National Showa Memorial Museum

The National Showa Memorial Museum, or Showakan, in Tokyo’s Chiyoda City documents daily life in Japan before, during and after the Second World War. Its exhibits on the sixth and seventh floors use everyday objects and immersive displays to show how the war affected ordinary people and families, followed by the challenges of postwar recovery. The museum presents the period from a Japanese civilian perspective; it does not cover the actions of Imperial Japan in other Asian countries. Most exhibit text is in Japanese, so bring a translation app.

Everyday life during and after the war

The National Showa Memorial Museum, also called Showakan, focuses on the hardships experienced by ordinary people in Japan during and after the Second World War. Its exhibits trace daily life before, during and after the conflict, with objects and immersive displays that show how families lived through the period and faced postwar recovery.

The permanent exhibition is on the sixth and seventh floors. Allow around 1.5 to 2 hours to see these floors; visiting early gives you more time to explore the museum and its other facilities.

A Japanese civilian perspective

Showakan tells the story of the period through the experiences of Japanese people at home. Its focus does not extend to the actions of Imperial Japan in other Asian countries, an important limit to bear in mind when using the museum to understand the wider history of the war.

Most exhibit text is in Japanese. The Pocket Curator app can provide translated explanations, and translation tools can help with signage. The library has computers for viewing archived footage and access to archival materials.