# Nara National Museum > The Nara National Museum is Japan's main museum of Buddhist art, in Nara Park between Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji. The permanent collection of statues is in an 1894 building. Entry is about ¥700, free under 18. It opens 9:30–17:00 and closes on Mondays. In autumn it hosts the Shosoin treasures show. It's 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-national-museum - City: [Nara](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara), Japan - YesGo score: 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Entry: ≈ ¥700; under 18 free - With kids: Fine with kids - Permanent collection: About ¥700; free under 18 - Hours: Roughly 9:30–17:00 - Closed: Mondays; 28 December–1 January - Shosoin exhibition: Late October–early November, separate ticket - Highlight: Buddhist sculpture from the 7th–13th centuries - Getting there: 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara through the park - Coordinates: 34.68370, 135.83640 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1894** — the year the original Western-style building was built (source: en.wikipedia) - **Leading** — museum of Buddhist art in Japan (source: en.wikipedia) - **Shosoin** — the annual autumn show of imperial treasures (source: en.wikipedia) - **Underground passage** — links the old building with the new wings (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ ¥700** — entry to the permanent collection (source: travel guides) - **Under 18** — free entry (source: travel guides) - **Monday** — closing day (source: travel guides) - **15 minutes** — on foot from Kintetsu-Nara station (source: travel guides) ## What is the Nara National Museum? The **Nara National Museum**, Narahaku, is one of Japan's four national museums and the country's leading museum of **Buddhist art**. It stands in the middle of **Nara Park**, between Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji, so you'll meet deer on the way. The permanent collection is in the **original 1894 building**, a Western-style hall now called the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall and itself an Important Cultural Property. It holds **statues of buddhas and bodhisattvas** from the 7th to 13th centuries, from Nara's temples and across Japan. An underground passage connects it to the new wings, which host temporary exhibitions. > **The Shosoin treasures show** Every autumn, from late October to early November, the museum shows treasures from the Shosoin, the 8th-century imperial storehouse at Todai-ji. It's Japan's museum event of the year: separate ticket, queues of several hours, extended opening hours. In 2026 it ran from 24 October to 9 November. The rest of the year it's quiet. ## Tickets and hours According to 2026 guides, entry to the permanent collection is **about ¥700**, and **free for visitors under 18**. The museum opens roughly **9:30 to 17:00** and closes on **Mondays** (or the next day if Monday is a holiday), as well as from 28 December to 1 January. Temporary exhibitions in the new wings need a separate, pricier ticket that depends on the show. The museum's official site didn't load from our server, so check prices and dates before you go. ## What to see - **The Buddhist Sculpture Hall** — the 1894 building. - **Statues of buddhas and bodhisattvas** from the 7th–13th centuries. - **The Bronze Hall** — ancient Chinese bronze vessels. - **The new wings** with temporary exhibitions. - **The Shosoin exhibition** — every autumn. - **The tea house** in the museum garden. ## How to get to the Nara National Museum 1. **From Kintetsu-Nara** — about 15 minutes on foot east through the park. 2. **From JR Nara** — about 30 minutes on foot, or a city bus. 3. **Bus** — to the Himuro-jinja / Kokuritsu-hakubutsukan stop. 4. **From Kofuku-ji** — about 5 minutes on foot. 5. **From Todai-ji** — about 10 minutes on foot. ## Nara museum or Tokyo National Museum | | Nara museum | Tokyo museum | | --- | --- | --- | | Focus | Buddhist art | All Japanese art | | Where | Nara Park | Ueno Park | | Entry | ≈ ¥700 | Separate ticket | | Time | 1–1.5 hours | 2–3 hours | ## How long do you need? Allow **1–1.5 hours** for the permanent collection. The museum fits neatly between Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji, right on the route through the park. It's a good place to escape rain or heat — the halls are cool and quiet. If you've seen Todai-ji's Great Buddha and Kofuku-ji's Ashura, the museum shows how Buddhist sculpture developed over six centuries. The statues have English labels. Photographing exhibits is usually not allowed — watch for the signs at the entrance to each hall. ## Is the Nara National Museum worth visiting? Yes, if you're interested in Buddhist art: there's no collection of statues like it anywhere else in Japan. The YesGo take: without an interest in sculpture, halls full of statues can feel repetitive. If you have one day in Nara, better to see statues in the temples themselves. And during the Shosoin show, expect queues of hours — go only for the show itself. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Not a Monday - [ ] About ¥700 for entry - [ ] Free under 18 - [ ] Shosoin exhibition dates - [ ] Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji nearby ## Museums: compare and choose Museums and historic sights rated by YesGo. - [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 - [Kofuku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kofuku-ji) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; museum ≈ ¥900 - [Naramachi](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/naramachi) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · free - [Heijo Palace Site](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/heijo-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free - [Nara National Museum](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-national-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ ¥700; under 18 free - [Kasuga Taisha](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kasuga-taisha) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · outer area free; corridors ¥700 - [Yakushi-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/yakushi-ji) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥1,000 - [Horyu-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/horyu-ji) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥2,000 ## Nara in a day Kofuku-ji in the morning, then the Nara National Museum, and Todai-ji's Great Buddha and the deer in the afternoon. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Kofuku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/kofuku-ji) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · grounds free; museum ≈ ¥900 2. [Nara National Museum](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-national-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ ¥700; under 18 free 3. [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥800 4. [Nara Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/nara-park) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free ## Good to know The Nara National Museum is not the Todai-ji Museum or Kofuku-ji's National Treasure Museum, which have their own tickets. It's also known as Narahaku. ## Tips - Closed on Mondays. - Free under 18. - Good in rain or heat. - Shosoin show — autumn, queues. - On the way: [Todai-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/nara/todai-ji). ## Questions ### How much is entry to the Nara National Museum? About ¥700 for the permanent collection; free under 18. ### What are the opening hours? Roughly 9:30–17:00. ### When is it closed? On Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a holiday). ### What is the Shosoin exhibition? An annual autumn display of 8th-century imperial treasures. ### How do I get there? 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara through Nara Park. ### How long do you need? 1–1.5 hours. ### What's in the collection? Buddhist sculpture, painting and bronzes. ### What's nearby? Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji and Nara Park. ## How we checked The building, collection and Shosoin exhibition are from Wikipedia. Price, hours and closing day are from 2026 guides, so they are marked 'being checked'. Time needed is the YesGo estimate. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Nara National Museum — the 1894 building, collection, Shosoin exhibition - 2026 travel guides — price, hours, closing day, 2026 Shosoin dates (unofficial; narahaku.go.jp didn't load on 09.11.2026) - Wikidata Q147312 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.