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Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring

A Rare Visit from One of the World’s Most Famous Paintings

Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring makes a rare journey to Osaka alongside another Vermeer and Dutch masterpieces from the Mauritshuis. See 12 works from the celebrated collection at Nakanoshima Museum of Art — possibly the Girl’s final visit to Japan.

One of the world’s most recognizable paintings has arrived in Osaka. Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is now on view at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, offering a rare chance to stand face-to-face with the original painting usually housed at the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Masterpieces of the 17th Century runs August 21–September 27 in NAKKA’s fifth-floor galleries. The exhibition became possible because the Mauritshuis is temporarily closing for renovation, allowing 12 works from its collection to travel to Japan. The museum’s general director has described the journey as a special opportunity that could be the Girl’s last visit to Japan.

And she isn’t traveling alone. The exhibition includes a second Vermeer, Diana and her Nymphs, giving visitors the unusual opportunity to see two paintings by the Dutch master together. Ten additional works from the Mauritshuis broaden the exhibition into a look at 17th-century Dutch painting rather than a one-picture attraction.

The centerpiece remains the painting that has fascinated viewers for centuries. Painted around 1665, Girl with a Pearl Earring depicts an unidentified young woman turning toward the viewer, her face emerging from a dark background as an oversized pearl catches the light. Often called the “Mona Lisa of the North,” the work has become an international cultural icon while retaining the mystery of who — if anyone — the girl actually represents.

Demand to see her in Osaka is substantial, making this an exhibition to plan rather than simply drop into. Admission uses timed entry, and regular same-day tickets are not sold at the museum. Visitors choose an admission window in advance, while selected dates offer extended evening hours until 20:00. The exhibition itself is open every day throughout its five-week run.

The setting is also worth exploring. Opened in 2022, Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka has quickly established itself as one of the city’s major art institutions, specializing in modern and contemporary art and design from the latter half of the 19th century onward. Its collection includes more than 6,000 works, spanning art connected to Osaka and the Gutai movement alongside international names and movements including Modigliani, Magritte, Brâncuși, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism.

The museum itself is hard to miss: a monumental black cube rising from Nakanoshima with a five-story light-filled atrium at its center. Its fourth- and fifth-floor galleries were designed to accommodate major exhibitions and international loans, while the lower floors include a museum shop, restaurant and public spaces.

For five weeks this summer, those galleries hold something exceptional. Osaka has hosted plenty of international masterpieces, but opportunities to see Girl with a Pearl Earring this far from her home in The Hague are rare — and this one may not come again.

Meet the Girl — See Vermeer’s original Girl with a Pearl Earring, on rare loan from the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

Two Vermeers Together — Diana and her Nymphs joins the Girl, offering a rare opportunity to see two works by the Dutch master in one exhibition.

12 Dutch Masterpieces — Explore works from the Mauritshuis spanning 17th-century Dutch painting, including Rembrandt, Jan Steen and other celebrated artists.

Possibly the Last Visit — The Mauritshuis director says this may be the final opportunity for the museum to send Girl with a Pearl Earring to Japan.

Make It an Evening — Selected dates keep the galleries open until 20:00, offering a rare chance to experience the exhibition after dark.

Photos: Nakanoshima Museum of Art Official Website & Instagram

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Contact

Opening Hours

Regular Schedule: 09:30-17:00

Fridays: 09:00-20:00

September 6, 8, 12-16, 19-27: 09:00-20:00

Closed

THE SCENE: FAQ’s

ACCESS

Venue: Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka (NAKKA) — 5F Galleries
Address: 4-3-1 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0005

Trains

Keihan Nakanoshima Line → Watanabebashi Station
Use Exit 2 and walk southwest approximately 5 minutes to Nakanoshima Museum of Art.

JR Osaka Loop Line → Fukushima Station
JR Tozai Line → Shin-Fukushima Station
Use Exit 2 and walk south approximately 10 minutes toward Nakanoshima.

Hanshin Main Line → Fukushima Station
Walk south approximately 10 minutes to the museum.

Subways

Metro Yotsubashi Line → Higobashi Station
Use Exit 4 and walk west approximately 10 minutes toward Nakanoshima Museum of Art.

Metro Midosuji Line → Yodoyabashi Station
Use Exit 7, cross the Tosabori River and walk west approximately 15 minutes.

For the simplest route, Watanabebashi Station is the closest, with the museum about five minutes from Exit 2.

SCHEDULE

August 21–September 27, 2026

Regular Hours
09:30–17:00
Last entry: 16:30

Extended Evenings
Open until 20:00 on selected dates, with last entry at 19:30.

The exhibition is open every day throughout its run, including Mondays. This differs from NAKKA’s normal Monday closing schedule.

Timed admission controls when visitors enter, but the exhibition is not operated as a timed viewing session requiring everyone to leave after a set period.

TICKETS

Timed-entry tickets are required.

General: ¥3,000
University / High School: ¥1,500
Elementary / Junior High School: ¥500

Tickets must be secured before visiting. Regular same-day tickets are not sold at Nakanoshima Museum of Art for this exhibition.

Demand has been high, and tickets are being released through designated sales periods and lotteries. Visitors should check availability for their preferred date before making plans.

Important for overseas visitors: the official English site warns that Ticket PIA lottery applications require an account verified by SMS using a Japanese mobile phone number; overseas numbers cannot be used for that registration.

THE EXPERIENCE

The exhibition brings visitors face-to-face with one of the world’s most recognizable paintings while placing Vermeer within the wider world of 17th-century Dutch art.

See the original Girl with a Pearl Earring on loan from the Mauritshuis.
View two Vermeers together, including Diana and her Nymphs.
Explore 12 paintings from the Mauritshuis collection.
Discover other leading figures of the Dutch Golden Age, including Rembrandt and Jan Steen.
Visit the exhibition in NAKKA’s large fifth-floor galleries, designed to accommodate major international touring exhibitions.
Explore the museum’s shop, restaurant and striking five-story atrium before or after your visit.

This is a relatively compact selection of masterpieces rather than an enormous survey, making the rare encounter with the two Vermeers the center of the experience.

INFO & TIPS

This is an exhibition to book before you go, particularly if you have limited flexibility during your Osaka visit.

Timed-entry admission is required.
Do not arrive expecting to purchase a regular same-day exhibition ticket at the museum.
Check ticket availability before traveling to Nakanoshima.
Selected dates offer evening viewing until 20:00.
The exhibition remains open throughout the run despite NAKKA normally closing its galleries on Mondays.
Wheelchairs and strollers are available to borrow at the museum, subject to availability.
100-yen refundable lockers are available on the 1F and 2F; larger baggage can be left at the ticket counter.
A nursing room and accessible restrooms are available.
The museum has a paid parking lot, but rail access is considerably easier for most visitors.
Watanabebashi Station is the shortest walk at approximately five minutes.

Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka
Telephone: 06-6479-0550
Official Museum Website: https://nakka-art.jp/en/

Exhibition Website:
https://vermeer2026.exhibit.jp/

Official Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/vermeerosaka2026/