Colorful Asia: Journey through Asia at Tokyo National Museum

In Room 9, a pomegranate carved from agate has split open. Where the skin cracks, the carver painted it red and set grains of amber in as the seeds.

This is the museum's yearly autumn theme for its Asian Gallery, the Toyokan, and 2026's is colour. You pick up the free Ajitabi Map 2026 at the information desk and follow it through the regular rooms, past pigment science, the work it took to get a colour right, and colour imagined in ink. QR codes beside up to 19 works open a curator's audio or text guide on your own phone. Talking out loud is encouraged this season. For once in a Tokyo museum, nobody will shush you for discussing a pot.

The catch: Rooms 3 and 8 have been closed since 9 October until further notice, taking out the Egyptian baboon and the Orchid Pavilion rubbing. Entry is the ¥1,000 collection ticket, free under 18, and it's open until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.