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Established in 1872, the Tokyo National Museum (TNM) is the oldest and largest museum in Japan . The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects from Japan and other East Asian countries. The museum holds over 110,000 articles, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure holdings and 610 Important Cultural Property holdings (as of July, 2005). The museum also conducts research and organizes educational events relating to its collection. The museum is located inside Ueno Park in Taito-ku, Tokyo . The facilities consist of the Japanese Gallery (本館), Asian Gallery (東洋館), Hyokeikan (表慶館), Heiseikan (平成館), the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures (法隆寺宝物館), as well as the Research and Information Center (資料館) and other facilities. There are restaurants and shops within the museum's premises, as well as outdoor exhibitions and a garden where visitors can enjoy seasonal views. The museum's collections focus on ancient Japanese Art and ancient Asian art along the Silk Road . There is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist Art . All information is provided in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, French, and German. History The museum came into being in 1872, when the first exhibition was held by the Museum Department of the Ministry Of Education at the Taiseiden Hall. This marked the inauguration of the first museum in Japan. Soon after the opening, the Museum moved to Uchiyamashita-cho (present Uchisaiwai-cho), then in 1882 moved again to the Ueno Park, where the museum stands today. Since its establishment, the museum has gone under major challenges such as the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, and the temporary closing during wartime in 1945. In more than 120 years of its history, the Museum has gone under much evolution and transformation through organizational reforms and administrative change. The museum went through several name changes, being called the Imperial Museum in 1886 and the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum in 1900, until it was given its present title in 1900. Five Exhibition Galleries Japanese Gallery The Japanese Gallery provides a general view of Japanese art, containing 24 exhibition rooms on two floors. It consists of exhibitions from 10,000 B.C. up to the late 19th century, exhibitions of different types of art such as ceramics, sculpture and swords, and thematic exhibitions. The original Main Gallery (designed by the British architect Josiah Conder) was severely damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. In contrast to the original building's more western style, the design of the present Honkan by Watanabe Jin is the more eastern "emperor's crown style." Construction began in 1932, and the building was inaugurated in 1938. It was designated Important Cultural Property of Japan in 2001. Image:MiddleJomonVessel.JPG|A Middle Jomon vessel ( 3000 - 2000 BC ). Image:YayoiJar.JPG|A Yayoi jar, 1st-3rd century, excavated in Kugahara, Ota-Ku, Tokyo. Image:AsukaBodhisattva.JPG| Bodhisattva , Asuka Period , 7th Century . Image:NanbanDo.JPG| Nanbandō , a western-style cuirass, 16th century. Image:ManjiroMap.JPG| Nakahama Manjiro 's report of his travels, 1850s. Asian Gallery The Asian Gallery consists of ten exhibition rooms arranged on five levels. It is dedicated to the art and archaeology of Asia, including Korea , China , India , Egypt , and Southeast Asia . In fact, the Tokyo National Museum holds one of the largest and most significant collections of Korean Art , especially Celadon pottery, in the world. This collection is the legacy of looting when Korea was a colonial possession of Japan. More than 1,000 gold, bronze, and celadon pieces owned by the late businessman Takenosuke Ogura now make up the core of the museum's Korean section. In total, about 4,800 Korean art items, of which more than 2,000 are considered Antiquities , are displayed or stored by the museum. The building was inaugurated in 1968 and designed by Taniguchi Yoshio . There is a restaurant and museum shop on the first floor. Image: SB3.JPG|One of the first representations of the Buddha , 1st-2nd century CE, Gandhara . Image:SeatedBuddha.JPG|Seated Buddha, Gandhara , 1st-2nd century CE. Image:MaitreyaSeated.JPG|Maitreya, seated on a throne in the Western manner, with Kushan devotee. 2nd century Gandhara . Image:BacchanalianScene.JPG|Bacchanalian scene, representing the harvest of wine grapes, Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, 1st-2nd century CE. Image:DrinkingScene.JPG|Drinking scene, Greek drinking cups, Greek dress. Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara. Dated 3rd century CE. Image:AmaravatiScroll.JPG|Greek scroll supported by Indian Yaksa s, Amaravati , 3rd century CE. Image: NorthernWeiMaitreya.JPG| Northern Wei Buddha Maitreya , 443 CE . Image:TangBodhisattva.JPG| Tang Dynasty Bodhisattva . Image:Tocharian.JPG|Wooden plate with inscriptions in Tocharian . Kucha , China , 5th-8th century. Hyokeikan Built to commemorate the marriage of the then Meiji Crown Prince (later Emperor Taisho ), Hyokeikan was inaugurated in 1909. This building is designated as an Important Cultural Property as a representative example of Western style architecture of the late Meiji period (early 20th century).
Heiseikan Heiseikan serves primarily as space for special exhibitions, but also houses the Japanese archaeology Gallery. The Japanese Archaeology Gallery on the first floor traces Japanese History from ancient to pre-modern times through archaeological objects. The galleries on the second floor are entirely dedicated to special exhibitions. The Heiseikan building was opened in 1999 to commemorate the crown prince's marriage. The building also contains an auditorium and lounge area. This gallery displays some examples of Pottery , the Jomon linear appliqué type, from around 10,000 BC: The antiquity of these potteries was first identified after the Second World War, through radiocarbon dating methods: "The earliest pottery, the linear applique type, was dated by radiocarbon methods taken on samples of carbonized material at 12500 +- 350 before present" (Prehistoric Japan, Keiji Imamura). Image:JapanesePolishedStoneAxes.JPG|The earliest polished stone tools in the world. Pre-Jomon ( Japanese Paleolithic ) period, 30,000 BCE. Image:JomonPottery.JPG|Incipient Jomon pottery (10,000-8,000 BC), the earliest pottery type in the world. Image:JomonStatue.JPG|A Final Jomon statuette ( 1000 - 400 BC ). Image:KofunHorseCharriots.JPG|Horse charriots during the Kofun Era . Detail of bronze mirror (5th-6th century). Eta-Funayama Tumulus, Kumamoto. Image: KofunCuirass.jpg|Iron helmet and armour with gilt bronze decoration, Kofun period, 5th century. Image:HaniwaHorse.JPG| Haniwa horse statuette, complete with Saddle and Stirrup s, 6th Century , Japan . Image:AsukaSeatedBuddha.JPG|The Buddha , Asuka Period , 7th Century . Image:NaraTempleTiles.JPG|Temple tiles from Nara , 7th Century . Image:NaraVines&Grapes.JPG|Vine and grape scrolls from Nara, 7th century. The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures Art works from the 319 Horyuji Treasures, originally donated to the Imperial Household by Horyuji in 1878, are exhibited in six rooms. The building was designed by Taniguchi Yoshio and furnished with the latest in conservation technology, and opened in 1999 after a full renovation. The reference room on the 2nd floor mezzanine houses the "digital archive" which allows visitors to view the entire collection of Horyuji Treasures on computer with explanations provided in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English and French. A restaurant is located on the first floor. Research and Information Center The Research and Information Center was established in 1984 mainly for scholarly use. It deals with various documents related to archaeological objects, fine art, applied arts, and historic materials for the whole of Asia and the Middle East, with a special emphasis on Japan's legacy. Visitors may browse through books, magazines and large-format art books on the open stacks, as well as monochrome and color photographs in the photo cabinets. Admission is free. (Materials are mostly in Japanese only) Available Materials Books: Books and magazines (Japanese, Chinese, European), including exhibition catalogues and archaeological reports. Photographs: Color and monochrome photographs of arts, crafts, and archaeological findings of Japan, Korea, China, and other Asian countries, mainly from the collections of the Tokyo National Museum. Image Reproductions Images stocked at Tokyo National Museum are lent for academic or commercial use by color duplicates, digital data or printing papers. web: http://www.dnparchives.com Museum Shop Located on Honkan B1 and Toyokan 1F, the Museum Shops offer a variety of items based on objects and motifs in the Museum's collection. Items on sale include T-shirts, stationary, ukiyoe prints, postcards and many more. Traditional Japanese crafts by contemporary artists are also available for purchase. See also External links |