The Toyotomi Brothers exhibition at Tokyo's Edo-Tokyo Museum brings together letters, folding screens, armor, tea utensils and swords connected to Hideyoshi and his younger brother Hidenaga. It is the Tokyo venue of the special exhibition tied to NHK's 2026 taiga drama Toyotomi Kyodai!, also presented in English as Brothers in Arms. The objects come from museums, temples and collections across Japan.

On my first visit I went in at around 10:00 on a Saturday and spent about 2 hours 20 minutes in the special exhibition alone, taking notes as I went. I went back in the second half and concentrated on the objects that had just gone on display. If you are going now, start with what is on now; objects that have gone off display are gathered later on the page. It is written for visitors to Tokyo who follow the drama, know the Sengoku (Warring States) period, or want to see famous Toyotomi-era objects in one place.

Is it worth visiting? Dates, tickets and photography

In my view, yes, if you have any interest in samurai history. Objects that normally sit in different museums across Japan are shown together, and some are real highlights: famous tea wares that still carry the names of the warlords who owned them, the sword Nansen Ichimonji in the second half, and, in the first half, a suit of armor used by Hideyoshi and his handwritten draft will (both now off display). Considering the effort of visiting each lender separately, I felt the ¥2,100 ticket was good value. The main caveat for international visitors is language: most of the object labels I saw were in Japanese (see English support below).

Dates	Tuesday 15 September – Sunday 8 November 2026
Venue	Edo-Tokyo Museum, 1st-floor Special Exhibition Gallery (1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo)
Hours	9:30–17:30; Saturdays until 19:30; 6 November until 20:00. Last entry 30 minutes before closing
Closed	Mondays (but open 21 September, 12 October and 2 November), plus 24 September, 13 October and 4 November
Tickets (on the day)	Adults ¥2,100; 65 and over ¥1,600; university and vocational students ¥1,300; free for high school students and younger, and for holders of Japanese disability certificates plus up to two companions
Combined ticket	Special exhibition + permanent exhibition: ¥2,740 for adults, sold only at the museum and on its own online ticket site — ¥160 less than buying the special exhibition (¥2,100) and the permanent exhibition (¥800 on its own) separately. The ¥2,100 ticket does not include the permanent galleries
Reservations	Not required, but you may have to wait to enter when it is busy. Online tickets can be bought through the official ticket page (several vendors to choose from). Same-day tickets are also sold on the Japanese booking site Asoview (PR; see the entry tips below for details)
Discount	Adults pay ¥2,000 (¥100 off) if you show a ticket stub or online ticket for the Tokyo National Museum's Daitoku-ji exhibition. Details below
Photography	Not allowed in the galleries with the historical objects on either of my visits (19 September and 17 October)

Checked on 20 September 2026 against the official Japanese pages. The English exhibition page listed some dates differently (for example, a later closing time on 6 November), so the details above follow the museum's Japanese information. Please check the museum website before you go.

Discount tickets: the one discount open to everyone is the joint offer with the Tokyo National Museum's Daitoku-ji exhibition, which I saw on a notice at the museum on 17 October 2026. If you have already been to Daitoku-ji and kept your ticket, the adult ticket here drops from ¥2,100 to ¥2,000. Apart from that, as of 20 September 2026 I found only discounts through membership or employee-benefit schemes in Japan, such as CO-OP Deli, Benefit One and Yutori Chiyoda.

First half vs second half: which objects are on when

The Tokyo show is split into a first half (15 September – 12 October) and a second half (14 October – 8 November), and some objects have their own display dates, including a few that change again within the second half (up to 25 October, then from 27 October). The catalogue numbers below are the museum's list numbers, not the order of the galleries. See the full object list (PDF, Japanese) for every entry, or use my work list in English, where you can filter all 130 works by half and by venue.

I saw both halves. The armor (No. 122) and the draft will (No. 230) went off display on 12 October. If you go now, you will see the second-half line-up, which includes the Nansen Ichimonji sword (No. 216), and a few pieces change again after 25 October.

Time needed, getting in, and English support

• Special exhibition: about 2 hours 20 minutes for me, reading closely and taking notes, including the short film in the galleries.
• Exhibition shop: allow 10–15 minutes if you like to browse; there is a lot of merchandise.
• Permanent exhibition: split into Edo and modern Tokyo zones. To see it properly I would allow another 2–3 hours. I only had time for the Edo zone.

On Saturday 19 September 2026, there was a long queue at the ticket counter, so I bought an online ticket on my phone while at the museum. When I scanned its QR code at the entrance, it showed an error and a staff member asked me to wait. I entered about 3–5 minutes later; I could not confirm what caused the error. Buying an online ticket before arriving would at least save the time needed to purchase it on site.

On my visit around 10:00 on Saturday 19 September 2026, the galleries were busy throughout. Following the route strictly from the start meant waiting in front of some cases, so it helped to look at quieter displays first, within the museum's guidance.

On my second visit, on Saturday 17 October 2026, I arrived at around 11:00. The ticket queue was long again, and from what I could see it would have taken 20–30 minutes to buy a ticket. This time I had bought an online ticket in advance and walked straight in. If you are going on a Saturday, buy ahead.

English support: the entrance area had English. For the individual object labels, my impression is that some had English and others did not, but I cannot say how much of the exhibition is covered. The official audio guide is in Japanese only. If you do not read Japanese, the object notes in this guide are a good way to prepare before you go.

For Japanese speakers, the official audio guide is available as a ¥700 rental at the venue or through the "Kiku Bijutsu" app (¥800, available until 8 November 2026). It is narrated by Taiga Nakano, who plays Hidenaga in the drama. I had bought the app version at the Nagoya venue, and in my case the updated Tokyo audio was available at no extra charge.

It has 17 sections, and even in the first half I could listen to commentary on second-half objects, which helped me decide whether to return. Some of what I heard on it is woven into the object notes on this page. The app version also works outside the museum, so you can listen again at home. If you plan to come back in the second half and want the audio guide again, the app version is the one to buy.

More detail on the "Kiku Bijutsu" app itself is on the official site of its operator, Acoustiguide Japan (Japanese only). You can also listen before your visit to prepare. Check the official information for availability and conditions.

Getting there from Ryogoku Station

The museum is next to Ryogoku Station, which is served by the JR Sobu Line (station number JB21) and the Toei Oedo subway line. I left JR Ryogoku Station by the West Exit, on its north side (the side with a 7-Eleven), and walked about 300 m to the museum entrance. Large exhibition posters outside the station also point towards the museum. On the route I walked on 19 September 2026, part of the walk was uncovered, so bring an umbrella if rain is forecast.

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The route I walked from the north side of JR Ryogoku West Exit to the museum

Coming from Shinagawa or Tokyo Station, if you don't know the area

About the Edo-Tokyo Museum

The Edo-Tokyo Museum is Tokyo's city history museum, first opened in 1993. After its first major renovation in about 30 years, it reopened on 31 March 2026, and the Toyotomi Brothers show is one of its reopening special exhibitions. The exhibition is in the 1st-floor Special Exhibition Gallery, separate from the permanent galleries on the history of Edo and Tokyo. If you want to see both, buy the combined ticket.

Who were the Toyotomi brothers?

Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose from a commoner family in Owari Province (around today's Nagoya) to become a leading general under the warlord Oda Nobunaga, and after Nobunaga's death in 1582 he brought the whole of Japan under his rule. His younger brother Hidenaga fought alongside him for years and became a major lord in his own right, ruling Yamato Province (today's Nara Prefecture) from Koriyama Castle. The exhibition's official commentary highlights his work there, such as bringing merchants to settle and reorganizing the castle town.

Hidenaga died in 1591 and Hideyoshi in 1598. The exhibition runs from a prologue through five chapters to an epilogue, following the brothers' careers and the culture of the Toyotomi regime through real objects. The Taiga drama is a work of fiction based on history, so keep the drama's version of events separate from what the objects themselves show.

The audio guide also follows the Toyotomi family after both brothers had died: the meeting between Hideyori and Ieyasu, the dispute over the inscription on the great bell of Hoko-ji temple, and the road to the Osaka sieges. In the exhibition, Chapter 5, on the decline of the Toyotomi, covers this period.

Both portraits below are AI-generated images based on material held by Zenrin-ji temple in Kyoto.

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On the left, exhibit No. 2, the portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Zenrin-ji temple, Kyoto; shown in Tokyo in the first half); on the right, an AI-generated image of Hidenaga based on material from the same temple (it does not correspond to a specific exhibit number). Both are AI-generated images, not photographs of the actual objects or accurate reconstructions. The figure in the portrait looks to be roughly 40 x 40 cm by eye.

The gallery film on Hidenaga

A film in the galleries introduces Hidenaga: his careful letters of thanks, a relationship in which his brother trusted him with decisions, his government of his domain, including his dealings with temples and shrines, and how local communities remembered him long after his death. It is in Japanese, but watching it before or after the objects helps put a face to the less famous brother.

Hidenaga in brief: what to know before you go

Hidenaga is far less known than his brother, even in Japan. These points link his career to the objects on show.

• A different name at first: he first used the name Nagahide and changed it to Hidenaga in 1584, after Nobunaga's death.
• Standing in for his brother: in 1574, while Hideyoshi was tied down facing the Ikko-ikki in Echizen, Hidenaga led troops in his place against the Ikko-ikki uprising at Nagashima in Ise.
• The negotiator: during the Komaki-Nagakute campaign he negotiated peace with Oda Nobukatsu as Hideyoshi's representative, and in the Kyushu campaign the Shimazu side came to him to make peace. When the Kyushu lord Otomo Sorin visited Osaka in 1586, he wrote that private matters went through Sen no Rikyu and official matters through Hidenaga. The audio guide adds that he handled correspondence and negotiations with other lords, and hosted visitors.
• Ruling Yamato (Nara): from Koriyama Castle he ruled Yamato, Kii and other provinces. The exhibition's official site highlights how he brought in merchants and reorganized the castle town. The hanging lantern from Hasedera temple (No. 125) was donated by his daughter in 1588.
• Working through illness: by the Odawara campaign of 1590 he was too ill to take the field, but according to the audio guide he kept working for the regime while recovering, for example passing on reports from the front to the people concerned. His prayer document of the same year (No. 221, second half) asks for his recovery.
• His death: he died at Koriyama Castle on the 22nd day of the 1st month of 1591, at 52 by the traditional count. Hideyoshi ordered a period of mourning, and large numbers of people came to the funeral.

What is on now: second-half highlights (14 October – 8 November)

These are the objects you can see until the exhibition closes on 8 November, grouped by theme. Second-half objects come from my visit on 17 October; whole-run objects such as the folding screens and the Araki and Yabure-bukuro tea wares come mostly from my first visit on 19 September. Each heading shows when the objects are on display. Photography is not allowed in the galleries, so I rely on the notes I wrote on the printed object list and, for some objects, AI-generated images. The notes include my own impressions and guesses, and the explanations are as I read them on the labels.

See the real objects behind Hyouge Mono and Touken Ranbu

If you know the Sengoku tea world from the manga and anime Hyouge Mono, whose hero is Furuta Oribe, two pieces here are worth seeing in person: "Araki" (No. 190), the tea bowl said to have belonged to Araki Murashige, and "Yabure-bukuro" (No. 204), the water jar Oribe is said to have praised so highly. The story's version and the objects' documented history are different things, so read the museum labels alongside what you remember from the series. Both are on show for the whole run.

For Touken Ranbu fans, two real swords that inspired sword characters in the game are on show. One is second-half only, so check the dates. The 24 works tied to Touken Ranbu, Hyouge Mono and the drama are listed together under the media filter of my work list.

No. 232 Namazuo Toshiro	Whole run; Tokugawa Art Museum. A short sword (wakizashi) remade from a polearm blade, named for its resemblance to a catfish tail. The museum describes it as a famous Toyotomi sword passed from Hideyoshi to his son Hideyori, damaged by fire when Osaka Castle fell, and re-tempered for Tokugawa Ieyasu by the swordsmith Echizen Yasutsugu. The blade looked to be roughly 60 cm by eye.
No. 216 Nansen Ichimonji	Second half only (14 Oct – 8 Nov); Important Cultural Property; Tokugawa Art Museum. An unsigned Kamakura-period sword. According to the audio guide, it passed from the Ashikaga shoguns to the Toyotomi, and Hideyori later gave it to Ieyasu. When I saw it on 17 October, the blade looked clear and unclouded. The second half also includes No. 215, sword drawings that record it.

The "thousand gourds" standard (No. 44, whole run): Hideyoshi's battle standard was a cluster of golden gourds, and tradition says he added a gourd after each victory. The example on show dates from the Edo period.

More to enjoy: drama display, shop, themed lunch and the Ieyasu statue

You cannot photograph the historical objects, but the museum also has a Taiga drama display with photo spots, an exhibition shop and a themed lunch, all worth fitting in after the galleries.

First-half objects now off display: notes from 19 September

The objects below were shown only in the first half (15 September – 12 October) and are no longer on display. I have kept my notes from 19 September as a record. For what you can see now, go to what is on now.

Follow the objects to historic sites and earlier venues

My Osaka and Nagoya articles are records of those earlier venues of this touring exhibition. Objects and photography rules differed between venues, so use this page for the Tokyo show. If you saw the Nagoya or Osaka leg, the venue filter in my work list shows what is different in Tokyo.

Where to stay before or after the exhibition

PRThis section contains affiliate links to Agoda. If you book through them, this site earns a commission. I choose hotels for their location and how easy they are to travel from.

The exhibition runs until Sunday 8 November. On Saturdays it stays open until 19:30, which leaves room for an evening visit. Choose a hotel to suit what you are doing before and after. Here are three areas for three kinds of trip. Prices vary widely by date and room type, so I have not compared them.

The links open with Agoda’s default dates and guest count. Check the dates, price, and cancellation terms on the booking page before you reserve.

Frequently asked questions