Because the Idemitsu Museum of Arts in Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo is closed long-term for the reconstruction of its building, it has set up an exhibition room by borrowing space at the Middle Eastern Culture Center Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo (as of March 2026). Reception is shared; after paying the admission fee, go right for the Idemitsu Museum of Arts exhibition room, and left for the Middle Eastern Culture Center Museum's exhibition room. From Tuesday, January 13 to Tuesday, March 31, 2026, under the title "Idemitsu Museum of Arts Collection: Selected Ceramic Masterpieces – Oriental Ceramics," they exhibited a little over 20 ceramics from around the 13th–15th centuries, mainly from Vietnam along with Thailand, Korea, and China. The selection policy for the exhibits was unique, and it was a very interesting exhibition. When I arrived around 15:00 on a weekday, I was asked at reception, "We close at 16:00, is that okay?" The only visitors were me and one other person, so I could take my time looking at the exhibits undisturbed, and before I knew it, it was 15:50. I took a quick look at the Middle Eastern Culture Center Museum's exhibits related to His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa Takahito, and reluctantly left the exhibition room. I think it's well worth a visit both for those who love ceramics and for those interested in Middle Eastern archaeology.

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It's only open on a limited number of weekdays. The official website has information on opening days. No reservation needed if you're only visiting the museum. The parking lot isn't very big, but it's easy to park. The facility was founded at the initiative of Prince Mikasa and Idemitsu, and exhibits a wide range of items including excavated artifacts from the Middle East. I didn't know Prince Mikasa was fluent in Hebrew. His beloved Hebrew typewriter left an impression. Besides that, there's plenty worth seeing, both replicas and genuine pieces. There's also a small museum shop. There's no café or anything. Coin lockers are at the entrance. The building is old but well maintained. You can also go out into the garden. Photography is prohibited except near the entrance. Half of it is a special exhibition of the Idemitsu Museum of Arts

◆Overview A museum and library about the Middle East. Opened in 1979 at the initiative of His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa Takahito, it researches and presents the history and culture of the Middle East. Middle East... the region from Egypt in northeastern Africa to the Arab countries of West Asia (Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, etc.) ◆Impressions With colorful tiles, intricate bronzes and more, there were more exhibits than I expected, and it was well worth seeing. Gold, silver, ceramics, earthenware, clay figurines, glass, cylinder seals, textile crafts, and so on. There were also hands-on corners like "Let's try writing cuneiform" and "Ancient Egyptian wheat grinding," which felt fresh. What I got absorbed in reading was the explanation of how the Rosetta Stone was deciphered. It explains which parts became the key points for deciphering it. Even though it all looks like the same kind of symbols, who'd have thought three different languages were carved on it. The research achievements of His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa Takahito were also on display, which was interesting. Since it's only open on weekdays, there were few people and I could go around slowly and thoroughly. The only exception was the corner on His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa Takahito, which was crowded with people. Photography inside the museum was not allowed. ◆Collection Museum holdings 1,128 items, 2,297 pieces Library holdings 53,189 volumes ◆Opening Days See the official website. Basically Tue, Wed, Fri, 10:00–16:00. Last entry 15:00. Reservation by email or phone required by the previous day. ◆Admission Museum General 1,000 yen High school/university students 500 yen Age 65 and over 500 yen Junior high school students and younger Free Mikasa Memorial Library General/Age 65 and over/High school/university students 300 yen Junior high school students and younger Free For both the museum and the library, holders of a disability certificate free up to 1 caregiver free ◆Access Bus or car. Parking for 10 cars. I went by car, but only about 2 cars were parked, and the lot was spacious, so it was easy to park. Visited 2024/10

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I happened to read in a public relations magazine that the museum was in a free-admission period for city residents, so I went on the last day. It's located right next to Japan Lutheran College in Osawa; I don't usually go that far, but the weather was pleasant, so I walked there as part of a stroll. It was my first visit, and although it's a compact facility, the exhibits were rich, following several themes, and well worth seeing. Partly because it's a hidden gem, it wasn't crowded even on the last day, and I could take my time looking around carefully. Inside there are chairs where you can sit comfortably, and you can also go out into the garden, so you can take your time enjoying it. Normally admission is 1000 yen for general visitors and an advance reservation seems to be required, but I think it's worth that much. If you're interested in that culture, I think it's a facility worth visiting at least once. ※By the way, photography is prohibited indoors.

The 'Middle Eastern Culture Center' opened in October Showa 54 (1979) at the initiative of His Imperial Highness Prince Mikasa Takahito, with the full cooperation of the late Sazo Idemitsu (founder of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.), as a place to research the historical culture of the Middle East — vast in time and space and rich in content — and as a facility to make the results public." That's what it says. If you're interested in the Middle East, please do visit. It's open on weekdays: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.