The Peanuts comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz is one of the most successful and recognizable cartoons ever created, running for over 50 years and grossing over US$1 billion in revenue, going on to spawn several television specials and animated films.
Peanuts began as the story of young Charlie Brown, but a character introduced in the third strip quickly became its most popular and iconic: Snoopy, Charlie’s intelligent pet dog.
By the year 2000, the adventures of Charlie Brown and Snoopy had a worldwide readership of around 355 million across 75 countries and had been translated into 21 languages. The character of Snoopy especially resonated with Japanese audiences and has become a well-known and beloved property in Japan.
It makes sense then, that Japan has its very own Snoopy museum in Tokyo, dedicated to exploring the legacy of the character and the other creations of Charles M. Schulz.
Where in Tokyo is the Snoopy Museum?
First opened in 2016 in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood, the Tokyo Snoopy Museum was later relocated in order to move the exhibits to a larger space and expand the facilities.
The Snoopy museum is now located at the Minami-Machida Grandberry Park in the Machida district.
The Snoopy Museum in Machida opened on December 14th, 2019, and is located in a 3-story building, roughly twice the size of the first exhibition space.
Surrounded by the lush greenery of Grandberry Park, the museum boasts a range of multi-dimensional exhibitions that explore the history of the Peanuts comic.
Exhibits include an extensive collection of new and reproduced comic strips, and a large theater space screening films about the life and illustration techniques of Shultz.
How to Get to the Tokyo Snoopy Museum
Visitors can easily access the Tokyo Snoopy museum in around 45 minutes by taking the Tokyu Denentoshi Line to Minami Machida Granbury Park Station from Shibuya Station. Please note these trains are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Travelers arriving in Tokyo at either Narita or Haneda airport are also able to take a shuttle bus directly to Minami Machida Granbury Park Station.
From Minami Machida Granbury Park Station, it only takes around 4 minutes on foot to reach the Snoopy museum.
Highlights of the Snoopy Museum in Machida
Some of the other highlights of the new Snoopy museum in Tokyo include:
- Snoopy Room, where visitors can come face-to-face with a 8-meter-long Sleeping Snoopy statue.
- Woodstock Room – Dedicated to Snoopy’s faithful yellow bird companion.
- Regular Workshops – Visitors can book a place in advance to take part in various Peanuts-themed craft activities. The workshops include sessions where guests can make Snoopy-shaped candles, confectionery, jewelry, or even their own Snoopy plush toy.
- Finding Snoopy – An exclusive app that sends visitors on a journey to find Snoopy and his friends at various checkpoints around the museum.
- Brown’s Store – A gift shop offering a huge range of original Peanuts merchandise made exclusively for the Snoopy Museum, including soft toys, backpacks, figurines, and stationery.
- Peanuts Café – Offering a varied menu inspired by Peanuts, this cozy café is open to museum-goers and casual visitors alike. Try the picnic plate inspired by the comics’ “pot luck picnic”, or one of the delicious smoothies or milkshakes.
In addition to the permanent features, the Snoopy museum also hosts rotating exhibits borrowed from the Charles M. Schulz Museum in California. These temporary exhibits rotate every 6 months.
Tickets for the Snoopy Museum Tokyo
Visitors to the Snoopy museum in Tokyo are advised to book advance tickets online in order to avoid disappointment. Additionally, they are ¥200 cheaper than tickets bought on the day.
The prices for same-day tickets bought at the museum are as follows:
- Adults – ¥2,000
- High school and junior high students – ¥1,000
- Elementary school students – ¥600
- Infants under 4 years old – Free
Admission is divided into five time slots per day:
- From 10:00 to 11:30
- From 12:00 to 13:30
- From 14:00 to 15:30
- From 16:00 to 17:30
- From 18:00 to 19:30
A limited number of visitors can be admitted for each time slot, but there is no time limit for a stay. Last admission is at 19:30 and the museum closes at 20:00 every day. The museum is open every day year-round except for February 21th.
More info: https://snoopymuseum.tokyo