The best museums in Tokyo

Edo-Tokyo Museum

The Edo-Tokyo museum is a museum about the history of Tokyo. It puts a focus on the Edo period, which is between 1600 and 1868 when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled over Japan. As Japan was fairly isolated from the world this era portrays Japanese culture quite well. The museum will portray Japanese architecture of that period, portray the daily lives of people, you will discover early Japanese publications and will have to joy of discovering how people entertained themselves. It’s a very lively museum which makes it accessible to both novice museum visitors and people who are looking for a deep cultural dive into the spirit of Japan. The Edo-Tokyo Museum is certainly one of the best museums in Japan and well worth a visit.

Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum is the most extensive museum in Japan. As it is the largest art museum in Japan it has to be spread across six buildings within Ueno park in the heart of Tokyo. The museum is filled different kinds of artworks, historical pieces from throughout the ages and archaeological treasures that go all the way back to an impressive 12.000 years ago. The museum has a strong Japanese undertone, but other asian pieces are also on display here. From statues and masks to samurai outfits and Japanese paintings.

The perception of Japanese art divers quite a bit from western art, which makes it well worth to explore the well preserved national heritage pieces that the Japanese have collected over the millennia. It should be noted that the museum offers all information in a multitude of languages, including English, German, French and Spanish, so travelers should have no trouble finding information in the museum. At Meet The Cities we were especially impressed by the rich sculptures the museum has. If you are interested in all facets of the history of Japan and Asia then this is the best museum in Tokyo to check out.

Samurai Museum Tokyo

Honor, bushido, swords and beautiful costumes. Samurai are one of the most well known icons of Japan, so this list would not be complete without the Samurai Museum in Tokyo. This museum showcases relics of the samurai who played a prominent role in Japanese society over the course of multiple centuries.

The museum is modest in size, but the collection of armors, helmets and weapons is pretty impressive and fitting for people taking a cultural city trip to Japan. The museum also performs a samurai show four times a day. And it is possible to try on a samurai outfit, which makes for a memorable photo moment. The samurai museum is a great way to get into the spirit of Japan.

National Museum of Nature and Science

The National Museum of Nature and Science, which was formerly known as the National Science Museum of Japan, is an educational museum in Japan. The museum has a focus on the history of life, the development and technology of mankind and the universe itself. So you can expect a wild array topics to be covered, from the animals of earth, to several huge real dinosaur skeletons, rare meteorites and stones, how hunter gatherers settled in Japan up, to Japanese inventions and engineering.

The museum is enjoyable for all ages, so if you are with kids and you want to show them a real Triceratops then this museum is perfect. The artifacts of the museum tell a very visual story of our planet which is quite enjoyable and certainly left us pleased. As the museum is located in Ueno park you can also easily combine it with other museum visits.

Mega Web

Mega Web Toyota City Showcase is the best museum in tokyo for car fanatics. This vast car theme park showcases cars as you have never seen before. All current Toyota car models can be found here. You will witness futuristic released prototypes. The hottest race cars are on display. And a multitude on car simulators you can check out. Adults are able to have a fun test drive in real cars, but there are miniature cars for children to drive in as well. There is also a wing called history garage where you can find historical cars from the motor sports of different brands.

Overall it’s a complete car experience that car enthusiasts will certainly enjoy. Especially the stranger futuristic models are a sight to behold. Even without a lot of knowledge about cars it’s fun to see how the cars evolved over the years. And that’s what this museum is all about.

The National Art Center, Tokyo

The National Art Center Tokyo is a museum without a permanent collection. The exhibition in the museum are ever changing and organized by different art groups. This interesting concept leads to a lot of variety between the contributed exhibitions. It should come as no surprise that this is one of the most visited museums in the world. When you are in Tokyo it’s best to check out a brochure to see what’s on display at that time.

The museum is housed in a landmark building of Tokyo, with its recognizable curved glass walls and recurring cone-like architecture. Even if you don’t go to an exhibition it can still be fun to check out the building and perhaps order a cup of coffee in one if its cafes

Fukagawa Edo Museum

One of the best museums in Tokyo is the Fukagawa Edo museum, where they have recreated a street of Tokyo to resemble the Edo period, which is from the start of the 17th century to the mid 19th century. It’s an immersive and very charming visual experience as you enter the world of old Tokyo and get to breath the atmosphere of traditional Japan. Each reconstructed building showcases a different aspect of those times, such as the artisans or food shops. If you are looking for a non-traditional museum and wish to peek into history then this museum in Tokyo is time well spend.

Nezu Museum

The Nezu museum is a popular museum focussed on art from before the 19th century and East Asian art in general. The original collection of the museum came from the private art collection of Nezu Kaichiro. Examples of what you will find here are beautiful 13th century religious paintings from Japan, 3th century sculptures, Meiji dolls, old ceramics, rare archeological findings and many more collectables.

This museum in Tokyo has a good collection, but is modest in size, and will especially appeal to travelers who are knowledgeable about antiques. Visitors of the museum should also visit the relaxing green garden, where you get to admire centuries old statues, soothing streaming water, tea houses and of course a cafe with a nice garden view, where you can sit down for a nice cup of tea.

Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli museum is dedicated to the works of the animation studio known as Studio Ghibli, who has been responsible for some of the most popular anime movies and characters in Japan, like Spirited Away, Totoro and Princess Mononoke. You will find everything from the comic book worlds and movies, such as early sketches, unique short films and recognizable items, such as a gigantic robot soldier on the roof.

As the Ghibli museum is located in Inokashira Park, which is known for it’s famous cherry blossoms, the museum is quite a bit away from the center of Tokyo. So you do need to journey a bit to get there. The museum is fairly niche, but is sure to please both children and fans alike.

Shitamachi Museum

Next to the lotus filled Shinobazu Pond of Ueno Park you will find the Shitamachi museum. This modest museum replicates the authentic life of the historical common people of Tokyo during the Taisho period, which is in the early 20th century. The museum has recreated several houses that display how the people and the merchants used to live in old Japan.

For many elderly Japanese this museum is a place of nostalgia. For travelers like us it’s also quite interesting to breathe the atmosphere of that time and see the subtle changes in the tools in that era. When we visited there was also an English speaking guide which gave us a helpful tour aiding us in our immersion.