The Edo Tokyo Museum: The Tale Of A New Capital City In Japan

I hated museums when I was a kid. With a passion. Being dragged from one boring exhibit to the next wasn't exactly enthralling. Especially when the items on show didn't seem to have any story tying them together.

Well, times have definitely moved on. And museums have moved on with them. Displays have gone interactive, while dioramas capture scenes from daily life and events, that used to be a common occurrence in times gone by.

The Edo Tokyo Museum is no exception, and it's a great place to visit if you're interested in seeing how modern day Tokyo came into being.

How the Edo Tokyo Museum works

The Edo Tokyo museum will take you through the ages from when Tokyo, formerly known as Edo, first began to grow and prosper during the 1600s. It is, quite literally, a museum of two halves. How is it divided? By the wooden replica of the Nihonbashi bridge which is the first thing you'll see when you go in the main entrance, up on the 6th floor.

When you get to the entrance, the first thing you should do is ask at the desk if there are any special performances being held that day. Why? The museum often has special performances of traditional dances or plays, but it's easy to miss them if you don't know about them. Finding out what's on and what time it's happening means you can plan your route around the museum without missing out on any of the action.

And don't forget to pick up a language guide right by the entrance when you go in.

Entering the museum

When you're ready, make your way across the replica Nihonbashi bridge, into the Edo Tokyo Museum itself. Take a moment to look down, and you'll see a seated area set out before what looks like an old fashioned Japanese building. There are lanterns and painted panels across the entrance so its easy to recognise.

If there's going to be a historical or cultural performance of some kind on the day that you visit, it's usually here it will take place. You need to remember how to get back here if it's something you want to see. And if you time this right, it can be a nice break between the two halves of the museum. Performances often take place around lunchtime but for exact times, just make sure to ask at the desk.

Tokyo during the Edo period: The first half of the Edo Tokyo Museum

Once you're over the bridge, you begin the tour by taking a walk through old style Edo. There are some extremely detailed dioramas, or miniature replicas, that show cityscapes as well as life inside the villages in this section of the museum. There are also life size replicas that form the middle area of the floor. Details in English are provided so that you can understand what the scenes depict and it's a real eye opener to the way that people lived during the Edo period.

Around the walls of the galleries in the museum there are display cases housing a multitude of original artefacts. They range from katana swords and samurai armour, to wigs, kimonos, books and scrolls.

If history is your thing, the way the Tokyo Edo Museum presents this half of the museum really gives you a feel of the majesty, as well as of the poverty, that no doubt existed during this time. Seeing all the handwritten scrolls, maps and letters, all in very complex Japanese, adds the perfect finishing touch.

Moving to modern Tokyo: The second half of the museum

As you follow the pathway that leads you through the Edo Tokyo museum (don't worry it's all clearly signposted with arrows), you cross back under the replica Nihonbashi bridge to enter the section devoted to the industrial age.

As with the first half of the museum, there are a variety of displays depicting the life and times of modern Tokyo. But in addition, there are also some original artefacts including a rickshaw and a penny farthing type bicycle that you are allowed to sit on. The perfect photo opportunity, especially if you have little ones.

The usual, and not so usual, suspects

In amongst all of this you will, of course, find the ubiquitous museum shop. And it does sell some rather interesting souvenirs. Check out these sesame getting bored rice cakes.

If all this has got your interest and you want to include a visit to the museum on your Tokyo itinerary, you'll need to know how to get there.

How to get to the Tokyo Edo Museum

The Edo Tokyo museum is easily accessible from the JR Sobu Line, 3 minutes walk from the West Exit at Ryogoku station. Alternatively, take the subway Toei Oedo Line, and the museum is a 1 minute walk from the A4 Exit at Ryogoku Station.

The vital statistics: Hours, times, etc.

What's next? Planning your Tokyo itinerary

If you're busy working out what you're going to do while you're in Tokyo, head over to our Tokyo tours page and get busy building your itinerary.

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