Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan

History

The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, stands in the Imperial Palace East Gardens and houses and exhibits art and craft works with imperial connections. In June 1989, about 3,180 items (roughly 6,000 pieces) of art that had come down in the imperial household as the belongings of Emperor Showa were donated to the state, and the museum opened as the Imperial Household Agency facility "Sannomaru Shozokan" on 3 November 1993. Rebuilding began in fiscal 2019; in October 2023 management moved from the Imperial Household Agency to the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, and the Phase I building opened as the "Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan" on 3 November 2023. It has been temporarily closed since May 2025 for construction of the Phase II building, with a grand opening scheduled for 3 November 2026.

Swords in the Collection

Swords in the collection include works by celebrated Kamakura-period smiths: - Tanto signed "Masamune" (meibutsu Kyogoku Masamune), presented in 1928 by the Viscount Kyogoku family - Unsigned tanto (meibutsu Sozui Masamune), presented in 1887 by Tokugawa Iesato - Unsigned uchigatana (meibutsu Wakasa Masamune), presented in 1887 by Tokugawa Iesato - Tachi signed "Bizen no Kuni Osafune Mitsutada", presented in 1933 by Iwasaki Koyata - Unsigned tanto (meibutsu Ukita Shizu), presented to Emperor Meiji in 1891 by Ikeda Akimasa - Tanto signed "Yukimitsu", presented in 1892 by the Maeda marquis family

These swords do not appear in the lists of National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. Displays change with each exhibition, so no particular sword is guaranteed to be on view.

Access

About a 5-minute walk from Otemachi Station (Exit C13a, Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway) and about 15 minutes on foot from the Marunouchi exit of JR Tokyo Station. Enter the East Gardens through Otemon Gate; the museum is just to the right. Please check official information for opening status and exhibitions before visiting.