The museum building is big but the exhibits have an intimate feels. They have lockers in the first floor which are available for free! You should definitely take advantage of this so you can move freely around the exhibits. They have benches around which you can use when you want to rest in between exhibits.
The main attraction is the exhibit dedicated for Yayoi Kusama. You cannot take pictures inside this exhibit. I really enjoyed going around this exhibit. Her pieces are quirky!
In this museum you can find the smallest exhibition of Yayoi Kusama.
You are not allowed to take pictures or videos, except for the yellow pumpkin room (this is unlike other Yayoi Kusama exhibition around the world, where you are welcome to take pictures and videos all around).
Some rooms in the exhibition also have 30 seconds time limitation (it was inforced strictly, although we were the only visitors... Very odd).
The other exhibitions are even smaller.
Wonderful museum! We lucked out because when we went they had a Hello Kitty exhibit taking place. We really enjoyed the Yayoi Kasama works as well. It is important to note everything is in Japanese. This was a little disappointing especially for the Hello Kitty area because she is so popular in the United States. We used Google Translate alot! It is also important to note that the museum does not allow any bags on the 2nd and 3rd floors, so you have to rent a locker for 100Y. You get it back when you return the key to the locker. We bought an entrance ticket that was supposed to allow us to see all collections in the museum, including the Sanrio Collection. There was one exhibit that was not included in the ticket however. It was artwork done by students and that was an additional fee on top of the tickets we purchased. You had to pay in yen at the entrance to the exhibit. Overall, we really enjoyed visiting this museum.
Good collection on the works of Kusama from her early days to more recent well known pieces. Taking picture is not allowed in most exhibits room, except the yellow pumpkin at the end. The museum shop is also good. Really enjoyable 1.5hr visit!
The Matsumoto City Museum of Art is a tribute to its most famous native artist, Yayoi Kusama and I high recommend this museum.
Outside of the museum , there is a massive Phantom Flower tulip sculpture and polka-dot-patterned exterior—even the vending machines and benches are decorated with her signature red polka dots.
The permanent exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s work is stunning, offering a deep dive into her iconic style.
Admission: It is incredibly affordable (around 410 yen for the permanent collection), making it one of the best value-for-money cultural experiences in Japan.
