Tokyo Polytechnic University Suginami Animation Museum is a free museum in Suginami, Tokyo, devoted to Japanese animation. Its displays trace anime history and explain how animation is made, with original drawings, vintage objects and preserved work desks among the exhibits. You can try hands-on activities such as voice recording, tracing and digital animation, then browse animation books and DVDs in the library. Portable audio guides are available in several languages, including English. The museum is a useful stop for anime fans and for families curious about the craft behind the screen.
How anime is made
The museum covers both the history of Japanese animation and the work involved in producing it. Displays explain the stages of production, taking you behind the scenes from drawings to finished animation. Historical exhibits place works and techniques in context, while period televisions show animation from different eras.
Original drawings and animation cells give you a closer look at the work on paper. Preserved desks show the spaces where animators worked. Vintage toys and other older objects add another view of how animation has been presented and collected. An autograph-covered wall near reception is another place to look for familiar names.
Try the production activities
Several exhibits let you take part instead of only reading about animation. At voice-recording stations, you can add your voice to animated scenes. Other activities introduce tracing and computer animation, including a chance to make a short animation using a digital station.
These activities offer a practical way to understand the steps behind the finished work. Some displays focus on dubbing and sound effects, while others let you experiment with drawing and animation. The museum also holds workshops, though the available material does not establish their schedule or whether every activity is available on each visit.
Audio guides and the library
Portable audio guide devices provide exhibit explanations in multiple languages, including English, Chinese and Korean. Use one to hear more about the display in front of you as you move through the museum.
The library has animation books and DVDs, and there is an anime theatre. You can browse the books or choose a DVD to watch. Stamps are available near the elevator on the third floor. The museum is on the third floor of Suginami Kaikan in the Kamiogi area of Suginami, and admission is free. Its focus is animation as a whole, rather than the work of a single creator.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is Suginami Animation Museum free?
Yes. Admission is free.
Does the museum have English audio guides?
Yes. Portable audio guide devices are available in English and other languages.
What can you do at the museum?
You can explore exhibits on animation history and production, try voice recording, tracing and digital animation activities, and browse books and DVDs in the library.
How do you get to the museum from the station?
The museum is on the third floor of Suginami Kaikan. A bus is an option if you want to avoid a long walk from the station.
