Immerse Yourself in Chiyoda’s Museums
If you ever pass through Chiyoda, one of Tokyo’s 23 special wards, make it a point to visit its museums. Aside from being the location of a large portion of the Imperial Palace, the Diet, and the Supreme Court, it is also home to many well-known museums where you can get lost in the history and culture of Japan.
Some of the popular museums in Chiyoda:
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (MOMAT) houses thousands of contemporary Japanese art installations: paintings, sculptures, woodblock prints, and photographs. The museum has several other facilities such as the Crafts Gallery and the National Film Center. The Crafts Gallery holds exhibits on works made of fabric, pottery, wood finish, and the like. The National Film Center hosts all things related to Japanese cinema and has over 40,000 films in its collection.
Location: 3-1, Kitanomaru-Koen. Open 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is 420 yen for adults, 130 yen for students, and 70 yen for children. This may vary if there’s a special exhibit.
Science Museum
Chiyoda’s Science Museum is the biggest science museum in Japan. The 5-story building contains fascinating exhibits that vary from agriculture and electricity to space and nuclear technologies.
The museum also has a science club to support children’s (at least third year elementary) love for science through experiments, workshops, and other activities.
Location: 2-1, Kitanomaru-Koen. Open 9:30 am to 4:50 pm. Admission for adults is 600 yen. For junior and senior high school students it is 400 yen, and 250 yen for those ages 4 and older.
Meiji University Museum
The Meiji University Museum is divided into three departments:
Commodity Department—showcases traditional handicrafts such as lacquerware and dyed textiles, and displays the process, from the raw materials and designs to the final products.
Criminal Materials Department—the focus is on criminological history, with artifacts that include instruments of torture and execution, and devices to catch criminals.
Archeology Department—artifacts from different periods of Japanese history, such the Paleolithic Era and the Great Burial Period.
Location: 1-1, Kanda-Surugadai. Open 10:00 am to 6:30 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, until 4:30 pm on Wednesday to Friday, and until 12:30 pm on Saturdays. Admission is free.
