Mitsui Memorial Museum

The Mitsui Memorial Museum occupies the 7th floor of the Mitsui Main Building in Nihonbashi-Muromachi, and the visit starts before you see a single exhibit. The building was completed in 1929 as a steel-framed reinforced-concrete structure designed by the American firm Trowbridge & Livingston. Its exterior is clad in Inada granite from Ibaraki Prefecture, and a row of Corinthian columns lines the street-facing front. It was designated an Important Cultural Property (building) in 1998.

The museum grew out of the Mitsui Bunko Annex, which opened in 1985 in Kamitakada, Nakano, Tokyo. Art and craft objects donated by branches of the Mitsui family, such as the Kita (head) house, the Shinmachi house and the Muromachi house, formed its core. On 8 October 2005 the public display function moved to the 7th floor of the Mitsui Main Building and the museum opened under its present name. The collection numbers about 4,000 items, including 6 National Treasures and 75 Important Cultural Properties.

The six National Treasures are Maruyama Okyo's screen "Pine Trees in Snow", the Shino tea bowl "Unohanagaki", the tanto dagger by Masamune known as "Hyuga Masamune", the tanto by Sadamune known as "Tokuzenin Sadamune", Fujiwara no Teika's "Kumano Gokoki" and the bronze "Funa no Ouko epitaph". The tea utensils are especially rich: the black Raku bowl "Amagumo" by Hon'ami Koetsu, the black Raku bowl "Shunkan" by Chojiro and the red Raku bowl "Nue" by Donyu are all designated Important Cultural Properties. So are 54 Noh masks once owned by the Kongo head family, which include well-known masks such as Magojiro and Shikami.

The museum also owns the Choyoko collection of old Chinese rubbings gathered by Mitsui Takakata, and a stamp collection of about 130,000 items. The displays change over time, so it is wise to check the official website beforehand to see whether the work you want is on view. The galleries were refurbished in 2022, with new air conditioning, lighting, flooring and entrance, and have a floor area of 914 square meters.

As the museum is indoors, weather and season do not matter. Allow about an hour for a visit. It is a one-minute walk from Mitsukoshimae Station and a seven-minute walk from Tokyo Station, so it fits easily into a stroll around Nihonbashi.