Manga and anime are what draw many people toward Japan! In this feature, we talk about Kadokawa Culture Museum established by the famous manga and light novel publisher, Kadokawa, which opened in August 2020. A combination of museum, art gallery, and library, the museum is part of a larger area called "Tokorozawa Sakura Town" located in Tokorozawa, Saitama prefecture, and is only 45 minutes from Tokyo.
From Higashi-Tokorozawa station, as you make your way to the museum, make sure to observe the manhole covers. You will find images of manga characters from manga published by Kadokawa!
The highlight of this museum is its unique architecture. Designed by the renowned architect Kengo Kuma, it is built from 20,000 granite stones and its facade reminds one of buildings in sci-fi movies! Well removed from Japanese traditional architecture, this asymmetrical building is surreal and one can't help but be in awe of the design.
Upon entering the premises, you will see ema (votive plaques) displayed on the left and a modern, skeletal version of the familiar torii (red gate).
No matter where you look, it is modern, chic and minimalist.
Let's check out the interiors and find out what's inside the building. Please note photography is allowed only in certain parts of the building.
On the 1st floor, manga fans will be delighted to browse through old and new manga published by Kadokawa at the Manga and Light Novel library. Many might get nostalgic on finding some of the older works.
For an entrance fee of only 600 yen, you can sit and read manga here for as long as you want.
On the fourth and fifth floor is the Bookshelf Theater (Library) which was the highlight for us. More than 50,000 books are placed on these bookshelves, towering at 8-meter from the floor to ceiling. Book lovers will surely be excited by being surrounded by books in this beautiful, warm space.
In addition, there will be also be art exhibitions and workshops held in the future. For more details: https://kadcul.com/en/floor
In front of the museum, there is also a garden where you can view teamLab's latest digital art installation. The light up will be held only in the evening. If you have time to kill between visiting the museum and the light up, how about trying some delicious udon?
During that time, we would like to introduce the shop's homemade fresh udon noodles. Sawaichi & Sakura Brewery (手打ちうどん さわいち＆サクラブルワリー) serve handmade are fresh and slightly sticky.
Dip the udon into the accompanying nutritious broth and slurp away!
At night, you can enjoy the sight of the museum in a different manner. The architecture is truly breathtaking!
Read more about teamLab's latest permanent exhibit: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest, which also opened with the museum in August 2020.
Kadokawa Musashino Museum (角川武蔵野ミュージアム)
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs: 10:00-18:00 (last entry 17:30) Fri, Sat: 10:00-21:00 (last entry 20:30) Restaurant: 11:00-22:00 (last order 21:30) Closed on the 1st and 3rd Monday, and 5th Tuesday of the month *Open on public holidays, closed the following day. Closest station: Higashi-Tokorozawa Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Fn3p22gQAf8Vm7JX8 Tickets: https://tix.kadcul.com/?lang=en Official website: https://kadcul.com/en
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