Edo-Tokyo Museum facts for kids
| 江戸東京博物館 | |
Entrance of the Museum
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| Established | 1993 |
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| Location | 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan |
| Visitors | 1,876,205 (2015) |
The Edo-Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館 (Edo Tōkyō Hakubutsukan)) is a cool history museum in Tokyo, Japan. It opened in March 1993. This museum helps us learn about the amazing history and culture of Tokyo. It shows how the city changed from its old name, Edo, to the modern Tokyo we know today.
You can see awesome things like a full-size copy of the Nihonbashi bridge. This bridge was once the main entrance to Edo. The museum also has detailed small models of towns and buildings from different time periods in Japanese history. These include the Edo, Meiji, and Showa periods. It even has a model of the famous Nakamuraza theatre.
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Exploring the Edo-Tokyo Museum
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a great place to discover how people lived in Tokyo long ago. It's like stepping back in time!
What You Can See Inside
The museum has seven floors above ground and one below. The main exhibits are on the fifth and sixth floors. Here, you can explore the permanent collection. This collection shows the daily life and culture of Tokyo from 1590 all the way to 1964.
- Life-size bridge: Walk across a full-scale replica of the Nihonbashi bridge. Imagine what it was like when people crossed it centuries ago!
- Detailed models: See tiny, perfect models of old towns and buildings. These models show how Tokyo looked during different eras.
- Special exhibits: The museum also has temporary exhibits on the first and fifth floors. These often focus on different parts of Tokyo's history or culture.
- Library: On the seventh floor, there's a huge library. It has over half a million books and items about Edo and Tokyo.
The Museum Building: A Unique Design
The museum building itself is very special. It was designed by an architect named Kiyonori Kikutake. The building is about 62 meters (204 feet) tall. It looks like a traditional Japanese rice storehouse, called a takayuka-shiki. It's even the same height as the old Edo Castle!
The building stands on four huge columns. This means there's an open space, like a plaza, underneath it. A bright red escalator takes visitors from this plaza up to the main entrance on the third floor. Kikutake wanted the building to show off Japanese culture in a modern way.
How the Building Was Built
The architect, Kikutake, was chosen in a special competition. He wanted the museum to represent Japan as a world-class nation. The building's outside color, a whitish silver, was inspired by the roofs of old temples in Kyoto. Even the roof-like shape of the building comes from these traditional temples.
The four giant legs of the building were built first. Then, the upper parts of the museum were built sticking out over these legs. This design helps protect the valuable items inside. For example, 126 springs are placed throughout the building. These springs help absorb movement from vibrations or even earthquakes. This keeps the artifacts safe.
History of the Museum
The idea for the Edo-Tokyo Museum started in the early 1980s. The governor of Tokyo at the time, Suzuki Shun'ichi, wanted to create it. The museum was built in the Sumida ward. This area was chosen because the famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai was born there. Also, the Ryogoku district, where the museum is, was a very important place where Edo culture grew.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is now run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. It's a key part of learning about Tokyo's past.
Renovations and Future Plans
The museum closed for renovations in April 2022. It is expected to open its doors again by the end of 2025. This renovation will help make the museum even better for future visitors.
See also
- Japanese Instrument of Surrender § Current locations
Images for kids
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1/30 scale model of the Kamiyashiki of Matsudaira Tadamasa
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Inside the museum
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A view of the museum's unique architecture
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Another view of the museum's exterior
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A red escalator takes visitors from the plaza underneath the building to the internal entrance.
