Museums

The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum building, a spectacular feat of Art Deco design, was completed in 1933 as the residence of Prince Asaka. In 1983 the building, already something of a work of art in itself, opened its doors as a one-of-a-kind art museum, its ornate rooms now housing exhibitions set in the peaceful confines of the grounds’ lush gardens.
2014 saw the completion of the museum’s annex, its galleries in the modern ‘white-cube’ style complementing and contrasting with the historically rich spaces of the main building. Of all the residences realized by the Works Bureau of the Imperial Household Ministry, the museum’s main building, with its principal rooms designed by key Art Deco figures such as Henri Rapin and René Lalique, is certainly the most distinctive. In recognition of this, the building was officially designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government in 2015. The gardens (or teien, which give the museum their name) remain virtually unchanged from the time when the grounds served as an imperial residence. The open expanses of grass and the Japanese garden with its pond and miniature hills provide the ideal spot to savour the delights of the changing seasons, such as the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves.
It is our aim to continue to offer our visitors the opportunity to enjoy works of art in our surrounds by both preserving our precious cultural heritage and striving toward the creation of new experiences and values.

Various events are held for foreign visitors.
・Would you like to participate in a teahouse event at the Kouka Teahouse?
・We hold programs for people from diverse cultural backgrounds to get together and have fun. Participants view the artworks and take part in workshops with the artists.

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum Official APP
In order to make the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum more enjoyable and easier to understand, we have launched an application for smartphones. The application provides an overview of each room, as well as explanations focusing on the materials and design of the architecture, through images and text.
We hope that this application will be used by many people to further increase interest in and understanding of the former Asakamiya Residence as a cultural asset. We hope you enjoy it.

Main works

Max Ingrand（1908‒1969）
Painter and glass craftsman.
　Ingrand produced works in glass for many interior design projects, with his name particularly linked to the interior decoration of Le Normandie and other luxury ocean liners. His early works featured figural motifs taken from mythology and nature, but after World War II, he gradually turned to a simpler, more modern style. As France’s leading artist in the field of stained glass, he contributed to many churches. For the Prince Asaka Residence, Ingrand contributed the etched glass in the doors of the Salon and the Great Dining Hall.

Princess's Bedroom

Touches such as the oval mirror in the white door and the cloth-shaded ceiling lamp that can be adjusted up or down give this room a feminine feel. The princess herself created the design for the heating registers.

[Interior design] Construction Bureau, Imperial Household Ministry
[Wallpaper] originally Salubra’s “Tekko” RA35B Wine Red (now removed)
[Doors] flush doors in Japanese cedar