National Museum of Japanese History

Welcome to the National Museum of Japanese History, colloquially known as Rekihaku. As a scholar of cultural evolution, I invite you to view this institution not merely as a repository of artifacts, but as a living bridge between…

We begin in Gallery One, which covers prehistoric and ancient times. Imagine a landscape dominated by the harsh conditions of the Ice Age, where the first inhabitants of these islands utilized stone tools and animal hides for…

Transitioning into Gallery Two, we move from the ancient pseudo-state into the sophisticated world of the Heian period. Here, the focus shifts to the court culture of the aristocrats, a world defined by aesthetic refinement and…

Gallery Three immerses us in the early modern period, dominated by the Tokugawa Shogunate and the grand city of Edo, which we now know as Tokyo. This was an urban age; the castle towns and port towns built during this time laid…

Moving into Gallery Four, we depart from strict chronology to explore the 'living' history of folk culture. This is the domain of 'minzoku'—the traditions, prayers, and daily practices passed down through families and communities. …

Gallery Five takes us through the dramatic modernization of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was an era of 'Bunmei Kaika' or cultural enlightenment, where new ideas about rights, freedom, and democracy…

The final major gallery, Gallery Six, covers the tumultuous period from the 1930s to the 1970s. This section is a somber and necessary exploration of the Asia-Pacific War and its aftermath. …

As you exit the main galleries, I recommend a stroll through the Botanical Garden of Everyday Life located on the east side of the museum grounds. Here, you can see the very plants that have sustained and shaped Japanese life…