Edo-Tokyo Museum

This massive, futuristic building is by far the best city-history museum we’ve ever encountered. The permanent collection on the upper floors starts with a reconstruction of half of the bridge at Nihombashi, on either side of which are thorough histories of Edo and Tokyo respectively, mostly with excellent English signage. Highlights are too numerous to mention, but we like the sections on the lodgings of the daimyō, wood-block printing, the evolution of kabuki and Tokyo’s headlong rush to Westernise. There are often special exhibits, but the extent of the permanent collection is usually enough to overwhelm most visitors.