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The National Museum Of Japanese HistoryGeneral InformationJapanese Name: 国立歴史民族博物館 DirectionsThe museum is 15 minutes walk from Keisei Sakura station, 30 minutes walk or 15 minutes bus from JR Sakura station. If you go there by JR, it is about 60 minutes on the Sôbu line from Tokyo (総武本線) through Chiba and getting off at Sakura (佐倉) Take the north exit to the station (turn right as you go through the ticket gate. The bus stop is just outside, number 1, leaving for Tamachi Shako (田町車庫) going by Keisei Sakura station on its way. Just get a ticket when you get on the bus (via the back entrance) and pay when you get off at the Kokuritu Hakubutsukan Mae (国立博物館前) station. The price is 160 yen. The museum is on your left as you get off. Climb a long hill curving to the left, passed a small sign which says, "迷惑行為禁止” and you will find the museum building to your right. If you want to walk, see if you can find the pamphlet, as you emerge from the ticket gate at Sakura station called "歴博への道” (The Road to the History Museum) in a display near the area you buy tickets. Inside this pamphlet is a very clear map showing how to walk to the museum, but note that you will approach the museum from the opposite side.
UsageIn somewhat broken English, the sign at the entrance announces, "The National Museum of Japanese History is the only Japanese museum and the national center for study concerning history, archeology, and folklore in the country." A quick look at accompanying Japanese shows that they mean to say this is the only "national museum" The museum's contents are a collection of chronological and theme related exhibits related to history and culture of Japan from earliest times up until the early Showa period. There is a small book store as you enter, across from the ticket booth. A small pamphlet about the museum is available in Japanese or English. You can also use a "guide receiver" to hear descriptions of the museum exhibits in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korea, and French. There are five main galleries moving roughly in chronological order. The galleries take you in a circle around the museum and you are often within site of the charming central courtyard. Between each gallery there is a resting room, vending machine, and bathrooms. There are also touch screens which offer an overview of each of the exhibit headings and their contents. Beyond the 5th gallery there is a tea room, special exhibits, library, audio/visual room, gift shop, and restaurant. The library (leave belongings in lockers provided) has a dozen or so history journals, current newspapers, and a small collection of history books and dictionaries to serve as supplemental reading for each gallery. Most of the books are ordered by the gallery. There is also a children's corner. The audio/visual collection is across from the library and has half a dozen booths. You simply select the video or sound you wish to hear from a touch screen and wait for it to load. There is an index of materials in a folder to the right of the touch screen. There are are no videos on topics in modern history.
FacilitiesCard Catalogs: NA Collections of NoteOther Related LinksOther Notes, Comments and ExperiencesPerhaps because there is the Show-kan, this museum has basically nothing on the Showa period. There is a single collection of a dozen pictures marked "Snapshots of Japan during and just after the Pacific War" just as you are about to leave the 5th gallery but otherwise the last 6 or 7 decades are absent from the museum. K. M. Lawson (Last Visit: February 15th, 2004) |