East Asian Museum in Stockholm - Japan, China, Korea

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | The East Asian Museum on Skeppsholmen offers art, archaeology and cultural history from primarily China, Japan and Korea, but the collections also include other parts of Asia. We have visited the museum once and were fascinated by everything from Japanese art to Chinese ceramics and objects several thousand years old.

The East Asian Museum on Skeppsholmen

The East Asian Museum is located on Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, just after you walk over the Skeppsholmsbron bridge. The museum is one of four museums that are part of the Swedish Museums of World Culture. The others are Ethnographic Museum and Mediterranean Museum in Stockholm and the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg.

The museum's history dates back to the 1920s and the archaeological collections that Johan Gunnar Andersson built up after research in China. The East Asian Museum opened in its current premises on Skeppsholmen in 1963.

Today, the collections include art, cultural history and archaeological objects from primarily China and Japan, but also from Korea and other parts of Asia. The Chinese collection is particularly significant and is described by the museum as the largest outside of China.

What can you see at the East Asian Museum?

The exhibitions at the East Asian Museum change over time, so exactly what is on display may vary between visits. When we were here, we were primarily exposed to the history and culture of Japan, China, and Korea.

Much is displayed through original objects in showcases, and the collections span very long time periods. Here you can go from archaeological finds that are several thousand years old to significantly more modern art and objects.

Japan – art, samurai and tea ceremonies

Japan was one of the parts of the museum that we found exciting. During our visit, hundreds of objects related to Japanese history and culture were on display, with everything from samurai and tea ceremonies to art.

We stopped at works by Japanese artists Utagawa Hiroshige and Hiroshige II, among others. Hiroshige, who lived from 1797 to 1858, is best known for his colored woodblock prints of landscapes and motifs from Japan at that time.

Since the exhibitions can change, it is of course not certain that the same works will be on display when you come here, but for us, the Japanese art became one of the parts we were drawn to during our visit.

China – several thousand years of history

A large part of the East Asian Museum's collections come from China, and there are objects from many different periods.

An important part of the museum's history is the Swedish geologist and archaeologist Johan Gunnar Andersson., who participated in archaeological investigations in China during the 1920s. The finds from the investigations were divided between China and Sweden, and the Swedish part became the basis for the East Asian collections, which opened in 1926.

When we visited the museum, the exhibition was China before China, which told us about the cultures and people who lived in the area long before China became a unified empire. We found it fascinating to see objects that were thousands of years old and try to imagine the people who had once made and used them.

Porcelain, animals and other Chinese objects

The museum's Chinese collections also include later eras and various imperial dynasties. When we were here, there were lots of ceramics and porcelain on display.

There is of course a lot to delve into, but we were particularly drawn to all the objects depicting different animals – perhaps a bit typical of us. That is also one of the advantages of a museum with such large collections. You don't have to try to understand everything. Sometimes it is enough to find a few objects or stories that capture your interest.

Chinese writing and book history

During our visit, we were also able to learn more about China's long history of writing and books, from early inscriptions on so-called oracle bones to scrolls and printed texts. China has a fascinating history of books and writing, and such parts of the exhibitions help to put all the objects in a larger context.

Korea – history and culture

The East Asian Museum's collections also include Korea. When we visited the museum, there was a Korea gallery with both older and more modern objects. Here we also got an insight into the long and dramatic history of the Korean peninsula, from older kingdoms and Buddhism to the Korean War and the division between present-day South Korea and North Korea.

Here too, of course, the exhibitions can change, but the Korean section was another reminder for us of how much history is contained within the concept of "East Asia".

Our experience of the East Asian Museum

We enjoyed our visit to the East Asian Museum. Above all, there are an incredible number of beautiful and historically interesting objects here, and we were captivated by the Chinese ceramics, the various animal figures and the Japanese art, among other things.

At the same time, we found the museum to be quite traditional. Much is displayed in displays and it can be difficult to absorb several thousand years of Asian history on your own during a single museum visit.

Next time we would like to take the opportunity to take a guided tour or when a temporary exhibition feels particularly interesting. A guide can also help to uncover the stories behind all the objects that are otherwise easy to just walk past.

More to see at Skeppsholmen

It is easy to combine a visit to the East Asian Museum with more to see and do on Skeppsholmen. Here is also Modern Museum and ArkDes, and the island itself is worth a walk. There are old buildings, boats and nice views over Stockholm's water.

On the other side of Skeppsholmsbron is the National Museum, and from there it is not far to Kungsträdgården and the Old Town.

READ MORE: Museums in Stockholm - guide to the city's best museums