Artizon Museum: The Ishibashi Collection in Kyobashi

The Artizon Museum is what became of the much loved Bridgestone Museum of Art, renamed and rehoused in a purpose built tower at Kyobashi on the doorstep of Tokyo Station. The collection assembled by the Ishibashi family runs from French impressionism through to postwar abstraction, alongside a strong line in Japanese painters who worked in Western styles, and the new galleries give it room to breathe: tall ceilings, generous light and several floors to wander.

The collection

This is one of Japan’s best holdings of European modern art, with the impressionists and their successors at its heart, shown in rotation alongside Japanese modern masters and ambitious special exhibitions. The curation makes a habit of setting Japanese and Western works side by side from the same decades, which is quietly illuminating. Labels are bilingual and the museum is notably friendly to photography for many collection works, though rules vary by piece and exhibition.

Getting there

From the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station it is roughly a five minute walk south to the museum tower. Kyobashi Station on the Ginza subway line is closer still, and Nihombashi is within easy walking distance, so the museum slots neatly into a day around central Tokyo or a spare hour before a shinkansen.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book ahead? Tickets are sold for specific dates and popular exhibitions do sell out, so booking before you travel is sensible.

How long should I allow? Ninety minutes to two hours is comfortable for the main floors.

Is there somewhere to eat? There is a cafe on site and the surrounding blocks are thick with lunch spots serving the local office crowd.

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