Japanese Car Museums: 15 To Get You Started

This week we’re putting together information to make your trip to Japan all the more enjoyable… preferably based around cars of course!  This time let’s look at a selection of car manufacturer’s museums.

Toyota

Toyota Automobile Museum

Is this the finest car museum in Japan? The Toyota Automobile Museum houses not just historic Toyota cars, but examples (and some scale models) of all the great and pioneering automobiles that shaped the industry from the late 19th century to recent times. There are about 120 cars on display and there’s even a library with around 9,000 automotive texts. It’s located about 40 minutes or so north of Nagoya by train and you’ll have to change trains once during the journey and also do a little walking from the train station to the museum. See the access guide here.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9:30AM – 5:00PM (last admission 4:30PM)
Admission: 1,000 JPY

http://www.toyota.co.jp/Museum/index.html

History Garage (Mega Web)

Mega Web is situated on Odaiba in a central location right in the heart of Tokyo and as a car “theme park” it offers a lot more than a museum. For the purpose of this article though we’ll just focus on the History Garage. Here you can see historic cars from the 1950s to 1970s and also other displays featuring Toyota’s racing history and racing car replicas. On the second floor of the History Garage you can even see a historic car in the process of being restored. Mega Web would make a great destination for any first time visitor/car nut to Tokyo as it’s easy to get to and has something for pretty much everyone. Check the access guide on how to get there.

Hours: Every day from 10:00AM to 9PM
Admission: Free, some activities at extra cost

http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/English/

Toyota Amlux

Toyota’s self described “Auto Salon” and “Information Center”, Amlux should probably be one of the first stops on any car enthusiasts visit to Tokyo. Situated in Ikebukuro, Amlux offers three floors dedicated to Toyota’s current line up of vehicles as well as other floors featuring concept cars and new models, a visitors participation floor, a theater and various interactive displays. For 1,000 JPY you can even take a Toyota for a 1 hour test drive with their “Time Rental” service. Check out the access guide for directions.

Hours: 11:00AM – 7:00PM, Tuesday – Sunday
Admission: Free

http://www.amlux.jp/english/floorguide/index.html

Toyota Techno Museum

One of the more interesting museums from Toyota, the Techno Museum (TTM) is basically a large scale demonstration of  the Toyota Group’s transition from textiles to car manufacturing. Like Mega Web, we’ll only get into the automobile pavilion at TTM but keep in mind that there’s a whole lot more on offer. In the automobile pavilion there are recreations of sections of the original Toyota plant, as well as partial reconstructions of a vintage 1930s assembly line. It’s not all old school methods on show though, there’s also a display using a 600 ton metal press, automated robots and other equipment. TTM is a great way to experience some of Japan’s industrial heritage. It’s situated in Nagoya and is quite easy to get to by train. See the access guide for more details.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9:30AM – 5:00PM (admission until 4:30PM)
Admission: 500 JPY

http://www.tcmit.org/english/

Toyota Kaikan

This museum is situated right next to Toyota’s Honsha Plant in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Visitors can take guided tours (in English or Japanese) of the plant and watch multiple models being assembled on the same production line. If that’s not enough, inside the Kaikan building you can see a “virtual factory” where cameras are mounted on cars going down the assembly line being welded and so on. In the entrance you can see some Toyota robot performances at various times throughout the day, one of which plays the trumpet to welcome visitors. There’s also some of Toyota’s current cars on display including the 1/X lightweight concept car and Toyota F1 car. Getting there might be a little tricky for people not familiar with travelling in Japan so it’s recommended to plan the trip well in advance. Access Guide

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9:30AM – 5:00PM
Admission: Free

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toyota/facility/toyota_kaikan/museum/

Toyota Kuragaike

One for the die-hard Toyota enthusiasts! Kuragaike Commemorative Hall was built to commemorate Toyota’s 10 millionth vehicle and shows visitors the struggles Kiichiro Toyoda went through to establish Toyota automotive manufacturing from humble weaving machinery beginnings. It’s small but packed with information and exhibits, it even has an art gallery showing works purchased by Toyota Motor Co. over the years. See the access guide here.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9:30AM – 5:00PM (Admission until 4:30PM)
Admission: Free

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toyota/facility/kuragaike/index.html

 

Nissan

Nissan Gallery

There are five Nissan Galleries throughout Japan with two in Tokyo (Honsha Ginza and the smaller Ginza, both within walking distance of each other), and one each in Sapporo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. I say “throughout Japan” loosely because there isn’t a Nissan Gallery in Osaka which kind of defies logic. The Galleries showcase examples of Nissan’s current line up of vehicles with the Sapporo Gallery boasting the biggest display with 10 cars, including a R35 Nissan GT-R Spec V and a Z34 Fairlady Z Version NISMO! The Z34 Fairlady Z Version NISMO can also be seen at the Nagoya and Ginza Galleries. All the Nissan Galleries are in the center of each city and very easy to get to by subway or even on foot if you’re lucky enough to be staying in a hotel nearby. The Nissan Gallery website is in Japanese only so if you require more information on how to get there please contact us.
**Note: Nissan Honsha (Headquarters) is moving to the Nissan Global Honsha site in Yokohama and will open on August 8th, 2009.

Hours: Open 7 days, 10:00AM – 8:00PM (Sapporo Gallery open from 10:30AM)
Admission: Free

Nissan Engine Museum

If you’re a Nissan fan like me you’ll jump at the chance to see the Engine Museum in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Featuring 28 engines on display, there’s everything from the diminutive Model 7 722cc side valve 4 cylinder to Nissan’s first V12 engine, the GRX-II. Other displays on the first and second floors include an exhibit showing what goes on inside the Yokohama engine plant and an excellent “timeline panel” showing the history and racing endeavors of Nissan Motor Company. It’s one of the easier museums to get to by train so it’s well worth the visiting if you’re in Yokohama or Tokyo. The website and access guide are in Japanese only so if you’d like more information please contact us.

Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00AM – 4:00PM
Admission: Free

http://www.nissan-global.com/JP/ENGINEMUSEUM/index.html

Prince and Skyline Museum

For Nissan Skyline fans, what trip to Japan would be complete without a visit to the Prince and Skyline Museum (P&SM)?  Over 34 cars are on display including the Club Le Mans R32 Skyline GT-R, Group A and Group N R32 GT-Rs and until August 23rd, the Group 5 TomicaR30 Skyline Silhouette car. P&SM is situated in Nagano prefecture so it’s quite a distance from either Tokyo or Nagoya and will take roughly 2 hours to get there from both cities, with a taxi ride from the closest station (Okaya) to the museum. It’s not the easiest museum to get to but is very popular with Skyline clubs so it’s possible (if you’re lucky) to see cars in the parking lot that rival some of the ones inside! The P&SM website is in Japanese only so if you’d like more information on how to get there, please contact us.
**Note: P&SM is only open this year from April 19th through to November 15th.

Hours: 9:30AM – 5:00PM (admission until 4:30PM), Wednesday – Monday.
               *From May 15th to August 24th P&SM is open 7 days a week.
Admission: 1,000 JPY

http://www.prince-skyline.com/

 

Honda

Honda Collection Hall

Another one of Japan’s great automotive collections, the Honda Collection Hall has 350 examples of cars and motorcyles on display from the very first bicycle engine to Formula One cars. It’s not all automotive though withvarious power equipment and even outboard motors and farming machinery on display. Like the History Garage at Toyota Mega Web, the Honda Collection Hall also boasts a restoration room where visitors can watch vehicles being restored and also see completed cars being test driven on the “mini-course”. Honda Collection Hall is located at Twin Ring Motegi in Tochigi prefecture, about 90 minutes north of Tokyo by train. See the access guide for more details.
**Note: Opening hours vary so please check the timetable.

Admission: Free (entrance into Twin Ring Motegi costs 1,200 JPY)

http://world.honda.com/collection-hall/

 

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Auto Gallery

As part of the Passenger Car Engineering Center, the Mitsubishi Auto Gallery (MAG) houses some of the company’s most famous cars including Japan’s first mass produced passenger car, the 1917 Model A. Other exhibits include engines, motor sports, three-wheeler cars and even scooters and bicycles. MAG is located in south-east Nagoya and is easy to get to by train and bus/taxi, see the access guide for (a little!) more  information. Visitors are advised to call in advance to when the museum is closed for national holidays and other extended breaks.

Hours: Monday – Friday 8:15AM – 6:15PM
Admission: Free

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/corporate/museum/autogallery/e/index.html

Subaru

Subaru Visitor Center

The Subaru Visitor Center (SVC) is situated in the Yajima Plant facility in Ota City, Gunma prefecture and houses up to 14 cars as well as many other exhibits to introduce to visitors to the Subaru brand’s philosophy, identity, environmental efforts and new technologies. Tours of the Yajima plant are conducted three times daily and visitors can walk between the SVC and the welding and assembly plants via the “Sky Bridge”. Bookings for the plant tour are accepted 1 to 2 months prior to the desired tour date. Once again the SVC website is in Japanese only so if you require any more detailed information please contact us.

Hours: Monday – Friday, tours conducted 3 times daily from 9:00AMM, 11:00AM and 1:00PM
Admission: Free

http://www.subaru.jp/about/showroom/vc/

Mazda

Mazda Museum

Hiroshima offers many things to see and do for the tourist and Mazda’s aptly named museum should be on every car enthusiast’s itinerary. Just two stops (and a short walk) from JR Hiroshima train station, the Mazda Museum would have to be one of the easiest car museums to get to. The excellent exhibits include Mazda history, technology, the U1 assembly line and of course one dedicated to the rotary engine and motor sport. English language tours of the museum are by reservation only  and are conducted from 1:00PM daily but as of September this year the time slot will be moved to 10:00AM. Check out the access guide and reservation page for more information.

Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Admission: Free

http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/museum/

Daihatsu

Humobility World

Opened in 2007, Humobility World was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Daihatsu. The exhibits are spread over three floors with the entrance hall and the “Roots” exhibit on the 2nd floor, the “History” exibit on the 3rd floor and “Humo-Tech Square” on the 4th floor showcasing Daihatsu human mobility technology and featuring a simulator to show what driving will be like 50 years from now. Humobility World is situated in Ikeda City in northern Osaka and is easy to get to by train but it is a distance from the station so it’s best to take a taxi or be prepared for a long walk through maze-like Japanese suburbia. The HumobilityWorld website is in Japanese only so if you’d like any information on how to get there please contact us.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 5:00PM
Admission: Free

http://www.daihatsu.co.jp/hw/

 

Suzuki

Suzuki Plaza

Like Toyota, Suzuki Motor Co. started out as a weaving machine manufacturer and moved on to cars after the Second World War. Suzuki Plaza gives visitors a balanced look at its history with exhibits ranging from early 20th century weaving looms and motorcycles to a collection of over 40 automobiles. A large portion of the building is dedicated to Suzuki’s current manufacturing with exhibits showing the design process and also a 3D theater which takes visitors inside the production line.  Visitors are then treated to a mock production line featuring robots just like the ones that appeared in the 3D movie. Suzuki Plaza is located in Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture and is just one stop west of JR Hamamatsu train station. Getting to Hamamtasu is easiest by taking the Shinkansen (Bullet train) from Nagoya. Once again the Suzuki Plaza website is in Japanese only so please contact us if you’d like more information.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00AM – 4:30PM, tours by appointment only.
Admission: Free

http://www.suzuki-rekishikan.jp/

This is by no means a complete list of automotive museums in Japan, there are many more privately owned museums in and around major cities which are well worth a look… but more on those next time. We here at 7Tune are always looking to make our articles more accurate and informative, so if you have any more information or advice that may be of use just let us know in the comments section below and we’ll update the post.

Words: Justin Karow
Images: Toyota Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motor Co., Daihatsu Motor Co., Subaru Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Co., carview.jp, moco1979, Tezu