CHIHIRO ART MUSEUM TOKYO Guide – Visit with The Tokyo Pass

Many Japanese people grow up on the beautiful illustrations of Chihiro Iwasaki, whose work often appears in picture books. The Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, built on the site of the Tokyo home where the artist spent the last 22 years of her life, is the world’s first museum celebrating the art of illustrated picture books.

The museum changes its exhibitions three to four times a year, choosing from 9,650 works by Iwasaki and 18,300 works by picture book artists from around the world, arranging them according to various themes. That way, guests never visit the same museum twice. This also helps preserve the delicate artworks.

The Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, is uniquely aimed at younger visitors, with its artworks being displayed at a height of 135cm, so that adults and children alike can enjoy the exhibitions. The museum has a playroom and, occasionally, organizes various events for children, making it a very family-friendly destination and the perfect place for a child’s first-ever museum visit.

The adults, on the other hand, may enjoy Iwasaki’s painstakingly restored atelier and garden where the spirit of the artist is felt most strongly. There’s also the museum’s library boasting a collection of over 2,000 picture books where visitors can rediscover their cherished childhood memories.