Otaru Music Box Museum Review
The Otaru Music Box Museum used to be a charming and serene destination, perfect for immersing yourself in the nostalgic beauty of handcrafted music boxes and the warm, old-world atmosphere. However, over time, it has become significantly more crowded, which unfortunately diminishes the peaceful and intimate vibe it once had.
The museum still offers an impressive collection of music boxes, and the craftsmanship is undeniably beautiful. The historical building itself is worth appreciating, with its classic design and welcoming ambiance. However, the overwhelming number of visitors makes it harder to truly enjoy the displays or take your time browsing without feeling rushed.
The crowding also impacts the shopping experience. While there are plenty of unique music boxes available, navigating through the store can feel cramped and hectic, especially during peak hours.
If you’re planning a visit, consider going early in the morning or on weekdays to avoid the rush. It’s still worth a visit for its charm and history, but it’s not quite the tranquil experience it used to be.
Must visit if you’re an anime fan and music lover. The music boxes are customized and you can choose varieties from j-pop, anime official song/music, popular pop songs.. I also saw and listened to beattle’s “let it be “. It’s a great gift/souvenir to a close friend/family or just a souvenir from Hokkaido, this place is a must visit but I’d say better to come here early before the places gets too crowded, too many tourists by 10am onwards so listening to different music boxes becomes hard. No entrance fee. For 5,000JPY purchase, it becomes tax free so you can save around 5-10% from total amount of purchase, but make sure to bring your passport in order to avail of this discount😉
Museum and souvenir shop spread over two floors in a charming wooden floor building which reminds you of a cabin in the alps. Can be very crowded at times but a good place to hunt for reasonably-priced and good quality souvenirs like music boxes, glass figurines and fridge magnets.
Not so much of a museum but a place where you can get all sorts of musical box. Very pretty ones and just for decor
2 floors of products to choose from.
On the 2nd floor, there’s a corner where they mentioned about the history of the music box.
Went here on a cold winter day. Even though it was a weekday, the store was packed with tourists. There are tens of thousands of music boxes for sale. It is a very handsome building on both the inside and outside. The inside has a very nice log cabin type aesthetic.
Unfortunately, this is more of a gift store than a museum. While there is indeed a museum portion, it is a small area tucked away in a back room on the second floor. The third floor is just a typical Japan themed gift shop area and should be avoided.
Most of the music boxes have a very generic melody, and the design is just a seemingly random object attached to the top.
The prices of the music boxes are quite reasonable, and if you have a foreign passport you can shop tax free.
