Kyoto National Museum

photo by Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ). · CC BY-SA 4.0

Between one exhibition and the next only the gardens stay open, and the ticket drops to ¥300.

At the desk they ask which ticket: ¥700 for the masterpieces gallery, ¥2,200 if there is a special exhibition, ¥300 if the galleries are closed and you only go into the gardens, and that happens several times a year. Opposite is the 1895 brick pavilion, which can only be seen from outside. On Fridays the museum stays open until eight in the evening.

The city's national museum, three hundred metres from Sanjūsangen-dō. The historic brick pavilion is the work of the architect Katayama Tōkuma and is a national Important Cultural Property; the galleries open to the public, however, are in the new building. The permanent collection rotates, so what you see changes all the time.

ℹ️ Open 9:30–17:00; during special exhibitions 9:00–17:30; on Fridays until 20:00. Closed on Mondays, or on the Tuesday if the Monday is a public holiday, and from 28 December 2026 to 1 January 2027. Permanent collection ¥700, university students ¥350, free up to high school; in periods when only the gardens are open ¥300 / ¥150 / free; special exhibition ¥2,200 / ¥1,200 / ¥700. Free for over-70s and for holders of a disability certificate with one companion. ⚠️ The ‘garden only’ periods are not an accident: they recur several times a year, and the museum has already announced one from 24 March to 16 April 2026. ⚠️ The galleries are closed from 7 September to 5 October 2026. ⚠️ The historic brick pavilion cannot be visited: it does not meet earthquake safety standards.

🚉 Shichijō · 7 min walk

Sources: kyohaku.go.jp

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