Tokushima Wooden Toy Museum
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concept
The Tokushima Wooden Toy Museum is located in Tokushima Prefecture, part of the Shikoku region in western Japan.
"Toy museums" are dotted all over Japan, where people of all ages, from babies to the elderly, can communicate with each other through high-quality toys.
In addition, the exhibits and services are based on the characteristics of each region, so you can enjoy the different personalities of each museum.
The Tokushima Wooden Toy Museum is an experiential wood-based museum that combines rich nature, traditional culture, and play.
The museum was designed using an abundance of wood grown in Tokushima Prefecture, and is home to a wide selection of traditional Japanese toys, beautiful toys from around the world, and wooden toys that you can actually pick up and play with.
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1 Entrance and reception
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The reception area is impressive with its giant wooden counter. The total weight of this counter is about 1 ton. It is made from about 300 Tokushima cedar pillars.
2 Chinju no Mori Tunnel
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This wooden arch is made from 42 Tokushima cedar trees. The shape of the arch and the use of mirrors and lighting are unique, making it the most photogenic spot in the building.
3 Asan Rural Theater
This is a reproduction of the "ship bottom stage," which only exists in two places in Tokushima Prefecture. When "Awa Ningyo Joruri" is performed, the stage floor is removed.
4 Play Box Corner
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"Yuusan Box" is a traditional craft unique to Tokushima. Children would have a feast packed into a three-tiered box and go on a yuusan (outing).
*The symbol mark of the Tokushima Wooden Toy Museum is based on a play box.
5 Satoyama Square
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This is the largest wooden space in the Tokushima Wooden Toy Museum. The area is based on the motif of Tokushima Prefecture's rich natural scenery, including Mt. Bizan, the landmark of Tokushima City, the Yoshino River, the largest river in the Shikoku region, and the rice terraces that have been selected as one of Japan's 100 best rice terraces.
6 Wood Education Plaza for Babies
Only babies aged 0 to 2 years and their guardians are allowed in the room. It is a safe space for infants and toddlers, and has toys and play equipment suited to their age and development. The indigo-dyed tapestry that hangs from the ceiling is inspired by the waves of the Seto Inland Sea, and acts as a mobile for babies lying down.
7 Karakuri "Awa Puppet Theatre"
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This is a gimmick from the traditional performing art "Awa Ningyo Joruri" that has been around since the Edo period (1600s). It operates three times a day (10:30, 12:30, 14:30, *also operates at 16:30 from July to August). It makes a loud noise, so please be careful if you are sensitive to noise.
8 table soccer fields
This wooden Swiss-made table soccer is used in world championships. If it gets crowded, please give the spot to the next group after playing a few times.
9 Wood-cultivation Workshop
This is a place where you can experience making things with wood, such as a workshop on making wooden hand molds.
10 Good Toy Plaza
We only stock toys that have been selected by 2,000 "toy consultants." Every year, the best toys are selected based on the keywords "healthy," "long-selling," and "respecting play and communication."
11 Special Exhibition Space
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The museum exhibits a large number of traditional crafts from Tokushima Prefecture, as well as items from the Tokyo Toy Museum's collection (which holds a special themed exhibition each year).
12 Udatsu Town
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The museum recreates the Udatsu Townscape, a nationally designated important preservation district for groups of traditional buildings, in wooden structures. The museum is divided into several small rooms, where you can actually touch and play with traditional toys such as tops and kendama, as well as wooden toys made by toy makers in Tokushima Prefecture.
13 Pretend Forest
In the center is the Whirlpool Slide (for ages 4 and up), which is very popular with both children and adults. Nearby is a corner where you can play and harvest Tokushima's famous vegetables and fruits (sudachi, yuzu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, etc.).
14 Game Plaza
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You can play board games that will improve family communication and logical thinking skills.
15 Karakuri "Mountain Work"
It operates seven times a day (at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00; also operates at 17:00 in July and August). Through their mechanisms, the cute animals express the process by which trees cut down in the mountains are turned into toys.