A visitor to "Sesshu -- Master of Ink and Brush" at the Tokyo National Museum, Ueno, stops in front of one of the paintings. She has just been told to do so by the audio guide she's holding in her hand, which then launches into a detailed explanation of the painting's historical background and notable features. The commentary is perfectly timed to match the walking pace of a museum browser.

"This is great!" says Ayako Morita, 23, who is using the audio device for the first time. "I would have just walked past some of the most important paintings if I hadn't been listening to this."

Compared to the United States and Europe, where many major exhibitions and almost all national museums have audio guides available for visitors to borrow or rent, Japan is just starting to catch up in providing this service. It seems that public demand for audio guides is growing, however. Tokyo National Museum reports that the "Acoustiguide" available at the Sesshu exhibition has been very popular, with around 14 percent (more than one in seven) of visitors opting to use it.