Tokyo National Museum 東京国立博物館

Spend a day or more with the treasures of Tokyo National Museum

With over 110,000 items in its collection, of which 89 (as of March 2019) are priceless National Treasures, the Tokyo National Museum is Japan's oldest museum. Any of the museum's buildings could be a museum of its own, so get to Ueno Park early and save a full day for looking at as many of the 3,000 items on display as you can.



The iconic main Honkan building provides an extensive overview of Japanese art and history, encompassing Buddhist art, samurai swords, kabuki costumes, intricate metalwork, and much more, all with great English information. The Toyokan expands this view to the rest of Asia, exhibiting art objects and archaeological artifacts from China, India, and beyond. The Heiseikan contains the Special Exhibition Gallery, Japanese Archeology Gallery, and Thematic Exhibition Room. Lastly, there's the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, a collection of over 300 Buddhist treasures from Nara's Horyuji temple.



There are shops and cafes all around the museum, and during the spring and autumn, you can visit the museum's traditional Japanese-style garden and teahouses.