Weird Museum for Boys and Girls

This museum is listed in Google Maps as "The Weird Museum for Boys and Girls," but its Japanese name, Ayashiishounenshoujo Hakubustukan, translates roughly as "Mysterious (or Suspicious) Boys and Girls Museum." If you have ever had a collection of toys or clothes that you felt sentimental about and decided to put on display and not let anyone touch, this is a fantastic museum.

There are many such museums in Japan, often dedicated to the Showa era, but this one is possibly the best because it is not limited to any one type of collection of curiosities. Anything from monster figures, mannequins in 60s vintage clothes, creepy clown figures, dayglo Gojiras, monster horror figures, Victorian dolls, an entire display of Marilyn Monroe figures, and military models. Of particular interest is a display of life-sized Japanese folklore ghosts, yokai, on the 2nd floor, some of which are automated and move.

Some favorites are the kasa obake (umbrella ghost) and the rokurokubi (long-necked ghost). While the name of the museum sounds creepy, it is not as provocative as its nearby sibling museum, the Maburoshi Hakurankai. For the most part, this museum is okay for younger people. However, there is a limited display of figures that are sexually explicit, tucked away in a corner of the museum, plus some politically charged artwork.

A concerned parent might want to just stay two steps ahead and steer away from it. For people with a collector's mentality, this museum will possibly saturate one's mental catalogue.