In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve visited an Australian museum since I was 11, and from what I can remember, the entrance and inner workings are pretty self-explanatory. I have, however, been to very many museums and art galleries in foreign countries. Perhaps I don’t notice things about Australia because it is second nature to me – but I definitely noticed some things about the Tokyo National Museum worth sharing.

One of the perks of staying with a host family is that you get to see how they function in their own environment – not a synthetic tourist versions, chewed in to bite sized chunks for easy understanding. The first thing that I picked up is that it is really important to get to the museum early. Especially for popular exhibits such as the one I visited recently, the Terracotta Warriors, you really should try to arrive before the museum opens.

I suggest looking up the opening times in advance and aiming to arrive ten minutes early. I can guarantee that there will already be people there. When we arrived, just as it opened, there was already a line around 200 people long to enter the exhibition space. I’m not complaining, Japanese lines move really fast, or at least this one did, but if lining up is not for you save yourself the trouble and get there at opening time.

My second tip only really applies to students, and this is: bring your I.D. card. You can get really good discounts, or sometimes even free entry if you are a student. In Australia, I’ve never had to show I.D. to prove that I am a student, but in every place where I’ve bought a student ticket in Japan, I’ve had to prove my age. Possibly a foreigner ‘perk’? Nevertheless, flashing your I.D. can save you a lot of cash, and I highly recommend it {this also goes for older people who are studying at university to get their PhD or Masters, as my host father is}.

While in the museum, I noticed that most of the visitors would whizz through the exhibition, barely taking a moment to catch their breath. Don’t be worried to linger, and also, don’t be worried if you block someone’s view. There are so many people crammed in to one space, and being a ‘tall scary foreigner’, it can sometimes be a little worrying. Don’t hesitate to politely move throughout the space, and take your turn in front of artefacts. There will usually be a little English to describe or state what the object is, but not a total comprehensive translation of the Japanese. I think that this is actually a nice way to enjoy a museum, as you are forced to look rather than wait around and read. Appreciate the information given and focus on the ancient object on which the information is based.

I hope that these tips have been a little helpful, if only to make more sense of the Japanese museum scene. I really recommend visiting this exhibition if you get a chance, particularly if you are interested in Chinese history.

-H