A Contemporary Art Collection Spanning Masters and Emerging Artists
From Masters to the Forefront of the Art Scene

The Hara Museum opened in 1979 as a pioneer of contemporary art museums in Japan. Its founder and current director, Toshio Hara, has been passionate about the development of contemporary art and international exchange, organizing numerous exhibitions while also focusing on building the collection.

"Captivated by Contemporary Art: The Hara Museum Collection" features works personally selected and curated by Toshio Hara from his collection of approximately 1,000 pieces dating from the 1950s onwards, which he acquired through direct encounters with artists. The exhibition is divided into two periods: the first period focuses on early acquisitions from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, and the second period showcases works collected through special exhibitions and other initiatives, illustrating nearly 40 years of the Hara Museum's activities.

The first period includes works by influential figures in postwar painting such as Abstract Expressionists Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, their successors Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, pop art pioneers Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein who took the world by storm, and European artists embodying avant-garde and experimental spirit like Jean Dubuffet for painting and Arman and César for sculpture. Japanese artists featured include On Kawara, Tetsumi Kudo, and Aiko Miyawaki, who led postwar Japanese art, as well as currently active artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Lee Ufan.

Additionally, works by Asian artists who have made a global impact, such as Nam June Paik and Ai Weiwei, will be exhibited. The second period is scheduled to feature works by Nobuyoshi Araki, Jan Fabre, Yoshitomo Nara, Mika Ninagawa, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Tabaimo.

The Hara Museum building was constructed in 1938 as the residence of businessman Kunizo Hara, the grandfather of Toshio Hara. The architect was Jin Watanabe, who also designed the Tokyo National Museum's main building (Ueno) and the Wako building (formerly Hattori Clock Store, Ginza). The building is considered a valuable example of modernist architecture in Japan, or Western-style architecture from the early Showa period. When visiting, we encourage you to appreciate not only the valuable collection of contemporary art gathered from around the world but also the architecture of the museum itself.





Exhibition Dates | Saturday, January 6, 2018 – Sunday, June 3, 2018
First Period: Saturday, January 6 – Sunday, March 11
Second Period: Wednesday, March 21 – Sunday, June 3
*Closed for Exhibition Change: Monday, March 12 – Tuesday, March 20
Venue | Hara Museum
Address | 4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission 4:30 PM); Wednesdays until 8:00 PM (Last admission 7:30 PM), except national holidays.
Closed | Mondays (Open on Monday, January 8; February 12; April 30, which are national holidays), Tuesday, January 9; Tuesday, February 13; Monday, March 12 – Tuesday, March 20; Tuesday, May 1.