The Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum has more than 110 thousands of Japanese Art!

located north in Ueno Park in Tokyo is the oldest museum in Japan and exhibits largest collections (more than 110 thousands) of Japanese and Asian Art. Some of them are named Important Cultural Property or National Treasure by Japanese government.

This museum has five galleies and the garden. The Honkan (Japanese Gallery) is main gallery and boasts Japanese art, sculpture, craft object and writing. In the first floor, you can see Japanese sculpture, lacquerware, sword (Nihonto, Katana) and ceramics. In the second floor whose theme is highlights of Japanese Art, you can see art of buddhism, attire of SAMURAI, costume of Noh play and Kabuki etc...

The Toyokan (Asian Gallery) exhibits works of art from all over Asia, China, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Egypt. The Hyokeikan constructed and designed in 1909 by Tokuma Katayama(Japanese architect who introduced French architecture into Japan first time) exhibits none, but you can take a rest there.

The Heiseikan reopen in 1999 to commemorate the marriage of Crown Price Narihiro exhibits works of Japanese Archaeology, Dogu (clay figurine), accessories and ritual objects.The Horyuji-Homotsukan (Gallery of Horyuji) exhibits buddhist statues, metalwork, painting from Horyuji which is first temple in japan and one of oldest wooden temple in the world.

Finally, the garden well-keeping has some hermitages in which tea-ceremony room (Chashitsu), and is open to the public in spring and autum. You can enjoy Wabi and Sabi sense of beauty in Japan.

You have to pay admission fee (adult/child 600yen/Free) , but you can easily spend a pleasant day seeing the art here.