What's on in London
Japanese samurai armour

British Museum · Bloomsbury

Samurai

Ended3 February 2026 – 4 May 2026·Ticketed — see website

This exhibition has ended.

The reality of Japan's armour-clad warriors over 1,000 years, with around 280 items many shown for the first time.

Museum website

More in London

On nowAll of October 2026

Editor's pick

The Western image of the samurai is a Hollywood mess — the lone swordsman, the code, the inevitable death. The British Museum has spent the spring quietly correcting it: five centuries of armour, lacquered helmets, and battle manuals that read like UX research. Last week to catch it before most of the loans head back to Japan.

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