# Tokyo National Museum > The Tokyo National Museum is Japan's oldest and largest art museum, in Ueno Park. It holds samurai armour and swords, ukiyo-e prints, kimono and Buddhist sculpture — about 120,000 objects. The permanent collection costs ¥1,000. It's open 9:30 to 17:00, until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and closed on Mondays. Web page: https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/tokyo-national-museum - City: [Tokyo](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo), Japan - YesGo score: 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Entry: ¥1,000; students ¥500 - With kids: Fine with kids - Permanent collection: ¥1,000 adults, ¥500 university students - Hours: 9:30–17:00; Fri and Sat until 20:00 - Closed: Mondays (if a holiday, the next day) - Special exhibitions: Separate ticket and their own hours - Free days 2026: 19 May, 21 September, 3 November - Getting there: 10 minutes from Ueno or Uguisudani stations - Coordinates: 35.71889, 139.77639 - Facts checked: 09.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Oldest** — national museum in Japan, and the largest art museum (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ 120,000** — objects in the collection (source: en.wikipedia) - **89** — National Treasures of Japan in the collection (source: en.wikipedia) - **≈ 3,000** — objects on show at once — displays rotate (source: en.wikipedia) - **4–8 weeks** — how often items are changed (source: en.wikipedia) - **Honkan** — the main building — Japanese art (source: en.wikipedia) - **¥1,000** — permanent collection entry (source: tnm.jp) - **Until 20:00** — on Fridays and Saturdays (source: tnm.jp) ## What is the Tokyo National Museum? The **Tokyo National Museum** is Japan's oldest national museum and its **largest art museum**. It stands in the north of **Ueno Park** and holds about **120,000 objects** of Japanese and Asian art, including **89 National Treasures**. Around 3,000 objects are on display at any one time, and the displays change every 4–8 weeks, so every visit is a little different. The museum has several buildings: the main **Honkan** with Japanese art, the **Toyokan** with Asian art, the **Horyu-ji Treasures Gallery** and halls for special exhibitions. > **Tickets and hours** According to the official site, the permanent collection costs ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for university students; you can buy tickets online on your phone. The museum opens 9:30 to 17:00, and until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It's closed on Mondays. Special exhibitions need a separate ticket and keep their own hours. ## What to see The **Honkan** tells the story of Japanese art from ancient times to the 19th century: **samurai armour and swords**, folding screens, lacquerware, **kimono**, **ukiyo-e** prints and Buddhist sculpture. It's the main building and the place to start. The **Toyokan** shows art from China, Korea, Southeast Asia and the Silk Road. The modern **Horyu-ji Treasures Gallery** holds ancient Buddhist figures and masks from Horyu-ji temple in Nara. In front of the Honkan is a pond and garden with a view of the whole building. ## Museum highlights - **Samurai armour and swords** in the Honkan. - **Ukiyo-e prints** and Japanese painting. - **Kimono** and lacquerware. - **Buddhist sculpture**. - **The Horyu-ji Treasures** in their own gallery. - **Asian art** in the Toyokan. ## How to get to the museum 1. **JR Ueno station** — Park exit, about 10 minutes on foot through the park. 2. **JR Uguisudani station** — south exit, about 10 minutes. 3. **Ueno metro stations** (Ginza, Hibiya lines) — about 15 minutes. 4. **Keisei-Ueno station** — about 15 minutes, handy from Narita. 5. There's no parking at the museum — come by train. ## Daytime or a Friday evening | | Daytime | Fri or Sat evening | | --- | --- | --- | | Hours | 9:30–17:00 | Until 20:00 | | Crowds | Busier, tour groups | Quieter | | Combine with | The park and zoo | Dinner in Ueno | | Price | ¥1,000 | ¥1,000 | ## How long do you need? Allow **1.5–2 hours** for the Honkan, or half a day for the whole museum. If you're short of time, focus on the Honkan: the armour, swords and prints are there. The museum combines easily with **Ueno Park** and **Ameyoko** market. On Friday and Saturday evenings it's quieter, and you can have dinner in Ueno afterwards. ## Is the Tokyo National Museum worth visiting? Yes: it's the best place to see the full sweep of Japanese art in a couple of hours — from ancient statues to samurai armour and prints. The YesGo take: the museum is huge, and labels aren't always detailed. Make the Honkan your main goal, check it isn't a Monday, and come on a Friday evening when it's quieter. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Not a Monday - [ ] Ticket online — ¥1,000 - [ ] The Honkan first - [ ] Fri or Sat — for an evening visit - [ ] Ueno Park before or after ## Tokyo history and museums: compare and choose Museums and historic sites in Tokyo rated by YesGo. - [Tokyo Imperial Palace](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/tokyo-imperial-palace) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · free - [Senso-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/senso-ji) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · free - [Zojo-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/zojo-ji) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · free; gallery ¥700 - [Nezu Shrine](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/nezu-shrine) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · free; azalea garden paid in spring - [Yanaka](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/yanaka) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · free - [Tokyo National Museum](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/tokyo-national-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥1,000; students ¥500 - [Kabuki-za](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/kabuki-za) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · single act ¥1,600–10,800 (Nov 2026) - [Gotoku-ji](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/gotoku-ji) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free ## Ueno in a day The Tokyo National Museum in the morning, a walk round Ueno Park in the afternoon, and Ameyoko market towards evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Tokyo National Museum](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/tokyo-national-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥1,000; students ¥500 2. [Ueno Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/ueno-park) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · park free; zoo ¥600 3. [Ameyoko](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/ameyoko) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · free ## Good to know The Tokyo National Museum is not the national museums of Kyoto or Nara, nor the National Museum of Western Art, which stands in the same Ueno Park. ## Tips - Closed on Mondays. - Fri and Sat until 20:00. - Start with the Honkan. - Buy tickets online on your phone. - Nearby: [Ueno Park](https://yesgo.io/japan/tokyo/ueno-park). ## Questions ### How much is entry? The permanent collection is ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for university students; special exhibitions are extra. ### What are the opening hours? 9:30–17:00, until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. ### When is the museum closed? On Mondays (if a holiday, the next day) and at the end of December. ### What should I see first? The Honkan — samurai armour, swords, prints and kimono. ### How do I get there? 10 minutes on foot from JR Ueno or Uguisudani stations. ### Are there free days? In 2026: 19 May, 21 September and 3 November. ### How long do you need? 1.5–2 hours for the Honkan, half a day for the whole museum. ### Is there parking? No, it's best to come by train. ## How we checked Hours, permanent-collection prices, closing days, 2026 free days and access are from the museum's official site. Collection size, National Treasures and buildings are from Wikipedia. Special-exhibition prices and hours change, so we don't give them. The page doesn't list concessions for other visitor groups, so we don't either. ## Sources - Tokyo National Museum official site (tnm.jp) — hours, prices, closing days, free days, access (checked 09.11.2026) - English Wikipedia: Tokyo National Museum — collection, National Treasures, buildings - Wikidata Q653433 — coordinates - YesGo general facts for Japan — transport --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.