A manuscript in the Tokyo National Museum. Photo: TMK, February 2009.
Tokyo National Museum is one of the best museums I’ve visited in the last couple of years. Beautifully laid out with plenty of space around the exhibited objects (preventing the clutter effect that causes that experience of information overload in certain other museums), nice display cases, useful labels, atmospheric light and wonderful gardens. I especially liked the Japanese galleries that took different approaches to the material on two floors, chronological on one and thematic on the other. The archaeology galleries are also world class, with lots of Jōmon material (including some of the earliest pottery known). Spending a day there was all in all the perfect antidote to Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Buddha Triad in the Asian Galleries, Tokyo National Museum. Photo: TMK, February 2009.
The museum’s attention to detail was also evident from these umbrella stands!
Umbrella stands, Tokyo National Museum. Photo: TMK, February 2009.
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