The Yokohama Museum of Art has always been one of Japan’s most architecturally striking museums, but in late April 2026, it becomes an essential destination for anyone interested in the story of how Japanese art transformed itself in the modern era. The museum’s major spring exhibition is a comprehensive retrospective of Shiko Imamura (1880–1916), timed to mark the 110th anniversary of his death — and it promises to be one of the most important Japanese art exhibitions of the year.
The Genius Who Died Too Young
Shiko Imamura was born in Yokohama in 1880, making this retrospective a homecoming of sorts. He trained under Shimomura Kanzan, one of the titans of the Nihonga (Japanese-style painting) movement, at the Tokyo Fine Arts School. But where his teacher sought to preserve and refine traditional Japanese techniques, Imamura wanted to blow them apart.
By his late twenties, Imamura had absorbed the lessons of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism filtering into Japan from Europe. He didn’t simply copy Western styles — he fused them with the materials and sensibilities of Nihonga in ways nobody had attempted before. His brushwork became bolder, his colors more saturated, his compositions more dynamic. He used traditional mineral pigments and silk, but applied them with the abandon of a European modernist.
His masterwork, the “Tropics” handscroll (Nettai no Maki, 1914), is a revelation. Spanning several meters, it depicts tropical landscapes in a riot of color that feels simultaneously like a traditional Japanese emaki and a Fauvist explosion. Art historians consider it one of the most radical works of early 20th-century Japanese art. When you stand before it, you understand why: it shouldn’t work, this collision of East and West, but it does — magnificently.
Imamura died in 1916 at the age of just 36, likely from tuberculosis. In barely fifteen years of active work, he had fundamentally altered the trajectory of Japanese painting. The “what if” of his early death haunts Japanese art history: what would he have created had he lived to see the full flowering of European modernism in the 1920s?
The Exhibition
The Yokohama Museum of Art’s retrospective brings together works from across Imamura’s career, including pieces rarely shown to the public. Expect early academic works showing his Nihonga training, transitional pieces where you can see Western influences creeping in, and the explosive late works that cemented his reputation. The “Tropics” handscroll, if included (as is expected for an exhibition of this scale), will alone be worth the trip.
Running alongside the Imamura retrospective is a Collection Exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent holdings. The Yokohama Museum has an excellent collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Dali, Magritte, Isamu Noguchi, and many important Japanese artists. The collection show provides valuable context for understanding Imamura’s place in the broader arc of modern art.
The Museum
The Yokohama Museum of Art itself is a work of art. Designed by Kenzo Tange — the Pritzker Prize-winning architect behind the Tokyo Olympic stadiums (1964) and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building — the museum opened in 1989 as a centerpiece of the Minato Mirai 21 waterfront development. Tange’s design features a soaring central hall with a grand staircase and symmetrical wings, all rendered in his characteristic blend of monumentality and elegance. The building alone merits a visit.
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). Closed Thursdays. Check the museum website for any special holiday closures or extended hours during Golden Week.
Admission: Varies by exhibition. The Imamura retrospective will likely be in the ¥1,500–2,000 range for adults. The collection exhibition may be included or require a separate, smaller fee.
Getting There
The museum is in the Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama. The most convenient access is via the Minato Mirai Line (Tokyu Toyoko Line direct service from Shibuya), which takes about 35 minutes from Shibuya to Minato Mirai Station. From the station, it’s a 5-minute walk through the Queen’s Square shopping complex to the museum.
From Tokyo Station, you can take the JR Tokaido Line to Yokohama (25 minutes), then transfer to the Minato Mirai Line (3 minutes to Minato Mirai Station). Total journey time is about 40 minutes.
A Full Day in Yokohama
The Imamura exhibition deserves a morning — give yourself at least two hours. After the museum, here’s how to fill a glorious day in one of Japan’s most underrated cities:
Lunch in Chinatown (15 minutes on foot from the museum): Yokohama’s Chinatown is the largest in Japan and one of the largest in the world. Skip the tourist-trap steamed bun shops on the main drag and head to the side streets for proper Cantonese, Sichuan, or Shanghai cuisine. Heichinrou and Manchinrou are historic establishments; for something more casual, try the xiaolongbao at any of the smaller shops on Kantei-byo Dori.
Afternoon at Sankeien Garden (20 minutes by bus from Chinatown): This 175,000-square-meter Japanese garden was built by silk trader Tomitaro Hara in 1906. It contains historic buildings relocated from Kyoto and Kamakura, including a three-story pagoda from the Muromachi period. In late April, the garden is lush with new greenery and late-blooming azaleas.
Evening at Frühlingsfest (back at Red Brick Warehouse, 10 minutes on foot from the museum): If your visit coincides with the Yokohama Frühlingsfest at the Red Brick Warehouse, end your day with German beer and sausages by the waterfront. The Red Brick buildings are beautifully illuminated at night, and the combination of art, gardens, and beer makes for a perfect Yokohama day.
Shiko Imamura lived only 36 years, but the art he created in that brief span continues to challenge and inspire. This retrospective is a rare chance to see his work gathered in one place, in the city where he was born. Don’t miss it.