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History of Tokyo at Edo-Tokyo Museum

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Tokyo, Japan

Aug. 14, 2013 by

Wonderful place that showcases permanent exhibitions of Tokyo during the Edo period and has additional exhibitions of the World War II period.

Tips & Advice
  • What: Edo-Tokyo Museum 
  • Where: 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015 [Map]
  • When: 9:30am until 5pm (Monday closed)
  • Price: ¥600 Yen ($5 USD)
     
  • Why: History of Tokyo in the Edo period (1603-1868)
  • Tickets: Available at door
  • Notes: Located next to the Tokyo Skytree & Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Wrestling stadium) in case you want to visit another attraction closeby.
  • Similar: Edo Wonderland

Tokugawa Ieyasu - the first Shogun of Japan in Tokyo, Japan edo-tokyo museum in Japan in Tokyo, Japan the old streets of Tokyo at the edo-tokyo museum in Japan in Tokyo, Japan edo-tokyo museum in Japan in Tokyo, Japan

Breathtaking museum of the history of Tokyo during the Edo period. It was established in 1993 and is a must-see during your trip through Japan.

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The main features of the permanent exhibitions are the life-size replica of the Nihonbashi, which was the bridge leading into Edo; the Nakamuraza theatre; and scale models of towns and buildings from the Edo, Meiji and Shōwa periods.

an EDO kabuki theater at the Edo-Tokyo museum in Japan in Tokyo, Japan an EDO kabuki theater at the Edo-Tokyo museum in Japan

The museum is located in Ryōgoku adjacent to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. It was designed by Kiyonori Kikutake.

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The distinctive elevated shape of the museum building is modelled after an old storehouse in the kurazukuri style.

going for a ride in my private box in Tokyo, Japan going for a ride in my private box

One of the center pieces was a drawing of a Dutch vessel in the harbor of Nagasaki which intrigued me.

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It also had a copy on display with the official seclution theory which was put into place by the Shogun, isolating Japan from the rest of the world, except for Holland (the Netherlands).

ancient shrine roof at the edo-tokyo museum in Japan in Tokyo, Japan ancient shrine roof at the edo-tokyo museum in Japan

During the French Revolution and the take over of the Netherlands by Napoleon, the little Dutch island Deijima off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan was the last piece of Dutch territory left not under French rule. I found this fact to be quite surprising, to think that Holland was only officially in Japan.

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There is a lot to see, so take an entire morning + afternoon to browse through all the items on display. Please keep in mind that the museum closes at 5:00pm. Check out the Edo-Tokyo Museum website for more information.

Are you planning a trip to Japan anytime soon? Read all my posts about Japan here.
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