Guide · Akihabara

Part of: Anime Places to Visit in Tokyo: 9 Real Spots

Toei Animation Museum: Free Entry, Closed Wednesdays, and How to Reach Oizumi from Central Tokyo

The Toei Animation Museum is a small, free museum run by Toei Animation, the studio behind Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Precure and Digimon, at its Oizumi site in Nerima, western Tokyo. It is closed every Wednesday and on some other days, so check the official calendar. Inside takes thirty minutes to an hour; getting there from central Tokyo is most of the trip. I run private anime tours in Akihabara most weeks, and this is the studio museum I suggest to fans of Toei's series.

The museum calls itself "a corporate museum where you can learn about anime by playing", and the description fits: it is small, friendly and hands-on, not a grand gallery. In 2026 it is also in the middle of Toei Animation's 70th-anniversary celebrations.

What is the Toei Animation Museum?

A corporate museum operated by Toei Animation, which its site describes as the oldest existing animation production company. Exhibits run from the studio's earliest works, about seventy years ago, to its latest productions. Admission is free, and the museum estimates thirty minutes to an hour for a visit.

For context on where it sits among Tokyo's anime places, the comparison is in anime places to visit in Tokyo, which counts it among the city's real animation museums; that page's "half day" includes the journey out to Nerima. If your day is in Akihabara instead, my Akihabara anime tour is how I plan it for guests.

What is on at the Toei Animation Museum now?

On 4 October 2026: a special exhibition for the film Star Detective Precure! The Mysterious Garden and a Secret Pair, from 18 September 2026 to around the end of February 2027, with production materials and original artwork, and permanent Digimon exhibits that began on 2 June 2026. The studio's 70th-anniversary events run through the year.

Character visits are announced on the news page; for example, Pero, Toei Animation's iconic character, is listed for 23 October 2026.

When is the Toei Animation Museum closed?

Every Wednesday, plus other irregular closing days. The museum publishes the next month's calendar around the 10th of each month, so check it before you go. This is the single most important thing on this page; a Wednesday visit means a long trip to a closed door.

This is the honest section. The museum is small and far from the centre: the round trip from Akihabara is likely to take longer than the visit. It is absolutely worth it for fans of Toei's series, especially during a special exhibition for something you love. For a general anime fan with one free day, an Akihabara or Ikebukuro day gives more per hour.

How do you get to the Toei Animation Museum?

By the Seibu Ikebukuro line from Ikebukuro to Oizumi-gakuen or Shakujii-kōen. From Oizumi-gakuen's north exit it is about fifteen minutes on foot or about five minutes by bus to Toeisatsueijo-mae. From Shakujii-kōen's north exit, buses take about ten minutes, and the museum says most buses start there.

The address is 2-10-5 Higashi-Ōizumi, Nerima. There is no car or bicycle parking, and the museum asks people not to be dropped off by car or bus nearby, because the street in front is narrow. Come by train and local bus.

What are the rules inside?

Photography and video are banned in some areas to protect copyright, eating and drinking are not allowed inside (drinks are allowed in the courtyard), and you cannot enter the working Oizumi studio. Visitors who are drunk may be refused. School groups of seven or more must book a weekday slot in advance; families of seven or more are let in as an exception.

Follow the signs and staff on where photos are allowed; the special exhibitions include dedicated photo spots. The group rules on the museum's guide page are aimed at schools: it takes one booked school group of seven or more on weekdays and turns away other unbooked groups to avoid crowding. Its FAQ says a family of seven or more is let in as an exception.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toei Animation Museum free? Yes. Admission is free.

What day is the Toei Animation Museum closed? Every Wednesday, and on some other days listed in the museum's monthly calendar, published around the 10th of the previous month.

How long do you need at the Toei Animation Museum? About thirty minutes to an hour inside, according to the museum. Allow extra for the journey to Oizumi.

Can I visit the Toei Animation studio? No. The museum is on the studio site, but visitors cannot enter the Oizumi studio itself.

Is there a shop at the Toei Animation Museum? Yes. The museum has a shop, which also runs campaign giveaways tied to current films.

A studio museum in Nerima, the shops in Akihabara

If your favourite Toei series deserves a shopping day too, Adventure in Akihabara with Anime is my private half-day walk, three to four hours, planned around the anime you name and never shared with other guests. The price is on the tour page.

About the author. I am Yuuki, a Japanese teacher and Akihabara anime tour guide based in Tokyo. I run private anime tours here most weeks, rated 4.96★ on Airbnb across 171 reviews. I have watched over 1,500 anime series, which is either a qualification or a warning depending on your point of view.

See the Akihabara anime tour →

Sources: Toei Animation Museum, Top page (corporate museum; oldest existing animation production company; free; 30 minutes to 1 hour; closed every Wednesday and irregular days; next month's calendar around the 10th; news), How to use (photo and video restrictions, eating and drinking, intoxicated visitors, no entry to the Oizumi studio, no parking, group reservations), Access (2-10-5 Higashi-Ōizumi, Nerima; walking and bus times), Precure film special exhibition (18 September 2026 – around end of February 2027), Digimon exhibitions and Pero visit. All checked 4 October 2026. The list of Toei series in the opening is general knowledge about the studio's catalogue. Opening hours are deliberately not given.