History Lesson at the Edo-Tokyo Museum
On her last full day in Tokyo, my friend wanted to check out the Sumo Museum in Ryogoku. And right next to the Sumo Museum happened to be the museum I've been thinking about checking out -- the Edo-Tokyo Museum! The Edo-Tokyo Museum features exhibits that showcases the life of Tokyo from the Edo period up until recent times. It's museum that's been on my radar since the last time I've been in Japan, but I never got the chance to check it out.
The first thing you'll see when you walk in is a partial life-size replica of the Nihonbashi in its original wooden form. The real bridge underwent a redesign during the Meiji Era and has a more European look made out of stone. Funny thing -- I actually passed by the real Nihonbashi a few days later while sitting in my aunt's car. We passed by it so fast, I almost didn't recognize it because the bridge now sits underneath a massive freeway.
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There's no way for me to summarize all there is to see in the Edo Tokyo Museum. From older relics to figurines and interactive displays, the 2 hours we spent here passed by very quickly. The life-sized replicas and dioramas were made with exquisite detail -- each display felt like it warranted at least 10 minutes to appreciate all the work put into its construction.
Some other fun things:
Right after you cross the Nihonbashi bridge, there's a princess carriage that you're allowed to sit in. As my friend posed for a picture from inside, a few older ladies passing by greeted her with,
"おお、お姫様！” (oh, the princess!)
I had a good laugh, much to my friend's confusion.
An old sushi stand. Turns out sushi used to be served in street stalls and considered to be fast food. The portions used to be a lot bigger as well.
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A mini replica of Ryōunkaku 凌雲閣, the tallest skyscraper back in the day (12 floors!) until it was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake.
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Some interesting interactive displays:
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Life size replica of the Nakamura-za, a kabuki theatre.
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Some common items one might have found in a Japanese household in the early 1900s. Morinaga Milk Caramel has been around for quite a while!
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Ginza (I think), back in the day:
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After being in Tokyo for the past 5 days, it seemed fitting to take my friend to learn a bit more about the history of the city she has been exploring. Although I learned a bit about the history of Japan during my college days, the bulk of my knowledge involved history that went further than the Edo period, so I learned A LOT about Tokyo in these 2 hours.
I knew that Tokyo went through their fair share of earthquakes and fires, but holy crap seeing the timeline of their natural disasters was truly surprising. No wonder schools and apartment complexes are made to look the way they are.
Anyway, this museum was the bomb. Definitely check it out if you have a few hours to spare, or happen to be anywhere near it. They also have a sister museum, Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, in a different part of Tokyo that I'm hoping to check out next time.
Hours
:
9:30 to 17:30, until 19:30 on Sat Closed on Mondays
Fees:
600 yen
Transportation:
5 min walk from JR Ryogoku Station
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