Ueno Royal Museum was opened by Fuji Sankei Group in April 1972 in Ueno, Tokyo as a rebuilt form of the art exhibition pavilion of the Japan Art Association Museum, The Japan Art Association is assumed to be the oldest art association in Japan. Its antecedent was Rhuchi-kai, founded in 1879.

The museum holds mainly public exhibitions and special exhibitions of Important Cultural Properties or exhibits from overseas museums. It is also known for its public exhibitions including the “VOCA” Competition, which started in 1994, and the "Ueno Royal Museum Competition", which started in 1983. Both are highly evaluated as events that help discover young emerging artists in Japan.