The Edo-Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館, Edo Tōkyō Hakubutsukan) is a historical museum located at 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-Ku, Tokyo in the Ryogoku district.[2] The museum opened in March 1993 to preserve Edo's cultural heritage, and features city models of Edo and Tokyo between 1590 (just prior to the Edo period beginning) and 1964.[3] It was the first museum built dedicated to the history of Tokyo.[4] Some main features of the permanent exhibitions are the life-size replica of the Nihonbashi, which was the bridge leading into Edo; scale models of towns and buildings across the Edo Meiji, and Showa periods; and the Nakamuraza theatre.[5]
Designed by Kiyonori Kikutake, the building is 62.2 meters tall and covers 30,000 square meters.[3][6] The concrete exterior is designed based on a traditional rice storehouse (takayuka-shiki style) and is the same height as the Edo Castle.[7][8][9] Kikutake claimed that the building "crystallizes Japanese culture in built form," concerning the structure's traditional references but contemporary execution.[10] There are eight floors, one below ground and seven elevated off the ground by four columns, with an open air plaza at ground level.[3] The first floor has a museum shop, restaurants, and a ticket counter. The primary entrance is on the third floor, reached by a bright red escalator from the plaza. The fifth and sixth floors contain permanent exhibits, with temporary special and feature exhibits on the first and fifth floors.[11] The seventh floor is a library that houses 560,000 texts and cultural items related to Edo and Tokyo.[3]
The museum opened thirteen years after the Shitamachi Museum and six years after the Fukagawa Edo Museum, all part of a national trend for building local history museums. The exhibits for all three were primarily designed by Total Media.[12]
A red escalator takes visitors from the plaza underneath the building to the internal entrance.
Kikutake was selected as the architect through a closed competition conducted by the Tokyo city hall.[10] Kikutake designed the Metabolist structure with the goal of projecting Japan as a nation and culture, with Tokyo specifically as a world city.[10][16] The organization that directed the museum, Total Media, led by Ogi Shinzo, wanted to use the museum to define Japan through the everyday life of shomin (庶民), or average citizens.[16] Emporis classifies the $300 million structure as a high-rise building.[17][18]
The concept of an Edo-Tokyo Museum was imagined in the early 1980s by Tokyo governor Suzuki Shun'ichi as part of the Expo' 70 tenth anniversary campaign "My Town Tokyo." Nine companies were involved with the museum's construction, organized by Kajima Corporation.[17] The site location was chosen mainly because the Ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai was born in the Sumida ward, and Edo culture was born and flourished in Ryogoku.[19]
Kyoto roofs reflecting sunlight inspired the whitish silver color of the outside.[19] Likewise, the roof-like shape that defines the building derives from the distinctive roofs of old Japanese temples.[19] The roofs of these monuments, Kikutake says, differentiate them from other structures while simultaneously cohering with the landscape.[19] The four legs were erected first, followed by the cantilevers.[17] The first elevated floor is supported on the legs' 19.7' deep bottom chords, while a second set of chords supports the other floors.[17] Each of the four composite steel with reinforced concrete legs is a 46' deep "H" shape.[17] From the plaza to the first raised floor, they are 63' tall.[17] The building is cantilevered 119' over the legs on the North and South sides.[17] Fluorine resin-coated square panels cover the building.[20]
To protect the artifacts from vibrations and earthquakes, 126 springs are positioned throughout the overhang capable of absorbing 3.5 inches of vertical movement.[17] During the March 11th, 2011 Tohoku earthquake, however, the seventh floor Edo-Tokyo Museum Library reported that shelves became unstable and books fell.[3]
ReceptionEdit
While most of the museum's initial reception focused on the exhibits, the building itself garnered general praise in its role in housing the exhibits. William Steele notes that "the building itself is playful," comparing it to a creature from space.[6] Carol Lutfy observes that "the museum embraces the odd blend of history and high-tech that has come to characterize modern-day Tokyo."[8] She argues that the structure serves as a conduit between tradition and contemporary, just as the museum itself does.[8] The museum website claims that the building has architecturally defined the area and attracted tourists due to its unique form.[21]
The unique form of the building, however, has been a source of criticism as well. As the dominant structure in the Ryogoku district, the Edo-Tokyo Museum dwarfs and arguably does not blend with the stylings of the area.[22] Of the nearby structures, only the Ryogoku Kokugikan has similar dimensions, but it is not nearly as visible.[23]
Steele argues that while the interior is well suited for the exhibits, the artificial divide it creates between Edo and Tokyo is problematic.[6] The permanent exhibit floor ignores the continuity between Edo and Tokyo periods, Steele claims, because the floor plan divides the rooms into two divergent spaces.[6]
Barrie Shelton argues that the building is distinctly Japanese in its monumentality and "visually self-contained", focusing more attention on the plaza below and its connection to the building, than the building itself.[23]
^"17-12 (4): TOKYO METROPOLITAN EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM (Fiscal Years 2011～2015)". Tokyo Statistical Yearbook 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
^MUSEUM, EDO-TOKYO. "EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM". EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^ abcdefTateishi, Momoko (2013). "The Edo-Tokyo Museum Library". Art Libraries Journal. 38 (2): 22. doi:10.1017/S0307472200017995. S2CID 163519769.
^Sand, Jordan (2013). Tokyo Vernacular: Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects. University of California Press. pp. 127–128. ISBN978-0-520-27566-9.
^MUSEUM, EDO-TOKYO. "Permanent Exhibition". EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 December 2019.
^ abcdSteele, M. William (2001). "The Edo-Tokyo Museum". Journal of Urban History. 27: 533–536 – via ProQuest.
^"Edo Tokyo Museum". Into Japan. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^ abcLutfy, Carol (22 August 1993). "Mixing history and high-tech". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^Cheapo, Tokyo. "Tokyo Architecture: The 9 Best Buildings in the Capital | Tokyo Cheapo". tokyocheapo.com/. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^ abcSand, Jordan (2010). "Monumentalizing the Everyday: The Edo-Tokyo Museum". Critical Asian Studies. 33 (3): 359–363. doi:10.1080/14672710121867. S2CID 143704380.
^MUSEUM, EDO-TOKYO. "Information". EDO-TOKYO MUSEUM (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^Jordan Sand, Jordan, Tokyo Vernacular: Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects, University of California Press, 2013, ISBN0520275667, p. 120
^Cybriwsky, Roman (2011). Historical Dictionary of Tokyo. Lanham, Toronto, Plymouth: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 67.
^"A Walk Through Japan's Historic Architecture". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
^江戸東京博物館. "2022年度 休館中の江戸東京博物館の活動について Activities of the Edo-Tokyo Museum during FY2022 when the museum is closed". 江戸東京博物館 (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 November 2022.
^ abSand, Jordan (2013). Tokyo Vernacular Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects. University of California Press. pp. 119–125. ISBN978-0-520-27566-9.
^ abcdefgh"History on high in Tokyo". Engineering News-Record. May 3, 1993.
^. emporis.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
^ abcdIwatake, Mikako (1993). "The Tokyo Renaissance: Constructing a Postmodern Identity in Contemporary Japan". Dissertations and Theses Global: 188–189, 192–193. ProQuest 304089434.
tokyo, museum, 江戸東京博物館, tōkyō, hakubutsukan, historical, museum, located, yokoami, sumida, tokyo, ryogoku, district, museum, opened, march, 1993, preserve, cultural, heritage, features, city, models, tokyo, between, 1590, just, prior, period, beginning, 1964, . The Edo Tokyo Museum 江戸東京博物館 Edo Tōkyō Hakubutsukan is a historical museum located at 1 4 1 Yokoami Sumida Ku Tokyo in the Ryogoku district 2 The museum opened in March 1993 to preserve Edo s cultural heritage and features city models of Edo and Tokyo between 1590 just prior to the Edo period beginning and 1964 3 It was the first museum built dedicated to the history of Tokyo 4 Some main features of the permanent exhibitions are the life size replica of the Nihonbashi which was the bridge leading into Edo scale models of towns and buildings across the Edo Meiji and Showa periods and the Nakamuraza theatre 5 Edo Tokyo Museum江戸東京博物館Entrance of the MuseumEstablished1993 30 years ago 1993 Location1 4 1 Yokoami Sumida Tokyo JapanVisitors1 876 205 2015 1 Websitewww wbr edo tokyo museum wbr or wbr jp wbr en wbr 1 30 scale architectural model of the Kamiyashiki of Matsudaira TadamasaDesigned by Kiyonori Kikutake the building is 62 2 meters tall and covers 30 000 square meters 3 6 The concrete exterior is designed based on a traditional rice storehouse takayuka shiki style and is the same height as the Edo Castle 7 8 9 Kikutake claimed that the building crystallizes Japanese culture in built form concerning the structure s traditional references but contemporary execution 10 There are eight floors one below ground and seven elevated off the ground by four columns with an open air plaza at ground level 3 The first floor has a museum shop restaurants and a ticket counter The primary entrance is on the third floor reached by a bright red escalator from the plaza The fifth and sixth floors contain permanent exhibits with temporary special and feature exhibits on the first and fifth floors 11 The seventh floor is a library that houses 560 000 texts and cultural items related to Edo and Tokyo 3 The museum opened thirteen years after the Shitamachi Museum and six years after the Fukagawa Edo Museum all part of a national trend for building local history museums The exhibits for all three were primarily designed by Total Media 12 Formerly owned and operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government the Edo Tokyo Museum is accented by the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum across the city in Koganei Park 13 14 The Edo Tokyo Museum is now operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture 3 The museum was closed for renovation in April 2022 and is expected to be reopened by the end of 2025 15 Contents 1 Design and Architecture 2 Reception 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDesign and Architecture Edit nbsp A red escalator takes visitors from the plaza underneath the building to the internal entrance Kikutake was selected as the architect through a closed competition conducted by the Tokyo city hall 10 Kikutake designed the Metabolist structure with the goal of projecting Japan as a nation and culture with Tokyo specifically as a world city 10 16 The organization that directed the museum Total Media led by Ogi Shinzo wanted to use the museum to define Japan through the everyday life of shomin 庶民 or average citizens 16 Emporis classifies the 300 million structure as a high rise building 17 18 The concept of an Edo Tokyo Museum was imagined in the early 1980s by Tokyo governor Suzuki Shun ichi as part of the Expo 70 tenth anniversary campaign My Town Tokyo Nine companies were involved with the museum s construction organized by Kajima Corporation 17 The site location was chosen mainly because the Ukiyo e painter Katsushika Hokusai was born in the Sumida ward and Edo culture was born and flourished in Ryogoku 19 Kyoto roofs reflecting sunlight inspired the whitish silver color of the outside 19 Likewise the roof like shape that defines the building derives from the distinctive roofs of old Japanese temples 19 The roofs of these monuments Kikutake says differentiate them from other structures while simultaneously cohering with the landscape 19 The four legs were erected first followed by the cantilevers 17 The first elevated floor is supported on the legs 19 7 deep bottom chords while a second set of chords supports the other floors 17 Each of the four composite steel with reinforced concrete legs is a 46 deep H shape 17 From the plaza to the first raised floor they are 63 tall 17 The building is cantilevered 119 over the legs on the North and South sides 17 Fluorine resin coated square panels cover the building 20 To protect the artifacts from vibrations and earthquakes 126 springs are positioned throughout the overhang capable of absorbing 3 5 inches of vertical movement 17 During the March 11th 2011 Tohoku earthquake however the seventh floor Edo Tokyo Museum Library reported that shelves became unstable and books fell 3 Reception EditWhile most of the museum s initial reception focused on the exhibits the building itself garnered general praise in its role in housing the exhibits William Steele notes that the building itself is playful comparing it to a creature from space 6 Carol Lutfy observes that the museum embraces the odd blend of history and high tech that has come to characterize modern day Tokyo 8 She argues that the structure serves as a conduit between tradition and contemporary just as the museum itself does 8 The museum website claims that the building has architecturally defined the area and attracted tourists due to its unique form 21 The unique form of the building however has been a source of criticism as well As the dominant structure in the Ryogoku district the Edo Tokyo Museum dwarfs and arguably does not blend with the stylings of the area 22 Of the nearby structures only the Ryogoku Kokugikan has similar dimensions but it is not nearly as visible 23 Steele argues that while the interior is well suited for the exhibits the artificial divide it creates between Edo and Tokyo is problematic 6 The permanent exhibit floor ignores the continuity between Edo and Tokyo periods Steele claims because the floor plan divides the rooms into two divergent spaces 6 Barrie Shelton argues that the building is distinctly Japanese in its monumentality and visually self contained focusing more attention on the plaza below and its connection to the building than the building itself 23 See also EditJapanese Instrument of Surrender Current locationsReferences Edit 17 12 4 TOKYO METROPOLITAN EDO TOKYO MUSEUM Fiscal Years 2011 2015 Tokyo Statistical Yearbook 2015 Retrieved 25 March 2018 MUSEUM EDO TOKYO EDO TOKYO MUSEUM EDO TOKYO MUSEUM in Japanese Retrieved 29 November 2019 a b c d e f Tateishi Momoko 2013 The Edo Tokyo Museum Library Art Libraries Journal 38 2 22 doi 10 1017 S0307472200017995 S2CID 163519769 Sand Jordan 2013 Tokyo Vernacular Common Spaces Local Histories Found Objects University of California Press pp 127 128 ISBN 978 0 520 27566 9 MUSEUM EDO TOKYO Permanent Exhibition EDO TOKYO MUSEUM in Japanese Retrieved 6 December 2019 a b c d Steele M William 2001 The Edo Tokyo Museum Journal of Urban History 27 533 536 via ProQuest Edo Tokyo Museum Into Japan Retrieved 29 November 2019 a b c Lutfy Carol 22 August 1993 Mixing history and high tech The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 29 November 2019 Cheapo Tokyo Tokyo Architecture The 9 Best Buildings in the Capital Tokyo Cheapo tokyocheapo com Retrieved 29 November 2019 a b c Sand Jordan 2010 Monumentalizing the Everyday The Edo Tokyo Museum Critical Asian Studies 33 3 359 363 doi 10 1080 14672710121867 S2CID 143704380 MUSEUM EDO TOKYO Information EDO TOKYO MUSEUM in Japanese Retrieved 29 November 2019 Jordan Sand Jordan Tokyo Vernacular Common Spaces Local Histories Found Objects University of California Press 2013 ISBN 0520275667 p 120 Cybriwsky Roman 2011 Historical Dictionary of Tokyo Lanham Toronto Plymouth The Scarecrow Press Inc p 67 A Walk Through Japan s Historic Architecture Atlas Obscura Retrieved 29 November 2019 江戸東京博物館 2022年度 休館中の江戸東京博物館の活動について Activities of the Edo Tokyo Museum during FY2022 when the museum is closed 江戸東京博物館 in Japanese Retrieved 13 November 2022 a b Sand Jordan 2013 Tokyo Vernacular Common Spaces Local Histories Found Objects University of California Press pp 119 125 ISBN 978 0 520 27566 9 a b c d e f g h History on high in Tokyo Engineering News Record May 3 1993 Edo Tokyo Museum Tokyo 211685 EMPORIS emporis com Archived from the original on 5 December 2019 Retrieved 5 December 2019 a b c d Iwatake Mikako 1993 The Tokyo Renaissance Constructing a Postmodern Identity in Contemporary Japan Dissertations and Theses Global 188 189 192 193 ProQuest 304089434 Mansfield Stephen Edo Tokyo Museum Tokyo DK Publishing 2011 pp 14 15 Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides Gale General OneFile https link gale com apps doc CX2394900010 ITOF u tel a vanderbilt amp sid ITOF amp xid 70ad24b6 Accessed 5 Dec 2019 MUSEUM EDO TOKYO About us EDO TOKYO MUSEUM in Japanese Retrieved 5 December 2019 Kiyonori Kikutake Architecture Ken Tanaka Tokyo English Tour Guide Retrieved 5 December 2019 a b Shelton Barrie 2012 Learning from the Japanese City Looking East in Urban Design Routledge pp 110 111 ISBN 978 0415554404 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edo Tokyo Museum Official website Japan guide com35 41 47 05 N 139 47 45 97 E 35 6964028 N 139 7961028 E 35 6964028 139 7961028 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edo Tokyo Museum amp oldid 1178285621, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
