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All Japan Ashibetsu Terranova Music Box Museum
AO Edited

Terranova Music Box Museum

Hokkaido's largest music box museum, featuring music boxes that are unique in Japan and the world.

Ashibetsu, Japan

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Ornate decorations are part of some of the music boxes.   FlockOfWords / Atlas Obscura User
Visitors on a tour of the Terranova Music Box Museum.   FlockOfWords / Atlas Obscura User
Visitors are able to mill through the museum’s collection of large music boxes.   FlockOfWords / Atlas Obscura User
A view of one of the displays at the Terranova Music Box Museum.   FlockOfWords / Atlas Obscura User
The curators of the museum with a music box that would have been used by street performers.   FlockOfWords / Atlas Obscura User
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This museum houses large jukebox-sized music boxes. The collection consists of 30 authentic antique music boxes from around 130 years ago. There are three rare music boxes, each of which is the only one of its kind in Japan. The collection includes music boxes that would have been placed in a grand train station waiting room, ones that street performers could pull around on carts.

There is one that was commissioned by an Arabian king for his wife, a one-of-a-kind Swiss music box that took several years to make. It would have been made for her entertainment in the palace, as at that time it would have been difficult for her to go into town.

Many of the music boxes were operated by coins, and there is a collection of the correct foreign currency corresponding to each coin-operated music box.

Music boxes of this style were only popular for about 30 years. When Thomas Edison invented the record player in 1877, music boxes quickly became obsolete. Only the Germans, Swiss, and Americans ever developed the technology to make them, and only the Swiss developed the technology to make cylindrical music boxes, which were more difficult to produce. Many modern craftsmen, including the curator of the museum, have tried to reproduce antique music boxes. However, all have failed.

Entrance to the museum costs 200 yen and includes a tour, during which the curators play the various music boxes. If you're lucky, they might even let you play some of them yourselves!

Related Tags

Music History Music Box Museums And Collections

Know Before You Go

This museum is tucked away on the outskirts of Canadian World, though there is nothing particularly Canadian about the museum itself.

It is open on weekends and they hold a concert every Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

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FlockOfWords

Published

May 12, 2025

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  • https://www.canadian-world.com/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B4%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E6%BC%94%E5%A5%8F%E4%BC%9A
Terranova Music Box Museum
731 Koganecho
Ashibetsu, 075-0252
Japan
43.566245, 142.239224
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Nearby Places

Canadian World

Ashibetsu, Japan

miles away

Kamuy Kotan

Asahikawa, Japan

miles away

Takikawa Sky Park

Takikawa, Japan

miles away

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Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Canadian World

Ashibetsu, Japan

miles away

Kamuy Kotan

Asahikawa, Japan

miles away

Takikawa Sky Park

Takikawa, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

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