TOPPAN and Smithsonian Museum to Bring Peacock Room Into Virtual Reality

08 July 2026: Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and TOPPAN will create a Peacock Room VR experience and expand digital access to Freer artworks worldwide in 2027.

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has signed a new contract with Japan-based TOPPAN Inc. to expand digital access to its collection, beginning with a virtual reality simulation of the Peacock Room. The first project is scheduled for completion in early 2027 and will use VR to help visitors experience stories, objects and historic details that cannot be fully shown inside the physical room.

What the partnership covers

New agreement supports the museum’s wider plan to create more digital content and reach audiences beyond Washington, D.C. TOPPAN will begin by developing digital content for the Peacock Room, one of the museum’s best-known spaces. The contract also outlines future work to digitally archive pieces from the museum’s collection and make those resources easier to access worldwide.

The museum’s director, Chase F. Robinson, said digitization can help reveal “stories, nuances and meanings” that visitors may not be able to experience in a physical gallery. That point matters for museums with fragile, fixed or loan-restricted collections: digital tools can add context without moving the original objects.

Why the Peacock Room matters

The Peacock Room was created by American artist James McNeill Whistler and has been part of the Freer Gallery of Art since it opened in 1923. The room is known for its blue-green and gold palette, its peacock imagery and its links to Asian art, especially the Japanese and Chinese influences visible in Whistler’s design.

TOPPAN’s VR work is expected to include animated objects and artwork, along with audio stories about the controversy and history surrounding the room. The aim is not to replace an in-person museum visit, but to show details and layers of meaning that are difficult to present inside the original room.

Why digital access is important for the Freer collection

The project is especially relevant because the original objects donated by museum founder Charles Lang Freer must remain inside the museum. Freer gave his collection to the United States with restrictions that prevent those works from being loaned. Digitization gives the museum another way to share the collection with schools, researchers and global audiences.

TOPPAN’s role

TOPPAN was established in Tokyo in 1900 and works across printing, packaging, electronics and digital services. The company has worked on cultural VR projects for many years, including heritage and museum-related experiences. Its partnership with the National Museum of Asian Art also adds a cultural exchange angle, with future work expected to focus partly on Japanese art.

What is the Peacock Room VR project ?

It is a planned virtual reality simulation of the Peacock Room at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, being developed with TOPPAN Inc. for completion in early 2027.

Will the physical Peacock Room remain at the museum ?

Yes. The VR project is meant to add access and interpretation, not replace the original room.

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