- Address: 1 Chome-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo 130-0015, Japan
- Phone: +81 3-3626-9974
- Booking: hotpepper.jp
- Opening: March 28, 1993
- Architect: Kiyonori Kikutake
- Opening hours: 09: 00-17: 00 (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sun), Sat 09: 00-19: 00, Mon - closed
- Cost of visiting: $ 5,2
In the west of Tokyo, a fanciful structure resembles a frozen robot from some fantastic film. In fact, it houses the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which gives visitors an excellent opportunity to study the history of the Japanese capital and at the same time imagine what it might be after a while.
History of the Museum of Edo-Tokyo
Contrary to its futuristic style, this object does not serve as a platform for acquaintance with innovative technologies. It clearly demonstrates how the Japanese capital grew and developed throughout the centuries. The building called Museum Edo Tokyo is relatively young. It was opened only 14 years ago, namely on March 28, 1993. From the very beginning, it was decided that it would be devoted to the history of the capital, which until 1868 was called Edo.
The architectural style and collection of the museum of Edo-Tokyo
In the design of this building, the architect Kiyonori Kikutake was inspired by the ancient Japanese buildings, which were called kurazuri. The height of the Edo Museum in Tokyo is equal to the height of the castle of the same name, which once settled in the capital, and is 62.2 m. Its area is approximately 30,000 square meters. km, which is almost 2.5 times the size of the Japanese stadium Dome.
Currently, the collection of the museum of Edo-Tokyo, a photo of which can be seen below, has a huge number of exhibits. Some of them are original, others have been recreated in the course of serious scientific research. All of them are distributed in two zones: one is called "Edo", the second is "Tokyo".
In the zone dedicated to the history of the city of Edo, visitors come across the bridge of Nihombasi, which is a copy of the original. By the way, it was in ancient times that it was the so-called "zero" kilometer, from which all distances were counted. In this section of the museum of Edo-Tokyo the following exhibits are exhibited:
- authentic manuscripts;
- full-scale copies of ancient capital buildings;
- mock-ups of the capital in different periods of history;
- mock-ups of apartment houses;
- tools of urban artisans;
- personal belongings of noble masters.
Here you can find items that have been used in a variety of industries, including sports, crafts and commerce. Each of them has a sign in Japanese and English. Some even have an interactive explanation.
The second area of the Edo Museum in Tokyo is dedicated to the modern capital and covers the period from the end of the XIX century and to our days. Here are well described topics such as:
- the Meiji era;
- The Second World War;
- The great earthquake of Kanto, which occurred in 1923;
- the influence of Western culture on the traditional Japanese;
- the development of Japanese radio electronics since the 50s of the XX century.
During the tour of Museum Edo Tokyo, you can watch a documentary about the modern capital and its inhabitants. There are many interactive exhibits that are popular with young visitors. In addition, the administration of the museum of Edo-Tokyo provides a discount to schoolchildren, students of schools and universities. Visitors over 65 years of age can also expect a discount.
How to get to the museum of Edo-Tokyo?
In order to visit this unique place, you need to go to the western part of the Japanese capital. The Edo Museum is located in the west of Tokyo, about 6.4 km from the Pacific coast. You can get to it by subway. To do this, move along the Chuo-Sobu Line (Local) line and exit at the Ryogoku station. The stop is directly opposite the entrance to the museum . The fare is approximately $ 2.