Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
£ Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial
Museum of Art
This remarkable museum has
Tokyo's finest collection of ukiyo-
e woodblock prints - a whopping
12,000 in all. The great names
in this genre, such as Harunobu,
Utamaru, Hokusai, and Sharaku,
are all featured here. The collec-
tion was begun by Seizo Ota,
a wealthy businessman who
realized that many of the best
works were being sold to foreign
museums. d Map B5 • 1-10-10
Jingumae, Shibuya-ku • 3403-0880
• Open 10:30am-5:30pm Tue-Sun • Adm
Curving ramp at Spiral
! Spiral
$ Takeshita-dori and
Tasked with creating a
space that would combine
music, the visual arts, theater,
a restaurant, bar and café with
an exciting architectural concept,
designer Fumihiko Maki came
up with the idea of a spiral. The
shape, standing for the idea
of cultural flow, is replicated on
both the inside and outside of
the building. A curving ramp
takes visitors up to the main
gallery, where art-, design- and
fashion-related shows take
place. d Map B6 • 5-6-23 Minami-
Aoyama, Minato-ku • 34998-1171
• Open 11am-8pm
Togo Shrine
On a weekend, narrow Takeshita
street is probably the single-
most crowded spot in the entire
city. The home of subculture
kitsch, the street is packed with
theme clothing stores, takeout
food, crepe stands, and stores
selling character items, cuddly
toys, and accessories. Just a few
steps behind the street are the
serenely quiet precincts of the
Togo Shrine. Dedicated to Admiral
Heihachiro Togo, who engineered
the defeat of the Russian fleet in
1905, the grounds are a great
escape from the heaving mass
of Takeshita-dori. On the first and
fourth Sundays of the month, an
excellent flea market is held
here. d Map B5 • Harajuku, Minato-ku
@ Nezu Institute of Fine Arts
Concealed behind sandstone
walls, this museum was
established by the Meiji-era
tycoon and politician
Kaichiro Nezu. Some of the
collection's textiles, laquer-
ware, and ceramics are so
rare that they are registered
as National Treasures.
The most famous piece
is Ogata Korin's screen
painting, Irises . d Map C6
• 6-5-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
• 3400-2536 • Open 9:30am-
4:30pm Tue-Sun • Adm • www.
nezu-muse.or.jp
A street scene in busy Takeshita-dori
95
The Nezu Institute of Fine Arts has a lovely garden full of trees,
Buddha statues, and elegant tea pavilions.
 
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