Tour Details
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
- Tokyo National Museum
Photos & Highlights
- Learn about Japan's rich culture in Tokyo National Museum tour
- Led by an expert in Japanese art and history
Select a date
Tour Description
This two-hour tour of Tokyo's National Museum, led by a Japanese art expert or historian, provides a deep dive into Japanese culture and history. Located in the beautiful Ueno Park, the 1872 National Museum houses one of the largest and most impressive collections of objects, sculptures, and paintings related to Asian art and archeology, with a particular focus on Japan. From samurai swords to kimonos, this fine collection tells the story of the history of Japan through its art. Together, we'll explore and discuss a number of the national treasures, touching on some of the 110,000 individual items dating from the earliest years of civilization on the Japanese islands, all the way through to the Edo period and modern day.
While Tokyo National Museum is split into numerous collections, the majority of our focus on this tour will be on the Japanese Gallery. We will use the museum’s Meiji paintings, splendid screens, ancient scrolls, and intricately carved woodblocks to cover themes that range from the importance of visual arts in daily life to tea ceremonies and religious traditions.
Our course through the museums can take many forms, depending on the specific interests of the group: we let the itinerary be shaped by which eras and styles of Japanese art the group is most interested in, as well as the specialization and proclivity of our guide. We'll dig deeply into a number of art forms that are foreign to the west but hold great significance in Japan, in the process developing a context for deeper appreciation.
At the end we'll emerge from our time together with a better understanding of Japanese art and its relation to the larger sphere both of Japanese and Asian culture and history. For a look at Japanese aesthetics in a more contemporary context, try our Introduction to Tokyo tour.
For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.
Is it okay to tip my guide in Japan?
Yes. Context clients generally tip anywhere from 10-25% of the purchase price of a personal service such as this, depending on the quality of the experience and their tipping habits.
Do exhibits change over time?
The exhibits change once a month, so each experience is different, as is the main theme of the visit. Due to the fragile nature of most Japanese art, the museum cannot leave them out for longer periods.
Do exhibits change over time?
The exhibits change once a month, so each experience is different, as is the main theme of the visit. Due to the fragile nature of most Japanese art, the museum cannot leave them out for longer periods.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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133 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Rafa deserves 6 stars. He was extremely good at explaining the history before we looked at any works to give it true context. He set a standard as a teacher and a guide which made our time with him very memorable.
Charles
Apr 16, 2025
Our family had the privilege to have Mayumi give us a tour of the Tokyo National Museum. She gave us an overview of Japan's history first, and then, together, we visited the parts of the museum we expressed an interest in. In the time we had with her, we learned so much about Japanese culture, art, and history; we felt we had just had an exciting university-level class. Mayumi took the time to answer questions even after the tour by email. We are deeply grateful to Mayumi and highly recommend her tour.
Michael
Apr 14, 2025
Excellent intro to Japanese art before the visit. Very knowledgeable and kind guide.
Jocelyn
Apr 13, 2025
