100 Works Selected from 450 Recommendations by Curators Nationwide: '100 Artworks to See in Japan: Contemporary Japanese Art Edition' Launches on Special Website on March 27, 2026

The National Art Research Center (NCAR), an independent administrative institution under the National Museum of Art (Director: Mami Kataoka, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), following recommendations from the 3rd Cultural Economy Subcommittee of the Council for Cultural Affairs, is launching a new project titled '100 Artworks to See in Japan' to visualize the collective appeal of Japanese museum collections. The first installment, '100 Artworks to See in Japan: Contemporary Japanese Art Edition,' will be available on a special website (URL: https://art100-ncar.artmuseums.go.jp) starting Friday, March 27.

While Japan's museums house numerous excellent collections, there has previously been no opportunity to view these works in a comprehensive manner. This new project was initiated with the hope that many people will discover the richness of Japanese art and be inspired to visit museums across the country.

The project plans to continue selecting and publishing '100 Selections' based on a different theme each time. The inaugural theme is 'Contemporary Japanese Art,' which is garnering international attention. The scope includes works created from 1945 onwards. With the cooperation of curators from over 400 museums nationwide, a selection committee consisting of six members, including external experts, carefully reviewed 450 recommended works to select the final 100. These works are held by museums across 32 prefectures. Care was also taken to ensure a balanced gender ratio among the artists, resulting in the selection of 55 men and 43 women*.

The special website will allow users to view images, basic information, commentary, and links to the holding museums for all 100 works. Plans are also in place to publish related timelines and interview articles with artists and museum staff.

*Groups are not included in the count.