Just before my daughter was born, in the high August heat, we had a last day date in Tokyo, just my son and I. He had a modeling audition and once it was over, I had the genius idea to head across town to the Tokyo Toy Museum.

It was inside, it was air-conditioned, and it. was. awesome.

There were so many different kinds of toys, and each room in the museum was dedicated to a different kind. We spent the bulk of our time in the first room with the wooden toys, where they were just magical. It’s so fascinating to watch children play with toys that have been around for hundreds of years.

The staff was so kind and friendly, helping children play with toys that weren’t intuitive.

The museum also had an incredible collection of historical Japanese toys.

In the back room, there were toys you could literally dive right into.

When it was finally time for our train home, we took some of the toys for one last spin, then vowed to come back.

The Tokyo Toy Museum is tucked away down a side street in Tokyo, and housed in a former school. It’s small, but endlessly entertaining and a great place to while away a few hours with small children in Tokyo.