Review: Yayoi Kusama Museum

What were your first impressions?
In a suburban stretch of Shinjuku, a smooth white building rises five stories high—all devoted to the works of Yayoi Kusama. The building looks slim, but it houses a bulk of the larger-than-life and avant-garde artist’s pieces, including an installation of her “infinity room” series (an Instagram sensation which, in the past, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors in stateside exhibitions) to polka-dotted paintings and sculptures. The outsized attention, in fact, led the owners to reduce the overall number of visitors (only allowing 200 guests each day), so trust you won’t be alone.

What will we see?
Kusama’s signature expressions are on full display. A rooftop gallery showcases a sparkling, new golden pumpkin, covered in tiles and red polka-dots. That same motif is carried through to an “infinity room” installation (mirrored walls reflect glowing pumpkins as far as the eye can see), while a series of paintings are just as colorful, splashy, and psychedelic.

Are there temporary exhibits?
The museum changes its exhibition two times a year, and as it’s still relatively new, it’s only cracked the surface of the prolific artist’s work.

Who all is here?
Contemporary art-seekers and serial hashtaggers swarm (but they’re thankfully curbed by the museum’s reduced admittance policy).

On the practical tip, how were the facilities with respect to accessibility?
The entire museum is wheelchair accessible and makes a marvel out of elevators (expect to see polka-dots and mirrored walls as you rise to each level).

Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?
If you think two hours of art is a little too much to handle, you’re in luck, because the museum’s owners only allow visiting slots of 90 minutes. Tickets must be purchased in advance.