Best Museums In Tokyo To Visit

Must See Museums In Tokyo: Did you know that Tokyo Museums are nothing like the boring, stuffy museums you’ve been to.
Think interactive, adventurous, constantly changing while you’re there.
How about Robots That Play Football at The National Museum of Emerging Science, Flight Simulators at The National Science Museum or Studio Ghibli-creator of famous Japanese Anima.

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Tokyo Museums For Kids And The Young At Heart

Studio Ghibli – The Disney Of The East

“Let’s Lose Our Way, Together” – that’s the slogan for the Ghibli Museum. Housed in a quirky building that sets the atmosphere, it’s a Fun place for anyone into Animation.The famous Studio Ghibli has created many of the world known Japanese animation movies (Ponio on a cliff by the sea, My neighbor Totoro, Howl’s moving castle and more).

Here you can watch some of their animation films.

The museum itself has a fun shape, as if it came right out of one of their movies.

Buying tickets is a complicated process as you can see on their official site: Ghibli Tickets
That’s why I highly recommend booking through this Ghibli Studio Tour which makes things much easier.
See More: Things To Do With Kids In Tokyo

Robots That Play Football – The National Museum of Emerging Science

The main attraction here is Asimo – the walking robot from Honda that plays football and looks like a little guy in a spacesuit. Another sensation here is the perfect pet – a furry seal robot which reacts to your strokes,

Adress:OdaibaHours:10:00 – 17:00
See More: More fantastic things to do in Odaiba

Flight Simulators – The National Science Museum

Located in Ueno Park, a few minutes walk from the Tokyo National Museum. A hands on science museum with plenty of interactive exhibits to try. The museum holds a flight Simulator. This is also a great place to see dinosaur exhibitions and a dinosaurs movie.
Ueno Park subway station.

Museums in Tokyo: Miniature Japanese warriors & A Life-Sized Japanese Village

The Edo Tokyo Museum

No Tokyo sightseeing is complete without visiting this place. The museum is easily one of the top 10 attractions in Tokyo. It really captures life in the Japanese culture in different Eras.The striking exhibitions are suitable for kids and adults – A full size Kabuki theater built right into the place, where you can actually walk in and experience the Japanese musical instruments, miniature Japanese warriors reconstructing war scenes, Real size Traditional Japanese houses you can enter after taking off your shoes.Unlike many other Museums in Tokyo, this one is geared towards international visitors. There are plenty of English signs, and English speaking guides and earphones. The place has Baby feeding and changing facilities. It is also equipped for people with special needs (wheel chair facilities).Ryogoku station, on the Oedo line.As an added bonus, the Sumo Museum is right next door.

See More: Sumo Wrestling origins

Fukagawa Edo Museum

This is one of the Tokyo Museums that can be great fun to visit with kids too.This small museum, located in a quiet street, is where Tokyo History really comes to life. A life-sized Ancient Japanese village from the Edo Period is built right into the place. This is one of the Tokyo Museums that changes the exhibition according to the seasons! Cherry blossom trees bloom in spring, and you can hear rain showering from the sky in winter.The exhibition goes through a 24 hour cycle every 15 minutes or so, including sun light and sun set, Roosters calling, shutters closing and night owls.

Monzen Nakacho station on the Oedo or the Tozai lines.

Tokyo National Museum

A group of buildings with separate entrance fees and collections. The collections of the Tokyo National Museum generally cover Asian art and the ancient Japanese art.Honkan (Japanese) Gallery – Most would consider this the main gallery and it is the largest building directly behind the entrance gate.The extent of artwork is very impressive. It exhibits the Highlights of Japanese art from 10,000BC through Buddhist art till today. The Tokyo National Museum covers sculpture, lacquer ware and modern art. The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures is a hidden Gem. Tucked away behind the main building, it’s worth a look for its Architecture. Inside are the treasures from Nara Temple.The rest of the galleries in the Tokyo National Museum cover Asian Art, Meiji-era architecture, Imperial treasures, a Crafts Gallery and a National Film Center.

Ueno station

Art Museums in Tokyo

The Mori Art Gallery

The Mori Art Museum in Mori Tower, Roppongi, has great exhibitions of international artists and Original exhibitions of emerging and established artists. It also has a great bookstore where you can spend an hour or two without noticing. The gallery is on the 53 floor of the fabulous complex of Roppongi hills and Mori Tower (opening hours 10:00 AM to 22:00 PM, until 17:00 PM on Tues).

See More: A Fast And FUN Guide To Roppongi

National Museum of Western Art

In Ueno Park there are a few Tokyo Museums, including this one, designed by Le Corbusier. The double height Gallery showing the 19th century collection is a must.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Local and western art from the 20th century.The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo Address:4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto

Tel: 03-5245-4111

Sumo Warriors & Japanese Swords: Tokyo Museums Of Sports

Japanese Sumo Wrestling Museum

A tiny museum located in Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sumo stadium where professional Sumo tournaments take place six times a year. Sumo is the national sport in Japan. If you’re lucky you’ll catch a Sumo wrestler in the stadium next to the museum. In spite of their rough appearance they usually pose for pictures with no problem.

Why don’t you buy your tickets for a Sumo tournament in Advance? It makes sense, since the tickets for the professional tournaments are not easy to find.

That’s why I like this Sumo tour, which is an easy, hassle free way to get tickets, ride the subway with Sumo fans and visit the Sumo museum in the Stadium.

The Japanese Swords Museum

Many followers of Japanese swords (Katana) visit this place to examine and educate themselves on antique and modern Japanese swords. One of the major attractions is the Authentic Japanese Swords Museum: Address: 4-25-10 Yoyogi Shibuya-ku Phone: 03-3379-1386 Admission Hours: 10:00 – 16:30, Closed on Mondays.