The museum is situated in Yui, which was the 16th station on the historic Tokaido road connecting Edo and Kyoto.
Utagawa Hiroshige's 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido' series is one of the most famous sets of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in history.
The museum collection includes rare prints that depict the local landscapes of Shizuoka, including the view of Mount Fuji as seen from the Yui area.
Because woodblock prints are highly sensitive to light and humidity, exhibits are replaced periodically to prevent color fading and paper degradation.
The Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Art Museum is dedicated to the work of Utagawa Hiroshige, focusing specifically on his famous ukiyo-e series, The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido. Located in Yui, a historical post town along the ancient Tokaido road, the museum provides a contextual backdrop for viewing Hiroshige's depictions of the very route visitors are currently standing on. The facility houses a vast collection of woodblock prints that are rotated frequently to ensure preservation and provide recurring visitors with new exhibits. Architecture of the museum incorporates traditional Japanese aesthetic elements while housing modern climate control systems for delicate paper preservation. It serves as a primary cultural site for understanding the intersection of Edo-period travel and landscape art.
The museum entrance area and the exterior garden which are designed to reflect the aesthetic of the Edo period.
Check the museum's exhibition calendar online before visiting to see which specific Hiroshige series is currently being displayed.
Combine your visit with a walk through the nearby preserved historical streets of Yui to see the environment that inspired Hiroshige.
Use the museum's provided magnifying glasses if available to observe the intricate wood-carving details on the prints.
Do not assume the same prints will be on display if you return months later; check the rotating schedule.
Closed on Mondays; closed for a few days during the New Year period and during exhibit changeovers.
Maintain a quiet volume, do not touch display cases, and ensure flash photography is disabled as it damages the sensitive pigments of the prints.
