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Edo-Tokyo Museum
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Address: 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku
| About Museum |
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The museum was established on March 28, 1993 as a place to
preserve the historical heritage of Edo-Toyo. Here the visitors
can get acquainted with the history, culture and daily life
of Tokyo and its citizens from the Edo period (1603 - 1867)
till nowadays. One can trace how Edo, a small village, where
mainly poor fishermen lived, turned into a huge metropolis of
today. The building where the museum is housed is in futuristic
design inspired by an old warehouse. At its highest point the
building reaches 62.2 meters, and it has the same height as
the ancient castle of Edo. In the museum original and replicated
exhibits, which are the large-scale detailed representations
of their originals, are displayed.
The permanent exhibition divided into three main sections (Edo
Zone, Tokyo Zone and History Zone) is housed on the fifth and
sixth floors. It occupies about 9,000 square meters and displays
over 2,500 original prints, scrolls, kimonos, and maps, as well
as more than 50 full-sized replicas.
The History Zone is a small exhibit elucidating the history
of the place where the modern Tokyo is situated from the Paleolithic
Era to Showa Era.
To enter the Edo Zone one should pass the replica of Nihonbashi
Bridge that was the starting point for all roads leading out
of the old town, a sort of doorway from Edo to the world. The
replica of the Nihonbashi Bridge is of the same width as the
original (8 meters) but of half the length (51 meters). The
exhibition represents the life of shoguns, townspeople, craftsmen
and warriors as it was 200-400 years ago. Here you'll find the
model of Edo castle, the luxurious residences of noblemen and
the cramped poor quarters where the commoners lived. The life-size
reconstruction of the Nakamuraza Playhouse, where Kabuki Theater
was often performed, is an outstanding example of Japanese refined
architecture. On the signboards you can read the names of great
actors and plays performed there. Don't miss a miniature working
model of a Kabuki theater demonstrating the hidden secrets of
the stage. The exhibition elucidates different aspects of the
life of Edo in 1600 -1868: business, trades, crafts, popular
sports and even pleasure quarters.
In 1968, the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Edo that was given
a new name Tokyo ("eastern capital"). Thus the history
of the new capital began. Tokyo has survived the Great Kanto
earthquake, devastating air raids of World War II, economic
booms and recessions, periods of active westernization and the
renaissance of national traditions, social turmoil and the times
of prosper. The result of all these events is a huge metropolis
of nowadays rattling outside the museum's walls. The exhibition
ends with a video display providing a rather emotive look at
city life around the world today.
You can take advantage of a free museum tour conducted by volunteers.
The volunteers include English, German, French, Chinese, Korean,
Italian, Spanish, and Russian speakers, though guides in some
languages are not available on some days. Tours are available
only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The branch of the Edo-Tokyo Museum - the Edo-Tokyo Tatemono-En
- is located in Tokyo Metropolitan Koganei Park. It is an open-air
architectural museum where the historical building that couldn't
be preserved in their original locations are brought to, carefully
restored and displayed. The problem of preserving valuable architectural
heritage is exceptionally urgent for Tokyo, constantly suffering
from all kind of natural disasters like fires, flooding, earthquakes
and drastic social and economic changes. The museum displays
about two dozen buildings from the late Edo Period to the 1950s,
arranged along streets in a village setting. There you would
find thatch-roofed farmhouses, traditional Japanese and Western-style
residences, teahouse, soy-sauce shop, bathhouse, police box,
flower shop, and other buildings of certain historical value.
Inside the works of applied art, furniture and everyday objects
of that time are exhibited that helps to understand the culture
and lifestyle of Tokyo citizens. |
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