Tokyo has a museum or exhibition for basically everything ever—ranging from the free Parasite Museum to a salt and tobacco museum. There are the more traditional historical and cultural museums too of course though, so you can take your pick! Entry isn’t always free but is reasonable, and there is always International Museum Day when many are free—although beware long crowds as this is popular.
Traditional Museums
You can see the Samurai, play with some traditional toys at the Toy Museum and marvel at the fantastic costumes on display at the Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum. We even have a mega-guide to help you out.
Outdoor Museums (and the like)
If you like to learn about things but love the outdoors more, then there are a few options just for you. The Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is a section of Koganei Park dedicated to restored and relocated buildings of significance.If you want to see more of Edo life, then you can form a museum tour of your own, with these five key spots, and a guide as to why it’s Tokyo, not Edo.
Unusual Museums
Now, if the idea of a museum bores you stiff, wait! Tokyo has its fair share of strange ones. Why not visit the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka—or if you’re in the Uwajima area of Ehime prefecture, the monk-run porn-museum? If they don’t pique your interest we don’t know what will.
Exhibitions
The many, many museums of Tokyo have special exhibitions throughout the year, often on loan from international partners or curated to show certain elements of their collections. Check out our events page for upcoming exhibitions, or keep an eye on the museum of your choice’s website!
