Daitokuji's 700th-Anniversary Treasures in Tokyo (to Dec 6): Dates, Tickets and ZEN NIGHT TOKYO After Dark

If you are in Tokyo before December 6, one of the year's rare art events is in Ueno Park. Kyoto's great Zen temple Daitokuji turns 700 in 2026, and the Tokyo National Museum (TNM) is showing treasures from the temple and its sub-temples, most of which are normally closed to the public. On selected evenings, a separate event, ZEN NIGHT TOKYO, opens the museum's garden after dark. Here are the dates, prices and timing details that matter.

The exhibition at a glance

On Monday, Nov 30, only the Daitokuji exhibition is open; the rest of the museum (the TNM Collection galleries) is closed that day.

The official exhibition site says it brings together 14 National Treasures and 69 Important Cultural Properties, and that it is the first exhibition of Daitokuji's treasures in 41 years and the first ever in Tokyo.

Two halves: the rotation on Nov 10

Many works are shown for only part of the run:

• First period: Oct 14 to Nov 8
• Second period: Nov 10 to Dec 6 (Nov 9 is a Monday, when the museum is closed)

That changes what you will see. Examples from the official site:

• First period only (ends Nov 8): Mu Qi's Guanyin, Monkeys and Cranes (National Treasure), and the portraits of Ikkyū Sōjun and Emperor Godaigo (Important Cultural Properties).
• Second period only (from Nov 10): Dragon and Tiger, attributed to Mu Qi (Important Cultural Property), and the portrait of Oda Nobunaga by Kano Eitoku.
• Whole run: a re-creation of Daitokuji's Sanmon gate, with its seated Shakyamuni and the statue of tea master Sen no Rikyū shown in public for the first time; the Kizaemon Ido tea bowl (National Treasure); and a portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

If a single work is your reason to go, check the official list of works for its display period before you pick a day. The museum notes that works may rotate and the lineup can change.

Tickets and prices

Same-day admission, from the official ticket page:

• No reservation is needed. You can buy at the museum's main-gate ticket counter, but the official site warns the wait can be 30 minutes or more when it is busy, and recommends buying online.
• Your exhibition ticket also gets you into the TNM Collection galleries on the same day (except Nov 30).
• If you buy through a ticket agency, the official page says you may need to print a paper ticket at a Japanese convenience store; a payment record or a screenshot will not get you in.
• Tickets cannot be changed, refunded or reissued, and resale is prohibited.

ZEN NIGHT TOKYO: the garden after dark

TNM's garden, behind the main Honkan building, normally closes at 5 p.m. During the exhibition it reopens in the evening for ZEN NIGHT TOKYO, a light-and-sound walk around the pond and the garden's five historic teahouses.

The set ticket includes admission to the Daitokuji exhibition. Same-day set tickets are sold until 4:30 p.m. on Dec 6.

Timing tip: on Fridays, Saturdays, and Nov 1, 2 and 22, the exhibition is open until 8 p.m. and the garden until 9 p.m. Those evenings are the easiest way to do both in one visit, finishing with the garden.

Zazen sessions: what is left

ZEN NIGHT also offers seated-meditation sessions in the garden's Kujōkan hall. All of them include the ZEN NIGHT entry and the exhibition.

• Sessions led by Daitokuji monks: sold out. This covers both the Nov 5 session (¥17,300) and the Nov 13 sessions with a Buddhist vegetarian meal (¥32,300). The official ticket page marks both as sold out.
• "Brain-wave zazen" (¥5,600): you meditate while your brain waves are measured and shown in real time. It runs one to four times a day on most dates, with 20 people per session and a set date and time. On Oct 29, the official page did not mark it as sold out, and sales close 30 minutes before each session.
• The price is the same for everyone, so children and caregivers who are otherwise free also pay. Kujōkan is reached by a steep staircase with no handrail, and wheelchairs cannot enter.

Getting there

From the official access notes: a 10-minute walk from JR Ueno Station (Park exit) or JR Uguisudani Station, or 15 minutes from Keisei Ueno, Tokyo Metro Ueno and Tokyo Metro Nezu stations.

Quick checklist

• [ ] Pick your period: by Nov 8 for Guanyin, Monkeys and Cranes, from Nov 10 for Dragon and Tiger and the Nobunaga portrait
• [ ] Avoid Mondays (except Nov 2, 23 and 30) and Nov 24
• [ ] Want an evening? Pick a Friday or Saturday, or Nov 1, 2 or 22
• [ ] Buying through an agency? Plan time to print at a convenience store
• [ ] Arrive at least 30 minutes before closing

Sources

• Tokyo National Museum — Daitokuji: A Zen Temple Beyond Compare (official, English): dates, hours, extended evenings, closed days, Nov 30 exception, admission prices, no reservation, access. Checked 2026-10-29.
• Daitokuji 700th Anniversary Exhibition — official site (Japanese): first and second display periods, highlights and their display periods, counts of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Checked 2026-10-29.
• Daitokuji exhibition — Tickets and ZEN NIGHT TOKYO (official, Japanese): same-day prices, ticket-counter waits, convenience-store printing, ZEN NIGHT TOKYO dates, hours and set-ticket prices, zazen sessions and sold-out status. Checked 2026-10-29.

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Cover photo: Simon Goetz via Unsplash.