History museums in Tokyo
Five places to explore Japan's past
During your stay in Tokyo, turn to the past for a few hours. Some museums in the capital offer key information for understanding the history of Japan. Discover them and unlock the secrets of the past...
The Ota Museum, the art of Japanese prints
The Ota Memorial Art Museum is dedicated to the genre of Japanese art known as ukiyo-e. They are traditional Japanese woodblock prints that were very popular during the Edo period. The Edo era lasted from 1603 to 1868, a period of great economic prosperity and cultural growth across Japan, especially in the arts.
- To read: Ukiyo-e, the art of Japanese prints
These ukiyo-e are an important testimony to the past of the Japanese archipelago.
Kobayashi_Kiyochika_(1879)_Suruga-chō_yuki
Kobayashi Kiyochika
This three-story museum hosts monthly themed exhibitions featuring excerpts from its collection of 12,000 woodblock prints. They mainly depict scenes such as theaters, teahouses, geisha, and cherry blossoms.
- Address: 1-10-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, 150-0001 Tokyo
- Access: Meiji-Jingumae Station, Exit 5
- Hours: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. Closed on Mondays.
- Price: 300 yen for adults and 50 yen for high school students.
The Shitamachi Museum, a street in the Edo period
The Shitamachi Museum offers visitors a glimpse of daily life in Tokyo between the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and the Great Earthquake of 1923. The Meiji period saw Japanese society evolve from a feudal society into a more modern Japan than we know.
This charming museum thus explores the living and working conditions of this period.
Shitamachi Museum
Daderot
Shitamachi Museum
Public Domain
Among the reproductions of buildings presented in the museum, it is possible to visit a confectionery, a boiler workshop, and various apartments. You will also find many objects in daily life there.
- Address: 2-1 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- Access: 5 min on foot from JR Ueno Station, Shinobazu Exit
- Hours: 9 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
- Price: 300 yen for adults and 50 yen for high school students.
The Samurai Museum
The Samurai Museum is on two floors and is a fun activity that will appeal to young and old alike.
Visitors explore the museum's exhibits with highly enthusiastic English-speaking guides who replicate several katana moves. The detailed explanations they provide include information about the weapons on display and what was happening in Japanese history during the time of the rise of the samurai.
Most of the exhibits, however, are not genuine pieces, but rather more recent reproductions. If you want to see the originals, we invite you to go to the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park.
- Address : 2-25-6 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Access: 8 min on foot from Shinjuku station, east exit
- Hours: 10:30 am to 9 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
- Price: 1,800 yen for adults, 800 yen for children under 12, and free for children under 3. Prizes include a souvenir photo in samurai attire.
Entrance to the Samurai Museum
Nippon connection
Samurai Museum
Samurai Museum
Edo-Tokyo Museum
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a space for reflection on the history and culture of Edo, the former name of the city of Tokyo.
The permanent exhibition, which features original objects and replicas, takes visitors on a journey through 400 years of Edo-Tokyo history since the arrival of the famous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the city. The museum also organizes conferences and workshops on the subject.
- Address: 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
- Access : 3 min on foot from the West Exit of Ryogoku Station, JR Sobu Line
- Hours: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Closed on Mondays.
- Price: 600 yen for adults, 480 yen for middle school students, and 300 yen for high school students.
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Daderot
Edo-Tokyo Museum
Alkan de Beaumont
Edo-Tokyo Museum
kanegen
Edo-Tokyo Architectural Garden
The Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum is an outdoor museum that exhibits a range of historic buildings. Most are from the Meiji period (1868-1912) but there are also older and newer buildings.
- Also discover: The Meiji-mura
They were moved or rebuilt here to keep a record of Japan's architectural history. This one has been almost completely lost following the numerous fires, earthquakes, bombings, and the redevelopment of the cities.
- Address: 3-7-1 Sakuracho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo (inside Koganei Park)
- Access: 25 minutes west of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo by train, with the Seibu Shinjuku Line to Hana-Koganei Station or the JR Chuo Line to Musashi-Koganei Station. Then it's 5-10 min by bus or 15-30 min on foot.
- Opening hours: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (April to September), 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (October to March). Closed on Mondays (except public holidays).
- Price: 400 yen for adults, 320 yen for middle school students, and 200 yen for high school students. Free for primary school students and young children.
