Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography deals with two areas of specialization, photography and video, in a comprehensive manner. The strong support of the members of "Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography Club" allows the club to broaden its rich and exquisite activities and expand its network of participation and exchange. We also have a quick-stop museum shop on the first floor that carries books and goods related to photography and video.
Address |
153-0062 Yebisu Garden Place , 1-13-3 Mita Meguro-ku Tokyo |
Phone |
(813) 3280 0099 |
Fax |
(813) 3280 0033 |
Admission Price |
Entrance fees vary depending on the exhibition and performance. |
Admission Hours |
10:00am to 6:00pm (until 8:00pm on Thursdays and Fridays)
Closed every Monday (When a closure day is a public holiday or a substitute holiday, it is the next day) |
Access |
7 minutes walk from the East exit of the Yebisu station, JR Yamanote line
(at the Yebisu Garden Place )
The museum has no private parking facilities. Please use the parking space at the Yebisu Garden Place if you are visiting by car. |
Tokyo Science Museum
The Science Museum, founded by the Japan Science Foundation, opened its doors in April l964 to promote public understanding of science and technology. Visitors range from children to grown-ups, centering on young people. The number of families is also on the increase in recent years.
Exhibits are mostly interactive. You are invited to manipulate and play with them. We hope that you will find them interesting as well as challenging.
Progress in science and technology is very rapid and impressive. So, we are constantly renewing and updating our exhibits. You will have access to newest scientific and technological advances.
Address |
2-1 Kitanomaru Park Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0091 |
Phone |
(813) 3212 2440 |
Fax |
(813) 3212 8540 |
Admission Price |
· Single rate
· Adults |
600 yen |
· Senior and Junior high school students |
400 yen |
· Elementary school students and children 4 years old and over |
250 yen |
· Group rate
· Adults |
500 yen |
· Senior and Junior high school students |
300 yen |
· Elementary school students and children 4 years old and over |
200 yen |
|
Admission Hours |
9:30am – 4:50pm
Please enter the museum by at least 4:00 p.m.
Closed December 29 - January 3 |
Access |
· By train
- 7-minute walk from Takebashi Station on the Eidan Tozai line
- 7-minute walk from Kudanshita Station on the Eidan Tozai line
- 7-minute walk from Kudanshita Station on the Eidan Hanzomon line
- 7-minute walk from Kudanshita Station on the Toei Shinjuku line
· By car
- Parking is available inside Kitanomaru Park (under the Environment Agency's jurisdiction)
· Tour bus : |
1000 yen for 3 hours (200 yen for each additional hour) |
· Car : |
400 yen for 3 hours (100 yen for each additional hour) |
|
Kyoto National Museum
Since its founding in 1897, the Kyoto National Museum-located in the early capital of Japan with its long history and rich culture has enjoyed many visitors. The cultural arts that flourished here spread to the rest of Japan, creating artistic expressions often defined as "Japanese." In this sense, most of what is called Japanese art and culture are closely connected to Kyoto.
Address / Location |
The Kyoto National Museum is located in the Higashiyama district in southeastern Kyoto . To get to the Museum, go to the JR or Kintetsu Kyoto Station and take City Bus #206 or #208, or take the Keihan Line to Shichijo Station and walk to the Museum. |
Phone |
(817) 5541 1151 |
Admission Price |
General admission to The Collections Hall:
Adult 420 yen (210 yen, group admission)
College or high school student 130 yen (70 yen, group admission)
Free admission for elementary and middle school students, visitors with disabilities and their attendants, and individuals over seventy years old (I.D. required)
Special Exhibitions require a separate admission fee (includes entrance to The Collections Hall).
Free admission on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month and on September 15th (Respect for the Aged Day). |
Admission Hours |
9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday).
Closed every Monday (When a closure day is a public holiday or a substitute holiday, it is the next day)
During special exhibitions, the hours are extended until 6:00 p.m. (on Fridays, until 8 p.m.). Last entry thirty minutes before closing.
The Museum is closed over the winter holiday. |
Access |
The museum visitor parking lot is located next to the Shichijo entrance of the Museum. Space is limited, so all visitors with cars may not be accommodated. Groups visiting the Museum are required to make reservations for parking.
The Museum is accessible for users of wheelchairs and baby strollers. Although limited in number, we also offer use of free wheelchairs and baby strollers. Our museum staff will also assist those in need to go to the second-floor exhibition galleries. Please feel free to let us know if assistance is required. All our restrooms are wheelchair accessible and baby-friendly. |
Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto is a nationa1 institution devoted to the collection and preservation of art works and related reference materials of the 20th century in Japan and other parts of the world. Particular emphasis is put on the artists or artistic movements in Kyoto and the Kansai (the western districts of Japan).
The Museum also regularly holds in parallel both permanent exhibits to display works mainly from the Museum's collection and special exhibitions of the art and crafts of Japan and other parts of the world, each based on a theme.
Address |
Enshoji-cho, Okazaki , Sakyoto-ku, Kyoto 606-8344
|
Phone |
(817) 5761 4111 |
Admission Price |
N/A |
Admission Hours |
9:30am - 5:00pm (admission until 4:30pm)
Every Friday evening from April 4 to Octover 10, opening hours will be extended until 8:00pm (admission until 7:30pm) except May 16, july 4, August 22, August 29
Closed on Mondays. |
Access |
From JR and Kintetsu Kyoto Station (A1 spot):
Take the City Bus 5 and get off at Kyoto-kaikan-bijutsukan-mae.
From Hankyu Karasuma, Kawaramachi and Keihan Sanjo Stations:
Take the City Buses 5, 32, 46 and get off at Kyoto-kaikan-bijutukan-mae.
Other City Buses:
Take the City Buses 201, 202, 203, 206 and get off at Higashiyama-Nijo, 5 minutes walk.
Subway Tozai Line:
5 minutes walk from Higashiyama Station.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto does not have a parking lot, but the Okazaki koen Parking Lot can be used for a fee. |
Shopping in Japan
The cost of living in Tokyo is very expensive, but there are many places you can shop inexpensively. Also, you can easily find Japanese traditional products and the latest goods in Tokyo.
Shopping hours in Japan is usually from 10am to 7-8pm. Most stores are open weekends and holidays except some specialty stores. In Japan, you need to pay 5% consumption tax in addition to the price. Japanese department stores are fun places to shop. They carry many kinds of traditional Japanese goods as well as the latest fashions. Check out the store sales, which are usually held in July, August, December, and January.
Places to Shop in Tokyo
Ginza (JR Ginza Station)
Many major department stores are located here. You can find good quality Japanese traditional items.
- Matsuya Department Store (813) 3567 1211
- Mikimono (813) 3591 5001
The famous pearls store.
- Mitsukoshi Department Store (813) 3562 1111
- Seibu Department store (813) 3286 0111
- Wako store (813) 3562 2111
Good place to find Seiko watches.
Shinjyuku (JR Shinjyuku station)
There are discount camera stores and many department stores located here. Also, check out the underground shopping area at the Shinjuku station.
- Isetan department store (813) 3352 1111
- Kinokuniya bookstore (813) 3354 0131
- Takashimaya Times Square (813) 5361 1122
This is a large shopping complex. There are video game arcades, theaters, and more.
- Yodobashi Camera (813) 3346 1010
One of the biggest discount camera shops in Japan. It is right in front of the Shinjuku station.
Harajyuku (JR Harajyuku station/ Omote sando station/Yoyogi koen station/Meiji Jingu mae station)
A popular shopping spot for young people. You can find inexpensive items and second hand items here.
- La Foret (813) 3475 0411
It's a large store, which sells very fashionable clothing.
- Oriental Bazaar (813) 3400 3933
You can buy traditional Japanese clothing and crafts in reasonable price. Good place to find souvenirs.
- Togo Shrine Flea Market
You can find antiques. Visit on the first, fourth, and fifth Sundays.
- Yoyogi Park Flea Market
Open some Sundays.
(JR or Tokyo subway Shibuya station)
This is also a popular shopping spot for young people. Also, there are department stores here.
- Parco (813) 3464 5111
Mainly sells fashionable clothing.
- Seibu Department Store (813) 3462 0111
- Tower Records and Books (813) 3496 3661
You can buy books, magazines, and CDs in lower prices than other stores.
Akihabara (JR Akihabara station)
This area is called electric town. There are over 500 shops that sell electronics. The prices are about 30% lower than the regular prices, and you can bargain too. Even if you are not shopping here, it's a fun place to visit. Check out the latest Japanese electronic products.
Ueno Ameyoko (JR Ueno station/ Okachimachi station)
There are over 300 stalls selling fish, vegetables, bags, shoes, watches, clothes, and more. This narrow street gets very crowded with people in the evening. If you shop here, you can save lots of money.
Aoyama (Tokyo Subway Gaien-mae station or Aoyama ichome station.)
Japan Traditional Craft Center (813) 3403 2460
Here you can find traditional crafts from all over Japan. Prices are high, but it's worth the visit.
Tsukiji Market (Tokyo Subway Tuskiji station)
This is the biggest fish wholesale market in Japan. If you visit the market in the early morning, you get to see the auctions for huge tuna!
If you want to shop in Duty Free shops, International Arcade (813) 3571 1528 at Hibiya station is one place to go. Remember to bring your passport.
Have fun shopping in Tokyo!
Japanese Festivals
Nara Todaiji Temple Omizutori Festival: Ceremony of Water and Fire
The ceremony of water and fire in Nara Todai-ji temple is called shuni-e ceremony, which is also known as Omizutori. It's said that spring comes to Nara, with the end of this festival. Shuni-e ceremony is held from March 1st to 14th (it's in February in the lunar calendar) every year at Todaiji temple, Nara. Todaiji temple is well known for hosting Japan's largest Buddha statue. Shuni-e means the ceremony of February in Japanese and is the series of Buddhist rituals, in which priests pray to the eleven-headed goddess Kannon by confessing their sins and defilement. The ceremony is held at nigatsudo hall. Eleven priests, called rengyoshu, pray for nation's prosperity and world peace by strengthening their piety through religious exercise. This ceremony has been practiced every year for more than 1200 years.
Access: Take the Nara city bus Loop line to the Daibutsuden-mae stop from JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara station. To get to Nara from Kyoto and Osaka, it takes about 40 minutes by train.
Kyoto Gion Festival
The ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto is taken back in time during the Gion festival, by Yasaka shrine (gion was the old name of this shrine.) Gion festival is one of the biggest festivals in Japan. This Japanese festival begins July 1st and lasts until July 31st. At this time, there are many street vendors with games and Japanese festival food. Also, many people who go to this festival wear yukata and geta, which are traditional Japanese outfits. It is said that the summer of Kyoto begins with the Gion Matsuri. It is a traditional summer festivity. Gion festival was started in 869 A.D when a bad plague spread through Kyoto. In the first festival, young men carried numbers of wooden floats. It was a divine intervention to stop the plague. The plague soon ended, and this event became a popular festival In the Edo Era, the current form of the decorated floats appeared in the festival.
There are many events held during this festival, but the highlights are Yoi-yama on the 16th and Yamahoko-junko on the 17th. At Yoi-yama, people open the doors of their houses to show their treasured old folding screens. Yamahoko-junko is the parade of colorful floats through downtown Kyoto. The floats are pulled through the streets by teams of men dressed in traditional costumes. Each of the large floats carries musicians.
There are two kinds of floats: yama and hoko. Yama are smaller floats (weight: 1.2 ton - 1.6 ton, height: about 6m) and carried by people on their shoulders. Hoko are giant floats (weight: 4.8 ton - 12 ton, height: about 25m) on large wooden wheels and pulled by people. There are 32 floats in the parade: 25 yama floats and 7 hoko floats. The floats are decorated with tapestries or fabrics from Nishijin, Kyoto. Many of them were imported from India, Belgium, Persia, Turkey and other countries in the 15th century.
The most interesting thing to see during yamahoko-junko is the turns of big floats at an intersection. They are hinged on blocks of wood to get them to turn at right angles. Men pulling the floats chant loudly, "yoi, yoi, yoi to sei! " accompanied with traditional Japanese music played by people who are on the second story of the two-story floats. Yamahoko-junko is the one thing you can not miss during this festival.
Access: Kyoto is located in 200 miles west of Tokyo and next to Osaka. It takes about 3 hours by a bullet train (Tokaido Shinkansen) from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Sapporo Snow Fesival
The annual Sapporo Snow Festival is the most famous winter festival in Japan and attracts many people from all over the world. This festival is held in early February and lasts about a week. More than 300 large snow statues are exhibited in three sites in Sapporo-city, Hokkaido: Odori Park, Makomanai and Susukino areas. At night those ice statues are illuminated, and the views are incredible. You can view beautiful Sapporo Snow Festival photos.
Sapporo-city is the capital of Hokkaido prefecture, and the population is about 1.75 million. It is located in the south of Hokkaido island.
Many travel agencies sells tours to visit the Sapporo Snow Festival, and those tours usually include transportation and accommodations.
Joining the tour could be cheaper and easier than planning your own tour. Please check the local travel agencies if you are in Japan.
It is very cold in Sapporo in February, so you need to dress warm when going to see the snow statues. You should wear thermal underwear and a sweater and then an overcoat like a ski jacket. Also, you should bring a hat or ear-warmer and gloves. The sidewalks are icy, so you need to walk very carefully. When you get very cold, it might be a good idea to stop at a ramen noodle shop. Sapporo is famous for tasty ramen noodles, and there are many ramen noodle shops around the city.
Japanese Plum Festivals
As the weather becomes warmer, the nature becomes beautiful. It is time to go out and enjoy the beginning of the spring in Japan. February is the best time for viewing plum blossoms in the Honshu region, Japan. Take a walk in your neighborhood to view the pretty plum blossoms! Also, visit plum blossom festivals held at this time of the year.
Plum Festivals in Japanese Gardens:
Atami Plum Garden (Atami Baien)
Atami baien is located in Atami-city, Shizuoka Pref. Atami baien is 15min. by bus from Atami station. To get to Atami station, take the JR Tokaido line train or Tokaido Shinkansen. It takes about one hour if you take shinkansen from Tokyo and about two hours from Osaka. From Atami station, take the bus for Aino-hara-Danchi or for Baien to Baien-mae stop
There are about 800 plum trees in the garden and they are usually in full bloom until the end of March. There will be also various events on Saturdays and Sundays during this festival.
Mito Kairaku-en Plum Festival
Kairakuen Park is located in Mito-city, Ibaraki Pref. From late February to early March each year, the Plum Festival is held. Kairakuen Park is one of the three great parks of Japan: the other two are Kenrokuen Park in Kanazawa and Korakuen Park in Okayama. The ninth Mito Clan Lord, Nariaki Tokugawa created this park in 1841. This 13-hectare park has 3,000 plum trees of 100 varieties, so you can view pink and white blossoms all over. Mito is just north of Tokyo. It takes about one hour by the JR Joban line express train to Mito from Ueno, Tokyo.
Tanabata: Japanese Star Festival
July 7th is called Tanabata in Japan. It's a Japanese tradition wherein people write their wishes on tanzaku paper (colorful, small strips of paper) and hang them on bamboo branches. People also hang many kinds of paper decorations on bamboo branches and place them outside their houses. People celebrate the day at home and in schools. Many cities and towns hold festivals and have Tanabata displays decorating the main streets. In some regions, people light lanterns and float them on the river, or float bamboo leaves on the river.
The most common Tanabata decorations are colorful streamers. Streamers are said to symbolize the weaving of threads. Other common decorations are Toami (casting net), which means good luck for fishing and farming and Kinchaku (bag), which means wealth.
Tanabata originated more than 2000 years ago with an old Chinese tale called Kikkoden. Once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they were playing all the time and forgot their jobs. The king was angry at them and separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way). The king allowed them to meet only once a year on July 7th. This is why Tanabata is also called the Star Festival. People say that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't meet each other if July 7th is rainy, so they pray for good weather and also make wishes for themselves.
In many regions in Japan, Tanabata is celebrated on August 7th (which is near July 7th on the lunar calendar) instead of July 7th. If you are in Japan around either day, I recommend that you stop by a Tanabata festival near your destination. Tanabata events are held all over Japan, but the festivals in Sendai-city, Miyagi Prefecture and Hiratsuka-city, Kanagawa Prefecture are particularly well-known. Huge Tanabata decorations fill the main streets in these cities and attract millions of visitors every year. It's fun to walk through the long streamers on the street. Sendai Tanabata is held around August 7 and Hiratsuka Tanabata is held around July 7th every year. Both festivals last a few days, so try to visit either city if you are in Japan during this time
Access: Take JR Shinkansen Yamabiko from Tokyo station to Sendai station. (Two and half hours.)Access to Hiratsuka:Take JR Tokaido Line from Tokyo station to Hirakata station. (One hour.)
Miscellaneous
Sensoji Temple, Asakusa
Tokyo's most revered Buddhist temple and a site of pilgrimage and tourism for many centuries, Sensoji Temple was founded in 628AD to enshrine a gold statuette of the Kannon Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy). The temple and its five-storey pagoda are concrete reconstructions, but the temple precincts are nevertheless always bustling with worshippers. Smoke from the huge incense burner in front of the temple is said to have healing powers.
The impressive Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) is famous for its enormous red paper lantern and fearsome guardian statues, and the temple approach is lined with shops selling traditional sweets and souvenirs. This area was the centre of Shitamachi (downtown) during the Edo period, and the streets, shops and restaurants surrounding the temple still preserve something of the flavour of old Edo. The great Sanja festival takes place annually in Asakusa on the third weekend in May. Over one hundred mikoshi (portable shrines) are paraded through the streets, accompanied by great celebration and huge crowds.
2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku
Tel: (813) 3842 5566 (Asakusa Cultural and Sightseeing Centre).
Access: Asakusa station, eastern terminus of Ginza underground line.
Opening hours: Daily 0600-1700.
Admission: Free.
Tokyo Tocho (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices)
Located in bustling Shinjuku, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices are notable both for their extraordinary architecture and for the splendid free observation decks on the 45th floor. Designed by Kenzo Tange, one of Japan's top architects, the monumental twin towers are said to be inspired by Notre Dame, but the imposing granite façade rather brings to mind scenes of Batman's Gotham City. The observation decks, one in each tower, are reached by high-speed elevator and give spectacular views over the city. It is said that on particularly fine days one can see Mount Fuji.
2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: (813) 5320 7890.
Access: Shinjuku station (then ten-minute walk - follow the underground passage leading west); or Tochomae station on Toei Oedo underground line.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-2200.
Admission: Free.
Meiji-jingu (Meiji Shrine)
One of Japan's finest examples of Shinto architecture, the atmospheric Meiji Shrine is tucked away in the centre of a dark, cool forest, an unexpected oasis in the centre of the city. Passing through a vast wooden torii gate, the visitor follows the wide gravel path through the forest and into the shrine precincts. Completed in 1920, the shrine honours the memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, under whose reign Japan rapidly modernised and reopened to the outside world.
On weekends it is often possible to see a traditional wedding procession, and the precincts are one of the best places to witness the finery and festivities of New Year, Coming of Age Day (January 15), and the children's festival Shichi-Go-San (weekends around November 15). The Jingu Naien Garden in the shrine grounds is well worth visiting in June for the spectacular displays of irises.
1-1 Kamizono-cho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku
Access: Harajuku station on the JR Yamanote loop line; or Meiji-jingumae station on the Chiyoda underground line.
Opening hours: Daily dawn to dusk (shrine); daily 0900-1630 (Jingu Naien Garden).
Admission: Free (shrine); ¥500 (Jingu Naien Garden).
Kyoko Higashi Gyoen (Imperial Palace East Garden)
The Imperial Palace East Garden, on the site of the old Edo Castle of the shoguns, is the only part of the Imperial Palace that is regularly open to the public. Entered through the Otemon Gate, once the main entrance to the castle, it is a pleasant formal garden, surrounded by a section of the original moat and incorporating walls and foundations of the inner castle. Special features include a tea house, pond and waterfall.
Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku
Access: Nijubashimae station on the Chiyoda underground line.
Opening hours: Tues-Thurs, Sat and Sun 0900-1500.
Admission: Free.
Edo-Tokyo Hakubutsukan (Edo-Tokyo Museum)
Housed in what looks like a colossal white spaceship, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is a wonderful place to get a feel for Tokyo's history and culture, from the Edo of the shoguns up to the post-war reconstruction. There are full-size models of period buildings and the Nihombashi 'Bridge of Japan', and engaging displays present the daily life and customs of the city's past.
1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku
Tel: (813) 3626 8000
Web site: www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp
Access: Ryogoku station on JR Sobu line.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (Thurs and Fri until 2000).
Admission: ¥600.
Ueno Koen (Ueno Park)
Once the site of temples and nobles' mansions, Ueno Park is now Tokyo's premier cherry blossom viewing spot, and home to several important museums and Tokyo Zoo. The park is dotted with historically interesting temples and shrines, including the Tokyo 'branch' of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
The Tokyo National Museum houses treasures of Japanese art through the ages, while the National Museum of Western Art and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum host important visiting exhibitions.
Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: Ueno station on the JR Yamanote loop line.
Opening hours:
Daily dawn to dusk (park);
Tues-Sun 0900-1700 (Tokyo Metropolitan Museum);
Tues-Sun 0900-1630 (Tokyo National Museum);
Tues-Sun 0930-1700 (National Museum of Western Art);
Tues-Sun 0930-1630 (Tokyo Zoo)
Admission: Free (park and Tokyo Metropolitan Museum); ¥420 (Tokyo National Museum and National Museum of Western Art); ¥500 (Tokyo Zoo).
Odaiba (Tokyo Teleport Town)
A group of artificial islands in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo Teleport Town is billed to become Tokyo's 'Waterfront Town for the Twenty-First Century'. The focus of much futuristic development, the area incorporates prestigious business premises, parks, tourist attractions and spectacular modern architecture.
The Fuji Television Center designed by Kenzo Tange, the Decks Tokyo Beach shopping and restaurant complex and the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) are fast becoming Tokyo's new landmarks, and the ship-shaped Museum of Maritime Science has excellent displays and hands-on exhibits. The driverless monorail ride to and from the island, which gives superb views of the area, is an attraction in itself.
Access: Yurikamome monorail line from Shimbashi station.
