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Anime Museum Suginami - Childhood Nostalgia

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Tokyo, Japan

Apr. 8, 2019 by

Did you know that most of our childhood cartoons were animated in Japan? The quality of Japanese animation is top notch and has been unmatched. Sadly, the Suginami Animation Museum is often overlooked by tourists but if you want to go back to your childhood be ready to be amazed by finding traces of classic cartoons like Astroboy, Evangelion, Calimero, Gundam, Samurai Pizza Cats and Voltron.

Tips & Advice
  • What: Suginami Animation Museum
  • Why: Japan's first anime museum!
  • Where: 3-Chome-29-5 杉並会館, Suginami City, Tokyo [Map]
  • Price: FREE
  • When: 10:00am until 6:00pm, Mondays closed.
  • Tips: Most of this museum is in Japanese. An English audio guide available.
  • Related: 37% OFF Mario Kart in Tokyo and 34% OFF Robot Restaurant.

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Suginami Animation Museum in Tokyo, Japan drawing board at Suginami Animation Museum in Tokyo, Japan Bob in the Bottle Suginami Animation Museum in Tokyo, Japan Suginami Animation Museum in Tokyo, Japan

The most prominent exhibitions at Suginami are the giant wall of fame which showcases all the cartoons animated in Japan from the 1950s all the way up to the 2000s.

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Right next to it you'll find famous Japanese animator desks and a massive popup of Evangelion and Bob from the Genie Family.

Suginami Animation Museum with Bob in the Bottle in Tokyo, Japan Suginami Animation Museum with Bob in the Bottle

Though animation first came to Japan in the early 1900s, it didn't boom until the mid-century. In the 1970s, influential manga comic book artists such as Osamu Tezuka inspired a unique giant robot genre known as "mecha," which focuses on detailed mechanical designs, complex sci-fi plots, and themes recalling Japan's nuclear past and the implications of technology on future humanity.

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Starting with the likes of Tezuka's Astro Boy, the Tokyo Polytechnic University Suginami Animation Museum provides a comprehensive look into anime's past, present, and future, while also curating hands-on workshops, talks from industry professionals, and screenings in the museum theater.

Evangelion at Suginami Animation Museum in Tokyo, Japan Evangelion at Suginami Animation Museum

Though smaller than the renowned (and incredibly difficult to reserve) Studio Ghibli Museum, Tokyo Polytechnic University Suginami Animation Museum is free to enter, and even offers an audio tour in English. 

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These are my childhood favorites with YouTube playlists:

  1. Vrouwtje Theelepel, 1983
  2. Voltron, 1983 (Japanese uncensored version)
  3. Macron 1, 1985
  4. Tovenaar van Oz, 1986
  5. Maple Town, 1986
  6. Dommel, 1988
  7. Adventures of Peter Pan, 1998
  8. Alfred J. Kwak, 1989
  9. Samurai Pizza Cats, 1990
  10. Akira, 1991 (Euro release)
  11. Battle Angel Alita, 1993

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Are you planning a trip to Japan anytime soon? Read all my posts about Japan here.
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