There are numerous museums and galleries with a difference dotted around in the proximity of Toei Transportation lines. Check these spots out, each with its own special flavor.
The Toyo Bunko Museum is the museum of a library specializing in Asian history and culture. It displays valuable materials, including national treasures, from its collection of about 1 million volumes. Its outstanding feature is the Morrison Collection, consisting of the personal collection of G.E. Morrison, a correspondent for the London Times.
| Access |
I-14 8-min.walk from Sengoku Station on the Toei Mita Line. |
| Address | 2-28-21 Honkomagome, Bunkyo Ward |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (no admission after 6:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Closed on Tuesdays (on Wednesday if Tuesday is a holiday) |
| Admission | General - 900 yen, 65 or over - 800 yen, university students - 700 yen, middle and high school students - 600 yen, elementary school students - 290 yen |
| Inquiries | 03-3942-0280 |
Taking water transportation in the Edo period as its theme, the museum introduces boat transport, the distribution of goods, sight-seeing spots, and more. It also features a diorama recreating the appearance of the area around the Nakagawa Bansho watchhouse, which oversaw boat transport on the Onagigawa River. The 3F observation deck affords a view of the site of the watchhouse and the scenery along the former Nakagawa and Onagigawa rivers.
| Access |
S-16 5-min.walk from Higashi-ojima Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. |
| Address | 9-1-15 Ojima, Koto City |
| Hours | 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (no admission after 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Closed on Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday), sometimes closed on other days. |
| Admission | Adults (including high school students) - 200 yen, middle and elementary students - 50 yen |
| Inquiries | 03-3636-9091 |
The Kite Museum is run by Taimeiken, a restaurant in the Nihombashi district. Besides Edo kites in rectangular, hexagonal, and other shapes, various other types of kite from all other parts of Japan are arrayed everywhere throughout the building. View kites, too, that could be termed further evolutions of conventional ones.
| Access |
A-13 2-min.walk from Nihombashi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. |
| Address | 1-12-10 Nihombashi, Chuo Ward |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Closed on Sundays and holidays |
| Admission | Adults - 200 yen, elementary and middle school students - 100 yen |
| Inquiries | 03-3275-2704 |
The museum's permanent display on the history of Japanese advertising consists of materials carefully selected from its collection of some 320,000 items, from the Edo period to the present, in combination with video and digital displays. In the library, visitors can view books related to advertising and marketing, and digital archives of advertising works.
| Access |
E-19 1-min.walk from Shiodome Station on the Toei Oedo Line.A-10 3-min.walk from Shimbashi Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. |
| Address | B2F Caretta Shiodome, 1-8-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato Ward |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Closed on Sundays and Mondays (sometimes closed on other days) |
| Admission | Free |
| Inquiries | 03-6218-2500 |
©撮影:上野則宏 協力: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE
This building, which was a public bath house with about a 200-year history, has been transformed into a gallery dedicated to contemporary art. It displays the works of leading-edge artists from Japan and abroad. It is now holding a group exhibition that will run until February 23 (Sat.) showcasing three young French artists' works.
| Access |
NT-01 12-min.walk from Nippori Station on the Nippori-toneri Liner. |
| Address | Site of Kashiwa Bath House, 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito Ward |
| Hours | 12:00 noon - 6:00 p.m. until February 23 (Sat.) |
| Closed | Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and holidays (closed during change of exhibition) |
| Inquiries | 03-3821-1144 |
This mini-museum is housed in part of the workshop of Tomita Dye Craft, which was founded in 1914. It shows the process of making fine-patterned and calico dyes, beginning with the production of dye patterns with a stencil, followed in order by steaming, rinsing, and drying. With an advance reservation, visitors can experience the dye process themselves (for fees beginning at 2,000 yen for offcut dyeing).
| Access |
SA-29 2-min.walk from Omokagebashi Station on the Tokyo Sakura Tram（Toden Arakawa Line）. |
| Address | 3-6-14 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku Ward |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays |
| Admission (viewing fee) | Free |
| Inquiries | 03-3987-0701 |
