I took Baby to the Tokyo Toy Museum (TTM) the other day and had an AMAZING time. TTM is called a museum, but in reality, it is a hands-on, play all you want center for babies and up. The toys are all analog toys mostly made from wood, and original Japanese toys. There are age-appropriate rooms throughout the facility to keep you and your kids busy for a few hours. I was so impressed how the organizers retro-fitted an old elementary school into a hands-on museum and play center out of an old elementary school. Going forward The Tokyo Toy Museum will be one of our top rainy or cold day play spots.
Tokyo Toy Museum
The Toy Museum has a variety of rooms on three floors. However, our favorite was the following three, and the gift shop has an excellent selection of educational toys.
Wood Toy Forest – This room was filled with the aroma of cypress. A good room for 2.5-6 years. There is a climbing structure, a ball pit filled with 20,00o wooden
balls, and lots of other cool play areas.
Wooden Baby Room – This room was our favorite. It is specially designed for babies aged 0-2. Baby enjoyed all the wooden pull and shape toys and bright scarfs. Babies were crawling all over the place having a wonderful time using the wooden slides, tunnel, and baby toys.
Toy Square Red – This room painted bright red is filled with traditional Japanese
toys! Great chance to get hands-on learning of cup-and-ball, beanbags and spinning tops. If you do not know how to use a toy, one of the red aproned volunteers will aid you. There is also a great little tea house that Baby loved and did not want to leave!
There is also a Toy Factory, which looks like a great craft room. Unfortunately, the day we went they were working on a craft for age 3+. However, they do have classes each day for a few hundred yen; ages vary per project. You can learn how to make handmade toys. Beginner-level classes, using paper cups, straws, milk packs, and other simple materials are ideal for little children. Older children and adults can create more complex ones.
About the Tokyo Toy Museum
Tokyo Toy Museum is operated by the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Japan Good Toy Association. The facilities are the remains of the old Yotsuya Daiyon elementary school building, which was built in 1935. Japan Good Toys Association strives to promote (1) friendship among different generations, (2) partnership in the social community, and (3) family communication.
Tokyo Toy Museum Details
Address: Yotsuya Hiroba, 4-20 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5367-9601 (Japanese only)
Hours: 10:00 – 16:00 (last admission at 15:30) Closed on Wednesday and Thursday (also closed over the New Yearʼ s holidays and special holidays in February and September)
Tickets: Adults 1,100 yen (junior high school and above), children 600 yen (age 3 through elementary school), child + adult pair ticket 1,000 yen, 2 years and younger are free. Group discount: Groups of 15 or more can get a 100 yen discount per person on admission and are welcome by appointment
Access: 7 min walk from Yotsuya-sanchome Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line, 8 min walk from Akebonobashi Station on the Shinjuku Subway Line
Website: http://www.goodtoy.org/ttm/ (Japanese only)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/t.toymuseum
English info: http://www.goodtoy.org/ttm/pdf/ttm_pamphlet_e.pdf
Additional Indoor Play Spaces
LEGOLAND Discovery Center (Odaiba, Tokyo)
Space Athletic Tondemi (Heiwajima, Tokyo and Makuhari, Chiba)
ASOBono at the Tokyo Dome (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Aneby Trim Park (Odaiba, Tokyo)
Trampoland (Tokyo and Saitama)
Kidzania Tokyo (Toyosu, Tokyo)
Asobi No Sekai Bornelund, Grand Tree Musashi Kosugi Mall
The Tokyo Water Science Museum (Toyosu, Tokyo)
Little Planet (Diver City Odaiba)
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Tokyo Toy Museum
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We loved this museum – it was perfect for a day with young children. Can’t wait to go back! https://thesoutherner.me/2017/02/20/tokyo-toy-museum/