1. Tokyo National Museum
    Photo: Tokyo National Museum
  2. Tokyo National Museum
    Photo: Tokyo National Museum | Tokyo National Museum
  3. Tokyo National Museum
    Photo: Courtesy of Tokyo National Museum
  4. Tokyo National Museum
    Tokyo National Museum | 春の庭園開放

Tokyo National Museum

  • Museums
  • Ueno
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Time Out says

If you have just one day to devote to museum-going in Tokyo and are interested in Japanese art and artefacts, this is the place to visit. Japan’s oldest and largest museum houses over 110,000 items.

Past the ornate gateway, there’s a wide courtyard and pond surrounded by three main buildings. Directly in front is the Honkan, or main gallery, dating from 1938, which displays the permanent collection of Japanese arts and antiquities. The 25 rooms regularly rotate their exhibitions of paintings, ceramics, swords, kimonos, sculptures and the like.

The Toyokan building to the right features five floors of artworks from other parts of Asia. The Hyokeikan, the 1909 European-style building to the left, is only open for special exhibitions. Behind the Hyokeikan is the Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures, which houses some of Japanese Buddhism’s most important and ancient artefacts, from the seventh-century Horyu-ji temple in Nara.

The Heiseikan, behind the Honkan, holds three to four temporary exhibitions of Japanese and Asian art each year. There are also a couple of restaurants in the complex, and a good gift shop.

Details

Address
13-9 Ueno Koen, Taito
Tokyo
Transport:
Ueno Station (Ginza, Hibiya, Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku lines), Keisei-Ueno Station (Keisei Main line)
Price:
¥1,000 for adults, university students ¥500, free for everyone under 18
Opening hours:
9.30am-5pm (until 7pm on Fri & Sat), closed Mon (except holidays)

What’s on

Immersive Theater on Neo-Japonism: From Ancient Art to Anime

This spring and summer, Japan’s ancient aesthetic heritage meets the cutting edge of animation. On at the Tokyo National Museum from March 25 to August 3, ‘Immersive Theater on Neo-Japonism: From Ancient Art to Anime’ is an ambitious 24-minute visual experience that journeys through 10,000 years of Japanese creativity. Projected across four massive walls fitted with towering 7-metre screens, the ultra-HD installation explores the evolution of Japanese artistic expression from the clay figures of the prehistoric Jomon period to the ink paintings of the Edo period (1603–1867), culminating in the vibrant dynamism of contemporary anime. Brought to life by the innovative minds at digital art outfits Panoramatiks and Cekai, the experience highlights how Japan’s animist worldview and refined sense of space continue to influence global pop culture. The exhibition draws poignant connections between ancient scrolls, classical motifs, and works by anime legends like Osamu Tezuka, Isao Takahata and Mamoru Hosoda, serving up a distinctive blend of history, art and imagination.

Special Exhibition Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo

Few figures in Edo-period (1603–1867) Japan left as indelible a mark on the world of publishing and art as Tsutaya Juzaburo (1750–1797). A masterful entrepreneur with a keen eye for talent, Tsutaya revolutionised the ukiyo-e industry by transforming woodblock prints from ephemeral entertainment into recognised works of art. His collaborations with the leading artists of the day set new standards for craftsmanship and aesthetic refinement, while his publishing ventures produced literature – especially satire – that captivated the urban population of Edo.  With ‘Tsutaya Juzaburo: Creative Visionary of Edo’, the Tokyo National Museum pays tribute to this pioneering man of letters, showcasing a sweeping selection of prints, books and rare documents that illustrate Tsutaya’s profound influence on Japanese culture. The exhibition explores Tsutaya’s early ventures in the red-light district of Yoshiwara, his ground-breaking work in multicolour nishiki-e printing, and his role in elevating the status of ukiyo-e as a respected art form. Visitors can step into the bustling streets of Edo, experiencing the artistic innovation and cultural vibrancy that defined Tsutaya Juzaburo’s legacy.

Ukiyo-e In Play - Artists Re-Working the Traditions of Woodcut Prints

The style of Japanese woodblock printing known as ukiyo-e (‘images of the floating world’) flourished during the Edo period (1603–1867). Artists captured the vibrant spirit of the ‘floating world’, a phrase that evoked both the pleasures of urban life and the fleeting nature of existence. Characterised by precise lines, luminous pigments, and depictions of kabuki actors, courtesans and landscapes, ukiyo-e became the defining art form of its time. Masters like Sharaku, Utamaro and Hokusai elevated the genre into a cultural touchstone whose influence endures worldwide. That lasting impact is on display at ‘Ukiyo-e In Play’, hosted by the Hyokeikan at the Tokyo National Museum until June 15. Organised by the Adachi Foundation for the Preservation of Woodcut Printing, the exhibition features works by 85 contemporary artists, designers and creators who reinterpret the ukiyo-e legacy through collaboration with artisans working with traditional carving and printing methods. A highlight of the show is the section called ‘Ukiyo-e Artists Today’, where new prints by the likes of renowned pop artist Keiichi Tanaami are presented. Visitors are invited to discover how ukiyo-e has remained a vibrant, playful and resolutely modern art form through the centuries.
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