Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
- Shiodome Station · 5 min walk (Toei Oedo Line)
- Hours
- 10:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30); designated evening openings until 20:00 (last admission 19:30); closed Wednesdays (open if a national holiday), exhibition change periods, and year-end/New Year holidays
- Admission
- Varies by exhibition (free for junior high school students and younger)
- Time needed
- 40–60 min
- Best time to go
- Designated evening openings between 18:00 and 20:00, when galleries are quieter after surrounding business hours.
Hours can change on holidays — check the official site before travelling.
Location
Japan, 〒105-8301 Tokyo, Minato City, Higashishinbashi, 1-chōme−5−１ Panasonic Tokyo Shiodome Building, 4階Higashishinbashi, Tokyo
About
Tucked away on the 4th floor of a sleek skyscraper, this intimate museum is a hidden gem for art lovers, housing a world-class collection of works by French painter Georges Rouault alongside rotating exhibitions on architecture, design, and ceramics. It offers a quiet, contemplative escape from the bustling city streets, making it a perfect cultural pitstop in the Shiodome district.
What Japanese guides note
Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art is located on the 4th floor of the Panasonic Tokyo Shiodome Building and is operated directly by Panasonic Electric Works. The facility consists of a permanent Rouault Gallery and temporary exhibition galleries focusing on architecture, interior design, and applied arts. Because the building shares space with corporate showrooms that close earlier than the galleries, visitors arriving after 17:00 must enter exclusively through the first-floor revolving doors or the B2 parking garage entrance.
Details from local sources
- The Rouault Gallery displays works from a collection of approximately 270 pieces and is the only exhibition space globally permitted by the Georges Rouault Foundation in Paris to bear the artist's name. [source]
- Managed by Panasonic Electric Works, the museum completed a 100 percent LED lighting retrofit in April 2011 to function as a test facility for specialized art-illumination fixtures. [source]
- Visitors arriving after 17:00 must use either the first-floor revolving doors or the B2 parking entrance because the building showroom closes earlier than the museum. [source]
- Gallery regulations prohibit all writing implements inside the exhibition rooms except for standard pencils. [source]
- The venue connects to Shiodome and Shimbashi stations through an underground walkway across the Shiodome Siosite sunken plaza, allowing sheltered access in rain. [source]
Insider Tip
After your visit, take the elevator up to the building's higher floors or head to nearby Caretta Shiodome for free, stunning city views.
Frequently asked
How can I walk to the museum without getting wet on rainy days?
From JR Shimbashi Station's Shiodome Underground Exit or Toei Asakusa Line, follow the underground concourse toward Shiodome Siosite. Turn left past the sunken plaza to reach the Panasonic Tokyo Shiodome Building B2 entrance, then take the elevator directly to the 4th floor without going outdoors.
Is photography permitted inside the exhibition rooms?
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the galleries unless an individual temporary display explicitly states otherwise. Phone calls, eating, and drinking are also forbidden. Note-taking inside the rooms must be done with pencils only, and large baggage must be stored in the lockers before entry.
What makes the museum's lighting distinctive?
Operated by Panasonic Electric Works, the museum acts as a live development testbed for company-designed exhibition illumination. Converted entirely to LED in April 2011, the rooms employ customizable spotlights, optical projectors, and variable color-temperature systems tailored specifically to highlight the thick pigments and textures of Georges Rouault's paintings.
How do tickets and admission work at the museum?
Tickets are sold at the 4th-floor reception counter, with pricing varying depending on the temporary exhibition. Certain special exhibitions offer advance timed-entry slots online. Admission is free for children of junior high school age and younger, as well as disability certificate holders and one accompanying caregiver.
Our Tokyo walking tours
On the same walk
Photos
