This guide draws on the websites of the Kyoto National Museum, the Tokyo National Museum, Himeji Castle and five mountain roads: the Shiga-Kusatsu Kogen Route, the Hachimantai roads, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, the Ibukiyama Driveway and the Norikura Echo Line. It does not describe rules for the whole country.
The Tokyo National Museum closes on Mondays, and when a Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday it opens that day and closes on the following weekday. The Kyoto National Museum takes every Monday as its regular closing day. When a Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday, the Kyoto National Museum opens and closes on the following Tuesday. The Norikura Echo Line is under winter closure from November first to April of the following year.
How to Check Before You Go
- Start with the day of the week. The Kyoto National Museum is closed every Monday. The Tokyo National Museum's closed day is also Monday.
- Then look at holiday Mondays. When a Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday, the Kyoto National Museum opens that day and takes the following Tuesday off instead.
- Look at the year-end. The Tokyo National Museum has a year-end closure from December twenty-sixth to December thirty-first. Himeji Castle, for its part, is scheduled to close on December twenty-ninth and thirtieth.
- For mountain roads, look at the season and the night. The Hachimantai Aspite Line has a winter closure planned from November fourth at five in the afternoon to April fifteenth at ten in the morning. While a night-time closure is in force on the Hachimantai roads, they cannot be passed from five in the afternoon until half past eight in the morning of the following day.
- Note the last entry time. Himeji Castle takes its last entry at four in the afternoon. On the Ibukiyama Driveway, the last entry is two hours before the closing time.
Museums: Weekly Closed Days
At the Kyoto National Museum, the regular closing day comes round once a week, every Monday. When that Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday, the Kyoto National Museum opens on the Monday and moves its closing day to the following Tuesday instead.
In the period of the permanent collection galleries, the Kyoto National Museum opens from half past nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, with entry until half past four in the afternoon. On Fridays in that period, the Kyoto National Museum stays open until eight in the evening, with entry until half past seven in the evening.
The Tokyo National Museum takes Monday as its closed day; when Monday is a national holiday or a substitute holiday, the closed day shifts to the following weekday. The Tokyo National Museum's opening hours are half past nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. At year-end, the Tokyo National Museum closes from December twenty-sixth to December thirty-first.
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle opens at nine in the morning and closes at five in the afternoon, with last entry at four in the afternoon. In the year-end period, Himeji Castle is scheduled to be closed on December twenty-ninth and thirtieth. Admission for adults aged eighteen or older is two thousand five hundred yen at Himeji Castle.
A combined ticket covering Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden costs two thousand six hundred yen. From JR Himeji Station and Sanyo Himeji Station, the walk to Himeji Castle takes about twenty minutes. To compare places to sleep near the castle, see lodging options in Himeji.
Mountain Roads That Close for Winter
The night-time closure of the Hachimantai Aspite Line and the Hachimantai Jukai Line runs from October sixteenth at five in the afternoon to November fourth at half past eight in the morning. In that window these two roads cannot be passed from five in the afternoon until half past eight in the morning on the following day.
| Road | Winter closure or operating period |
|---|---|
| The Shiga-Kusatsu Kogen Route | Winter closure from November eleventh at one in the afternoon to April twenty-first at ten in the morning |
| Hachimantai Aspite Line | Winter closure is planned from November fourth at five in the afternoon to April fifteenth at ten in the morning |
| Hachimantai Jukai Line | Winter closure is planned from November fourth at five in the afternoon to April twenty-third at ten in the morning |
| Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route | Operating schedule from April fifteenth to November thirtieth |
| Ibukiyama Driveway | Operating period from the third Saturday of April to November twenty-third, with winter closure outside this period |
| Norikura Echo Line | Winter closure from November first to April of the following year |
On the Ibukiyama Driveway, the toll for a light or standard car is three thousand four hundred yen for a round trip. Last entry to the Ibukiyama Driveway comes two hours before its closing time.
Exceptions and What Changes Year to Year
In summer, from June first to August thirty-first, Himeji Castle is open from nine in the morning to six in the evening, with last entry at five in the afternoon. On January first the Tokyo National Museum opens from noon to eight in the evening.
During the special exhibition on Kitano Tenjin, the Kyoto National Museum opens from nine in the morning to half past five in the afternoon, with entry until five in the afternoon. On Fridays during that exhibition, the Kyoto National Museum stays open until eight in the evening, with entry until half past seven in the evening.
Between the third Saturday of April and the third Friday of July, the Ibukiyama Driveway runs from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. In September the Ibukiyama Driveway is open from eight in the morning to eight in the evening, though the dates may differ from the normal road hours. From October to November twenty-third, tentatively, the Ibukiyama Driveway runs from eight in the morning to seven in the evening.
On the Nagano side of the Norikura Echo Line, passable hours for tour buses, microbuses and taxis from July to September are six in the morning to six in the evening. In October the same hours for those vehicles on the Nagano side of the Norikura Echo Line are seven in the morning to six in the evening. Check official information before visiting.
Related Reading
See Himeji, Kusatsu, rural bus timetables and how to ride rural buses.