Museums

Nara
Kofukuji Temple's National Treasure Museum is a hidden gem with an incredible collection of Buddhist art. Its highlight is the famous Ashura Statue, a three-faced, six-armed masterpiece and one of Japan's most celebrated Buddhist statues.

Nara
Het Nara National Museum in Nara Park is een boeiend museum over boeddhistische beelden. Het toont een vaste collectie Japanse boeddhistische kunst en religieuze voorwerpen. Elke herfst zijn er speciale tentoonstellingen met schatten van de nabijgelegen Todaiji-tempel.

Matsue
Het hoogtepunt van het Adachi Museum of Art is de prachtige tuin, een van de mooiste van Japan. Het museum heeft ook een indrukwekkende collectie Japanse schilderijen, waaronder veel werken van Yokoyama Taikan, en tafelgerei.

Fuji Five Lakes
The Kubota Itchiku Art Museum showcases stunning kimonos made using Kubota Itchiku's labor-intensive tie-dye technique. The unique museum buildings and surrounding gardens make this museum near Mount Fuji even more special.

Tokyo
The National Art Center Tokyo in Roppongi is one of Japan's largest museums. It has no permanent collection but offers excellent rotating exhibitions. Its futuristic building is also a highlight.

Koka
The Miho Museum blends unique architecture with nature, featuring a mix of steel, glass, and warm stone. It offers stunning views of the surrounding valleys. The exhibits include art from ancient civilizations like Egypt, Rome, and various Asian cultures.

Naruto
The Otsuka Museum of Art is Japan's largest museum. It features a huge collection of life-size reproductions of famous Western artworks, including pieces by Michelangelo, El Greco, Goya, Monet, and Picasso.

The Kyoto National Museum is one of Japan's oldest museums and is considered one of the country's four top national museums, along with the Tokyo, Nara, and Kyushu National Museums.

Tokyo
The Mori Art Museum, located on the top floors of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, features rotating exhibitions of contemporary art. The exhibits are complemented by stunning views from the observatory below.

Kanazawa
The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa showcases avant-garde art in a modern building. It features works by well-known artists from Japan and around the world, along with temporary exhibitions of new art.

Teshima Island
The Teshima Art Museum is a unique contemporary artwork in Japan. Located among terraced rice fields, its simple concrete design fascinates visitors with water drops on its surface. The museum's rural island setting adds to its charm.

Naoshima Island
The Chichu Art Museum, designed by architect Ando Tadao, is a unique modern art museum built mostly underground on a hillside overlooking Naoshima Island's southern coast. The museum uses natural light to enhance the art, creating a viewing experience shaped by the surrounding nature.

Inujima Island
The Inujima Seirensho Art Museum cleverly blends an art gallery into the ruins of a copper refinery. It features fascinating artworks, including a tunnel of mirrors.

Tokyo
The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park has one of Japan's largest collections of national treasures and cultural artifacts. It also hosts interesting temporary exhibitions.

Tokyo
The Edo-Tokyo Museum brings Tokyo's past (formerly Edo) to life, offering a great introduction to the city we know today. Visitors can explore the lifestyle, architecture, culture, politics, and commerce of Edo through interactive exhibits.

Ise Shima
The Sengukan Museum teaches visitors about the rebuilding of the Ise Shrines. Located at the entrance to the Outer Shrine (Geku), it offers close views of the main shrine hall. Highlights include a quarter-scale replica of the main building and a beautiful 1:20 model of the sanctuary.

Noboribetsu
Upopoy, Japan's first national museum on Ainu culture, opened in 2020 to showcase the history and traditions of northern Japan's indigenous people. It is set in a lakeside park with reconstructed Ainu houses and cultural experiences.

Hiroshima
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum shows the human suffering caused by the 1945 atomic bomb, with emotional displays that stress the value of peace. It is located in the Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to world peace.

Nagasaki
The Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum shows the devastating impact of the second atomic bomb, with exhibits and documentaries highlighting the horrors of war and the need for peace. Nearby are the Nagasaki Peace Park and the iconic Peace Statue.

Okinawa Island
The Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum honors those who suffered or died in the Battle of Okinawa. Located in the Okinawa Peace Park, it features monuments for both Japanese and foreign casualties of the battle.

Satsuma Peninsula
The Chiran Tokko Museum preserves letters, documents, and items from World War II kamikaze pilots. It aims to reflect on the sorrow of war, not to glorify it.

Saitama
The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is one of the best in the world. It focuses on dinosaur research and education, with over 40 dinosaur skeletons on display. Visitors can learn about life on Earth, dinosaur evolution, and hold real fossils in a hands-on zone.

Tokyo
The National Science Museum in Ueno Park covers science and natural history with interactive physics and robotics exhibits. It also features a large collection of mounted animals and a 360-degree virtual theater.

Tokyo
The Miraikan in Odaiba is an interactive, bilingual science museum with exhibits on environmental issues, robots, technology, biology, and space exploration.

Shimabara Peninsula
The Mount Unzen Disaster Memorial Hall was built to remember the eruptions in the 1990s and the disaster that followed. The museum uses interactive displays and videos to explain how volcanoes work and impact nearby communities. A highlight is the eruption simulator, with an immersive film and simulations of pyroclastic flow using motion and heat.

Minamata
The Minamata Disease Municipal Museum tells the story of the disease through bilingual panels, photos, and a simple video. It highlights the ongoing impact of Minamata Disease and reminds us that the environmental pollution caused by methyl mercury should never happen again.

Saitama
The Railway Museum displays a large collection of old trains, including steam and diesel locomotives, shinkansen (bullet trains), and passenger and freight cars. It tells the history of Japan's railways, offers fun simulators to learn about train operations, and shows how railway technology has evolved.

Nagoya
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park showcases Japan's high-speed rail advancements. It displays various trains, including historic steam locomotives, record-setting shinkansen, and the latest maglev trains. The museum also has simulators where visitors can try driving a train or experience being a train conductor.

Kyoto
The Kyoto Railway Museum, just a short walk from Kyoto Station, covers the history of Japanese railways, from steam locomotives to shinkansen. It is famous for its impressive collection of steam locomotives.

Tokyo
The Ghibli Museum is a must-see for fans of Studio Ghibli films by Miyazaki Hayao. It showcases the history and techniques of animation and features a small theater showing exclusive Ghibli short films. The museum also displays life-sized statues and large plush toys of popular characters from the studio's films.

Tottori
The Sand Museum features impressive sand sculptures created by artists from around the world. The sculptures, some several meters tall, follow a different theme for each exhibition. The museum is located next to the Tottori Sand Dunes, offering a unique desert-like experience in Japan.

Sapporo
Beer lovers should visit the Sapporo Beer Museum to learn about the history of beer in Japan and how it’s made. While the museum itself has limited English explanations, it’s worth it for the famous Sapporo Beer and great beer restaurants nearby.

Saitama
Bonsai lovers should visit the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, which teaches visitors about bonsai. English audio guides and descriptions make it easy to understand and appreciate the art. The museum is in the Omiya Bonsai Village, home to several bonsai nurseries.

Kitakyushu
TOTO, Japan's leading maker of toilets and washlets, has a museum next to its headquarters in Kitakyushu. The museum showcases the company's history and product evolution.