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Two major Tokyo museums are closing for renovations

Miraikan closes this October, followed by the Mori Art Museum in September 2027

Kaila Imada
Written by
Kaila Imada
Digital Editor, Time Out Tokyo
日本科学未来館
画像提供:日本科学未来館 | Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation
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Following the reopening of the recently revamped Edo-Tokyo Museum earlier this year, two more prominent Tokyo museums are set to close temporarily for renovation and refurbishment works.

First up is Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, which has announced a six-month closure from October 1 2026 through April 22 2027. The entire museum will shut during this period for extensive renovations and facility improvements, with the revamp also bringing new exhibits and service upgrades, including a permanent exhibit exploring genomes and the brain.

Additionally, the museum’s dome theatre will receive an update, allowing it to showcase new 3D video productions and films designed to make the most of its unique dome-shaped screen. The Miraikan’s restaurant and café will also be refreshed with new concepts, as will the museum shop.

Mori Art Museum
Photo: Mori Art Museum, TokyoMori Art Museum

The second museum set to undergo renovations is the Mori Art Museum. The temporary closure is still a little way off, with the Roppongi museum set to close from September 24 2027 until late April 2028. However, the facility has announced the news well in advance, along with its upcoming exhibition schedule leading up to the closure.

The final exhibition to be held at the museum before its closure will be ‘New Rules of Play: Art, Children, and Society’, featuring participatory works that invite visitors to touch, create and engage with immersive art installations. That exhibition is scheduled to run from April 29 to September 23 2027.

In the meantime, you can catch Ron Mueck’s hyper-realistic human sculptures at Mori until September 23 2026, and large-scale installations by Mariko Mori from October 31 to March 28 2027.

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