Celebrate the New Year and usher in the year of the rat at Tokyo National Museum admiring artworks featuring adorable little mice. While many of us see these little creatures as pests, ancient Japanese tales reveal that they were symbols of families blessed with many children. Many more positive associations have made mice a popular subject to include in not just art but also grace everyday objects like crockery, kimono and furoshiki.
On January 2 and 3, the museum is putting on special cultural events including taiko drumming, lion dance and clarinet performances. Also, don’t miss the grand New Year ikebana flower arrangement at the entrance (until Jan 13).