Night Festival at Tokyo National Museum

For this special 6-day event, the Tokyo National Museum will display not only Japan’s history, but also its performing arts, dances, and music.

What to expect

The museum is celebrating the end of Japan’s festival (matsuri) season with a rare chance to see performances on its grounds and browse exhibitions after hours. A stage will be set up for a host of Japanese traditional dances (Bon Odori, Yosakoi, Eisa) and taiko drumming. In the festival area, there will be food stalls, games, and workshops — where you can try your hand at calligraphy, craft, and sculpture.

Tickets

There are two types of tickets:

• One is an advanced ticket for ¥6,000 that includes access to the main exhibitions and the special exhibition Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism, as well as the festival and three coupons for festival games and a coupon for a workshop experience. This is only available on the English-language website.
• The other is an on-the-day ticket which costs ¥3,000 and includes entry to the special exhibition Jingoji: The Dawn of Shingon Buddhism and festival, but not any of the other perks.

Open until 10 p.m. on August 30 and 31.