Tokyo, the busy capital of Japan, is now officially Tokyo Metropolis. From museums to restaurants that the city has in store for its residents and visitors, Tokyo is truly befitting to be a major destination.
The city and its many streets are bustling with life and art every day. Visitors and residents alike get a wave of inspiration as soon as they get to the streets of Tokyo. This is why the metropolis is among the top places to visit when it comes to museums and art.
Ueno Park should be the first on every tourist's itinerary. Being Japan's most popular park, especially during spring hanami, the picturesque park plays host to over 10 million visitors per year. It is said to be a one-stop shop for museum hoppers.
Japan's oldest and largest museum, Tokyo National Museum, stands at one end of Ueno Park. Inside its six buildings, art mongers will find 117,000 items of art and archeological collections enough for one day's worth of exploring.
The National Museum of Western Art, designed by Le Corbusier himself, is also one of the museums in Ueno Park that is worth visiting. Aside from its own substantial collection, it also features several rotating annual exhibitions of Western art, mostly from Europe.
Other museums in Ueno Park are the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum which hosts temporary exhibits, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Ueno Royal Museum. The latter two are reviewed as child-friendly.
Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills Mori Tower focuses on the combination of art and life. A ticket to the contemporary art museum gets visitors free admission to the deck located one floor below Mori Art Museum. The Tokyo City View Indoor Observation Deck is well known for the majestic 360-degree-view of Tokyo it offers to visitors through its full-length windows, measuring 11 meters in height.
At a walking distance from Mori Art Museum is The National Art Center, Tokyo with its 14,000-square-meter exhibition space. Entry to the museum is free, however, tickets to the seven galleries are not. The building was designed by Kisho Kurokawa to be a work of art in itself.
French architect Henri Rapin designed the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum as the former residence of Prince Yasuhiko and Princess Nobuko. It features intricate glasswork and exquisite sculptures.
Kunizo Hara used to live in the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. The house remained in the family until Toshio Hara, the grandson, opened their doors to the public in 1979.
More commonly known as Watari-um, The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art is known not only for their exhibits but also for their shop that carries a wide selection of impressively designed lifestyle products.
There are a lot more museums that Tokyo Metropolis has to offer. Their rich culture mirrored in their art is truly worth diving into whether it be for a tourist, a resident, a researcher, a wanderer, or an artist.
