Wooden toys galore (Photo: Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0)
Wooden toys galore (Photo: Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0)
- 2 min read

Tokyo Toy Museum

Fun for kids and the kid at heart

Whether you're young or young at heart, there's something to enjoy at the Tokyo Toy Museum in Yotsuya. Housed in what used to be an elementary school building, the museum spans three floors and provides a range of interactive toys to engage with.

The floors are broken down into different themed toy sections, including a dedicated play area for children aged 0 to 2 years. Another section, the Toy Forest, is home to a variety of Japanese-produced wooden toys, including a "wooden sandbox" made up of 20,000 hardwood balls sourced from Hokkaido.

The incredible "wooden sandbox" has around 20,000 wooden balls from Hokkaido
The incredible "wooden sandbox" has around 20,000 wooden balls from Hokkaido (Photo: Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0)

There are numerous options for real-life play, too, with the Town of Toys area consisting of toys related to food preparation and farming. It's the perfect way for little ones to really use their imaginations! In addition, there is a game room section filled with board games and foosball tables if you're feeling competitive.

There are plenty of options for creative play
There are plenty of options for creative play (Photo: Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0)

For those looking for a souvenir from their visit, the museum shop offers a variety of wooden toys available for purchase. Many of the items for sale are pieces displayed in the museum itself, so be sure to check it out if your child finds a favorite item. For those who don't live in Tokyo, orders from the museum shop can also be made online.

If you plan to visit the museum, do note that reservations are required and each reservation is for a two-hour window — the timeslots are from 10 am until 12 pm, and from 1.30 pm until 3.30 pm. Booking a place can be arranged online via the museum's website. The museum also closes every Thursday.

Getting there

The Tokyo Toy Museum is located just five minutes on foot from Yotsuya Sanchome Station, which is served by the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line - take exit # 2.

Alternatively, the museum can be accessed within 8 minutes from Akebono-Cho Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line - take exit A1.

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Bonson Lam 3 years ago
It is a great idea to have this museum in a former elementary school. This would be pure nostalgia for students to come back here. A bit like the Kyoto Manga Museum, it was an ex school library. https://en.japantravel.com/kyoto/kyoto-international-manga-museum-library/7453
Bonson Lam 3 years ago
Great to hear. I am glad you got into the spirit of the place and did a drawing class. I know a lot of the material is in only in Japanese but glad you enjoyed it.
Sleiman Azizi 3 years ago
Those wooden balls look amazing!
Kim Bergström Author 3 years ago
I tried laying in the one in Okinawa...definitely not as soft!! 😂 But somewhat relaxing!

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