Tokyo Toy Museum

In short

Tokyo Toy Museum is a hands-on museum in Yotsuya housed inside the pre-war building of the former Yotsuya Fourth Elementary School. Although called a "museum," visitors can actually play with most of the toys on display. The museum holds more than 10,000 toys, ranging from traditional Japanese folk toys to wooden toys from around the world.

• ​Toy Forest​​: A room lined with cypress wood where you can take off your shoes and play in a "wooden sandbox" filled with wooden balls and more.
• ​Baby Wood Experience Room​​: A room designed for children aged 0, 1, and 2, made using soft, domestic cedar wood.
• ​Toy Curators​​: Volunteers in red aprons are on hand to teach you how to play with the toys.

History and Highlights

The Tokyo Toy Museum began in 1984 as the "Toy Museum" founded in Nakano, Tokyo. It was created as an affiliated facility of a private research organization, the Art Education Research Institute. This institute is today's Association of Art and Play Creation. Even today, it is operated by the non-profit organization Association of Art and Play Creation.

On April 20, 2008, the museum relocated to Yotsuya in Shinjuku Ward and opened as the "Tokyo Toy Museum." The building is the schoolhouse of the former Yotsuya Fourth Elementary School, built before World War II, which had closed in the spring of 2007. The former classrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors have been turned into rooms for exhibitions and playing with toys. In the hallways, the atmosphere of an old elementary school remains in the window frames and staircases.

Although it is called a "museum," a key feature is that visitors can actually play with most of the displayed toys. Housing over 10,000 toys, it showcases diverse toy cultures from Japanese regional folk toys to wooden toys from around the globe. Despite its location in the heart of the city, the interior is filled with the warmth of wood.

Viewing and Experience Tips

• ​Toy Forest​​: A room located at the end of the 2nd-floor hallway where you can take off your shoes to play. The floor is covered with cypress wood. It features a "wooden sandbox" filled with wooden balls and a "Center House" accessible by stairs.
• ​Baby Wood Experience Room​​: Opened in October 2011, this room is dedicated to children aged 0, 1, and 2. Soft domestic cedar wood is used, and the cedar slide and tunnel are popular features. A diaper changing station and nursing space are also available.
• ​Game Room and Toy Town Red​​: In the 3rd-floor "Game Room," you can enjoy board games from across the globe, such as table soccer, Othello, and backgammon. "Toy Town Red" gathers traditional Japanese toys and also features a small tea room made of bamboo.

Tips for Exploring

The museum is about a 7-minute walk from Yotsuya-sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line. It is situated in the middle of the neighborhood between Shinjuku-dori and Yasukuni-dori avenues. The entrance is on the 2nd floor after climbing the stairs, and an elevator is also available. If you are unsure of how to play with a toy, feel free to ask one of the "Toy Curators"—volunteers wearing red aprons. While there is no dining space inside the museum, re-entry is permitted. Suga-jinja Shrine is approximately 630 meters to the southeast, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is approximately 920 meters to the southwest.