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<H1>Museums in Tokyo </h1>
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<br> - <a href="#recs">1. Top Museums</a>
<br>        <a href="#art1>Art Museums: Western and Modern</a>
<p>        <a href="#art2">Japanese Art</a>
<br>        <a href="#history">History</a>
<br>        <a href="#furusato">Local History / folk crafts</a>
<br>         <a href="#dayout">Recommended day trips from Tokyo.</a>
<br> - <a href="#books">2. Recommended books</a>
<br>
<a href="#links"> - 3. Other sites: General and Specific</a>
<br> - <a href="#explanation"> 4. Some comments</a><hr>
NB:All museum links point only to the page: scroll down for info.
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<a name="art1"></a>
<h2>Art, Western and Modern( including Japanese)</h2>
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<td><b>
MO+ Museum of Contemporary Art: </b>(a real museum,
expensive, a lot of Japanese work, a museum if pricey .)
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<td>Kawamura Museum collections again, well out of the way, but grounds
and feeling should be experienced
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<td><b>National Museum of /Modern Art , with Crafts Museum (expensive,
look for collection advertised)
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<td>Setagaya Museum ( good art space, needs good collections but they
make it worthwhile
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<td>National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Park gets good collections,
okay palce
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<td>Teien Museum: lovely site: look out for collections.
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Also watch: Idemitsu Museum
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<h3>Deepartment Stores: look for ads for the collections!</h3>
Largest spaces are in Tobu, Ikebukuro , Sogo Yokohama and Odakyu,
Shinjuku
However the most accessible museums are usually in: Sogo, Yokohama,
Isetan, and Mitsukoshi, Shinjuku.
But always keep an eye on the papers, on the train etc. for all kinds of
collections
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<a name="art2"></a>
<h3>Best Japanese (traditional/ pre-modern):</h3>
Warning contents vary by exhibition: look in listings.
try
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Yokoyama Memorial museum, talented painter.</b>
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<td>Shoto, Shibuya ( lovely building, eclectic collection)
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<b>*Ota, Harajuku (expensive, but specialises in those famous colour prints
)
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*Idabashi Museum (when I visited had amazing screens etc from Edo period,
free collections often, nice in-Tokyo day trip)
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Century Museum (1 room,, exquisite collection but still a small space )
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<td><b>Aizu museum, Waseda Uni (free-Chinese and oriental work too) for
free
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<td>*Mitsui Museum ( small museum)
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<td>*Hatakeyama Collection (way too dedicated, tea ceremony artefacts
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<h3>For ceramics and atmosphere try (tea means traditional style).</h3>
* indicates collection on display changes regularly.
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<td>Commodity Museum, Meiji University (central, free, 2 other museums
on site):
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<td>*Gotoh Museum. ( obscure location on Oimachi line,, nice grounds, tea)
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<td>*Toguri, Shibuya ( 1030 yen, not that large, but pretty central)
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<td>*Shnshu Bunka (superb items shown but , small display space.
*</td>
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<td>*Hatakeyama (very Japanese presentation, tea)
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also (unvisited): Hirake ukiyo-e museum, Sogo Department Store, 6th Floor
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<b> Among Tokyo department stores Daimaru seems to be the specialist: :
Tokyo Station, Yaesu S exit)
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Kurita Museum, Taito-ku
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<a name="history"></a>
<h3>Japanese History (points)</h3>
<br>
<br><FONT SIZE="+1">1. Boso No Mura + Burial Mounds Museum (1 hr
plus from Ueno, but able to practice crafts, try on samurai armour etc,)
English pamphlet good.
<br>2. Edo Tatemono Building Museum (35 minutes from Shinjuku)
<br>3. National Museum, Sakura City ( 1 hour 20 mins from Ueno,) basics
fully in English.
<br>4. Yushukan, (commemorates Japanese War dead, English limited)
<br>5. Fukugawa Edo Museum ( ( brilliant feel, unexhibit of buildings)
<br>6. Kanagawa Prefectural Museum (excellent, but English non-existant)
<br>7. National Museum, Tokyo for Archaeology etc, large.
<br>8. Battleship Mikasa ( 2 hours from Tokyo, probably )
<br>9.The ICU Yuasa Memorial Museum: (small but the clear explanations
of archaeology are key, Mitaka station then bus so maybe 40 mins from
<br>10 Furusato Museum, Hanakoganei (Free, enough English but 35 mins
(train/bus) from Shinjuku and more farmhouses!!
Shinjuku)
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<br> 11. Edo Tokyo Museum (volunteer English guides)
<br>12. Yokohama Archives. (well presented basic history, some English)
<br>14. Heikawa Maru, Yokohama ( some English, a ship)
<br>15 NYK Museum, Yokohama: (good English, narrow if important 1
company history)
<br>16. Meiji University Archaelogical Museum +Criminology museum
(free)
<br>Also visit Kokugakuin University for amazing historical artefacts in a
basic, too small setting, for freecupboard.
<br>
also in similar categories:-
<br>Kawasaki, (non-AV collection is small) Saitama Peace Museum (
Tobu-Tojo line and bus- 1 hour from Ikebukoro, English sparse ); Yokohama
/Maritime Museum (a yacht and museum).
<h3>
World History? Not that much about.</h3>
<br>Try:
<br>
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The National Museum, Ueno
<br>The Middle East Museum ( nice atmosphere)</Font>
<br>The Ancient Orient Museum
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<a name="furusatt"></a>
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<td><h3>
Local History </h3>
<br><b>1. Fukugawa Edo, Monzen Nakacho, Tozai Line
<br>2. Kanagawa Prefectural Museum
<br>3. Furusato Museum, Hanakoganei
<br>4. Itabashi Local History Museum (free, 35 minutes there but 2
museums, temple and garden )</b>
<br> 5. Shinjuku Local Museum
<br>6. Shirane Museum (also Kokugakuin University in area, short bus ride
from Shibuya).
<br>7.Nakano Museum ( seasonal collections impressive)
<br>8. Yamate Museum, Yokohama- small, but nnice to visit on a walk of
Yokohama.
<br><h3>Other Crafts;</h3>
<br>1. Yokohama Doll Museum
<br>2. Nakano Museum for Hino dolls around May
<br>3. ICU Yuasa museum
<br>
<h3>Worst Museums in Tokyo for visitors:</h3>
<br>literary museums, the Sword Museum, the Noguchi room (not museum)
in Shinjuku.
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<a name="books"></a>
<br><h3>Top Books:</h3>
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<br><b>Tokyo, For Free: </b>a great book, no question. So much info.
Clear, accurate explanations of getting there, atmosphere of place etc Covers
all aspects well. But museum-wise limited by the <I> for free</I> tag.
<br><I> Tokyo for free</I>Susian Pompian (Kodansha, Tokyo, 1998) ISBN:
4-7700 2053-8
<p><b>Museums in Tokyo</b> 197 museums, of which I’ve visited nearly half.
It was indispensable for me. Moreover it was remarkable to do as a couple
without a staff team for backup but the more I used it the more I realised it’s
limitations for the non museum fanatic. Basically it is a list where Tokyo for
Free excels Museums, does have a few weaknesses .
Worst points are that there are
<br>
a) no directions from station to museum in most cases, little mention of how
to find out. If you have this book sooner or later you will buy the Tokyo
City Atlas
<br>b) The format gives no hints as to quality until the whole review is
read, <br>
c)At least 10 of the best museums (e.g. my numbers 1,2,8,12, 14 on the
history list )are not included.
<br>
d) sometimes the location has moved- Waterworks Museum, Yamatane
Museum, which is expected, but sometimes- e.g. Idemitsu museum- they
completely misconstrue the nature of the museum, mistaking temporary
exhibits from collections as permanent or whatever.
<I> Tokyo Museums: a complete guide</i> Thomas and Ellen Flannigan,
(Tuttle, Tokyo, 1993) ISBN 0-8048-1892-4
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<b> Tokyo City Atlas</b> Yes, better thaun the rest, block numbers to help
you get somewhere, many museums in the index and marked on maps;
necessary for users of the Tokyo Museums book, advisable for all museum hunters.
Kodansha
ISBN: 4-77-2314-6; price 2100
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<b>Finding exhibitions: </b>
Traditionally the realm of the Tokyo Journal: now weak and getting weaker:
Try Thursday’s Daily Yomiuri instead. Also look at PIA magazine in
Japanese: colour pictures to guide you, if you’re studying and can read even
basics: a great way to improve your reading skills/ instincts, surprisingly
useful if you have the atlas to help you find places.
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<a name="dayout"></a>
<h2>
Worthwhile days out museuming
</h2>
Around Tokyo 30 minutes plus from Yamanote
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<b>
Chiba: Shimousa manzaki -JR Narita Line
(NOT the Narita Express).
</b>
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<td>History outside: interactive village of Edo period and ancient Japan
Boso no Mura and the Burial Mounds and Museum .
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<b>
Sakura - Keisei Line
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Kawamura Art Museum, Museum of National history, Sakura Art Musem
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<hr>
<h3>
Hanakoganei- Seibu Shinjuku line</h3>
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<b> Lots of buildings and space, a chance to see one of the largest parks in
Tokyo:- Edo Tokyo Building Museum, -25 mins walk, 10 minutes by bus-
Furusato Park Museum
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<h3>Nonzen Makacho/ Kiba Stations- Tozai Subway</h3></td>
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Fukugawa Edo museum,- 10 minutes walk- MO+ Museum of Modern Art
(also
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<hr>
<h3>
Nishi takashimadaira (Mita Subway) or Nnarimasu (Tobu Tojo line).</h3>
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Cheap or free museums and the big Buddha of Tokyo,
Itabashi Art Museum,- 1 minute- Itabashi Historical Museum-5 minutes-
(Tokyo Daibutsu),=-1 minute-Botanical Gsrden)..
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<HR>
<h3>
Ryougaku JR </h3>
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Visit the world of Sumo and the history of the area.
Edo Tokyo, Historical Museum—5 minutes- Kanto Earthquake Museum of
Tokyo,
<br>Also in area (unvisited) : Small Museums of Sumida-Ku, The Sumo
Museum, (closed weekends) and Sumo Photography Museum.
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<hr>
<h3>
Yokohama Sakuragicho
</h3>
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Museum delights: get one of the clear maps in good English from the Tourist
office in front of Sakuragicho Station and you’re away: easy walking: pick
and choose among the museums along the roads running to Yamashita Park
for an accompaniment for a trip to Chinatown:- Kanagawa Musem of
History, Yokohama Archives, NYK Shipping Museum, Silk Museum
(closed till Oct 99) <br>
Take a scenic walk of Yamate bluff for views of Yokohama , visit the
Yokohama houses of the old Western community and the Doll Museum,
Yamate museum etc. at will.
Or in central Yokohama? visit Sogo Museum and/or the Japanese art Ukiyo-e
museum
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<hr><h3>Kamigome Oimachi Line to to Nishi Funabashi (Shin Tamagawa
Line) to Yoga (Shin Yokohama)</h3>
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<td>For lovers of Japanese art in particular:
Setgaya Art Museum ( modern /20th century art) Yoga station, -15 minutes or
short bus trip-Sekado Bunka museum (Japanese art, ceramics)- 20 minutes
walk- Gotoh museum(tea garden, cerzamics, oriental art Kamigome Station(
Oimachi line) . Alternately a coach bus from Futako Tamagawa station to
Setagaya museum stops at Sensha Bunko (ask upon boarding) .
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<a name="links"></a>
<h3>Links to museum related sites:</h3>
1.Random listing of museum websites (English lang): <A HREF="http://www.museum.or.jp/vlmp/japan.html">http://www.museum.or.jp/vlmp/japan.html</a>
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<a name="explanation"></a>
<h2>WHY?</h3><b> The reason for this page is just to give some rough pushes for some
museums that may be worth a visit. While there are probably at least 400
museums in Tokyo, finding ones off the beaten path of Ueno Park and the
department stores is bound to be pretty difficult. Also is it really worth it?
English-speakers may find the a perfectly good collection can teach them
nothing new. Other languages are almost non-existent. Complaints that
museums are too expensive and small are also voiced, These are the
symptoms of museums here not being vaults of past wealth stored up but
more like display cases either of previous private collections or of the
curators choice of exhibits. from the world In both these cases the cost is
high and until the advent of sufficient billionaires grants arrives will
presented by small teams in sufficiently manageable purpose built buildings.
<p>
But if there was any sense, it would be inevitable, isn’t it that the huge
crowds that can be attracted to museums in Japan- the Mori Museum (aka
Ueno Royal Museum) for the Picasso exhibition will be turned into super-
museums, such as MOotes: tor even a re-envisioned Toko Edo utilising lower
price land in areas a little peripheral but still easy to get too, providing
enough to ensure people stay around to make their money.
<p>
But as for now here are my selection of places to visit for the foreigner, like
me, who can live in Japan and not cope with full-blown Japanese. The
visitor with real interest and knowledge will see prime material, \the rest of us
may remain ignorant.</b>
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© Teal Ray...</a> (with acknowledgement to Steve Hartley, Uzbekistan and the camels for inspiration)...
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