Historical Records
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“Art Museum at the Second National Industrial Exposition in Ueno Park” from the Series "Famous Places of Tokyo" (detail)
By Utagawa Hiroshige III, Meiji era, 1881Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 15
August 26, 2025 (Tue) - October 26, 2025 (Sun)Tokyo National Museum has more than artworks and archeological artifacts. The collection also includes records, which provide valuable insights into history and the cultures of different ethnic groups. This diversity stems from the Museum’s origins as a comprehensive institution in 1872. It was even home to animal, plant, and mineral specimens, although these were moved to the National Museum of Nature and Science in 1925.
The extensive collection of historical records at Tokyo National Museum now includes maps, diagrams, texts, photographs, ink rubbings, and copies of artworks. These items, dating mainly from the 17th to 20th century, shed light on politics, society, culture, transportation, and scenery in Japan. Here we display a selection of these items under different themes throughout the year.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Map of Kyūshū's Coastline (1:36,000), No. 16: Yatsushiro | By Inō Tadataka (1745–1818) | Edo period, 19th century | P-584-16 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Map of Kyūshū's Coastline (1:36,000), No. 17: Hitoyoshi | By Inō Tadataka (1745–1818) | Edo period, 19th century | P-584-17 | ||
| Highlight | “Art Museum at the Second National Industrial Exposition in Ueno Park” from the Series "Famous Places of Tokyo" | By Utagawa Hiroshige III (1842–1894) | Meiji era, 1881 | P-2938 | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Map of the Tōkaidō Road: Hiratsuka, Ōiso, Odawara, Hakone, and Hakone Shrine | Compiled by the Office of Road Management, Formerly owned by the Asakusa Bunko Library | Edo period, 1806 | P-582-2 |