Hokusai Museum – Ten Minute Tokyo

Name: Hokusai Museum

Kind: Museum

Location: 35°41’45.93″ N 139°48’01.54″ E

Address: 2-7-2 Kamezawa, Sumida ward, Tokyo 130-0014

Phone: 03-5777-8600

The Sumida Hokusai Museum in Ryogoku is an interesting little stop. There are various levels of admission – a small free gallery, and larges ones at $18 and $26.

To get there, take the JR Chuo-Sobu line to Ryogoku Station (JB21), exit north or west, and head west. You will pass the massive Edo-Tokyo Museum on your left, and a few blocks up on your left, in a small, non-descript aluminum-looking bldg. is the Hokusai Museum.

Hokusai was Japan’s most famous painter who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for a ukiyo-e style of wood block painting, including his most famous work, 36 Views of Mt. Fuji. and Fine Wind, Clear Morning.

As a footnote, Ryogoku Station is one stop east of Kinshicho, another area worth checking out.

There’s lots to do in this area – known as Sumida. The Sumida River and walks are to the west, Tokyo Sky Tree is to the northeast, and there is also a Japanese Sword Museum 2 blocks to the northwest at the Former Yasuda Garden, which is free. There is also the massive Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo museum just south of the garden and just north of the station. Tokyo Sky Tree’s location was deliberately planned so that it would have spectacular views from this garden. One block northeast of that is Yokoamicho Park, also worth a look. During the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923, 44,000 people were killed in the park when it was swept by a firestorm. There is also a tiny park just behind the Hokusai Museum with spectacular views of Sky Tree.

The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a spectacular feat of engineering, and is not to be missed. Admission is reasonable at $18 and well worth it. The inside of the museum is a massive recreation of an Edo-period village including a massive wood bridge, traditional Japanese houses, and all sorts of exhibits. Be sure not to miss it while in the area.

2 blocks north of Edo-Tokyo Museum is a very nice, albeit somewhat expensive hotel, the Dai-ichi Hotel Ryogoku. A block north of that is another museum, the Great Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum.

There’s also a nice organic grocery right across the street from the Hokusai Museum.

There is also a seperate Hokusai Museum in Nagano, northwest of Tokyo, and a gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Hokusai Museum, shown at the red marker on the right. Ryogoku Sta. is to the left. The sumo museum is the bldg. with the green roof just north of the station. The Sumida River is on the left.

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