Discover 5 museums perfect for anime fans in Tokyo, Japan

In this article, GoEMON will introduce to you 5 museums in Tokyo, Japan that are perfect for anime and manga fans! Let’s jump right in, shall we? 

1. Ghibli Museum

Address: 1 Chome-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan

Operating Hours: 10:00 ~ 18:00

Entrance Fee: 1000 yen

The Ghibli Museum is an art museum located in the Mitaka city of Tokyo. Here, visitors will feel as if they have entered into the worlds that exist within Ghibli’s works. 

The museum is decorated in a distinctive style, realizing the worlds of Ghibli’s animated movies with statues of many famous characters. Upon entering the museum, you will be greeted by cute Totoro, as well as witness the massive robot army that appeared in “Castle in the Sky.”

There is an exhibition hall at the permanent display area inside the museum introducing the location where the movies were made, along with the scripts and Celluloid pictures. There is also the “Dogeza” movie gallery, a mini movie theatre showcasing original animations that can only be viewed there, as well as the “Room of movement beginning” where the animation production mechanics is introduced. 

2. Fujiko.F.Fujio Museum

Address: 2 Chome-8-1 Nagao, Tama-ku -ku Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

Operating Hours: 10:00 ~ 18:00

Entrance Fee: 1000 yen

Fujiko.F.Fujio is the author of Doraemon - an extremely famous manga and anime series that is well-known and enjoyed by people from people all around the world. The museum was established in September 2011 in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa which is right next to Tokyo. Also known as the Doraemon Museum, the museum showcases a lot of Fujiko.F.Fujio’s works. 

The museum has 3 floors, all of which are designed and decorated based on the Doraemon series. The first floor is the main exhibition area with nearly 50,000 exhibits related to the author along with an even gallery. The second floor is an entertainment area with a children’s playroom, a library with countless Doraemon stories, and a small cinema room specializing in showing the museum’s exclusive short films. This makes the floor a perfect location for families with young children. 

3. Suginami Animation Museum 

Address: Floor 3, Suginami Kaikan Building, 3-29-5 Kamiogi Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Operating Hours: 9:00~17:00

Entrance Fee: Free

Tokyo Polytechnic University Suginami Animation Museum located on the 3rd floor of the Suginami Kaikan Building is Japan’s first-ever animation museum. Coming here, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the history of Japanese animation, from the steps to produce an animated work to even being able to actually participate in some stages such as dubbing or color correction. 

The museum displays many famous works, such as Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, Mobile Gundam SEED, and so on. The most special feature of the museum is its walls, which are covered by numerous signatures and drawings of famous animators. Additionally, the museum also has a library containing all detailed information on the animated works as well as a small cinema room equipped with a 150-inch screen and a stereo system. 

4. Tokyo Anime Center 

Address: B1 Basement, DNP Ichigaya Tamachi Building, 1-14-1 Ichigaya-tamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Operating Hours: 11:00~20:00

Entrance Fee: Free

Tokyo Anime Center is a relatively small animation museum. This location is not only suitable for anime fans but also perfect for those working in the animation industry who wants to learn more about the different animation technologies in Japan, such as AR or VR. There is an anime exhibition, a souvenir shop, as well as a coffee shop there. The center will also host animation or video game exhibitions, featuring a wide variety of interesting exhibitions such as limited edition envelopes or some of the earliest sketches in the creation process of the works. 

5. Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo

Address: 2F Sunshine City alpa, 3-1-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan 

Operating hours: 10:00 ~20:00

Among all Pokemon Centers in Japan, Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo - located in Ikebukuro, is undoubtedly the one with the largest scale. Recently remodeled in June 2020, the store is looking better than ever! Not only is there a plethora of official Pokemon merchandise, but the store also holds many interesting game events that are sure to capture the heart of all Pokemon fans. From the hallways to the game areas, everything is brilliantly designed, creating the distinct and one-of-a-kind atmosphere that you can only find in the Ikebukuro branch of Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo! 

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