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Matsumoto City Museum of Art

Yayoi Kusamacontemporary artinfinity roommuseumpolka dots

Nagano · Matsumoto

36.2419°N, 137.9636°E

Matsumoto City Museum of Art (松本市美術館) is dedicated primarily to Yayoi Kusama, the avant-garde artist known for her polka-dot infinity rooms, who was born in Matsumoto in 1929. The museum's facade is covered in Kusama's signature dots and features a giant polka-dot sculpture (Flower) in the plaza. Inside, permanent exhibits showcase Kusama's early works, paintings, sculptures, and a mirrored infinity room installation.

Kusama's relationship with her hometown is central to the museum's identity — her childhood in Matsumoto and early hallucinations of polka dots and nets directly influenced her art. The museum also features rotating exhibitions of contemporary Japanese artists and a collection of Matsumoto regional art. For Kusama fans, this is a pilgrimage site offering works not seen in major international museums.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM)

Closed: Closed Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday)

Entrance Fee

Permanent collection: ¥700 e-ticket / ¥800 window ticket (raised April 1, 2025) | Special exhibitions: ¥700–1,000

Best Season

Year-round (indoor museum) | Infinity room slots sell out quickly on weekends — arrive at opening

Visit Duration

60–90 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Matsumoto City, near Matsumoto Station. Entry: ¥700 e-ticket / ¥800 window ticket (permanent collection, raised April 1, 2025), ¥700–1,000 (special exhibitions). Gift shop sells Kusama merchandise unavailable elsewhere. Visit duration: 60-90 minutes.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Infinity room access:** The museum's infinity room (usually Kusama's 'Dots Obsession' installation) has limited capacity — timed entry tickets distributed at entrance. Arrive at opening (9:00) to guarantee access; weekends sell out by 10:30. Photography allowed but flash prohibited. Experience lasts 1–2 minutes per person due to high demand. **Early works insight:** The museum's permanent collection includes Kusama's early paintings from the 1950s (before her New York period). These pre-fame works reveal the origins of her obsessive dot patterns and net motifs. The gallery text is in Japanese and English, providing biographical context about her childhood hallucinations and mental health struggles. **Museum cafe:** The second-floor cafe serves Kusama-themed desserts: polka-dot pudding (¥650) and dot-pattern latte art (¥550). The terrace overlooks the polka-dot sculpture plaza — Instagram-worthy setting. **Gift shop treasures:** Limited-edition Kusama goods not sold at her Tokyo galleries: polka-dot tote bags (¥2,500), illustrated books (¥3,000), and Matsumoto-exclusive postcards (¥150). The shop also sells signed lithographs (¥30,000–100,000) — verify authenticity certificates if purchasing.

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