Visit the Japan Olympic Museum for a Head Start on the Tokyo Olympics

Get yourself pumped up for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games by visiting the new Japan Olympic Museum, which opened on September 14, 2019 and is operated by the Japan Olympic Committee. Located right across the New National Stadium, which will serve as a key venue for the Games, the Japan Olympic Museum takes you on a hands-on, interactive learning experience about Olympism, the Olympic Games' long history, and more. Go back in time to the Olympics' origins in ancient Greece, then come all the way to the present, and ponder the future. You can even see how you measure up to an Olympian by trying Olympic sports out. Avid sports enthusiasts and casual sporting fans alike have much to learn at this cutting-edge museum that's both educational and entertaining.

Relax and learn on the first floor

Admission to the Welcome Area on the first floor and the outdoor Monument Area is free. As you enter, the Welcome Vision—a large-screen video that shows a fresh take on the Olympic Games —and the Welcome Wall, adorned with Olympic symbols created by students from Hokkaido and Tokyo, greet you. Check out the special exhibition corner; themes and materials on display change regularly.
Read up on the Games at the Olympic Study Center, a mini-library. It also has activities that children will enjoy, such as origami (paper folding) to support the Tokyo 2020 Olympics' Japanese delegation. Shop for museum-exclusive merchandise at the reception area, or grab some refreshments from Five Rings Cafe. On a pleasant day, you can dine outside at the Monument Area, where you'll find replicas of Olympic cauldrons from the Tokyo, Sapporo, and　Nagano Olympic Games. The surrounding greenery makes this area perfect for relaxation or a stroll.

Put yourself in the shoes of an Olympian!

The Exhibition Area on the second floor takes you on a fully immersive learning experience. Here, you'll make use of all multiple senses—not only sight—to familiarize yourself with the Olympics. Videos that utilize the latest technologies, panels, interactive displays, and touch-screen panels explain all you need to know about the Olympics' history and legacy, values that the Games aim to promote, the global context that set the tone for each iteration of the Olympic Games, heartwarming stories of individual athletes, and more. Also on display are memorabilia from previous Games, such as Olympic torches, medals, and posters. A section is devoted to Japan—its influence on Olympic history, previously hosted Games, and a tribute bearing the names of all Japanese athletes that ever participated in the Olympics. With Japanese and English explanations throughout the area, as well as QR codes for some exhibitions, the museum offers ample mutilingual support.

Don't miss the fun part: a chance to try your hand at Olympic sports,including target shooting, and the men's 100-meter sprint at an overwhelming, record-setting speed. Thanks to the latest technologies, you can see how you match up to the world's top athletes!

Japan Olympic Museum