Back when I was a kid, plastic toys were still not found as easily, so most were out of rubber, fabric and, the coolest ones, from tin plate.
If you’d like to get down the memory lane and see 3,000, 3 THOUSAND antique tin toys, then the Yokohama Museum of Tin Toys is the answer for you.
From our main Things to Do in Yokohama article you probably got an overview on how different architecture can be in Yokohama and how the Western culture found its own place, so seeing the Tin Toy main entrance won’t shock you at all.
The small museum, if not too appealing from the outside (if you are looking for something huge), is packed with gorgeous tin toys that are worth a good glance.
Tin Toy Museum Schedule
The Tin Toy Museum in Yokohama is opened daily from 9:30. During weekdays it closes at 6 PM, while weekends it adds 1 more hour for its visitors.
- [Weekdays] 9:30am – 6:00pm
- [Weekends] 9:30am – 7:00pm
- Open everyday
Museum of Tin Toys – History
These tin toys you can see in Yokohama date back in 1890s and were produced until the 60’s. You’ll be able to see famous characters, cars, robots, planes and many other items that were interesting back then.
For almost 50 years Japan was the largest exporter of tin toys all over the world, so chances are the toys you grew up with (if you’re as old as I am), came from here.
Then the 70’s came and most our toys started being manufactured from plastic, which we all know where it let us to.
While tin toys might seem obsolete now, they exude a charm of their own and the quality is amazing to this date.
This is the reason why Mr. Teruhisa Kitahara, the collector who owns this amazing collection, decided not to throw the tin toys away, but provide us with hours of enjoyment in this outstanding museum.
An absolute must-visit for any Yokohama tourist.
