Thrill to Tokyo's Showcase of Creative TalentThree Contrasting Creative Tokyo Adventures

Tokyo, previously known as Edo, has been a beacon and a magnet for the greatest creative talent for centuries, preserving age-old traditions and fostering cutting-edge innovators. There are countless opportunities for pleasure and inspiration, both for admirers of artistic expression and for fellow creators.

Tokyo’s art museums and galleries house art treasures from Japan and around the world, and the city’s modern and historic architecture and design constantly draw global attention. Tokyo transmits Japanese culture locally and internationally, and enthralls global visitors from all walks of life.

In Tokyo today, not only can you appreciate many of the greatest achievements of the innumerable creative talents from within Japan and abroad who made the city the base for their endeavors, you can also go behind the scenes to gain insights into their ideas and techniques.

These articles were produced with assistance from local municipalities of Tokyo. We focus on contrasting encounters with creativity-in art, film-making, and architecture and interior design, that will delight and inspire both first-time and repeat visitors to Japan’s creative capital. Our first stop is the Sumida Hokusai Museum, just 20 minutes by train from Tokyo Station, in Sumida City to learn more about the world-renowned master of ukiyo-e prints. Next, we visit Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter, a new attraction close to Toshimaen Station, 20 minutes by train from Shinjuku Station, in Nerima City, where we go behind the scenes for an in-depth exploration of film-making. Finally, we visit the unique, astonishing Reversible Destiny Lofts-Mitaka (In Memory of Helen Keller), residential units in Mitaka City, built by architects/artists Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins, around 45 minutes from Shinjuku Station by train and bus.

The Sumida Hokusai Museum(Sumida City)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter(Nerima City)
Reversible Destiny Lofts—Mitaka (In Memory of Helen Keller)(Mitaka City)

The Sumida Hokusai Museum (Sumida City)The Intriguing Life and Work of the Master of Ukiyo-e

The Sumida Hokusai Museum and Midoricho Park (Photos Owashi Yosuke)

Architectural close-up (Photos Owashi Yosuke)

The exterior’s mirrored-aluminum panels gently reflect the surrounding scenery.
Hokusai (1760-1849), painter and printmaker, was born and spent most of his 90-year life in what is now Sumida Ward, Tokyo. He was Japan’s most famous ukiyo-e artist, best known for his series of the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, particularly Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave) and A Mild Breeze of a Fine Day (Red Fuji).
Most visitors to Japan are familiar with Hokusai, and would no doubt enjoy the Sumida Hokusai Museum, an art museum located in the area where Hokusai was born and spent most of his life.
The Sumida Hokusai Museum’s Permanent Exhibition consists of high-quality reproductions, to introduce Hokusai’s work and development as an artist. Museum staff explained that originals are rarely displayed, due to the delicate nature of the old prints, in particular the colors. This makes it easier to appreciate the Museum’s efforts to preserve Hokusai’s original works, only displaying them briefly during themed Special Exhibitions held most of the year.
Entry to the Permanent Exhibition Room “AURORA”
The Permanent Exhibition Room (AURORA) is both fascinating and entertaining. Split into seven areas, the first shows many places around Sumida where Hokusai lived or that feature in his works. It would be interesting to do some exploring in Sumida to see how places have changed in the 200 years since. The next six areas are divided chronologically by his main professional pseudonyms. Each section features a full-scale high-definition replica of a major Hokusai work from each stage of his career. There is a surprising and impressive diversity of paintings, manga, and art textbooks that Hokusai produced in addition to his world-famous woodblock prints. The pieces have been collected by Sumida Ward in addition to works from the collections of Peter Morse and Muneshige Narasaki, who were two of the world's leading Hokusai collectors.
There is also a range of fun and fascinating touch panels, some of which take the form of games, to further explore his works. Visitors can easily become engrossed in the puzzles included in the touch panels, and inadvertently gain a deeper appreciation of Hokusai’s genius and versatility—they would be enjoyable for children as well as adults. The final highlight is a lifelike model of Hokusai’s art studio.

A Collection of Hokusai’s Art Manuals explains Sketches by Hokusai with a touch screen.

A Collection of Hokusai’s Art Manuals explains Sketches by Hokusai with a touch screen.

Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, The Sumida Hokusai Museum (full-scale high-definition replicas)

Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, The Sumida Hokusai Museum (full-scale high-definition replicas)

Entry to Special Exhibitions requires a separate ticket, but that ticket price includes entry to the Permanent Exhibition Room. The Permanent Exhibition requires at least one hour, but preferably longer. You could spend up to three hours if you see both exhibitions, or even more time if you are an avid art lover. It tends to be busier in the afternoon, on weekends, and on public holidays.
Award-winning architect Kazuyo Sejima designed the Museum building, an architectural landmark, to blend in with the adjacent park and townscape. It does not have a fixed front or back, giving it a feeling of accessibility from all directions. Take some time to circumnavigate the building—with views of TOKYO SKYTREE® from the park adjacent to the Museum.
From 2024, Hokusai's art will be featured on the new 1,000-yen bill, bringing his work to even greater prominence. The Sumida Hokusai Museum shows how Hokusai revolutionized ukiyo-e by expanding its focus beyond portraits of courtesans and kabuki actors to include landscapes. He also depicted scenes from the daily life of commoners, an unexpected legacy of which is that today, we can gain deeper insights into the lives of a diversity of Edo’s residents and their culture.

Kaleidoscopic passageway

Kaleidoscopic passageway

The Sumida Hokusai Museum entrance is like a giant kaleidoscope. (Photos Owashi Yosuke)
© 2005 Reversible Destiny Foundation. Reproduced with permission of the Reversible Destiny Foundation

General Information

The Sumida Hokusai Museum
  • Hours : Tuesday-Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (last admission 5:00 p.m.)
  • *If Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday, open Monday and closed the following Tuesday.
  • Holidays: December 29-January 1
  • Address: 2-7-2 Kamezawa, Sumida City, Tokyo　Map >
  • Admission (Permanent Exhibition): adults 400 yen, high school/ university students/ 65 and over 300 yen;
    free for pre-school, elementary school and Junior high school students.
  • Admission (Special Exhibitions): admission fee varies by exhibition
  • Adults 65 and over will be requested to show a document verifying age.
  • Persons with a certificate such as the following plus one accompanying person are admitted at a discount charge: physical disability, intellectual disability, rehabilitation, mentally handicapped health and welfare, atomic bomb victim health notebook, etc. (Please show your certificate at time of admission.)
See details at "GO TOKYO"

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Art & Design

The GO TOKYO website provides travel information in a range of categories. Check it out to find other activities and outings similar to those we explore in these articles.

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The Sumida Hokusai Museum(Sumida City)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter(Nerima City)
Reversible Destiny Lofts—Mitaka (In Memory of Helen Keller)(Mitaka City)

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