Best Museums Spot List

Loved by bird watchers, a spot to photograph Japanese cranes

A historic building representing the Showa era. Its location within one kilometer of Ginza makes it easily accessible before or after shopping.

Located inside the Yugawara Tourist Hall, this museum exhibits the works and information panels of various writers and artists who have visited Yugawara since the Meiji era, such as Doppo Kunikida, Soseki Natsume , Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Akiko Yosano, Toson Shimazaki, and Junichiro Tanizaki. It also features a walking map for sights connected to Yugawara’s literary history, a brief history of modern literature in Yugawara, as well as panels of photos showing Yugawara in the past and present, and temples, shrines and stone statues. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 10 minutes We are right next to the Ochiaibashi bus stop

Check out an Ageya (elegant-restaurant) of the red-light district from the Edo period

This is a museum where visitors can trace the changes in Chinese kanji characters and their shapes from the pre-Christian time to the present through its collection of valuable cultural properties.

This museum exhibits the history of Japanese advertisements from the Edo period to the present. In addition to the poster exhibits, they also have a TV commercial and AV area, so you will certainly be able to feel the thrill of experiencing Japan's past through its advertising. They have also established a library with a collection of advertisements and marketing-related materials.

This museum conserves and exhibits arts collected by the Sumitomo family, with its main building located in Shishiga-tani, Kyoto. The collection is composed of various and diverse items, such as modern Japanese and Western paintings, modern pottery and chinaware, tea utensils, and Noh masks and costumes collected from the middle of the Meiji era to Taisho era. Despite being in the middle of Roppongi, it is surrounded by greenery and is a quiet environment, which lets you forget about time and appreciate the arts to your heart's content.

This museum was established in March 2003 with 3 designers, Issei Miyake (fashion designer), Taku Sato (graphic designer), and Naoto Fukazawa (product designer) as its directors and Noriko Kawakami, a journalist and editor, as its associate director. Not only does it offer exhibitions, but it also offers various programs such as talks and workshops with a concept of ”becoming a venue where day-to-day perspectives and views can be proposed.” The building with a symbolic roof created with an image of ”one sheet of fabric” was designed by Tadao Ando, an architect.

This museum is linked to the Yotsuya Fire Department. Here you can see exhibits of actual equipment, including the first fire engine introduced to Japan in 1917, as well as the helitack first brought into the Tokyo Fire Department. In addition, you can sit in the helitack set up outside. Why not try considering some disaster prevention?

Built in 1933, this large museum is the second old municipal art museum in Japan. The collection extends to about 3,300 pieces centered on Kyoto artists from the modern to contemporary period. The museum holds art exhibitions such as Nitten (the largest competition art exhibition in Japan) as well as events organized by fine art associations.

On February 26, 1936, this site was part of an attempted coup d'état unparalleled of in modern Japanese history. Kofuso is the only location linked to the February 26 Incident outside of Tokyo. Kofuso was a former property of Itouya, a traditional old Japanese inn, and it is now used to exhibit items related to that period such as items belonging to residents, photos, and newspapers. Guided tours are given by volunteers (reservations are required for weekday tours). Open on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays Business hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (last entrance at 2:30 p.m.) Reservations required for weekday visits (please book at least one week in advance) *We are open on every year on February 26. No reservations required. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 12 minutes We are one minute's walk from the Koen Iriguchi bus stop

A hall built in remembrance of Mamoru Shigemitsu, a former foreign minister who was the government representative who signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on the US battleship Missouri. It showcases his career as a diplomat and politician, using photos, videos and other materials. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Okuyugawara or Fudo-Taki for about 20 minutes We are a five-minute walk from the Okuyugawara bus stop

We exhibit artworks produced through the use of fire, including antique chinaware and swords, that were collected by the Doctor of Engineering Kazuyoshi Kimura and his wife Doctor of Science Kinuko Kimura based on their conviction that ”the light and heat of the flame brings out the function and beauty of an object, while at the same time creating the beauty and culture that will last the longest in this world.” Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Kajiya for about 5 minutes We are a two-minute walk north from the Miyato-Bashi bus stop

We are a privately-owned modern art museum opened in November 1988. We have a range of exhibitions, mainly of oil paintings, but also sketches, photos, sculptures, objets d’art and other works. The museum encourages visitors to engage with art through the experience of not only looking at, but also touching and moving the items on exhibit, or making them produce sounds. Access: From Yugawara Station, take the bus headed to Kajiya for about 15 minutes We are seven minutes' walk from the Kajiya bus stop