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 guided 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.
Experts
While Tokyo National Museum is split into numerous collections, the majority of our focus on this Tokyo National Museum guided 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 of both 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 it 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 it out for longer periods.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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158 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.
The tour was a perfect start to our travel weeks in Japan and we highly recommend it as a ‘crash course’ to better appreciate the country and its culture. Because we were novices to Japanese history, our guide Fanny helped us get an appreciation for the breadth of history by selecting specific exhibits throughout the museum from prehistoric artifacts through more recent history. Clearly Fanny had a vast knowledge of history and art and could have gone into far more depth if we needed. She was super at answering questions and our 2 hours passed quickly.
Cindy
Reviewed on:
Oct 30, 2025
Fanny provided the best tour we have had on our 10 day trip to Japan.
Her experience in both Chinese and Japanese culture was extraordinarily helpful in providing context for the art at the Tokyo National Museum.
She explained the relevant influences to the art clearly, was extremely patient with our questions, and went overtime because of our strong interest for the art and because we were on our honeymoon.
She was absolutely fantastic.
Evan
Reviewed on:
Oct 15, 2025
I felt that was with a friend and not a tour guide. Mayumi was very knowledgeable and articulate. She made the tour smooth, interesting, and enjoyable. I felt fortunate to have a private tour that was designed just for me. Sometimes, I knew others were also listening in to her expertise. It was a memorable experience of my Tokyo visit.
Carol
Reviewed on:
Oct 12, 2025
