The Taito City Calligraphy Museum in Negishi and the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park: what they hold, opening hours, fees, and how to combine them with a calligraphy class.
- The Taito City Calligraphy Museum was opened in 1936 by Nakamura Fusetsu, a Western-style painter and calligrapher.
- Its collection of about 16,000 items includes 12 Important Cultural Properties.
- The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park also shows calligraphy as part of its rotating displays of Japanese art.
Next Step
See it, then write it
Add a 60-minute calligraphy class near Ueno after a museum visit. English guidance and a finished piece to take home.
Taito City Calligraphy Museum
The Taito City Calligraphy Museum (台東区立書道博物館) in Negishi was opened in 1936 by Nakamura Fusetsu, who worked both as a Western-style painter and as a calligrapher. He collected materials on the history of Chinese and Japanese writing, and the museum is built around that collection.
The collection has about 16,000 items, including 12 Important Cultural Properties. Displays change during the year, so check the current exhibition before you go.
- Address: Negishi 2-10-4, Taito City
- About a 5-minute walk from JR Uguisudani Station
- Open 9:30 to 16:30, last entry 16:00
- Closed Mondays (the next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and December 29 to January 3
- Admission: JPY 500 for adults, JPY 250 for elementary to high school students
Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park holds one of the largest collections of Japanese art. Calligraphy is shown in its Japanese Gallery alongside painting and other works, and pieces are rotated regularly to protect them from light.
If calligraphy is your main interest, check the museum's current list of displays before visiting, since specific works are only on view for limited periods.
Combining museums with a class
Uguisudani is the next JR Yamanote Line station after Ueno, and Ueno Park is close to both. Our calligraphy classes are held at Shitaya Jinja Kaikan, a 6-minute walk from JR Ueno Station.
One order that works well: see historical calligraphy at a museum in the morning, then try the brush yourself in a 60-minute class in the afternoon. Looking at old works first makes it easier to notice line weight and spacing when you write.
- Morning: a museum in Ueno or Negishi
- Afternoon: a 60-minute class near Ueno