Nara National Museum
奈良国立博物館
Japan's supreme hall of Buddhist art. Its permanent Buddhist sculpture gallery brings together statues from the Asuka to Kamakura periods, and tickets for the autumn Shosoin Exhibition are very hard to get.
The Nara National Museum sits in the heart of Nara Park, between Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji. It opened in 1895 and is the second-oldest national museum in Japan, known for its collection of Buddhist art. The museum has two parts. The Meiji-era red-brick Western-style building in French Renaissance style, the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall (the original main building and an Important Cultural Property), permanently displays about 100 statues from the Asuka to Kamakura periods. They can be viewed closely from every angle, and Chinese explanations are provided, making it an excellent preview for understanding the Buddhist statues of Nara's temples. The east and west wings of the new building host special exhibitions and a permanent display of ancient Chinese bronzes from the Sakamoto Collection. The best-known event is the Shosoin Exhibition, held every autumn from late October to early November for about two and a half weeks. It displays treasures of the Tenpyo era from the Shosoin repository at Todai-ji, including the mother-of-pearl inlaid purple sandalwood five-string biwa, glass cups and the Bird-Feather Standing Women Screen. About 60 pieces rotate each year. Many were brought back by envoys to Tang China or are crafts in Tang style, so they have a close connection with Chinese visitors. Tickets must be reserved online for an entry time in advance, and queues often exceed an hour. The permanent collection costs 700 yen, and special exhibitions cost extra. Crowds are light except on the first Sunday of each month. The museum has a tea room and a gift shop, and an underground passage links the old and new buildings and leads to a free exhibition area. Access: about a 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station, or take a bus to the 'Himuro Jinja / National Museum' stop. A visit takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Notes: the museum is closed on Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, it closes the next day). Photography is prohibited in the galleries. During the Shosoin Exhibition, weekends are extremely crowded, so enter on weekday mornings or about an hour before closing.
Opening hours
09:30–17:00 (Sat until 20:00); closed Mon