Last updated on 2026-04-26
A record of visiting museums and galleries in Denenchofu, Setagaya, and Meguro, using only Tokyu buses.
This is a record of a local trip in Japan.
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Table of contents
Introduction
From 12 March to 11 April, Tokyu Bus ran a promotion to encourage the use of Qskip, a QR code-based bus boarding system. As part of the promotion, a one-day Tokyu Bus pass was sold at half price (280 yen instead of 560 yen). This was particularly advantageous for those travelling solely by Tokyu Bus and exploring the Luhan area.
Tokyu Bus covers an area from Shibuya Station westward to Gotanda Station, extending to Aoba Ward in Yokohama City. Notable museums and galleries within this coverage area include the Setagaya Art Museum, the Gotoh Museum of Art and the Meguro Museum of Art, as well as galleries such as POETIC SPACE, ART FRONT GALLERY and LRUF GALLERY.
When considering routes using Tokyu buses, I realised that travelling from Denenchofu Station to Setagaya and Nakameguro, and then back to Daikanyama Station, would enable me to visit all the locations using only Tokyu buses.
Furthermore, the Setagaya Art Museum, the Gotoh Museum of Art and the Meguro Museum of Art are all participating museums in the 2026 Tokyo edition of the Gurutto Pass. The 2,500 yen Gurutto Pass allows for one free exhibition entry within its validity period, so I purchased it in advance.
Report
I’ll keep a record of each place I stop at.
- Denenchofu Station
- Gotoh Museum
- Setagaya Art Museum
- Meguro Museum of Art
- POETIC SPACE
- ART FRONT GALLERY
- Daikanyama Station
● Denenchofu Station
My first destination was the Gotoh Museum in Denenchofu, where I caught a bus. On the day of my visit, the station was filled with families who had just attended their children’s school entrance ceremonies. The cherry blossoms were still in bloom, as were the dogwood trees nearby.
There is only one bus stop at Denenchofu Station, so it is difficult to get lost. Although there are several bus stops for different destinations, you need to catch the Tokyu Bus Son01 (bound for Chitose-Funabashi).
| Boarding and alighting | bus stop | Route name |
| Boarding | Denenchofu Station bus stop | Tokyu Bus En01 (bound for Chitose-Funabashi) |
| Alighting | Map above the bus stop at Kaminoge Station, left side MAP-A A1 |
This time, I used Qskip by having the barcode displayed on my smartphone scanned by the reader attached to the fare payment machine on the bus when I boarded. It is helpful to display the QR code while waiting at the bus stop and set the screen brightness to a higher level to allow for smoother scanning. If the lighting makes scanning difficult, moving the smartphone slightly should enable it to be scanned.
By the way, the Tokyu Bus En01 route follows Tokyo Metropolitan Route 311 (Loop Route 8) to Chitose-Funabashi Station. The first time I took this bus, I mistook Chitose-Funabashi for Funabashi City in Chiba Prefecture and wondered how the bus could get there. I didn’t know much about the area’s geography at the time, but I discovered the existence of Chitose-Funabashi after looking it up on a map.
● Gotoh Museum
To reach the Gotoh Museum, get off at Kaminoge Station bus stop (MAP A1, on the left of the map below) and walk to the museum.
The Gotoh Museum is holding the following exhibitions.
Regarding the Grutto Pass programme, all exhibitions can be viewed once for free in 2026 by presenting a valid Grutto Pass.
- [Museum Collection] Spring Masterpiece Exhibition: Antique Textiles Adorning Masterpieces
- April 7th [Tue] – May 10th [Sun], 2026
- Gotoh Museum of Art
- Special Exhibition Schedule: [National Treasure] Tale of Genji Picture Scrolls – Suzumushi 1, Suzumushi 2, Yugiri, Minori – April 29th [Wed/Holiday] – May 6th [Wed/Substitute Holiday], 2026. Outside of the special exhibition period, a reproduction is on display.
MAP-A, MAP-B (Maps are from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s VECTOR map service)
To reach the Setagaya Art Museum, return to Kaminoge Station bus stop (MAP A2, located to the left of the above map), where you previously disembarked.
Buses run approximately every 30 minutes, so if you can’t check the bus schedule on your smartphone, it’s best to note down the timetable for this bus stop beforehand and plan your journey accordingly to avoid wasting time.
The closest bus stops to the museum are the Kinuta Park Green Space Entrance and Museum Front stops. The Museum Front bus stop is closer in terms of distance. However, I would personally recommend getting off at the Kinuta Park Green Space Entrance bus stop and walking through the park to the museum, as you can enjoy the seasonal scenery.
| Boarding and alighting | Denenchofu Station bus stop | Route name |
| Boarding | Kaminoge Station Bus Stop Map on the left above: MAP-A A2 | Tokyu Bus En01 (bound for Denenchofu) |
| Alighting(recommended) | Kinuta Park Green Space Entrance Bus Stop Map on the right above: MAP-B B1 | |
| Alighting (alternative option) | Museum entrance bus stop Map right above: MAP-B B2 |
● Setagaya Art Museum
I got off at the Kinuta Park Green Space entrance bus stop and walked through the park on my way to the art museum. Although the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms had finished blooming, the double-flowered cherry blossoms were in full bloom and beautiful.
The Setagaya Art Museum is holding the following exhibition.
Although the Grutto Pass only offers discounts for special exhibitions at the Setagaya Art Museum, this exhibition allows free admission upon presentation of a valid pass.
- Footprints of Setagaya Art Museum: Between Life and Art
- Museum Collection Special Edition: 40th Anniversary of the Museum’s Opening
- February 21, 2026 – April 12, 2026
- Setagaya Art Museum, 1st & 2nd Floor Exhibition Rooms
I’m still deciding whether to create a separate article or add to this one.
The route from Setagaya Art Museum to Meguro Museum of Art is as follows:
| Boarding and alighting | バス停 | 路線名 |
| Boarding | 美術館入口バス停 上地図右MAP-B B3 | Tokyu Bus En01 (bound for Denenchofu) |
| Alighting | 上野毛駅バス停 上地図左MAP-A A2 | |
| Boarding | 上野毛駅バス停 上地図左MAP-A A3 | Tokyu Bus Kuro 02 (bound for Meguro Station) |
| Alighting | 大鳥神社前バス停 下地図左MAP-C C1 |
| Boarding and alighting | Denenchofu Station bus stop | Route name |
| Boarding | Kaminoge Station Bus Stop Map on the left above: MAP-A A2 | Tokyu Bus En01 (bound for Denenchofu) |
| Alighting(recommended) | Kinuta Park Green Space Entrance Bus Stop Map on the right above: MAP-B B1 | |
| Alighting (alternative option) | Museum entrance bus stop Map right above: MAP-B B2 |
Tokyu Bus Route Kuro 02 (bound for Meguro Station) is a route bus that travels along Kaminoge Street towards Tokyo. As you can see from the map, the bus stop for both alighting and boarding is Kaminoge Station bus stop, but be aware that the boarding locations are different along Loop Route 8 and on Kaminoge Street.
● Meguro Museum of Art
Take the Tokyu Bus Kuro 02 (bound for Meguro Station) and get off at the Otori Shrine bus stop (C1: MAP-C on the left of the map below).
Since this is a journey from Setagaya Ward to Meguro Ward, it will take some time. While traffic congestion can occur depending on the time of day, it wasn’t too crowded when I used it around 2:30 PM on a weekday.
The Meguro Museum of Art is less than a 10-minute walk from the bus stop.
MAP-C, MAP-D (Maps are from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s VECTOR map service)
The Meguro Museum of Art was holding the following exhibitions.
Regarding the Meguro Museum of Art’s Grutto Pass program, in 2026, all exhibitions can be viewed once for free by presenting a valid Grutto Pass.
- Kenzo Okada: Paris, Meguro, New York
- February 21, 2026 (Sat) – May 10, 2026 (Sun)
- Meguro Museum of Art
To get to POETIC SCAPE, travel from the Meguro Museum of Art to the Otori Shrine bus stop (C2 on MAP-C, left side of the map above) and then take the bus two stops further to the Meguro Police Station bus stop (C3 on MAP-C). Note that the bus stop you board at is different from the one where you disembarked (C1 on MAP-C). Also, several bus routes stop at C2; the correct routes are Shibu 41, Shibu 42, and Shibu 72. Buses going towards Ebisu take a different route.
If you don’t want to wait for the bus, it’s about a 10-minute walk from the museum to POETIC SCAPE. This time, I used the bus because I had a Tokyu Bus unlimited ride pass.
| Boarding and alighting | bus stop | Route name |
| Boarding | Otori Shrine bus stop See map below (left): MAP-C C1 | Shibuya 41, Shibuya 42, Shibuya 72 |
| Alighting | Meguro Police Station Bus Stop Map on the left above: MAP-C C2 |
●POETIC SCAPE
PPOETIC SCAPE was hosting a solo exhibition by photographer Nozomi Suzuki. As it’s a gallery, admission is generally free.
- Nozomi Suzuki
- Slow Glass—Afterglow: Transmission, Reflection, Refraction
- March 21st (Sat) – April 26th (Sun), 2026
- POETIC SCAPE
POETIC SCAPE is a gallery located in a residential area, specializing in photography-related artists. The bookshelves in the gallery display and sell many art-related photography books. During my visit, signed copies of Nozomi Suzuki’s “LIGHT OF OTHER DAYS” (Light of Days Gone By) were available for sale.た。
To get to Nakameguro Station, return to the Meguro Police Station bus stop (MAP-C C3) and board a bus. All buses that come here pass Nakameguro Station, so you can just board any bus that arrives.
As you can see from MAP-D on the right of the map above, there’s not much difference between getting off at the Shogakuji-mae bus stop (two stops further from Meguro Police Station bus stop MAP-C C3) or the Nakameguro Station bus stop (three stops further). These two bus stops are very close to each other.
●ART FRONT GALLERY
ART FRONT GALLERY is close to Daikanyama Station via the Tokyu Toyoko Line from Nakameguro Station, but you can also walk from Nakameguro Station. If the Tokyo College of Music passageway is open, you can use the stairs to take a shortcut to ART FRONT GALLERY. See MAP-D.
If the Tokyo College of Music passageway is closed, you can use the uphill pedestrian walkway further down the road to head towards Daikanyama.
The following exhibitions were being held during my visit. As it is a gallery, admission is generally free.
- Yusuke Nakahara and His Era – Art Front Gallery Selection
- March 26, 2026 (Thu) – May 30, 2026 (Sat)
- Art Front Gallery
I’m still deciding whether to create a separate article or add to this one.
On the way from Nakameguro Station to Art Front Gallery, you’ll find the Go Sakura Museum of Art. This museum is also a participating museum in the Gurutto Pass program, so if it’s open, you can use the Gurutto Pass to visit it.
● Daikanyama Station
I visited LURF GALLERY, located next to ART FRONT GALLERY, but it was closed for a change of exhibits, so my art-viewing trip by bus for today came to an end.
As I headed back to Daikanyama Station, I noticed that the Miffy Cafe in front of the station had closed in March 2026, and the building was under renovation.
Summary
A Tokyu Bus one-day pass normally costs 560 yen, but since the basic fare is 250 yen per ride, you break even after just three rides.
Tokyu Buses operate on a surprisingly wide network of routes, making them a very good mode of transportation for visiting destinations near bus stops.
The new QR code boarding system allows for smoother boarding if you display the QR code on your smartphone before boarding. Reading the QR code with the card reader is a bit tricky; you’ll need to try it a few times to get used to the correct distance and angle.
Reference links
- Tokyu Bus One-Day Pass – Half Price for a Limited Time – [Valid from March 12th to April 11th]
- Gurutto Pass
- Setagaya Art Museum
- Gotoh Museum
- Meguro Museum of Art
- POETIC SPACE
- ART FRONT GALLERY
- Geospatial Information Authority of Japan map VECTOR
おやくそく
- This information was compiled on April 8, 2026. Please note that road conditions and facility circumstances may change, so please check for the latest information before visiting the same locations. Also, while planning is good for travel, spontaneous travel is also fine; please use your own judgment. We hope this information will be of some help.
寄付のお願い・Request for donations
Affiliate links
- Setagaya Art Museum・Ads by Amazon
- Gotoh Museum・Ads by Amazon
- Meguro Museum of Art・Ads by Amazon
Photo Equipment
- SONY DSC-RX1
- HASSELBLAD X2D-100C +XCD28mm F4P
Update history
- 2026.4.9
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