ota Memorial Museum of Art, "ARTE TOKYO" and "International Art Exhibition TOKYO ATLAS" in waterfront and central areas, "Cincinnati Art Museum Exhibition" at Ueno Royal Museum, "Seeds and Roots" at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, the "Fontanesi Exhibition" at Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, the "Yumeji Takehisa Exhibition" at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, "Jam Session" at Artizon Museum, the "Tate Turner Exhibition" at The National Museum of Western Art, "Shōjo Manga Infinity" at The National Art Center, Tokyo, the "Yoshirotten Exhibition" at TOKYO NODE, the "KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS 10th Anniversary Exhibition" at Azabudai Hills Gallery, the "Yuasa Eboshi Exhibition" at Nerima Art Museum, "Sexualities in Living Things" at National Museum of Nature and Science, and "Mariko Mori: Miko" at Mori Art Museum. Nationwide, exhibitions include "Shiga Lieko Exhibition" at Aomori Museum of Art, "Kayo Ryo Exhibition" at Kasama Nichido Museum of Art, "Kawaguchi Tatsuo Exhibition" at Ichihara Lakeside Museum, "tsugu minä perhonen" at Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art, "Design Chronicle Exhibition" at National Crafts Museum, "From Today to Tomorrow" at 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, "Hasegawa Shigeru Exhibition" at Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, "Zen and Ghibli" at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, "The Tale of Genji Exhibition" at Kyoto National Museum, "Jewelry Dreams of Whom" at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, the "Andrew Wyeth Exhibition" at Abeno Harukas Art Museum, "NHK Sunday Art Museum 50 Years Exhibition" and "British Museum Japanese Art Collection" at Osaka中之島美術館, the "Maeda Kanji Exhibition" at Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art, the "Sugai Kumi Exhibition" at Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum, "Artists Gathering in Cafés" at Hiroshima Museum of Art, the "Chisaki Chieo Exhibition" at Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, and the "Saul Leiter Exhibition" at Kagoshima City Museum of Art.

(Source:Tokyo Art Beat)

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【Dialogue】Ann Veronica Janssens × Hideaki Kawabata: Opening Our Cognition through Light and Space. A Conversation Between an Artist and a Scientist

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"The Supreme Masterpiece of Oriental Art" Muqi's Guanyin, Monkey, and Crane: The Awe that Captivated Master Painters like Hasegawa Tōhaku — Special Exhibition "Daitokuji: The Unmatched Zen Monastery of This Realm" Opens at Tokyo National Museum

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Kiichi Tsutaya, creator of "Kiichi's Coloring Book," unveils 34 unpublished original drawings. Solo exhibition at NANZUKA.

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Natsumi Osawa | Museum Goods Wanderings 14: A Story Begins with Museum Goods — Thinking about 'Objects' and Museums through ARG

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Emi Kusano's Large Solo Exhibition at Hypermuseum Hanno. Depicting "Possible Pasts" with Generative AI

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"Seed and Root: How to Cultivate the City" (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery) Opening Report: How to Live with Nature in the City

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Art exhibitions and expositions starting October 21–24: Shosoin Exhibition, Yumeji Takehisa Exhibition, Turner Exhibition, Eric Carle Exhibition, etc.

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"ART TAIPEI 2026" Opens on October 30: 127 Galleries Gather, Including a New Section Focusing on Japanese Contemporary Art

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New Dance Performance "Dance for Bowie" Depicting David Bowie's "Artistic Rebirth" to Tour Worldwide from Spring 2028: International Co-Production by Bunkamura and Sadler's Wells

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Minato City Minato Arts Center "m~m (Mu-mu)" to Hold Event One Year Before Opening: SIDE CORE Walking Tour, Sign Language Rakugo, and VR Experience

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Ugo Rondinone's First Solo Exhibition in Japan at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto: 17 Stone Figures in Dialogue with the "Moon Garden"

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ARTE TOKYO (Tokyo International Culture and Arts Festival) and International Art Exhibition "TOKYO ATLAS" | Shinagawa City Official Website

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Ako Sugie | "The Book of MINO: Anatomy of Mino Ware" (Ceramic Valley Council)

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[Fukui] Hiromi Tsuchida Photo Exhibition "Memory and Record ─Hiroshima, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Myself─" Related Events

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Jung-Yeon Ma: White Hands and Black Clothes #02 "You Must Change Your Life: Gwangju Biennale"

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Tate Museum Turner Exhibition: The Sublime in Painting and Dialogue with Contemporary Art

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Fuji Mountain Art Festival 2026 is now being held. Thinking about "living" across 17 venues in Yamanashi Prefecture.

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"Bigelow: The Phantom Collection and the Dawn of Modern Japanese Painting" Exhibition Held at Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art: Unraveling the History of Modern Japanese Painting through the Collector's Footsteps

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People at the Core of Alaïa Photographed by Photographer Keizo Kitajima. Photographic Installation "Index 0" Unveiled at Omotesando Pop-up

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[Imperial Family Sketch] Family Views Japanese Art Exhibition

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Report on "Seeds and Roots—Ways of Cultivating the City" (Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery): Diverse Perspectives on "Connection with Nature" Shown by 10 Artists

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Busan Biennale 2026 (Busan Museum of Contemporary Art, Space OneZ, former Busan Nam High School) Venue Report: Perceiving the World through the Five Senses

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Inside the Venue! A Full Reveal of All Booths at "Art Exhibition Navi Fest 2026" (Part 1): Touring the Booths of New Exhibitors

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Takuya Ishikawa | Thinking about the Mediating Role of Residence Programs through the Exhibition "Parallax — Things That Are Always There"

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[Kyoto] CP Lab. Lecture Program "Creative Track—Media Arts / Crafts / Architecture"

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Invitation Tickets Giveaway for the "British Museum Japanese Art Collection: Hyakka Ryoran - Edo Paintings Across the Sea" Exhibition in Osaka

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Opening Report of "Yu Matsumoto: Image of You" (Kurobe City Museum of Art). How can we continue to care for others we have never met?

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Otomo Yoshihide + YCAM New Exhibition "Improvisation!" (Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]) Opening Report: 136 Days of Unpredictable "Improvisation"

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Summary of 2026 Art Exhibitions to Enjoy Alongside Autumn Foliage Spots (Metropolitan Area)