The Tokyo National Museum has reopened "The Door to Japanese Art" (日本美術のとびら), a renovated interactive permanent exhibition in Room B on the first floor of its Main Building, on June 30, 2026. At the heart of the exhibition is "Tohaku Wonder Wall
The exhibition is jointly operated by the Tokyo National Museum and the Cultural Heritage Utilization Center (文化財活用センター), with content developed using the museum's approximately 120,000 collection items, the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage's integrated collection database ColBase, and the research expertise of the museum's curatorial staff.
Real-Time Encounters with Cultural Properties
Tokyo National Museum regularly rotates its exhibitions, meaning the works on display change day by day. Out of approximately 120,000 items in the collection, around 3,000 are on view at any given time. The Wonder Wall connects in real time to the museum's exhibition schedule and ColBase to reflect exactly which works are available that day, presenting visitors with recommendations drawn from what they can actually see.
This real-time approach turns a museum visit into a different experience each time — aligning with the Japanese concept of ichi-go ichi-e (一期一会), which values each unique, unrepeatable moment.
Six Interactive Themes
Standing in front of the screen, visitors interact through body movements picked up by motion sensors, prompting the system to suggest "the one work to see today." Six content themes rotate so that four appear at a time, changing after each screening of the special film. All themes are available in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.
- Meet a curator's favorite — Museum researchers share their personal picks, including works valued for notable techniques or historical background beyond their official designation status.
- Ichi-go ichi-e lottery — A tombola-style spin produces a single recommended work, leaving the choice entirely to chance.
- Explore the museum and discover a treasure — Recommends works in buildings located farther from the main entrance, encouraging visitors to discover the full grounds.
- Encounter a national treasure or important cultural property — Highlights a single work from among the museum's most highly designated cultural properties.
- Discover something quintessentially Japanese — Introduces works associated with samurai, classical performing arts, kimono, and other emblems of Japanese culture.
- Meet the world at the museum — Offers a choice of three themes — Japanese art, Asian art, and world art — for a curated recommendation.
Each suggested work is displayed alongside the gallery and exhibition room where it can be found, making it easy to locate the actual piece.
Special Film: 150 Years of History and Masterpieces
A roughly two-minute special film plays every 15 minutes on the 14-meter screen. Tracing the museum's history from the 1872 Yushima Seido Exhibition through its 150th anniversary in 2022, the film features many of the museum's signature works — including 松林図屛風 (Shorinzu Byobu), 古今和歌集（元永本）(Kokinshu, Gennei-bon), and 遮光器土偶 (Shakoki Dogu) — and also introduces specialized buildings such as the Horyuji Treasures Gallery and the Kuroda Memorial Hall.
Exhibition Details
Opening Date: June 30, 2026 (Tuesday)
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Main Building 1F Room B
13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Hours:
- 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry 4:30 PM)
- Open until 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays (and Sundays preceding a holiday Monday)
Closed: Mondays (open if Monday is a holiday; closed the following weekday instead), year-end/New Year holidays, and other scheduled closures
Admission (Tokyo National Museum Collection Exhibition):
- General: ¥1,000
- University students: ¥500
- High school students and under: Free
Access to "The Door to Japanese Art" is included with a collection exhibition ticket or a special exhibition ticket valid for the same day.
Official Website: https://cpcp.nich.go.jp/modules/r_exhibition/index.php?controller=dtl&id=53
