Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Glistening swords, finely stitched armour and imposing helmets bring the samurai
- those iconic warriors of Japan's medieval age - to life. Kids in particular will
love the displays here.
Understand
Rotating Exhibitions
Exhibitions at the Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan) are
changed about once a month, both for preservation reasons (many, such as those
made of paper, are incredibly fragile) and to create seasonal displays (the seasons
being important in the Japanese aesthetic). So there's no guarantee that any one
work will be on display when you visit. On the flip side, there's always something new.
Most items in the collection were never intended for static display: lacquer boxes, tea
bowls, kimono and folding screens, for example, were all used in daily life.
Ukiyo-e & Kimono
HONKAN ROOM 10
Lavish silken kimono are displayed along lushly coloured ukiyo-e (wood-block
prints). Both are icons of the Edo-era (1603-1868) ukiyo (literally the floating
world) - a world of fleeting beauty and pleasure inhabited by kabuki actors, cour-
tesans and merchants who set the fashions of the day.
Japanese Religious Sculpture
HONKAN ROOM 11
Back on the first floor, exhibitions are organised by craft (lacquerware or ceramics,
for example), rather than time period. Don't miss the excellent exhibition of reli-
gious sculpture. Many of Japan's most famous statues are locked away in temple
reliquaries, and this is a rare chance to see some up close.
Minority Folk Art
HONKAN ROOM 15
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