Celebrate the New Year and usher in the year of the snake at the Tokyo National Museum, admiring artworks featuring sensational snakes. While many of us see these slithering creatures as devious and potentially venomous animals, ancient tales and artworks reveal that in Japan, where rice cultivation is widespread, they were regarded as water gods that bring fertility to the land. Many more positive associations, such as its ability to shed skin - symbolising rebirth or healing, have made snakes a popular subject to include in art, religion and everyday objects.
On January 2 and 3, the museum is putting on special cultural events including taiko drumming, lion dance and ginkenshibu sword and poetry performances. Also, don’t miss the grand New Year ikebana flower arrangement at the entrance (until Jan 13).