Spring is a season of art. As winter recedes, the air fills with creative energy. Tokyo's art fairs at this time of the year can be fun with kids, but the crowds and sheer volume of exhibitors can be overwhelming. The city does, however, offer plenty of other art opportunities if you know where to look, and most of them welcome young ones.

Several of the country's most important museums are in Ueno. However, today I'll focus on just a few of the more dynamic spots that my own kids enjoy visiting.

Let's categorize the first three kid-friendly art spaces by their unconventional buildings. These spaces prove that not all art benefits from the plain white cube. Take Scai the Bathhouse in the northern Tokyo neighborhood of Yanaka, for example. Though it has white walls, it is in fact a reformed public bathhouse. Here you'll find exhibitions of contemporary art heavy-hitters such as Julian Opie and Anish Kapoor. I recommend getting off at Nippori Station and walking through the charming Yanaka neighborhood to reach it.