These collections of samurai armor, ancient artifacts, and futuristic technology are sure to pique your interest.

Japan is packed full of wonderful places for both foreign and local tourists alike. Taking in beautiful scenery or soaking in an onsen can be a great way to spend a holiday in Japan, but museums offer deeper and often enlightening cultural insights not found anywhere else.

Travel website Trip Advisor has compiled a list of the world’s most popular museums in 2017, as chosen by tourists. Broken down by country, here’s Japan’s top 10 museums:

1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City)

2. The Hakone Open-Air Museum (Kanagawa Prefecture, Hakone-cho)

3. Samurai Museum (Tokyo, Shinjuku)

4. Edo-Tokyo Museum (Tokyo, Sumida)

5. Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum (Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki City)

6. Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology (Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City)

7. Hiroshi Senju Museum (Nagano Prefecture, Karuizawa-cho)

8. Himeyuri Peace Museum (Okinawa Prefecture, Itoman City)

9. Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History (Fukuoka Prefecture, Kitakyushu City)

10. Ghibli Museum (Tokyo, Mitaka City)

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum instantly transports visitors to World War II, offering a haunting peek into how nuclear warfare changed Japan forever. Tourists often flock to see the message of peace left by President Obama in 2016, making the museum the most popular in Japan by far.

▼ President Obama’s message of peace

Another notable entry is the Hiroshi Senju Museum, an art museum boasting sleek architectural design that showcases numerous paintings. The beautiful coral reef garden, calm atmosphere, and curved walls combine seamlessly, making the museum an art piece in itself.

▼ Hiroshi Senju Museum

If gigantic monuments and dinosaurs are your thing, perhaps a visit to the Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History is in order. Filled with ancient relics and artifacts from ages past, the museum also houses two colossal Tyrannosaurus skeletons that’ll awe even the most well-traveled tourists.

▼ The entrance fee comes at a reasonable 500 yen (US$4.47).

The Samurai Museum is located in downtown Shinjuku, and is home to a collection of armors and swords from ancient Japan, allowing visitors to feel the power of honor flow through them by donning a samurai armor of their choice.

▼ Feel the spirit of the samurai.

Visiting museums lets tourists delve beneath the surface of society and discover what makes Japan the exciting country it is today. Once you’ve had your fill of cultural enlightenment, hitting a few of the top 20 coolest sightseeing spots can be a fantastic way to finish a travel itinerary.

Source, images: PR Times

[ Read in Japanese ]