Special Exhibition: Echoes of Silk Road Traders: Samarkandʼs Relics and Eurasian Ties
| Exhibition Period | Thursday, March 19 ,2026 – Tuesday, June 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | The Special Exhibition Hall, National Museum of Ethnology |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Entry is permitted until 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed on | Wednesdays |
| Admission Fee |
Adults ¥1,200 (¥810), and college/ university students ¥600 (¥340), senior high school and elementary and junior high school students Free * Visitors can also view the regular exhibits. * Those in brackets ( ) are discount charges for groups of more than 20 people, people of universities and the like* who use this facility as part of their classwork, high school students writing reports, repeat visitors within 3 months after the last visit, and people 65 years old and older (certification required). * University students and the like include students of college, undergraduate, graduate, and vocational school students. * Admission is free for visitors with a disability certificate and also for one accompanying person. * Other various discount Information * For college students and general visitors: please buy a museum ticket at the ticket windows of the Natural and Cultural Gardens. Ticket holders can pass through the garden at no charge. * For high school students and younger to pass through the Natural and Cultural Gardens (paid area): tell the person at the window of the garden (center, west, or north entrance) that you are going to Minpaku and receive a pass. * When you are going to the Natural and Cultural Gardens (paid area), you should pay the admission fee. ▶ Details |
| Presented by | the National Museum of Ethnology |
| Special cooperation | Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation |
| Other Cooperation | Samarkand Archaeological Institute, Uzbekistan Cultural Heritage Agency; Samarkand State Museum of Cultural History; Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Japan; Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Nagoya; Hamanakonpouyuso Silk Road Museum; Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd.; The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka; Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); Japan–Uzbekistan Association (NPO); Senri Foundation; Tenri University Sankokan Museum; Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum; Yokohama Museum of EurAsian Cultures; Ryukoku University Omiya Library; MIHO MUSEUM; Yukiwari-so Co., Ltd.; MASUI Co., Ltd.; Okamoto Corporation; KUROSIMO Inc.; Nippondo Co., Ltd. |
| Support | Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan; Nara Prefecture |
Exhibition Overview
Central Asia has played a vital role in the history of human civilization as a crossroads where the cultures of East and West, and of North and South—between farmers and nomads—met and interacted across the Eurasian continent. In particular, merchants were instrumental in the movement of people, goods, and ideas along the Silk Road. Without their activities, the history and culture of this region—from antiquity to the present—could not be fully told.
This special exhibition highlights “Merchants” as a key theme connecting the past and the present. Through archaeological artifacts excavated from ancient sites in Samarkand, as well as modern examples of embroidery, textiles, musical instruments, folk costumes, and materials related to religion and belief, the exhibition explores the activities of merchants and illustrates the rich cultural diversity, wide-ranging exchange, and vibrant trade that have characterized Central Asia through the ages.