Mitsuo Aida Museum (Tokyo)

As a brush-and-ink calligrapher and poet, Mitsuo Aida continued to pursue his own words and his own calligraphy, not imitating anyone. As a young man in the period of
upheaval during and following World War II , he established his original style and produced a great number of works while contemplating the preciousness of life.

National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Tokyo)

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) offers visitors of all ages to interact with its exhibits in order to come away with a greater understanding of the recent scientific discoveries that are changing the way we view the world.

Edo Castle

Edo Castle (Edo-jo) was the home castle of the line of Tokugawa shoguns who ran the Edo government which ruled Japan for roughly 260 years (from the beginning of the 17th century until 1867). It was originally built in 1457 by the daimyo Ota Dokan, who was also well-known as a poet. As it was the castle of the founding shogun of the Edo government (Tokugawa Ieyasu), it became the building that symbolized the prestige of successive shoguns, and was also the center of political power. It was the largest castle in Japan in those days, with the inner compound measuring roughly 8 km in diameter, and the outer compound measuring around 16 km. The castle donjon with a five-tiered fa溝de was an enormously high building with a stone wall measuring 51.5 m from ground level. This was destroyed, however, in the great fire of 1657. It is currently the Imperial Palace of the Emperor of Japan.

Hama-Rikyu Onshi Teien Garden

Hama Rikyu is located near the mouth of the Sumida-gawa, a large river flowing through Tokyo. The garden is divided into two major sections. The southern garden was originally a villa providing accommodation for feudal lords during the 17th to 19th centuries when they stayed in Edo (present day Tokyo). The northern garden was built later on. The southern garden has the Shio-iri-no Niwa (garden with a tidal pond) which is on the sea, and thus its scenery varies with the ebb and flow of the tide. Originally this area was the hunting grounds of the shogun who ruled Japan at that time. Later, in 1654, land was reclaimed from the sea and the villa built there. It was from here that the shogun would go boating in nearby rivers. These days the garden has a jetty used by a waterbus service.

Kiyosumi Garden

Koishikawa Korakuen Garden

Despite being situated right in the heart of Tokyo, Koishikawa Koraku-en is incredibly quiet. The gardens were laid out in 1629 by a feudal lord of that time, as the gardens of his residence in Edo (now Tokyo). Originally in the Kyoto style, they were later redesigned using Chinese techniques. The unusually shaped rocks that remain today are modeled on the garden style of a region of China south of the Yangtze. The gardens are truly an urban oasis, a peaceful haven in the heart of the city.

Kokyo Higashi Gyoen Garden (Imperial Palace East Garden)

The Kokyo Higashi Gyoen Garden (Imperial Palace East Garden) was opened to the public in 1968, covering an area of approximately 210,000 square meters from the Honmaru (Principal compound in a castle complex, where the castle owner spent his daily life and government affairs were carried out), Ninomaru (Second compound located outside of the Honmaru, where the castle owner met with feudal lords) and a part of the Sannomaru (Third compound surrounding the Ninomaru) of Edo Castle. The Honmaru section contains a vast lawn, while the Ninomaru section is maintained as an Edo Period (1603-11867) Japanese garden along with the Musashino copse, and these two sections represent the last remaining Edo Period garden in Japan. The copse, that was about to be destroyed for development in the Tokyo suburbs, was re-planted together with the entire surface soil onto a lawned section of the garden around 20 years ago, using groundbreaking construction techniques.

Kyu-Furukawa-teien Garden

Kyu-Furukawa Teien (Former Furukawa Garden) covers around 30 ha of the former residence of the wealthy Furukawa Ichibei. He built a European-style mansion on a small hill at the northern end, with a cheerful Western-style garden on the slope, and a Japanese garden further down built around a pond. An Englishman, Josiah Conder, designed both the European-style mansion and garden. With the flowerbed placed in the center, the garden is arranged on a three-tiered gently sloping terrace. A flowerbed of a geometrical pattern is laid out on the middle tier. The Japanese garden was designed by Jihei Ogawa, a well-known designer in Kyoto. Deep green bushes at the entrance to the Japanese garden create an atmosphere that is in striking contrast to the brightly-colored Western garden.

Rikugien Garden

Rikugien is located in a quiet residential area of northern Tokyo. During the 17th to 19th centuries, feudal lords staying in Edo (present day Tokyo) built their residences in this area. Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, one of the most influential of feudal lords, designed this garden which was completed after seven years in 1695. There are 88 spots in the garden named after famous places in Japan and China and incidents from Chinese history, as well as references to waka (a traditional Japanese poetic form). Paths are mostly flat and easy to walk on, making them ideal for a gentle stroll, with an artificial mountain pass commanding a view of the entire garden.

Shinjuku Gyoen Garden

The garden has a huge area which covers 58.7 hectares in Shinjuku Shintoshin, and it represents a rare format for Japanese landscape gardens, skillfully combining three very different styles; French formal style, Japanese, and British landscape garden styles. The densely growing trees now number more than 20,000, and special varieties never seen in Japan before such as tulip trees, plane trees, and Himalayan cedar trees can be seen here, creating an entirely individual and rare sight with their immense size. The 1,500 cherry blossom trees are a famous sight in spring, and the summer greens, autumn chrysanthemums and autumnal leaves, and winter greenhouse and landscape provide beautiful fresh air and calm, that feels like an oasis in which the thronging noise of Tokyo could be a million miles away.

Edo Tokyo Building Park Museum

The Edo Tokyo Building Park Museum is an outdoor museum of buildings in Edo (now Tokyo) dating from the 17th to the 20th century. Visitors here can enjoy a glimpse of life in old Tokyo, very different from the present-day city of high-rise buildings. The outdoor exhibits are divided into three zones. One zone comprises old private houses with thatched roofs. Another zone comprises buildings of high historical value, such as the mansion of Korekiyo Takahashi, Prime Minister of Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. The downtown area is recreated in the third zone, with old shops, a public bathhouse and taverns lining the street. The history of urban life in Tokyo is also explained in an easy to understand panel format in the exhibition room housing the permanent collection.

Edo Tokyo Hakubutsukan

Edo Tokyo Hakubutsukan (The Edo Tokyo Museum) present information about Tokyo. The political nerve center of Japan for 400 years, Tokyo was formerly known as Edo. The exhibition space is divided into an Edo Zone, Tokyo Zone, and Comprehensive History Zone, and displays around 2,500 items. They include ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicting the manners and customs of earlier times, clothes, and old maps. There are also more than 50 large-scale models. Visitors can learn about various aspects of the city and see how everyday life has changed.

JCII Camera Museum

The Japan Camera and Optical Instruments Inspection and Testing Institute (JCII) Camera Museum was opened to the public in 1989 and systematically presents the history of the development of Japanese cameras. The Giroux Daguerreotype camera, the world's first camera distributed in the market, is the only such camera exhibited in Japan. A variety of famous cameras illustrate the history of development from the first camera mass-produced in Japan to present-day digital cameras. Special exhibitions are held every four months, focusing on the functions of cameras, or the products of specific countries, to show every aspect of cameras for their enthusiasts.

Japanese Sword Museum

Since the introduction of sword-making techniques from the Asian Continent, Japanese swords have been improved throughout Japan's long history of warfare. They were not only traditional weapons but also sometimes regarded as an object of faith or a symbol of power. The Japanese Sword Museum collects and preserves 152 items, including swords such as the ones designated as National Treasures made by Nobuyoshi, Kuniyuki (Rai) and Kuniyuki (Taima), sword fittings, armor, and documents of metal working. Usually, exhibitions such as the "Koto (old sword) and Shinto (new sword) Exhibition" are held and the works of famous swordsmiths from the Heian to Edo Periods (782-1867) are on display. The Archives Room houses about 1,500 historical documents and archives on swords.

Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (National Science Museum)

Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (The National Science Museum) is located in Ueno Koen, a park in Tokyo. As a general science museum, it has collected a wide range of materials and information on the natural sciences and their applications. In the section called The Evolution of Living Things in one of the regular exhibition halls, visitors can trace the history of living things by theme, from the evolution and adaptation of organisms to the development of human beings. Other sections include Meteorites and the Solar System Timekeeper and Fauna and Flora in Japan. The central hall in the basement houses a display of Fourcault's Pendulum, allowing the visitor to experience the sensation of the earth rotating on its axis. An extension to the museum was opened in April 1999, featuring an Experience Corner where visitors can learn more about nature and science through hands-on experience.

Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (National Science Museum)

Kokuritsu Kagaku Hakubutsukan (The National Science Museum) is located in Ueno Koen, a park in Tokyo. As a general science museum, it has collected a wide range of materials and information on the natural sciences and their applications. In the section called The Evolution of Living Things in one of the regular exhibition halls, visitors can trace the history of living things by theme, from the evolution and adaptation of organisms to the development of human beings. Other sections include Meteorites and the Solar System Timekeeper and Fauna and Flora in Japan. The central hall in the basement houses a display of Fourcault's Pendulum, allowing the visitor to experience the sensation of the earth rotating on its axis. An extension to the museum was opened in April 1999, featuring an Experience Corner where visitors can learn more about nature and science through hands-on experience.

Kokuritsu Nogakudo (National Noh Theater)

Japanese Sarugaku (Noh farce) was originally a public entertainment with its beginnings in monomane (imitation), which later divided into Noh plays and Kyogen farce. Noh and Kyogen have developed in tandem. Noh is acted using masks (called omote in Noh terminology), and understated movements and the muffled voice from beneath these masks create a unique and dignified atmosphere. Kyogen meanwhile is performed between items on the Noh program. The comical nature of Kyogen alleviates the tension generated by the Noh play. Both Noh and Kyogen are performed in Nogakudo Theaters. Originally, both Noh and Kyogen were performed outdoors, and thus the stage has a roof. The National Noh Theater incorporates a roofed Noh stage and audience seating in their original forms for Noh and Kyogen performed here.

Museum of Maritime Science

This six-story building plus basement, shaped like a full-sized ocean liner, is completely devoted to ships. The Museum has mainly five areas, and provides the public with information about ocean development (exploring the seas), the history and the mechanisms of ships, ship steering, fishing boats and ports, marine transport, marine leisure activities, and Japanese ships. Visitors can simulate steering a ship using a radio-controlled ship and can also enjoy watching a film, "The Ocean, Ships and People", on a 2-story screen set in the basement of the Marine Theater. Its library collects maritime-related books and its observation room commands panoramic views of Tokyo Bay.

NHK Museum of Broadcasting

The NHK Museum of Broadcasting was opened in 1956 as the world's first museum exclusively exhibiting broadcasting items. Since broadcasting started in Japan, technology has greatly progressed from radio to television, and then later to satellite broadcasting, and High-Definition and digital broadcasting. In the Broadcasting Library, visitors can watch approximately 6,000 old NHK programs previously on-air and can obtain access to pertinent literature and information relating to broadcasting and its history. The machinery is preserved as it actually works, and the visitors can use, for example, a Western Electric Type 373 microphone, a product which is over 80 years old.

National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation engages in three activities that link people and cutting-edge science and technology: communication science, fostering personnel, and creating a link. Considering science and technology as a part of our culture, the Museum provides an open forum for all people to think and talk about the roles and possibilities that science and technology can provide for Japan's society. While considering science technology from a broad perspective and dimensions, such as the universe, the earth and human beings, the museum's permanent displays are dedicated to the themes of "The Earth Environment and Frontiers", "Innovation and the Future", "Information Science Technology and Society" and "Life Science and Human Beings". It also provides the public with various opportunities to experience cutting-edge science and technology through hands-on exhibits, as well as workshops and seminars of distinguished researchers.

National Showa Memorial Museum (Showakan)

Showakan is a national memorial museum to commemorate Japanese suffering during and after World War II and to pass on this historical commemoration to later generations. The museum collects, preserves and exhibits historical documents on the life hardships suffered by the Japanese people, especially by the families of the war victims , both during and after the war (in the years of 1935 to 1955), providing younger people with an opportunity to learn about this era in Japan's history. Up to the present date, the museum has collected approximately 18,000 items, including letters, clothes and daily commodities, and displays about 700 of them.

Paper Museum

The Paper Museum was opened in 1950 in Oji, Kita-ku, Tokyo, where the first western-style paper manufacturer, the Oji Paper Manufacturing Company, was established. Based on the Company's original collection, the museum preserves and exhibits a wide range of paper and paper-related items and also conducts educational activities. In its three exhibit rooms, visitors can learn about the paper manufacturing industry and the history of paper around the world, and can participate in workshops in paper making. Its library has approximately 8,000 books and other documents on paper, and these are open for public use.

Sumo Museum

The Sumo Museum collects and preserves a wide range of materials relating to the history of sumo wrestling. The museum possesses 3,700 sumo Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock prints), 500 sumo dolls, Banzuke (official ranking list), and Kesho-mawashi (a silk belt with a heavily embroidered large apron with thick tassels worn by upper ranked wrestlers). The exhibits change six times each year. The museum also functions as a research center, continuously studying and reviewing sumo history as an integral part of Japanese culture. The museum was first opened in September 1954, when the Kuramae Kokugikan was completed, and was relocated to its current location in the Ryogoku Kokugikan in January 1985.

The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the first of its kind in Japan, was established in June, 1959, and was relocated to the Tokyo Dome in 1988. Bronze relief portraits of all Hall of Famers (honored for their great contributions to the development of baseball) are displayed, along with a wealth of information on the history of baseball, both professional and amateur. The collection includes about 30,000 memorable baseball materials, such as memorabilia and photos. Approximately 2,000 of these materials are constantly on exhibit. The museum's library has about 50,000 books on baseball and other sports.

The Traditional Performing Arts Information Centre (of the National Theatre of Japan)

The Traditional Performing Arts Information Centre was opened next to the National Theatre of Japan in March, 2003. The first floor displays historical documents such as Kabuki manuscripts called "Dogucho" and multi-colored woodblock prints known as "Nishiki-e" and digital exhibits with images and sounds. On the second floor, there are about 230,000 books on performing arts and 5,000 of them are open to the public. To provide the public with an opportunity to become more familiar with Japanese traditional and contemporary performing arts, a Cultural Digital Library System is now being developed under the auspices of the government. The museum also exhibits on the Internet images which have never previously been accessible for public display.

Tobacco and Salt Museum

The Tobacco and Salt Museum was opened in 1978 to collect materials and conduct studies about tobacco and salt, and to widely introduce their history and influence on Japanese culture. The permanent exhibition systematically shows the cultural and industrial history of these products and the special exhibition focuses on ukiyo-e woodblock prints and smoking pipes and utensils. The Museum contains approximately 1,500 ukiyo-e prints on tobacco, 400 tobacco boxes and bags, and 700 tobacco trays. These are not only valuable as historical materials for the study of the culture of smoking in Japan, but also precious as art objects.

Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (Tokyo National Museum)

Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (The Tokyo National Museum) collects and exhibits important cultural items from Japan and other countries in the Far East, and currently houses a huge collection of 89,000 items, including almost 100 designated National Treasures and over 500 Important Cultural Properties. The building itself is of historical significance, and has also been called the museum of art museums and museum architecture. The Main Hall exhibits Japanese art and archaeological relics by category, as well as items of craftwork. The Far East Hall displays artworks and archaeological relics from Asia, Egypt and other parts of the world. The Horyu-ji Treasure Hall houses some 300 treasures from the famous temple in Nara, dating from the 7th and 8th centuries. Special exhibitions on particular themes are also held from time to time, as well as exhibitions of items from other fields.