Tokugawa Art Museum

The Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya houses one of Japan's finest collections of samurai artifacts and cultural treasures, preserving the legacy of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years from 1603 to 1867. Established in 1935 by the Tokugawa family's nineteenth head, Yoshichika, the museum displays heirlooms passed down through generations of the powerful Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan, one of the three main families descended from shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The collection comprises approximately 10,000 items, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties that offer exceptional insight into the artistic refinement and material culture of Japan's warrior elite. The museum's most celebrated possession is the 12th-century handscroll of The Tale of Genji, the world's oldest existing illustrated narrative scroll of Murasaki Shikibu's literary masterpiece. Other notable exhibits include samurai armor and swords, tea ceremony implements, Noh theater costumes and masks, calligraphy, lacquerware, and the beautifully preserved furnishings from Tokugawa residences.

Visitors can explore themed galleries that rotate selections from the permanent collection, with special exhibitions scheduled throughout the year focusing on specific aspects of samurai culture or seasonal themes. The adjacent Tokugawa Garden, a traditional Japanese landscape garden, can be visited with a combination ticket and provides a peaceful complement to the museum experience with its reconstructed Edo-period scenery featuring ponds, bridges, and a tea house.

The museum is located in Nagoya's Higashi Ward, approximately 3 kilometers east of Nagoya Station. Take the Meitetsu Seto Line to Ozone Station and walk about 15 minutes south, or use city buses from Nagoya Station or Sakae that stop at Tokugawaen Shindeki. Admission to the museum costs ¥1,400 for adults, with discounted rates for students and seniors.