Japan museum in Philipp Franz von Siebold's former home in Leiden, with his Edo-period collection and changing exhibitions on Japan.
September 25, 2026 – February 28, 2027
The beginnings of photography in Japan around the middle of the 19th century and the role of Dutch and Japanese physicians on Deshima, shown through new prints of early photographs from collections in both countries.
The house at Rapenburg 19 was created in the early 16th century from four late medieval houses. Its residents included the Leiden pensionary Paulus Buys, Flemish merchants and three generations of the Paets family; Mayor Willem Paets had the classicist rear facade built. In the 18th century the house received its present street facade, and the English architect James Wyatt designed a stucco ceiling for the great hall.
In the 1830s the German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold moved in; from 1823 to 1829 he had worked in the service of the Netherlands on the trading island of Deshima near Nagasaki. He lived here himself only briefly and soon used the house to display publicly the collection of some 25,000 objects he had assembled in Japan. After the death of the last private owner in 1862, the building passed to the Dutch state, which housed courts there until 2000.
In 1999 the Stichting Japanmuseum SieboldHuis was established to showcase the long relationship between Japan and the Netherlands; the museum opened in 2005. It was funded in part by ministries of both countries, the city of Leiden and businesses. The objects from the Siebold collection – lacquerware, ceramics, woodblock prints, maps, herbarium specimens and preserved animals – come from the holdings of Naturalis, Wereldmuseum Leiden and Leiden University. The museum also has its own collection of more than 500 prints, paintings and photographs, built up through donations, and regularly presents special exhibitions. Every year at Pentecost it hosts a Japan market on the Rapenburg.
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7.50Students (with student ID) and CJP cardholders |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to and including age 17 free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Companions of people with disabilities receive free admission. |
| Students & apprentices | €7.50Students of Leiden University free. |
| Groups | –No group discount; groups with their own guide only by arrangement and with a reservation. |
| Guided tour of the permanent exhibition (60 minutes, up to 15 people) | €130Per group, plus admission; Tuesday to Sunday, in Dutch, English or Japanese. |
Free with the Museumkaart; likewise with the Rembrandtkaart, an ICOM card, the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART and for Friends of the SieboldHuis (plus one companion). Online reservation not required. The Museumkaart is also available in the museum shop.
The main entrance on the Rapenburg has steps; wheelchair, rollator and stroller users can reach the green back door via the Oude Varkensmarkt and the Nova passage, where staff will help. An elevator serves all exhibition rooms; only the basement is not wheelchair-accessible. Loaner wheelchair available. Free accessible parking space opposite the museum (with a disabled parking permit). Participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Free children's scavenger hunt on the Siebold collection (ages 6–12) and for each special exhibition, plus puzzle and information booklets for older children and teens, with a small prize at the ticket desk. In the Siebold cellar: a giant memory game, coloring pages, origami and manga to read. Children's tours, manga workshops and reading series for ages 8 to 12; strollers via the back entrance.
Breestraat · 5-min walk
About a 15-minute walk from Leiden Centraal station (main exit toward the center). By bus to the Breestraat or Kort Rapenburg stop, then about 5 minutes on foot.
Parking available · 10-min walk to the entrance
Recommended: parking lot P1 Haagweg with a free shuttle bus to the center (or a 10-minute walk); alternatively, the Lammermarkt (Lammermarkt 20P) and Morspoort (Bloemfontijnstraat 2) parking garages. In the city center, residents-only parking, a €25 day pass or short-term parking (max. 2 hours).
By car via the A44 (exit 8 Leiden) or the A4 (exit 7 Zoeterwoude-Dorp), then follow the signs for Leiden Centrum.
Get directionsMuseum shop. The second floor also houses the gallery Hotei Japanese Prints (an art dealer).
Up to 75 guests.
The Panoramakamer for receptions (up to 75 people), talks and symposia (up to 50 people) with projector and sound system; outside opening hours also the Europakamer, Japankamer or the entire house, with more options on Mondays. Can be combined with a guided tour or talk. Contact: activiteiten@sieboldhuis.org.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free audio tour of the Panoramakamer, Flora- en Faunakamer and garden, available at the ticket desk (languages not specified). Guided tours for groups of up to 15 people as well as workshops (calligraphy, ikebana, origami, manga) on request; public events are held in Dutch. Educational programs for elementary grades 5–8 (Dutch system) and tailor-made programs for secondary schools (educatie@sieboldhuis.org). |
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