Best art museums in Asia for art lovers

Experience fine art at one of the top museums and galleries in Asia.

Art Science Museum - Singapore

As the name suggests, Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands beautifully fuses art and science to tell fascinating stories. This premier venue houses a constantly changing line-up of major international touring exhibitions, brought in through collaborations with organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, and world-renowned furniture designer Herman Miller.

Address: 6 Bayfront Ave, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - Thailand

A must for any lover of art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bangkok (MOCA) houses the most comprehensive collection of modern painting and sculpture in Thailand inside a striking, purpose-built gallery. The five storeys of MOCA contain over 800 pieces of art collected by communications magnate Boonchai Bencharongkul and showcase the development of Thai fine art since the introduction of modern western concepts.

Address: 499 Kamphaeng Phet 6 Rd, Chatuchak, Khet Chatuchak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand

MOA Museum of Art - Japan

The MOA Museum of Art is spectacularly located on the slopes above Atami and exhibits an impressive collection of Japanese and East Asian art. The MOA Museum of Art was opened in 1982 by the Mokichi Okada Association (MOA). Okada Mokichi was an avid art collector who lived from 1882 to 1955 and also founded the Hakone Museum of Art in Gora.

Address: 26-2 Momoyamacho, Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai - China

The best part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA) is the prime location smack dab in a lovely green portion of People's Square. Sunlight and panoramic views pour in through the museum's floor to ceiling glass walls. International exhibitions are the name of the game at MOCA with Spain's flamboyant architect, Antoni Gaudi, highlighting last year's exhibitions and Salvatore Ferragamo this year. The ArtLab, a new, trendy space for stage events just opened in the spring.

Address: 231 Nanjing W Rd, RenMin GuangChang, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China

See more: The interesting museums to visit in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The most unique museums to visit in Japan

Like most things, Japan does museums a little differently – some would say perhaps a little weirdly. From poop, to cats, to cup noodles, here’s a guide to some of the more unique museum experiences you can try when you’re in Japan.

Museum of Sewerage, Tokyo

Yep, Tokyo is home to a sewerage museum. Located by Tokyo bay, the museum is all about the disposal (and cleaning) of used water. If you’re brave enough to dig deep into Japan’s world of sewerage there are a number of exhibits ready for you to explore.

Apart from displays covering the mechanics behind the dirty sewerage, what’s most fascinating about this museum is located on the B5 Floor, hidden about 25 meters deep underground. Labeled the ‘Fureai Experience Room’ this exhibit is where visitors are able to stand on a bridge spanning an actual, working wastewater tunnel. It’s recommended you visit before you eat your lunch.

Ramen Museum, Yokohama

Given that Japan is a food-obsessed nation, it only makes sense that the country’s unofficial national dish, ramen, gets its own museum. As adored internationally as it is inside of Japan, what’s so great about ramen is its versatility. There are as many types of ramen as there are people who eat it, and at the Yokohama Ramen Museum you can explore as many variations as your stomach can handle.

Built to look like Shitamachi, the old town of Tokyo, the double storey building houses nine separate vendors each sharing their own unique recipes. Though it’s more of a fancy food court than a museum exactly, it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in Yokohama and are interested in eating your way through Japan.

Tobacco and Salt Museum, Tokyo

‘Tobacco and salt? Why is there a museum about these two, and why together?’, is what most visitors ask themselves when they stumble upon this seemingly strange but actually very informative museum. Well what actually links these substances together is their shared history for once being goods controlled by the Japan Monopoly Corporation (now known as Japan Tobacco Inc.). Though it may not be your first choice for museum themes, it is worth a visit if you’re interested in exploring Japan’s economic and social history through a slightly different lens. It’s also home to permanent exhibitions like The World of Salt which is all about the variations between Japanese and foreign salt. It’s only 100 yen (US$0.92) admission so it’s worth going just to say you did.

The Cat Museum, Ito

Japan loves cats, cat cafes, cats in kimonos, Hello Kitty, Tashirojima aka ‘Cat Island’, Cat Street in Harajuku, so really it only makes complete sense that there’s a museum dedicated to cats. Located in Ito, in the sunny prefecture of Shizuoka just a few hours from Tokyo, the Cat Museum is feline fandom heaven. There are approximately 2,000 cat related items on display. From stuffed tigers and cat dolls to scientific displays. But the best part of the whole experience is the fact that visitors can also see and play with about 50 cats inside in the museum.

Trick Art Museum, Tokyo

If you were looking for the perfect place to get those goofy holiday snaps, this is the place to go. Filled with optical illusions and interactive artworks, the Trick Art Museum in Tokyo’s Odaiba island is a popular destination for both locals and international guests alike. The exhibit displays feature works of varying themes, from the spooky to the brain warping. They also have an “Edo Area” themed room for those wanting to get a little bit of Japan’s history in their hilarious pictures. Don’t forget to charge your camera!

Cup Noodles Museum, Yokohama

Another Yokohama stop off is the Nissin Cup Noodles museum. Situated near the popular tourist destination of the city’s bayside, this tastefully minimalist museum looks more like an ultra-contemporary art space than the home of cup noodles.

Inside the monolithic museum, there’s a mini-cinema, which screens a regular feature on the history of the cup noodle, a make-your-own cup noodle laboratory and art gallery dedicated to the popular convenience food. It sounds like a strange place to visit, but the museum is actually a fascinating look at the history of Japan’s ingenuity.

See more: Top unique things to do when visiting Japan

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The world’s most important memorial museums

These memorial museums and remembrance halls demonstrate that cultural awareness, public education and honoring memory can, at least in part, aid the recovery process.

Japan | Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

An oasis of tranquility in the heart of Hiroshima, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum honors the memory of those who lost their lives during the American atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kenzo Tange and constructed in 1955, a decade after the indescribable explosions killed over 200,000 Japanese civilians, the memorial hall preserves objects that once belonged to the victims, including personal items like a watch that stopped when the first explosion occurred, and materials showing Hiroshima and its residents before, and after the attacks. The museum is surrounded by a sculpture garden and exhibition space, where historic architectural elements meet the forward-looking modernism in a setting that is both mindful of its history, and optimistic about the future.

Cambodia | Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Tuol Sleng, also known as the Security Prison-21, was one of the most infamous detention centers of the Khmer Rouge regime, a building where almost 20,000 people were tortured and killed in the four years of the regime’s existence, most of them innocent civilians. Today, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum conveys the atrocities of that time with undeniable directness, its collection of poignant photographs taken by the Khmer Rouge, torture devices and human skulls creating a narrative that strikes the visitor with its intimate, bone-chilling tragedy. Along with the notorious Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, Tuol Sleng is one of the few existing reminders of the bloodiest chapter in Cambodia’s history.

Israel | Yad Vashem

Erected in 1953, four short years after the establishment of the Israeli state, Yad Vashem stands as a monument to the Jewish people, the six million who perished in the Holocaust, those who fought, and those who survived. As a research and education facility, Yad Vashem’s schedule revolves around talks, ceremonies and events to deepen public understanding of a people’s struggle to survive in a hostile world. At the heart of the 45-acre site sits the Museum complex, including the Holocaust History Museum, Hall of Names, Museum of Holocaust Art and more, which are collectively visited by over one million people per year. There is also a more symbolic dimension to Yad Vashem: at the center of the Moshe Safdie-designed museum sits the Hall of Remembrance, a basalt-covered space engraved with the names of Nazi concentration camps, and illuminated by a single eternal flame, beyond which the ashes of the Holocaust victims are stored.

China | Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum

Although it lasted only six weeks, the 1937 Nanking Massacre (or the Rape of Nanking) was one of the most painful episodes in Chinese history, where around 200,000 Chinese were robbed, raped and slaughtered by the invading Japanese army. The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum stands on top of one of the biggest burial sites of the time, its roots and exhibitions bound profoundly to the fate of the victims. Surrounded by symbolic sculptures in the outdoor exhibition space, the interior of this tomb-like museum houses a vast, coffin-shaped memorial containing the victims’ bones, as well as a hall where historic documents and photographs are stored.

Read more: The incredible and unique museums in Shanghai, China

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The 5 best museums in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh’s range of museums offers a fascinating insight into Cambodian culture and heritage and its turbulent past. Here are five museums to add to your itinerary of activities in the Cambodian capital.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CAMBODIA

Located next to the Royal Palace, the National Museum of Cambodia is home to more than 5,000 artifacts dating back to the ancient Angkorian period. Various rooms display a range of rare statues, lingas and other items, including the Leper King from Siem Reap and a giant 11th-century bronze Vishnu. It equips visitors with some great knowledge ahead of a trip to Angkor Wat Archaeological Park.

THE ROYAL PALACE AND SILVER PAGODA

The Royal Palace serves as the King’s residence, a venue for court ceremony and a symbol of the Kingdom. Selected areas are open to the public. The palace compound is also home to the Silver Pagoda, a renowned temple that takes a prominent place on the riverside and is named for its gleaming silver floor. Guests can stroll through the manicured gardens and discover the ornate temples, libraries and galleries inside the palace grounds.

CHOEUNG EK GENOCIDAL CENTER

Between 1975 and 1979, the Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, with an estimated two million people killed or dying from starvation and exhaustion. Almost 9,000 bodies were discovered at the mass graves of Choeung Ek, more commonly known as the Killing Fields. Now serving as a memorial, the site features a Buddhist stupa filled with human skulls retrieved from the fields. Visitors can walk around the exhumed graves and learn more through a headset-guided walking tour.

TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM

This former high school in central Phnom Penh makes for a sobering visit for the horrific role it played during the Khmer Rouge regime. During that time, the former school was transformed into a political prisoners’ camp known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). Only seven prisoners survived, while many others were tortured and killed, or sent to their deaths at Choeung Ek. Much of the site has been left as it was discovered in 1979 when the Vietnamese army liberated Phnom Penh. The blood-splattered walls, tiny brick cells and abandoned torture tools offer a chilling insight into the brutal regime.

BOPHANA AUDIOVISUAL RESOURCE CENTER

Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center is a cinema and hub for photography, television, film, and sound. As many image and sound archives were destroyed during decades of conflict, Bophana collates and archives surviving material and puts it on display to the public. The center also serves as an educational site where young Cambodians can learn audiovisual techniques, multimedia practices, broadcasting and film production. Visitors can peruse photographs that date back to 1866 and view treasured film footage. Space also regularly hosts exhibitions, workshops and film screenings.

See more: 10 best signature dishes in Cambodia

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