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Mika Vepsalainen

Tokyo National Museum - The Oldest and Largest National Museum in Japan

Join us for a visit to the the oldest and largest national museum in Japan with exhibits ranging throughout centuries featuring not only Japan but the entire Silk Road. You will see many items that you have seen in school textbooks about Japan!


The Tokyo National Museum (東京国立博物館, Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) started in 1872 as the Yushima Seido or Shoheizaka Exhibition, a public exhibition of imperial artwork and scientific specimens, a concept that was based on the South Kensington Museum in London, known today as the Victorian & Albert Museum.


As a curiosity for us in Vienna, the imperial management organized an exhibition already in 1871 to prepare for the international exhibition at the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair celebrating the 25th year as emperor of Franz Joseph I. Each Japanese province provided their most important products and two specimens of each were collected, one for display in Vienna and the other for preservation and display at a new museum.


Today the museum collects, preserves, and displays artwork and cultural objects from Asia, with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road. The museum consists of five sections: the Honkan, a Japanese Gallery; the Heiseikan and Hyokeikan, holding special exhibitions; the Toyokan, an Asian Gallery; Horyuji Treasures, holding important religions relics; and the Kuroda Memorial Hall, holding a collection of works by Kuroda Seiki. The collection covers about 10% of art and crafts designated as national treasures in the country. In addition, there is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist art.


There are two restaurants and a coffee shop in the compound. There is also a lovely garden - add some seasonal views to the exhibitions inside!


Like all Government run museums in Japan, the compound is fully accessible. Mind you, The entrance ramp to the Honkan is a bit steep, but other halls are very easy to enter. Due to the time of construction, the different rooms in the Honkan have door sills of 1-3 cm of height. The museum website has informative PDF maps where you will get all sorts of information on available facilities and access points. The museum has no parking facilities.


A multipurpose restroom is available on the first floor of the main building. It is a family restroom that is also equipped with ostomate facilities. Handicapped accessible restrooms are also available on the first floor of the main building and the second basement floor of the special exhibition wing.


There is a museum shop at the entrance level offering items made based on objects and motifs in the museum collection. There is also a small section of English language publications about Japanese art.



Tokyo National Museum

13-9 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo


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