Traveling exhibits and fascinating lectures bring the history and customs of bygone civilizations to life in the Ancient Orient Museum. Pottery and tools are presented on the shelves and display boxes of this museum, which focuses on the area surrounding Egypt and West Asia. Check out the temporary exhibits that can often remain in the museum for several years at a time.

Watch the 18-minute Message from the Ancient Orient movie in the Screen Hall. Piece together the history of Ancient Egypt via the photos of vestiges and still-standing monuments. Glass cabinets showcase a variety of excavated tools and weapons that provide an insight into life in this part of the world millennia ago. Some of the items are replicas of the originals.

While exhibits change throughout the year, they tend to focus on such themes as church mosaics and ancient art. See the various permanent collections from Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Iran. The latter includes excavations from neighboring countries, while another gallery explores archaeological findings from Syria.

Learn about hunter gatherers and early agricultural systems in the Earliest Orient World display and find out about Alexander the Great and the Silk Road in An Expanding World and East-West Interactions. Guided tours in English are often available, allowing you to delve deeper into each subject.

The museum opens daily from morning until late afternoon. The Evening Gallery event extends the opening hours on certain Fridays. There is a fee to get in ask for discounts for students and school children.

The Ancient Orient Museum is in the heart of the Toshima neighborhood in northern Tokyo. Arrive at the Ikebukuro railway station and walk east for several minutes to get here. You can also take the Yurakucho Line to the Higashi-Ikebukuro stop. Make sure to visit adjacent attractions such as the Sunshine Aquarium, East Ikebukuro Central Park and Hinodemachi Park.