Beni Museum

Museum • Japan, 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama, 6-chōme−6−２０ K's南青山ビル 1F

4.3(136 reviews)

Immerse Yourself in the World of Beni with Edo Atmosphere

A Colorful Experience Backed by 200 Years of Tradition

At the small museum "Beni Museum" at Isehan Honten, you can experience the traditional "beni" culture that has continued since the Edo period. In the permanent exhibition, you can admire the process of beni production and historic cosmetic tools for free. Don't miss the occasional special exhibitions.

Surround Yourself with a Retro and Cute World

The content of the special exhibitions exudes a retro and cute atmosphere. It is a space where time flows leisurely, allowing you to immerse yourself in the miniature world or reminisce about the traditional children's culture. Stepping inside, you might feel like you've wandered into an extraordinary world apart from your daily life.

Take a Peek at the Antique Street and Drop By

The quietly standing Beni Museum tucked away in the Omotesando area is a small spot perfect for a casual visit while strolling along the antique street. It also has a multi-functional restroom, making it convenient when you want to take a little break. It's a good idea to stop by and feel the Edo atmosphere while strolling along the way.

Tourist attraction Museum Point of interest Establishment

Reviews

5(a month ago)

Lauren

A small but super fascinating museum where I learned so much more about Japanese history and culture than I expected. The display is in Japanese but they have an iPad with English and French (and maybe other languages), so I was able to learn a lot. This is a truly amazing process and I hope it won’t be lost to time! The ladies who work here were so kind, and it’s free!

4(5 months ago)

Ever Tale

This is a very small museum in between the area from Mori Museum and Nezu Museum. It explains the history of makeup in Japan, how it used to be a ritual thing for both genders but now is ladies’ only and the influence of American culture. It’s totally free and the staff is nice so I recommend it. Perhaps a bit more interesting for ladies with young daughters than older men.

4(a year ago)

Suhaila S

Great small exhibit that's free about the importation and development of red dye into Japanese culture, with a heavy focus in cosmetics. They had ipads with an English description for the entire exhibit

5(4 years ago)

H. H.

This is a fascinating little museum that is completely free of charge. It is run by the sole remaining maker of a type of traditional Japanese lipstick called "beni" used widely in the Edo period. This lipstick has a very important place in the history of Japanese fashion, so it is well worth dropping in to learn about it. The museum is near the Nezu Museum and the Okamoto Taro Memorial Museum - about 6-8 minutes walking from either to the south/east - so if you are already in the area it would be easy to stop by. The museum is small, so you could easily walk through in 20 minutes and still really enjoy it. The front part is a small shop where this lipstick is sold (at a high price and rightfully so based on the difficulty of producing it) and the rear section is the museum itself, which is a medium-sized room filled with beautiful, high-quality exhibits. The exhibits are in Japanese, but the staff will gladly give you a laminated pamphlet with excellent English translations of all of the displays. They also have a sample pot of the lipstick available to show you how it works (even if you are not buying anything). This is a great little museum, absolutely worth adding to your itinerary if you are visiting the Omotesando area.

4(5 years ago)

Jerome Solberg

This is an interesting place to stop in, especially if one is interested in the history of dyes and/or makeup. The museum is small and mostly in Japanese though they hand out something in English. There is a salon where you can drink tea and try the beni lipstick if you so care to (I did not for lack of time and the basic fact that I do not want lipstick). The process and the product seems fascinating, however. Green iridiscent till it touches water, then turns bright red. Sold in little porcelain cups.

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