Banner photo credit: Snoopy Museum Tokyo. Photo © Peanuts Worldwide LLC
Come see Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts Gang at the incredibly special Snoopy Museum and restaurant in Tokyo.
Table of contents:
Snoopy Museum Reopening
What to See at the Snoopy Museum
Other Things to Do at the Snoopy Museum
Tips for Visitors to the Snoopy Museum
Come see Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts Gang at the incredibly special Snoopy Museum in Tokyo.
Japan’s love of animation and cartoons through anime and manga is well-known. But the country also adores international characters and creations as well, like the lovable beagle Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. After all, Peanuts is one of the most recognizable comic creations in the world, running for 50 years in over 2,600 newspapers and 21 languages. But it’s the character of Snoopy in particular that found his way into the hearts of the Japanese public.
So, if you’re also a fan of this long-running series or cute cartoons in general, you won’t want to miss this Tokyo museum.
Snoopy Museum Reopening
Photo credit: Snoopy Museum Tokyo. Photo © Peanuts Worldwide LLC
Given the love for Snoopy and the creations of Charles M. Schulz, is it any surprise that a museum was established in his honour? Well maybe a little actually, as it is the only branch of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in California based outside the United States. The Snoopy Museum opened in Tokyo April 2016 originally as a temporary exhibit but proved to be incredibly popular with millions of visitors flooding its doors.
This is why the museum had to close in September 2018, they needed to relocate the museum from Roppongi to a new, larger facility in Machida. The Snoopy Museum reopened in December 2019 bigger and better than ever in space roughly twice the size of the former building. Located in Grandberry Park, the museum is next to a shopping mall that boasts plenty of greenery thanks to Tsuruma Park.
What to See at the Snoopy Museum
Photo credit: Snoopy Museum Tokyo. Photo © Peanuts Worldwide LLC
The best place to start when visiting the Snoopy Museum is with the corner dedicated to creator Charles M. Schulz. There you can learn about the creator and the history of the Peanuts comic strip, getting to know the Peanuts Gang if you’re not already familiar.
The exhibit is full of images and photographs that highlight the relationship between the characters and real life experiences of Schulz himself. There you’ll also find films that explore the illustrating technique Schulz used to create these iconic characters.
This is the beginning of the “Snoopy and The Peanuts Gang” permanent exhibition. From there you can head into the “Opening Theater” and see Snoopy animated across multiple screens in new and different ways. Further into the museum you reach the “Peanuts Gang Gallery”, which features information and trivia on the comic run, as well as reproductions, slideshows and other vintage items.
Then there are the “Snoopy Room” and “Woodstock Room”, dedicated to Snoopy and his yellow bird sidekick Woodstock. Each has countless images of their character around the place, included a massive 8 metre Snoopy sleeping on Linus’ blanket.
Finally, there’s the museum’s special temporary exhibits like the current “Here Come the Beagle Scouts!”, with valuable original drawings on loan from the Schulz Museum in California.
Other Things to Do at the Snoopy Museum
Photo credit: Snoopy Museum Tokyo. Photo © Peanuts Worldwide LLC
While the exhibits are a great starting point for your time at the Snoopy Museum, there’s still much more to do here. For instance, before you head into the museum, download the exclusive “Finding Snoopy” app. With this you can try to find Snoopy and his friends hidden about the museum’s various exhibits.
For Peanuts fans that want a more hands-on experience, the Workshop is not to be missed. There you can participate in craft activities with a clear Peanuts theme, including making your own Snoopy-shaped candles or Snoopy plush toy.
There’s even more cuteness to be found by paying a visit to the Peanuts Café. You don’t need to enter the museum to visit the café and try things off its menu that have all been inspired by Peanuts. And of course, there’s the Brown’s Store gift shop, where you can collect all sorts of official and original Peanuts merchandise exclusively available here.
Tips for Visitors to the Snoopy Museum
Photo credit: Snoopy Museum Tokyo. Photo © Peanuts Worldwide LLC
- Getting to the Snoopy Museum is quite easy by train, simply take the Tokyu Denentoshi line from Shibuya to Minami Machida Granbury Park Station. However, this train not covered by the JR Pass and the trip takes around 45 minutes.
- You can buy tickets for the Snoopy Museum either in advance online or on the day at the museum. Do note though that advance tickets are 200 yen cheaper than same-day tickets and same-day tickets can sell out when busy.
- Entry for adults to the Snoopy Museum is 1800 yen for advance ticket and 2000 yen for same-day tickets.
- Tickets for the museum have specific admission times and you may only enter the museum at your allocated time. This is done to limit the number of visitors, but you’re free to stay as long as you like once inside.
- Another fun pop culture museum to visit is the Studio Ghibli Museum which celebrates the works of Studio Ghibli, creators of Ponyo and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Photo Copyright: Snoopy Museum Tokyo and Peanuts Worldwide LLC used for Editorial use, with permission in writing. All rights reserved.
