Outline of Exhibition

Travel - From Edo period pilgrimages to modern railway travel
Period Jul 1 (Tue) - Aug 31 (Sun), 2008
Venue Special Exhibition Galleries,
National Museum of Japanese History
Admissions Adults: ¥830 (¥560)
Senior high school & college students: ¥450 (¥250)
* Fees in parentheses apply to groups of 20 or more
* Admission to permanent collection included
* Free admission for elementary & junior high school students
* Free admission for senior high school students every Saturday
Hours 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(no entrance after 4:30 p.m.)
Closed Jul 7 (Mon), 14 (Mon), 22 (Tue), 28 (Mon), Aug 4 (Mon), 18 (Mon), 25 (Mon)
Sponsor National Museum of Japanese History

展示ポスター

A painting depicting the route through the Mt. Fuji and Mt. Hakone area

The origin of today's Japanese tourist trips can be traced to the island nation's early modern history. The traditional pilgrimage to Ise Shrine is a prime example of early travel during this time, but eventually many other travel destinations sprang up in towns and cities throughout Japan.Although the original objective of such trips was to worship at shrines and temples, the highways used to reach these destinations became sites of amusement in themselves, thus turning the entire travel route into one huge amusement park of sorts.

Although the advent of railway travel did away with this form of amusement, it made travel to even more remote destinations possible within a short period of time, causing many other travel destinations to emerge in the vicinity of cities. As the railways developed, people came to enjoy the experience of riding on steam-driven trains, turning this itself into a pastime. After train travel lost its novelty, memoirs of people's travels along the old highways became popular, and some, predominantly painters, traveled these old routes once more. This led to today's pastime of walking the old highways.

We hope this exhibition, which features travel guidebooks, will allow visitors to discover new ways of traveling Japan.

ぬさぶくろ   高輪海岸鐵道の図
Nusabukuro, Yushima Hot Springs, end of Tenpo era
(private collection)
 
Illustration of Takanawa coastal railway, September 1881
(Museum collection)
懐古東海道五十三次真景   富士箱根:東海道パノラマ地図
Tokaido Kaikocho, Hamamatsu Station, Kongo-in temple Kannon, 1892
(private collection)
 
Fuji Hakone: Panorama maps of Tokaido, 1921
(private collection)

Note: Please note that items in the exhibition are subject to change.