Takebashi

Takebashi Station lies on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line in the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo. It is located directly underneath the headquarters of the Mainichi Shimbun in the Palaceside Building. Mainichi Shimbun is the oldest newspaper of Japan having been founded in 1872 during the Meiji period. 

Takebashi Station is located right in front of Kitanomaru Park, which is one of the two areas of the Imperial Palace open to the public. Kitanomaru Park is also home to the Nippon Budokan, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of Art & Craft Gallery. Takebashi Station is situated on the opposite side of the Park from Kudanshita Station. While Nippon Budokan lies closer to Kudanshita Station, the Science Museum and the National Museum of Art & Craft Gallery lie closer to Takebashi Station.

Science Museum

Located a short walk from Takebashi Station, Science Museum is Japan's largest science museum, equipped with exhibitions ranging from outer space and nuclear technologies to agriculture and raw materials. Opened in 1964 by the Japan Science Foundation, this attractive 5-story white concrete lattice-work museum is mainly designed to promote easy understanding of advanced science and technology even for children. Exhibits are mostly interactive and visitors are invited to manipulate and play with them.

The first floor of the museum has a ticket booth, a restaurant, and a museum shop with over 300 different products on sale. The second floor has an Automos section displaying and explaining nuclear power and fission; a Bicycle section explaining the history of the bicycle all the way from its invention to how it evolved through the ages; and a Science Library covering a broad range of books on science and industrial technology. On the third floor is Denki Factory exhibiting and explaining electricity in all its forms; Electro Hall, displaying the mystery and excitement of the aurora; a Motor Vehicles section exhibiting and explaining the history of automobiles and all the different parts that an automobile is made of; the Gas Quest, explaining everything about the power and wonder of gas; World of Motors, with a display of motors in all its different forms; and Earth, its sciences and why we need to preserve it. The sections on the fourth floor are Universe, Iron World, Future Scope, Constrium, Space Information Library, and PC SoftLab. The fifth floor has Illusion, Mechanics, Optics, Orienteering, Genome, and Works. There is also a Science Club for children with the aim to develop the love of science in children. It holds a variety of fun activities, such as workshops, experiments, computer classes, and nature appreciation classes.

National Museum of Modern Art & Craft Gallery

Located close to the Science Museum is the National Museum of Modern Art & Craft Gallery. Opened in 1952 as the first national museum of art in Japan, The National Museum of Modern Art consists of the Museum and Crafts Gallery in Kitanomaru Park and the National Film Center in Kyobashi, next to Ginza.

The main building of the complex houses the Museum . Since its opening in 1952, the Museum has been extended and refurbished several times, the last renovation work being completed in 2001. The totally refurbished museum opened in 2002 with a specialization in contemporary Japanese art. Permanent exhibits include both Japanese and Western-style paintings, sculptures, prints, watercolors, drawings, photographs, and other works dating roughly from the beginning of the 20th century to the present and provides an overview of the history of modern art. Special exhibitions under different themes are changed several times a year, but historic masterpieces remain on show permanently. The museum also hosts regular international exhibitions.  

The Crafts Gallery is housed in a building close by. The building, designed by Yasushi Tamura, a military engineer, in 1910, has been designated as Important Cultural Property to preserve its architectural worth as an example of Western-style red-brick Neo Gothic architecture of the Meiji period. The Crafts Gallery displays Japanese and foreign craft works dating from the Meiji period to the present day, covering textile, ceramics, glass, lacquer, wood, bamboo and metal work, dolls, industrial and graphic design.