Matsumoto City Museum of Art — Yayoi Kusama's Hometown

**Infinity room access:** The museum's infinity room (usually Kusama's 'Dots Obsession' installation) has limited capacity — timed entry tickets distributed at entrance. Arrive at opening (9:00) to guarantee access; weekends sell out by 10:30. Photography allowed but flash prohibited. Experience lasts 1–2 minutes per person due to high demand. **Early works insight:** The museum's permanent collection includes Kusama's early paintings from the 1950s (before her New York period). These pre-fame works reveal the origins of her obsessive dot patterns and net motifs. The gallery text is in Japanese and English, providing biographical context about her childhood hallucinations and mental health struggles. **Museum cafe:** The second-floor cafe serves Kusama-themed desserts: polka-dot pudding (¥650) and dot-pattern latte art (¥550). The terrace overlooks the polka-dot sculpture plaza — Instagram-worthy setting. **Gift shop treasures:** Limited-edition Kusama goods not sold at her Tokyo galleries: polka-dot tote bags (¥2,500), illustrated books (¥3,000), and Matsumoto-exclusive postcards (¥150). The shop also sells signed lithographs (¥30,000–100,000) — verify authenticity certificates if purchasing.