- Tokyo
Last admission: 30 minutes before closing
The National Museum of Western Art throws Western art into the spotlight in Tokyo. The Le Corbusier-designed building, where it's housed, also happens to be the only UNESCO world cultural heritage site in the city that retains a modern look, some 60 years after its opening!
Take your time exploring the permanent collection based around Kōjirō Matsukata's collection of Western art, with works by Van Gogh, French Impressionists like Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and sculptor Rodin. There are also some lesser-known works by some of the world's greatest artists.
Monet gets a lot of space here – you see, Kōjirō Matsukata directly purchased art from him. You'll also find lots of Rodin's sculptures throughout the museum. Don't miss a stroll through the outdoor garden space dotted with sculptures – it's free to walk around in and there are lots of nice spots to take photos.
It's worth arriving when the museum opens as you'll likely get the exhibits all to yourself for a while.