Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Kicking off its centennial, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum presents this landmark exhibition that brings to Japan, for the first time on such a scale, masterpieces from the golden age of Swedish painting. In the late 19th century, a generation of Swedish artists traveled to France, where they absorbed the spirit of Realism and the plein-air traditions flourishing in Paris. Returning home, they turned their gaze towards the landscapes, people and quiet rhythms of everyday life in Sweden. Their works, infused with intimacy and lyricism, gave form to a distinctly Swedish artistic identity, one that celebrated the interplay of northern light, nature and human presence. Organised in close collaboration with the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the exhibition features a rich selection of paintings created between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Together, they reveal the sensibilities of a culture deeply shaped by its environment and its search for national expression. Entry to the exhibition is free for college students on weekdays between January 27 and February 20.

Andrew Wyeth (1917–2009) forged a singular path apart from the dominant movements of his time. While abstract expressionism, pop art and neo-Dada reshaped post-war American art, Wyeth turned inward, devoting his life to depicting the people and landscapes surrounding his homes in Pennsylvania and Maine. His meticulously rendered paintings, often executed in tempera and watercolour, transcend realism to reveal the quiet poetry of solitude, memory and introspection. Marking the 100th anniversary of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, ‘Boundaries or Windows’ is the first major retrospective of Wyeth’s work in Japan since the artist’s death. The exhibition explores one of his most persistent motifs: the boundary, embodied by windows, doors and thresholds that separate interior and exterior worlds, yet invite reflection on the spaces between life and death, self and nature, and perception and imagination. Over ten works, including Winter Fields (1942, from the Whitney Museum of American Art), Cooling Shed (1953, Philadelphia Museum of Art) and Departure Party (1984, Philbrook Museum of Art), will be shown in Japan for the first time. The long-awaited exhibition offers an intimate look into the spiritual and emotional landscapes of one of the most celebrated American realist painters of the 20th century.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum hosts an exceptional exhibition showcasing masterpieces borrowed from one of the world’s most iconic institutions. Founded in 1753, the British Museum houses the most comprehensive collection of Japanese art outside Japan, reflecting over a century and a half of fascination with Japanese aesthetics. ‘Edo in Focus’ brings together a carefully curated selection from the museum’s 40,000-piece collection, including folding screens, hanging scrolls and narrative handscrolls from the Edo period (1603–1868). You’ll also encounter celebrated ukiyo-e prints by eight masters, including Utamaro, Sharaku, Hokusai and Hiroshige, that capture the vibrancy of Edo culture. Beyond the artworks themselves, the exhibition sheds light on the history of Japan-UK cross-cultural exchange and the figures who shaped it, such as the surgeon and early collector William Anderson. By tracing how Japanese art inspired and connected people across continents, the show invites visitors to reflect on the enduring dialogue between Japan and the world, and on Edo’s timeless artistic spirit.