| The large modern-looking building next to Ryogoku
Kokugikan is the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which is modeled after an elevated-floor-type
warehouse from Japan's ancient past. The permanent exhibition area, located on
the fifth and sixth floors, is where interesting exhibits are on display year-round.
There is the Edo Zone, which contains a replica of the Nihonbashi bridge and a
small kabuki theater, and the Tokyo Zone, which shows the changes that the city
underwent in the Meiji, Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa (1926-1989) eras. Visitors
can experience 400 years of Edo-Tokyo history in detail by looking at the artifacts
and replicas on display. This museum is quite popular with foreign visitors, many
of whom say that here they can truly see the face of common people in Japan. The
museum contains an audiovisual hall, a Japanese restaurant, a coffee shop, and
many other facilities. For people who are interested in Tokyo's past, the museum
is worth spending half a day. |
