Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum originated from an exhibition held at the Yushima Seido Daiseido and is a museum that represents Japan and Asia, celebrating its 150th anniversary. It houses 120,000 art pieces, including 89 national treasures, the most in the country. There are six exhibition halls in total, and the permanent exhibition "Comprehensive Cultural Exhibition" alone has 3,000 exhibits. It is a wonderful museum that art lovers can enjoy all day without getting bored.

One of the attractions of the Tokyo National Museum is its overwhelming special exhibitions. Throughout the year, special exhibitions are held on a scale that other museums and art galleries cannot match. Many of these exhibitions are related to Japanese art, and in 2022, which marked the 150th anniversary, an exhibition called "National Treasure Exhibition" was held, where almost all of the national treasures stored in the Tokyo National Museum were on display. In the same Ueno area, there is also the National Museum of Western Art, so special exhibitions related to Western art are often held in domestic Western art museums, and a clear distinction is made between the two.

At the Tokyo National Museum's permanent exhibition, the "Comprehensive Cultural Exhibition," there are constantly 3,000 exhibits on display, which is one of the largest numbers in Japan. What's interesting about the "Comprehensive Cultural Exhibition" is that almost every week, there is a rotation of exhibits in one of the exhibition rooms. There are about 300 rotations per year, and the national treasures displayed also change each time. It truly is a wonderful museum that you can enjoy over and over again.

One of the lesser-known attractions of the Tokyo National Museum is its guided tours. These tours can be joined for the price of the museum's entrance fee alone! Since there are many guided tours available on the day, there is no need to make a reservation - simply go to the Tokyo National Museum in time for the meeting time on the day. It's a great tour where you can learn about the surprising aspects of the museum, such as its buildings and plants.

Amazingly, the restaurant inside the Tokyo National Museum is run by the luxury hotel, Hotel Okura. "Hotel Okura Restaurant Yurinoki" is a popular restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine. The pork cutlet rice bowl and today's pasta are particularly popular. There is also a cafe called Yurinoki, where you can enjoy sweets such as matcha and cream zenzai, but please note that it is only open on weekends and holidays. (It may be open on weekdays during special exhibitions.)