
There are some hoops you have to jump through, but this is an unforgettable place to have your photos taken when you’re ready to exchange rings.
The Tokyo National Museum, located across the street from Ueno Park, houses a stunning collection of beautiful artifacts. Even if it’s not displaying one of the legendary Five Swords Under Heaven, there’s always an impressive array of works of classical Japanese sculpture, pottery, and painting to be seen.
The building itself is an architectural work of art too, and unbeknownst to many people, it’s also a fantastic wedding photo venue, as shown in these photos from Japanese Twitter user @starpla3.
In the photos shared by @starpla3, the loving couple is standing hand-in-hand on the grand stone staircases of the museum’s entry hall. Not only do the steps provide a sense of scale for the luxuriously long train of the bride’s dress, the building’s interior aesthetics give the pictures a timeless atmosphere, as they look like they could have been taken either just a day or an entire century ago.
国立博物館でウェディングフォト撮ってきました。 pic.twitter.com/qbdL3aaaJH
— サマナ (@starpla3) October 19, 2021
The breathtaking photos have been met with gasps of Suteki! (“Lovely!”) by online commenters, no doubt many of whom are now considering having their own photos taken there someday.
It should be noted, though, that finding your soulmate is only half of what you’ll need to do to get your wedding photos taken inside the building. Photography is not allowed inside the building during normal visiting hours, and special-permission photo shoots like @starpla3’s require advance reservations, generally made through a professional photography studio. What’s more, with the museum being one of the premiere institutions of its type in Japan and pretty much always in the process of cycling its displays or preparing for special exhibitions, reservation slots are extremely limited, and absolutely require working around the schedule of the museum’s off-hours operations.
Even that has a potential upside, though. The reservation @starpla3 was able to obtain was for an early morning shoot, before the museum opened to the general public, and the visual result is rays of dazzling morning sunshine casting long shadows as they shine through the hall’s eastward-facing windows. So even if you have to wake up early, for unforgettable photos like these, it’s definitely worth it.
Source: Twitter/@starpla3 via IT Media
Top image: SoraNews24
Insert images: Twitter/@starpla3
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!




One of Tokyo’s best museums is closing and won’t be open again for years
Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum set to crack down on ticket scalping and resales with pre-entry ID checks
Legendary crescent moon katana, one of Japan’s Five Swords Under Heaven, now on display in Tokyo
Secretive Ghibli Museum starts video diary to give glimpse inside anime attraction【Videos】
Giant flying Totoro balloon appears at Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum【Video】
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Rumors say this is Japan’s very best McDonald’s branch, but what makes it special?[Taste test]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Totoro and Calcifer become little light-up lanterns for Ghibli-style excursions or at-home decor
Picturesque Tokyo park plays host to millions of flowers and soap bubbles this spring
Fatal stabbing at Pokémon Center in Tokyo reignites concern over rising stalking cases in Japan
Blurring the bravery/stupidity line by taste-testing 16-year-old instant ramen 【Video】
Real-world Pokémon Koraidon motorcycle makes its first run in Japan【Video】
A Gintama fan’s emotional 19-year journey to buy a proper Lake Toya bokuto wooden katana【Pics】
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Summer nights at this amazing Tokyo open-air museum are like stepping back in time
Tokyo National Museum seeking donations to pave over pond, create space for beer and music events
Nintendo Museum’s official merch includes awesome giant controller cushions【Video】
Tokyo’s coolest open-air museum gets even cooler with hot summer nights event
Ghibli Museum’s Summer Stand lets you get a taste of Ghibli fun even if you don’t have a ticket
Amazing ukiyo-e art exhibit gives you the chance to step inside a woodblock print and snap photos
Japanese museum holds on to child’s lost stuffed animal for 30 years, gives it bath, new clothes
Perfectly recreated 1960s Japanese apartment lets museum visitors go back to mid-Showa era【Pics】
Samurai Ninja Museum Tokyo With Experience is true to its name, lets you slice with real katana
Goodbye, Megaweb! Downtown Tokyo’s coolest car museum is closing for good【Photos】
Small trees, big beauty await at Japan’s Bonsai Art Museum【Photos】
There’s a new museum in Japan, but almost all of its location is a secret
TeamLab Borderless: A visitor’s guide to Tokyo’s new jaw-dropping interactive light museum
The amazing papercraft model from the Ghibli Museum — see the museum in intricate miniature detail!