Japan has some incredible family-friendly museums and I wanted to share my favourites.
Museum of Aeronautical Sciences, Narita (outside of Tokyo)
I think this is my favourite. It’s just so well set out and there are so many interactive options for kids – especially if your kids LOVE anything to do with plane travel.
Miraikan (The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)
This option is not far from the centre of Tokyo and has enough to keep small babies happy and young teens also reading and interacting.
I’ve written in detail about it here.
Ibaraki Nature Museum
This museum is not only so much fun for little bug and dinosaur lovers but it also has the most beautiful little forest out the back to explore.
Kids Plaza Osaka
This children’s museum allows for role play and climbing as well as science experiments.
Team Lab Planets, Tokyo
This is technically an art exhibition but it is so interactive ( you literally walk into water at one point.) My whole family have been here more than 6 times now.
Hakone Open Air Museum
This outdoor museum makes for a fabulous day trip from Tokyo or part of a Hakone holiday.
Takayama Showa Museum
It’s so kitsch and retro. I adore Takayama as it is but this was the icing on the cake.
The Railway Museum, Saitama
This museum is so well done and my children love learning about trains, the whole play section and the fact that they can walk through real train and bullet train carriages. My little boy also loves the ticket gates where he can “buy” his own train tickets and pass through the gates without help.
Kidzania
Now this isn’t really a museum as much as it is an interactive playcentre. Kidzania allows children to try out different jobs as mini-adults. These jobs include doctor, flight attendant, pizza chef, firefighter and many many more.
Kidzania can be found in Tokyo, Kobe and Fukuoka.
Tokyo Toy Museum
Tokyo Toy Musem is for babies, big kids and adults.
Cup Noodles Museum, Yokohama & Osaka
My favourite part of this random museum is how the kids can make their own cup noodle mix and then decorate their own box to take home.
The National Museum of Science and Nature, Ueno (Tokyo)
My kids love this space – especially on a rainy day.
Chiba Prefectural Open Air Museum, Narita
Out near Narita Airport, this open air museum is huge and feels like a step back in time in Japan. The attention to detail is like now other.
Kyoto Railway Museum
Located next to a big park and playground too !
Tokyo Police Museum, Ginza
This Museum is free and fantastic for little kids. They can dress up like police officers and pretend to fly helicopters etc. Recommend!
Keio Rail Land
This transport museum is perfect for ages 0-6 years old. It is approximately 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo.
