• TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
  • TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
  • TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
  • TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
  • TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

東京国立博物館

Events

19 result(s)
  • TOHAKU CHAKAN
    Limited time

    TOHAKU CHAKAN Until 15 December 2024

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    • Dates 30 September 2024, 10:00AM - 15 December 2024, 4:30PM
    • Event Details The Okyokan is a valuable Japanese house that is not usually open to the public. It was built in 1742 as the shoin (study room) of the Meigenin Temple, which was located in the outskirts of Nagoya City. Later, it was moved to the residence of Mr. Takashi Masuda (Donno) located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, who was the first president of Mitsui & Co. as well as a famous tea master. In 1933, the Okyokan was donated to the Tokyo National Museum. A variety of food, beverages, and activities have been prepared for visitors to enjoy Japanese culture while appreciating the (reproduced) fusuma paintings by Maruyama Okyo, one of the master painters of Japan’s Edo period.

      We invite you to take this valuable opportunity of a limited time and pay a visit to the Okyokan.

      Hours:10:00–16:30 (last order at 16:00)
      Closed:Mondays (Tuesdays if Monday is a national holiday)
  • The Art of Fashion | 17th–19th century
    Limited time

    The Art of Fashion | 17th–19th century Until 22 December 2024

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    • Dates 23 October 2024, 9:30AM - 22 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 10

      Japan's traditional clothing, kimono, are based on kosode — the outer wear of the Edo period (1603–1868). At first, the court nobility and samurai wore kosode under other clothing. But from about the 15th century, the samurai began using them as daily outer wear. In the 17th century, kosode became the most common clothing for men and women of all classes.

      Wealthy women placed orders for custom-made kosode at luxury clothing stores. They often chose the patterns from clothing design books that were published and widely circulated. Together with these kosode, they wore hairpins and combs to accent their elaborate hairstyles.

      In contrast, men wore kosode with understated patterns like stripes or checks.

      Their usual fashion accessories were a small case (inrō) and a toggle (netsuke) for securing the case to the sash. This gallery features kosode and accessories, together with prints and paintings (ukiyo-e) showing how people wore them and how fashions changed over time.
  • Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
    Limited time

    Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century Until 22 December 2024

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    • Dates 23 October 2024, 9:30AM - 22 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8

      From the late 16th century, changes in society helped artisans to develop the decorative arts. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1603), samurai warlords united Japan after more than a century of fighting. The following Edo period (1603–1868) saw economic growth under a new samurai government, with merchants and other people gaining the wealth to buy art.

      Potters succeeded in making Japan's first porcelain in the early 17th century. Methods for decorating porcelain and other ceramics then became more diverse, as shown by works with gold, silver, and color enamels. Meanwhile, textiles saw rapid technical advances. The loom was improved to make complex weaves possible, while dyeing became as detailed and expressive as painting.

      Items like furniture and dining sets were coated with lacquer and decorated with metal powders, most often gold. Lacquer workers refined this technique, called maki–e, and combined it with new materials for more elaborate designs. Metalworkers also began using a wider variety of base metals and alloys, creating works with greater detail and precision.
  • Arms and Armor of the Samurai | 12th–19th century
    Limited time

    Arms and Armor of the Samurai | 12th–19th century Until 22 December 2024

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    • Dates 23 October 2024, 9:30AM - 22 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Rooms 5 & 6

      The samurai ruled Japan for nearly 700 years, from the late 12th to the 19th century. They emulated the imperial court, which was the home of high culture, but also borrowed from the practices of common people. Wishing for divine protection in this life and salvation in the next, they worshipped both Shinto and Buddhist deities. The culture of the samurai was complex and ever–changing, but always reflected their authority as the warrior class of Japan.

      This gallery focuses on the most prominent symbols of samurai authority: swords, armor, and other military equipment. These had many purposes. Through diverse colors and materials, they showed the tastes of their owners. Differences in shape and construction reflected differences in rank and social standing. Many samurai passed down this equipment as heirlooms, while high–ranking samurai exchanged it as diplomatic gifts. Swords and armor were also donated to Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in prayer for victory in battle.
  • Kabuki Costume
    Limited time

    Kabuki Costume Until 22 December 2024

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    • Dates 23 October 2024, 9:30AM - 22 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9

      The current exhibition celebrates the season for “face-showing” (kaomise) kyōgen plays in the kabuki theater, in which new actors are introduced. This event happens in the eleventh month in the lunar calendar. Though the kabuki actors were usually all male, a large part of the kabuki costumes in the Museum collection were used by a female kabuki actress, Bandō Mitsue. She had access to the women’s chambers ōoku in shogun’s castle to play kyōgen, a comedic theater. The gorgeous decoration of thick and dynamic embroidery, large design motifs, and rich colors on these costumes reflect the extraordinary and flamboyant characteristics of kabuki plays.
  • The Spectacular Luster of Gold and Silver Ceramics
    Limited time

    The Spectacular Luster of Gold and Silver Ceramics Until 1 December 2024

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    • Dates 23 October 2024, 9:30AM - 1 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14

      This thematic exhibition features ceramics decorated with gold and silver sheen. On display are works from China, where porcelain was first produced in the world, and works of Islamic porcelain, which used oxidized copper and silver as coloring agents to create a lustrous, metallic shine on the surface. Also on view are gold- and silver-decorated Japanese porcelain and stoneware, which have continued to progress with evolving methods since the 1600s. Through these works, you can come to appreciate the unique and profound qualities of Japanese ceramics.
  • Southeast Asian Ceramics
    Limited time

    Southeast Asian Ceramics Until 1 December 2024

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    • Dates 30 September 2024, 9:30AM - 1 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 12

      This section introduces ceramics from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a focus on objects collected by the Japanese entrepreneur Okano Shigezō.
  • Chinese Bronzes
    Limited time

    Chinese Bronzes Until 2 February 2025

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    • Dates 1 October 2024, 9:30AM - 2 February 2025, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 5

      This section of the gallery focuses on bronzes, mainly from the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600–ca. 1100 BC) to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), including ritual vessels, musical instruments, weapons, and horse tack. It also features mirrors and other bronzes from Northern China, tracing the development of early Chinese aesthetics.
  • Special Exhibition Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Designation of the Warrior in Keikō Armor as a National Treasure Haniwa: Tomb Sculptures of Japan
    Limited time

    Special Exhibition Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Designation of the Warrior in Keikō Armor as a National Treasure Haniwa: Tomb Sculptures of Japan Until 8 December 2024

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    • Dates 16 October 2024, 9:30AM - 8 December 2024, 5:00PM
    • Event Details Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Special Exhibition Galleries

      For the first time in fifty years, the Tokyo National Museum is presenting a special exhibition about haniwa, the remarkable tomb sculptures of ancient Japan. These diverse sculptures take the form of people, animals, buildings, tools, and weapons, providing vibrant glimpses into early societies.
      2024 is a special anniversary year, as Warrior in Keikō Armor, one of the most finely crafted and well-preserved haniwa in existence, was designated as a National Treasure fifty years ago. In celebration of this anniversary, the Warrior, together with related haniwa and those representing other regions throughout Japan, will be displayed on an unprecedented scale. We invite you to take advantage of this rare opportunity and experience these haniwa first-hand, witnessing how their richly expressive forms range from the rustic to the adorable.
※ The above information was correct at the time of updating, but there may be changes to actual prices. Please confirm the current prices when visiting.