Written by JC Team
Kobe City Museum is hosting Tove and the Moomins this autumn, and the useful thing to know upfront is that it’s a Tove Jansson exhibition at least as much as a Moomin one — and that high-school students and younger get in free.
What to expect
Around 300 works, marking 80 years since the first Moomin novel was published. The range is wider than the branding suggests: Jansson’s early oil paintings, the satirical cartoons she drew around the Second World War, original artwork and sketches from the novels and comics, murals that aren’t well known in Japan, and personal belongings.
Jansson worked across oil painting, satire, comics, picture books and novels over a life running from 1914 to 2001, and the organizers have built the show around how much of her own life ended up inside the Moomin valley. It’s a better fit for adults than the character merchandising implies, and it doesn’t stop being good for children.
Schedule
The Kobe run is October 10 to December 13, 2026. Opening hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., extended on Fridays and Saturdays to 8 p.m., with last entry 30 minutes before closing.
It’s closed on Mondays, plus October 13 and November 24. October 12 and November 23 are public holidays and the museum stays open on both.
Tickets 2026
General admission is ¥2,200 on the day or ¥2,000 in advance. University students pay ¥1,100 or ¥1,000 advance, and high-school students and younger are free. There’s a ¥3,800 pair ticket if there are two of you.
Discounts are available for Kobe residents aged 65 and over, for visitors with disabilities, and for groups of 20 or more.
How to get there
Kobe City Museum is in the Kyūkyoryūchi (former foreign settlement) district, an easy addition to a day of other things to do in Kobe.
The exhibition is touring: after Kobe it goes to the Iwate Museum of Art from December 26, 2026 to February 28, 2027, then the Yokosuka Museum of Art from March 13 to May 9, 2027.
Note that dates, opening hours, and prices are subject to change, so make sure to check the official website before you go. Also note that the image used here is in no way representative of the exhibition.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.