Tokugawa Art Museum (Tokugawa Bijutsukan)

Tokugawa Art Museum (Tokugawa Bijutsukan) Review

The seldom-displayed 12th-century hand scrolls of The Tale of Genji, widely recognized as the world's first novel, are housed here. Even when the scrolls are not available, beautiful relics of the lifestyle of the aristocratic, premodern samurai class—including swords and armor, tea-ceremony artifacts, Noh masks, clothing, and furnishings—fascinate visitors. If you're visiting specifically to see the scrolls, call the museum to make sure they are on display; if not, look for a later copy in Room 6. Or visit the Hosa Library rooms, which house an incredible collection of other ancient scrolls and texts, some dating to the 8th century. If you've got time, it's worth paying an additional ¥150 for entry to the adjacent Tokugawaen, an attractive Japanese garden modeled in the Edo style. Tokugawa Art Museum is a 10-minute walk south of Ozone Station, which is on the Meijo subway line and the JR Chuo Line.