May 19, 2014 - 1 min read

Nezu Museum & Garden, Omotesando

May is the season for Irises and fresh green

By Tomoko Kamishima

Community writer

Poster of the special exhibition featuring Ogata Korin’s Irises

Comfortable bench and small path in the garden

Notice

The Nezu Museum uses an online timed-entry reservation system, which is also ¥100 cheaper than buying at the door. You may not be able to enter the museum when it is crowded, so it is recommended to book a timed-entry ticket. Opening hours for NEZUCAFÉ are 10am–4:30pm (last order for food @ 3pm / drinks @ 4pm).

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Walking down Omotesando Street away from Meiji Jingu, you can see a dark colored building surrounded by thin bamboo trees on the right. It is Nezu Museum, based on the private collection of a railway tycoon, Nezu Kaichiro (1860-1940).

In May each year, the season of iris and fresh green, the museum holds an exhibition of special works; Ogata Korin’s 'Irises' and Suzuki Kiitsu’s 'Mountain Stream' plus some others.

We can enjoy both natural beauty in the garden and artistic beauty inside at the same time. The garden is a pond excursion style Japanese garden, making the best use of a hilly configuration. There are teahouses, small shrines, and lots of stone statues scattered around the garden.

When you are tired, have a break at the café amongst the greenery. Korin's 'Irises' is exhibited for only one month every year from around mid April to mid May. (See the museum exhibition schedule details.)