Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum (TNM) is a Japanese art museum located in Ueno Park in Tokyo's Tait district. It is one of the four museums run by the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, and it is Japan's oldest national museum, as well as the country's largest art museum and one of the world's largest art museums. The museum gathers, preserves, and exhibits a diverse collection of Asian artwork and cultural artifacts, with a concentration on ancient and medieval Japanese art, as well as Asian art from the Silk Road.

The Tokyo National Museum holds the world's most complete collection of Japanese art, including intricately embroidered kimonos, samurai swords, serene-faced Buddha statues, and thousand-year-old pottery. The country's oldest museum, surrounded by the meandering walks and shrines of Ueno Park, is a must-see for everyone from historians to cultural vultures searching for a crash education. More than 110,000 items make up the unrivaled permanent collection. Thankfully, the curators have spaced out their large collection of gems. Each space is artfully designed rather than congested, and special exhibitions rotate on a regular basis, ensuring that the 4,000-plus pieces on show from the permanent collection at any one moment are never the same as they were the last time you visited.

Location: 13-9, Uenokoen, Taito 110-0007 Tokyo

Website: tnm.jp