LibGuides: Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture: Edo-Tokyo Museum

Note

The museum will be closed 2025 (tentatively) due to renovation. Please check the website for the most up-to-date information.

Outdoor Exhibitions During Renovation
During the renovation period, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is staging outdoor exhibitions. Please see the site for current exhibition details.

General Information

Facility:	Edo-Tokyo Museum
Address:	1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
Phone:	+81-3-3626-9974
FAX:	+81-3-3626-9950
Hours:	9:30 - 17:30, Sat. 9:30 - 19:30 Please enter 30 min. before closing.
Closed:	Mon. (Tues. if Mon. is holiday)

Calender

About the Edo-Tokyo Museum:

The Edo-Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館 Edo Tokyo Hakubutsukan) also known as (江戸博 Edohaku), was opened in 1993 to present the history, culture and architecture of Tokyo from 1590 through modern Japan, including The Great Kanto Earthquake, Postwar, and the Tokyo Olympics. The building is designed to look like an rice granary (蔵造り Kurazukuri).

The exhibition area is divided into three subsections: the Edo zone, the Tokyo zone and the Second Event Exhibition space. There, visitors will see objects such as the life-size replica of the original wooden (日本橋 Nihonbashi), the Nakamuraza (中村座) Theatre, Kabuki theater, 1/30 scale architectural model of the Kamiyashiki of Matsudaira Tadamasa, a model of a 1970's Tokyo house, and much more.

In addition, there are library and audio visual rooms for those who want to take a closer look. The library contains more than 140,000 books, magazines, and microfilms about the history and culture of Tokyo. There are about 200 titles of audio visual materials available.

TMFHC Cultural Facilities

Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (江戸東京たてもの園)
The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is a branch of the Edo-Tokyo Museum, located in Koganei Park, Tokyo, the museum displays various kinds of historical Japanese buildings.
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (東京都美術館)
Founded in 1926, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum was the first public museum in Japan. The museum is located in Ueno Park.
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (東京都庭園美術館)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is located in Minato ward, Tokyo. The museum is named because the building is surrounded by gardens and sculptures.
Tokyo Arts and Space
Tokyo Arts and Space (formerly Tokyo Wonder Site) was first opened in 2001 an art center in Hongo Tokyo. The facility promotes of new art and culture from the heart of Tokyo.
Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery (東京都渋谷公園通りギャラリー)
Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery holds a variety of exhibitions and other programs, including Art Brut, as a way to contribute to the promotion of understanding diversity and the realization of an accepting and inclusive society through art.
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (東京文化会館)
Since its opening in 1961 as a full-fledged musical hall, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan has served as the stage for world-class musicians and dancers. The Main Hall hosts opera, ballet, and orchestras, while the Recital Hall features chamber music and recitals. The building was designed by Kunio Maekawa, a central figure in the Japanese modernist architecture movement.
Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (東京芸術劇場)
The Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre opened in October 1990 as a center for the performing arts located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo to promote art and culture by presenting programs in the music, theatre, opera, and dance field.
Civic Creative Base Tokyo CCBT (シビック・クリエイティブ・ベース東京)
CCBT is a hub where the public can explore their creative imaginations in society through the use of digital technology. CCBT has labs and studios where we will have workshops and programs, becoming the driving force of innovations born out of Tokyo.
Arts Council Tokyo アーツカウンシル東京
Arts Council Tokyo develops a variety of programs to encourage the creation and dissemination of arts and culture and to promote Tokyo as an international city of artistic and cultural attractions.

Summary of Collection(s)

Collection Size (Permanent Exhibition):

Ukiyo-e, Piccture scrolls, Kimono, Old Maps, etc: 2,500 items

Large models: 50 items

Focus: Art, History, Culture, Science, Architecture

Notable Collection(s)

Komon style-dying Moeji colored with Aoi crest clothing (萌葱地葵紋付小紋染胴服 Moejiki aoimontuki komonzome dōbuku): A short jacket with Aoi crest, seemingly Tokugawa.

Glassplate Photos of the Former Edo Castle (旧江戸城写真ガラス原板 Kyū edo-jo shashin garasu genban) 29 items

Jinshin inspection Related Materials Taken with the Stereo Glass Photos (壬申検査関係ステレオ写真ガラス原板 Jinshin kensa kannkei sutereo shashin garasu genban) 257items: Jinshin inspection was modern Japan's first cultural assets' investigation, which was carried out in the Meiji period (1872).

Note: The Guide uses the ALA/LC standard romanization, however, it also reflects different romanization system used by an individual institution.

Digital Collection(s)

Digital Archives (Japanese)
Digitized images of objects held by the Edo-Tokyo Museum.

Searchable by Category, Title/Object name, Artists/Production person name, creation date/production date and Keyword.

Online Resource(s)

Visualizing Cultures Website
MIT's Visualizing Cultures Website features educational modules on a broad range of topics, a number of which draw on the images of the Edo-Tokyo Museum. All images on the VC Website are published with Creative Commons licenses.

Access

Directions

How to Use the Facility

Visiting the Museum

Admission:

	Individual	Groups (20 people or more)
Adults	600 yen	480 yen
Students (Junior High school & High school)	300 yen	240 yen
College Students	480 yen	380 yen
Senior (0ver 65 years old)	300 yen	240 yen

Floor Guide / Maps

Using the Library

Service Hours: 9:30-17:30

Upon Arrival:

Accessing books: 9:30-11:30 and 13:00-16:30
- Accessing audio visual materials: (9:30 - 17:30)
- Please ask library staff for access to microfilms and materials in the restricted area.

Note: For audio visual materials, please reserve the materials by 17:00.

Photocopy:

Photocopy services are provided in accordance with Japanese copyright laws.
Note: The library allows an individual to make one copy each of reference materials for research purpose. Some materials are not available for copying to protect their condition.
Service Hours: 9:30-11:30 and 13:00-16:30
Cost:
- Books: 30 yen / sheet
- Microfilms: 30 yen / frame

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