This new exhibition celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. It takes place at the institution’s Western-style Hyokeikan building from the late Meiji period (1868-1912), an Important Cultural Property of Japan which is only open to the public during special exhibitions.
The exhibition is celebrating items that have had significant influence on Japanese society over the past 150 years, and that also have the potential to become national treasures in the future. Submissions for the exhibition were collected in an open-call format, with both individuals and companies able to submit items.
Among the corporate submissions are products and technology that played an essential role in the development of Japanese society. Submissions include sports drink Pocari Sweat, Kikkoman soy sauce as well as around 52 items by Japanese clothing brand Beams. Niigata prefecture’s Hakkaisan Brewery, meanwhile, explains the company’s sake brewing process through panels and videos.
Other submissions include famous cat mascot Hello Kitty and virtual singer Hatsune Miku. You’ll even find merchandise of the blue-haired Hatsune Miku in the museum shop, including stickers, key holders and magnets.
Submissions from individuals are mostly personal memorabilia. You’ll find items such as an old Mazda Cosmo sports car, an English vocabulary book, a handwritten hayashi rice recipe that has been passed down through generations and a Nintendo Family Computer.
The exhibition itself is free, but you’ll need a ticket to the general exhibition (¥1,000, university students ¥500) or a special exhibition to get in.