Nerima City in Tokyo is well known for being the setting of several seriously famous anime. Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, Tokyo Ghoul, Digimon Adventure, and even Doraemon all use this quiet suburb as their location.
While there are plenty of places to recreate scenes from some of your favorite shows, anime tourism isn’t the only thing to do here. Here are some choice places to visit while you’re in the neighborhood.
Toei Animation Museum
For many, Nerima City is where Japanese animation was born. Toei Animation Studios, founded in 1948, is located in the Nerima City neighborhood of Oizumigakuen. Its film 白蛇伝, Hakujaden, Legend of the White Serpent, was the first full-color Japanese anime film.
The studio produced some of Japan’s most famous and enduring anime series. Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, Gegege no Kitaro, and ONE PIECE are all Toei creations. Famous animators Matsumoto Leiji, Tezuka Osamu, And Miyazaki Hayao are all alumni of the studio.
While you can’t tour the actual studio, you can visit the Toei Animation Museum. It houses a small collection of storyboards, memorabilia, and interactive video displays about all of Toei’s animation. It also has several statues of anime characters throughout the area, perfect for photo ops.
Location: A 15 minute minute walk from Oizumi-Gakuen station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.
Hours: Open from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Last entry at 3:30 pm. Closed every Wednesday.
Admission Fee: Free. Please inquire about groups larger than seven.
Website: Toie Animation Museum
Oizumi Anime Gate
If you’re headed to the Toei Animation Museum, then you’ll pass the Oizumi Anime Gate at the North exit of Oizumi Gakuen station.
The Gate features several lifesize bronze statues of anime characters associated with Nerima. You can snap a picture with Astro Boy, Joe Yabuki from Ashita no Joe, Tetsuro Hoshino and Maetel from Galaxy Express 999, and Lum from Urusei Yatsura. There’s also a photographic timeline of anime created in Nerima, such as Sailor Moon, Pretty Cure, and Digimon.
Location: Oizumi-Gakuen Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Shakujii Park
Shajukii Park is one of Tokyo’s larger parks. If you are visiting in spring or fall, I highly recommend it for seeing the cherry blossoms or fall foliage. In my opinion, it’s as beautiful as more well-known areas like Ueno Park but with a fraction of the people. The park has two large ponds, and you can rent paddle boats.
The park is also home to the ruins of Shakujii Castle, though those are a bit of a letdown. I think the more interesting historical building is the Uchida house in the Nerima Shakujiikoen Furusato Museum (hometown culture center). The house is an original home from the 1880s, dismantled and relocated from a different area of Nerima. Along with various displays in the museum, you can get an up close and personal understanding of the area’s history and local traditional Japanese culture.
The park is also the site of Sanpo-ji temple. The temple was originally established in 1394, giving it a very long history. There is some delightful architecture on display and some gorgeous statues. The most arresting piece is a large statue of the bodhisattva Kannon, which is truly breathtaking.
Shakujii Park is located a short distance from Shakujii-koen Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro line.
Website: Nerima Shakujiikoen Furusato Museum
Hours: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Closed Mondays (if Monday is a national holiday, the following non-national holiday will be closed), New Year’s holidays (December 29th to January 3rd), special closed days
Admission Fee: Both the park and the permanent exhibition are free.
Makino Memorial Garden and Museum in Nerima City
This small museum and gorgeous garden are dedicated to Makino Tomitaro, the father of Japanese Botany. A fictionalized adaption of this life story was the basis for the recent NHK morning drama Ranman.
The garden is located on the site of his former residence where he lived from 1926 until his death in 1957. It showcases several rare trees and seasonal flowers. The museum displays his office in its original state and has a rotating exhibition of his original drawings and botany findings.
Location: 6-34-4 Higashioizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo 178-0063. Follow the signs from Oizumi-Gakuen station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Planned exhibitions and video viewing: 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM Closed every Tuesday (if Tuesday is a national holiday, the museum will be opened on the day, and the following nearest weekday will be closed instead), New Year’s holiday (December 29 ~ January 3)
Admission Fee: Free
Chihiro Art Museum, Nerima City
If you are bringing small children or if you are a child at heart the Chihiro Art Museum is a must-see. Dedicated to the works of Iwasaki Chihiro, and located in her former and final residence, it displays the art of the beloved children’s book artist. Iwasaki is probably best known for her illustrations featured in Kuroyanagi Tetsuko’s autobiography Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window.
The museum also holds exhibitions for other children’s book artists. It sports a lovely garden, a cafe, a playroom, and a nursing room.
Note that the museum occasionally closes for exhibition changes and also for two months in the winter. So, make sure to check opening hours before visiting.
Website: Chihiro Art Museum (English)
Location: 4-7-2, Shimo-Shakujii, Nerima-ku, Tokyo 177-0042, Japan
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closed on Mondays except national holidays.
Admission Fee: Adults – JPY 1200. Children – Free. Seniors, disability, and group discounts available
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