Back to the Showa Era! Experience a Nostalgic Time at the "Odaiba Retro Museum"!
Back to the Showa Era! Experience a Nostalgic Time at the "Odaiba Retro Museum"!
Translated from Japanese by
In Odaiba, an area lined with modern amusement facilities, a new tourist spot that transcends time has been born. Opened on April 25, 2025, on the 4th floor of Decks Tokyo Beach, the "Odaiba Retro Museum" is a museum themed on "Showa Retro". You can freely walk through a Showa-era townscape that looks just like a movie set, and "see," "photograph," and "play with" nostalgic items and everyday tools. The "Odaiba Retro Museum" offers nostalgia for those who remember the past and fresh surprises for the younger generation. Here is a full introduction to this charming, hands-on museum.
The Aspirations of Yesteryear Are Here! A World of Retro Cars, Appliances, and Records
Next to the museum, there's a merchandise shop and a shooting gallery.
A 2-minute walk from Odaiba Kaihin Koen Station on the Yurikamome Line brings you to the urban shopping mall, Decks Tokyo Beach. On the 4th floor is the Daiba 1-chome Shotengai, which recreates a downtown street from the 1950s, and in one corner lies the "Odaiba Retro Museum". The admission fee is 1,300 yen for adults, with separate student rates and discounts available. A retro atmosphere can be felt right from the entrance.
The Mazda Carol, featuring four doors, a rarity for a kei car of its time.
Upon entering the museum, you are first greeted by a car with a charming shape. The Mazda Carol, released in 1962, was a popular model, especially among families, thanks to its luxurious, European-inspired design and a spacious interior that was unexpected for a kei car. It's a memorable car for the fathers of the Showa era who drove their families around, and many may remember it as their very first car.
Unlike today's large electronics stores, many were community-based shops.
Right next to the garage where the Mazda Carol is parked, there's an electronics shop. Retro appliances that are hard to find today, such as a National color TV and a Sony "Cassette Densuke" portable recorder, are on display.
The streetscape, appealing to all five senses, richly colored people's daily lives.
In this corner, a movie theater and a record shop stood side by side. Unlike today, double or even triple features were common at movie theaters during the Showa era.
Inside the store, popular kayokyoku (Japanese pop) and Western pop songs from the era are playing.
The record shop is lined with famous albums from legendary divas to one-of-a-kind singer-songwriters of the past. If you ask the staff, you can even listen to your favorite records.
In the Showa era, police boxes (koban) were quietly situated in corners of shopping streets and residential areas.
Next to the record shop is an old-fashioned, stone-built police box (koban). Named the "Wangan-dori Police Box," its symbolic red light was shining brightly.
Dazzling Neons Beckon! A Tour of Nostalgic Entertainment Spots
Sato-chan, the orange elephant mascot for Sato Pharmaceutical, is a character that symbolizes the Showa era.
Next to the tobacco shop, "Pachinko Lucky" beckons to the adults. The large neon sign and grand opening flower wreaths are eye-catching. In the Showa era, pachinko parlors were landmarks in entertainment districts.
You can try playing classic pachinko machines like "Circus III" and "The Matsuri II."
From the period of high economic growth to the bubble era, pachinko parlors were incredibly popular as a casual form of entertainment. At "Pachinko Lucky," you can actually play classic machines from that time, such as "hanemono" (flipper-style) and "kenrimono" (right-to-win) models. Of course, please note that you won't receive any prizes even if you win.
The vending machines have a simple, rectangular steel structure.
Diagonally across from the pachinko parlor was a small rest area with a ramen stall, a cigarette vending machine, and wooden benches. The enamel signs also add to the atmosphere.
It's okay to tour the museum while wearing the costumes.
In a space designed to look like a cabaret dressing room, you can enjoy cosplay with costumes like "tokko-fuku" (kamikaze pilot-style jackets), sailor uniforms, and idol outfits available.
With the spread of karaoke machines, snack bars also became established as places for singing from the late 1960s onward.
Next to the cabaret, a snack bar is open for business, with a mirror ball enhancing the mood. Snack bars were popular as casual social spots for the common people, where you could easily break the ice by chatting with the friendly "mama-san" or regular customers.
In an era when many homes didn't have baths, public baths (sento) were an essential part of life.
The old-fashioned public bath (sento), with Mount Fuji painted on the wall, featured items you rarely see today, such as hood-style hair dryers and antique massage chairs.
To the Paradise of Energetic Boys and Girls! Where Dreams and Playfulness Are Reborn
A Showa townscape that seems to exude the "scent of daily life."
After a loop around the town, we returned to the garage area. The trees and signs are meticulously detailed, making you truly feel like you're in a Showa-era town. The museum's exhibits include authentic vintage items, as well as new items that have been intentionally aged to look like Showa-style signs and tools. The sight of the retro townscape bathed in the evening light further enhances the nostalgic atmosphere.
Items that would have made the eyes of Showa-era children sparkle, such as plastic models and soft vinyl figures, are on display.
Across from the garage was a toy store filled with nostalgic hobbies. The Shinkansen Game placed in front of the store is a game where you use a lever to flick a 10-yen coin, representing the bullet train, from the start to the goal without it falling into any holes. The key to winning was mastering the force of the flick.
You can also play with board games and party games.
In an area recreating a children's room from the Showa era, you can return to your childhood and relax in the tatami room.
The Weekly Shonen Jump No. 48 in the center is the commemorative 300th issue, published in 1974.
The bookshelf also held boys' manga magazines from the time. It makes you want to lie down and get lost in reading.
Due to urban planning, narrow alleyways are becoming less common.
Between the public bath and the children's room, there is a narrow alleyway that enhances the Showa town atmosphere—a delightful sight for "alley enthusiasts"!
Seasonings and plastic wrap are also from the era.
Across from the children's room, a Showa-era home kitchen is recreated. With no dishwashers or food processors, washing dishes and cooking were mainly done by hand. The space was much smaller than today, requiring clever solutions to store dishes and pots for a family of four or five.
The mid-Showa period was a transitional time when lifestyles shifted from low "chabudai" tables to Western-style tables and chairs.
Due to post-war housing conditions and lifestyle changes, the dining kitchen, a space combining cooking and eating, became widespread in the Showa era. The mesh cover placed over prepared dishes was called a "haicho" and was used to protect food from insects and dust.
Red and pink public telephones are also installed within the museum.
The black telephone in the corner of the dining kitchen is a rotary-dial landline phone. To dial, you would repeatedly insert your finger into the number holes, turn the dial, and let it return.
A place of many memories, from playing to being scolded, the elementary school is unforgettable.
The "Odaiba Retro Museum" even has an elementary school. You can enter the science prep room, the hallways, the restrooms, and the classroom where children learned.
There were no air conditioners in Showa-era classrooms; in summer, they cooled down with the natural breeze from the windows.
Many will feel a sense of nostalgia looking at the children's chairs and desks. At the front of the classroom is a large blackboard. It brings back memories of blackboard erasers and chalk dust floating in the air.
Until the 1950s and 60s, many school buildings were made of wood, and the hallways had wooden flooring.
In the hallway, drawings and calligraphy by elementary school students were displayed. There's also a restroom at the end of the hall.
A Showa-Era Treasure Hunt! Find Nostalgic Items and Retro Souvenirs
A round mailbox, said to have been manufactured until around 1970.
The "Odaiba Retro Museum" is incredibly detailed. Everyone will be charmed by the Showa-era items scattered throughout the town. You can lose track of time reminiscing by yourself, or have a blast with family and friends—enjoy it in your own way.
The titles of classic games you played endlessly with friends are lined up.
Next to the museum is the "Fancy Shop Retro-Chika," where you can buy nostalgic retro goods and souvenirs. A popular item among adults who grew up in the Showa era is a hard case for heated tobacco products designed to look like a Famicom cartridge box. Keychains are reportedly popular with students on school trips.
Many groups of friends apparently buy matching hair clips and keychains.
Keychains styled like hotel room keys also make perfect souvenirs. Showa-era items have a unique warmth and flavor characteristic of their time.
Tabletop arcade game machines, which were also found in coffee shops during the Showa era. You can actually play them.
The "Odaiba Retro Museum" is a new era of hands-on entertainment that can be enjoyed not only by the generation who lived through it but also by younger generations, who can experience a culture and atmosphere they've never encountered before with fresh wonder. Photography is freely permitted anywhere inside the museum. Posts with the hashtag "#OdaibaRetroMuseum" are popular on social media, with retro and unique photos gaining attention. The museum is crowded on weekends and holidays, so for those who want to take their time or get perfect shots for social media, weekday evenings are recommended as they are relatively less busy. Why not spend a special, timeless moment at the "Odaiba Retro Museum," a new spot in Odaiba?
<<Odaiba Retro Museum>> Address: 4F Seaside Mall, Decks Tokyo Beach, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Hours: Weekdays 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Weekends & Holidays 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Closing Days: Same as Decks Tokyo Beach. Admission: Adults ¥1,300, High School Students ¥1,000, Junior High Students ¥800, Children (4 to elementary school) ¥500, etc. *For other details, please check the official website below.
