The Ancient Egyptian Museum is a small corner space on the eighth floor of a nondescript building near Tower Records in Shibuya. This compact museum houses an impressive collection of ancient Egyptian relics and is themed after an early 20th century archaeological expedition. The quiet world inside is a major departure from the hectic crosswalks, flashing billboards and trucks blaring out J-pop in the streets below.
When the Ancient Egyptian Museum opened in 2009, it was the first of its kind in Japan, displaying a selection of items bought at auction by the founders. To date, the full collection totals over 1,000 relics, with only a portion of those on display at any given time. With new artefacts being exhibited periodically, you never know what corners of history you might encounter during your visit.
Calling all explorers
Aside from showcasing valuable relics, the museum also seeks to delight and entertain its guests. When you enter the reception area, it takes a moment to take in your surroundings. There are steamer trunks, antique furniture, stacks of books, thick, tasselled drapes, and an antique couch. It’s like a set from The Mummy…or Disneyland! In fact, the images on their website don’t do it justice. It’s clear that over the years, more and more layers of theming have been added to create this cosy and whimsical space.
The Ancient Egyptian Museum collection
Before entering the gallery, we were shown a short video about the history of Egypt and—much to our surprise—given flashlights for our journey. We made our way through the burlap curtain and found ourselves in the Excavation Hut Gallery, surrounded by ancient Egyptian pottery, amulets, jewellery and other interesting relics.
The adjoining Temple Gallery was a dark room experience which is where the flashlights came in handy. It contained a huge stone pillar and some impressive gold busts and jewellery.
The final stop, the Burial Room Gallery, was another dark space which contained excerpts from the Book of the Dead, treasures for the resurrected, and even a mummified hand!
A treasure trove
We later learned about the museum’s treasure hunt experience — find the golden key to unlock a special treasure — and realised we weren’t much in the way of explorers. At least we can treasure our memories!
On another note, the museum is also available for private hire for groups of up to 16. More details about that here.
How to get there
The Ancient Egyptian Museum is a 5-minute walk from Shibuya Station’s Hachiko Exit, and located opposite Tower Records.
Name: Ancient Egyptian Museum
Address: 〒150-0041 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jinnan, 1 Chome−12−18 [Level 8] (link)
Open: 12:00pm – 6:00pm Saturdays and Sundays.
Admission: ¥1,500 for adults
Website: http://www.egyptian.jp/top.html
Post by Japan Journeys.
