When people think of Japan, one of the first thing that pops into their minds are samurai. Samurai are the most elite royal military and have been an integral part of Japanese history and culture ever since they first rose to power in the 12th century. However, if you are anything like me, all you know about the samurai prior to arriving in Japan is what you learned from The Last Samurai (no, not a wise leader, the Tom Cruise movie.)

Although the Samurai Museum is somewhat small, especially compared to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, it is much more interesting because it covers a much older and wider range of Japanese history. You don’t have to be interested in samurais to enjoy the museum. There are periodic English-speaking tour groups that go out and highly recommend waiting a few minutes for the next one. The displays are interesting enough by themselves but the guides really bring the history to life.

Nearby: Kabuki-Cho, Tokyo’s most well-known red light district