Yokote Masuda Manga Museum
Japan's first museum devoted to original manga artwork, with about 490,000 sheets.
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Yokote Masuda Manga Museum
SaveJapan's first museum devoted to original manga artwork, with about 490,000 sheets.
Blank comic panels wait on the cafe wall, and visiting artists fill them in one frame at a time.
More about this place (history, size)
This was the first museum in Japan built around original manga artwork — the drawings themselves, not the printed books — and the collection now runs to roughly 490,000 sheets. It opened in 1995 as the Masuda Manga Museum and became the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum when Masuda merged into the city of Yokote in 2005. The building you walk into today is the one that reopened in May 2019, after a rebuild that had kept the museum closed since 2017, so any photo you find from before then shows the older building. One wall of the cafe is a grid of blank comic panels that visiting artists fill in a frame at a time, so it is never quite finished.
- Changing tables are inside the accessible restrooms on the first and second floors.■
- There are no diaper bins in the building, so a diaper you change in either accessible restroom goes home with you, and staff will give you a bag made for carrying it.■
- For nursing, the spot is not fixed, so ask a staff member and they will show you to the nursing room or the family room.■
- Free lockers are available inside, and anything too big for them can be left at the main reception desk.■
- Every restroom, men's and women's alike, has a sanitary disposal bin.■
- A ticket from the machine is good only on the day you buy it and cannot be used on another day.■
- You can re-enter the special exhibition the same day by showing your pass at the exhibition desk.■
- Groups of ten or more have to give notice in advance, whether they are paying or not, and send the group booking and fee-waiver form by fax or email.■
- You order at the ticket machine by the cafe entrance, and the cafe takes cash only.■
- The whole building is nonsmoking, and you can only smoke in the outdoor smoking area.■
- The manga library does not lend its books out, so any reading you do happens on site.■
- The address is 285 Shinmachi, Masuda, Masuda-machi, Yokote, Akita 019-0701, and the phone number is 0182-45-5569.■
- The coordinates are 39.204707 north and 140.548291 east, taken from the map embedded on the official access page.■
- Parking is free, with 180 spaces and room for full-size buses.■
- It was the first museum in Japan devoted to original manga artwork, and the collection holds roughly 490,000 sheets of it.■
- The building holds eleven spaces, namely the information desk, the manga culture exhibition room, the permanent exhibition room, the Manga no Kura exhibition room, the manga library, Famous Lines Road, the special exhibition room, the manga cafe, the museum shop, the workshop room, and the convention hall, and only the special exhibition room costs money.■
- The blank comic panels on the cafe wall are there for visiting artists to draw in freely, filling the wall a frame at a time.■
- You can look around the building and part of the exhibition rooms beforehand through the 360-degree photos on Google Street View, which were shot in 2022.■
- The artwork on show in the permanent exhibition room gets rotated, with a swap made as recently as August 19, 2026.■
- Special exhibitions run for a set stretch of dates, with 'The World of Thomas the Tank Engine' from July 4 to September 27, 2026, and 'Yoshihiro Takahashi: 55 Years of Work, Chosen by the Artist' from September 19 to November 8, 2026.■
- The workshop changes every month, and the one for September 2026 is built around 'The World of Thomas the Tank Engine.'■
- The honorary director is Yoshihiro Takahashi, who took the post as the museum's second on April 1, 2021.■
- Takao Yaguchi, the first honorary director, died on November 20, 2020.■
- It opened as the Masuda Manga Museum on October 21, 1995, and became the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum when the municipalities merged on October 1, 2005.■
- It closed for renovation on April 1, 2017, and had its grand opening on May 1, 2019, so any photo taken before May 2019 shows the older building.■
- During the closure, on August 1, 2018, it put on a traveling exhibition at the Oyasumidokoro Chokai rest house inside Akita Furusato Mura.■
- A multilingual audio guide called 'The Manga Museum and a Walk Through Town' has been released, and you can listen to it on your own phone.■
With kids, here's the plan
Everything in this museum is free except the special exhibition room, so you can walk in with the kids, see how they take to it, and leave again without paying anything. There is only one loaner stroller in the building, so ask for it at the main reception desk on your way in — once it is out, there is no second one to borrow. The front desk asks parents to hold small children by the hand in the exhibition rooms, so leave your bags in one of the free lockers first and you will have a hand free for each child. The manga cafe stops taking orders at 3:30 p.m. and closes at 4 p.m., two hours before the museum does, so eat before you start on the exhibits rather than after — the cafe can be shut while the museum is still open. Both floors have a changing table inside the accessible restroom, but there are no diaper bins anywhere in the building, so ask staff for one of the bags they keep for it and the used diaper goes home with you in that.
Rainy days and each age
- Rainy day All 11 facilities — the information desk, the permanent exhibition room, the Manga Storehouse exhibition room, the Manga Library, the Famous Lines Road, the Manga Cafe and the rest — are inside the building. There are ramps and an elevator, and the only paid one is the special exhibition room.
- Ages 0-1 The permanent exhibitions are free, so a short visit — or one the baby sleeps through — costs nothing. A ramp and an elevator mean you can do both floors without leaving the stroller. On the wall of the Manga Cafe, blank comic panels wait to be filled in, one frame at a time, by the artists who visit.Diaper-changing beds are inside the multipurpose restrooms on the first and second floors. There is no diaper bin in the building, so used diapers go home with you; staff hand out a bag made for them. For nursing you can use the nursing room or the family room, but no fixed spot is set aside, so speak to staff at the main reception. Only one stroller is available to borrow, so bringing your own is the safer bet. Food and drink may not be brought in — only drinks bought from the vending machines inside, and only in the first- and second-floor corridors.
- Ages 2-3 Preschool children get into the special exhibitions free as well; through 27 September 2026 that is The World of Thomas & Friends. Books in the Manga Library cannot be borrowed, but they can be read inside the museum. And on the Manga Cafe wall, the blank panels get filled in one frame at a time by the artists who come through.While you are looking at the works in the exhibition rooms, reception asks you to hold a small child's hand. Eating and drinking are not allowed inside the exhibition rooms, and photos and video are in principle not allowed either — some exhibits do permit them, so follow the signs in each room. The special exhibition lets you re-enter the same day, so if you need to step outside partway through, show your admission ticket at the exhibition reception and go in and out. The Manga Cafe closes at 16:00, with last orders at 15:30.
- Ages 4-6 Workshops run on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and the content changes every month — September 2026's is built around The World of Thomas & Friends. Preschool children enter the special exhibitions free, so that Thomas show, on through 27 September 2026, is included. On the Manga Cafe wall, blank comic panels are filled in one frame at a time by the artists who visit, so a child can walk the wall working out which frames are done and which are still empty.Once a child is in elementary school the special exhibition costs 300 yen; preschoolers are free. Payment is cash only — no credit cards, no e-money — so bring cash. Tickets come from the machine next to the main reception and are valid for that day only. The Saturday, Sunday and holiday workshops do not take group reservations. In the exhibition rooms reception asks you to hold a small child's hand, and children of elementary school age and under cannot enter without a guardian, so an adult goes in with them. The multilingual audio guide, Manga Museum and a Town Walk, plays on your own phone.
Sources and evidence (4)
- QR speech bubbles in the museum and the town give free audio in Japanese, English and Chinese. Try it before you travel.■
- A 4 min 35 s tour of the inside, posted by Yokote City. You can see the rooms without reading any Japanese.■
- Curry at the cafe at lunch, dessert before closing. A same-day stamp lets you re-enter; cash only, big bags at the desk.■
- All indoors, so it works in the rain: walk the old town if fine, anchor the day here if wet. It reckons 1-2 hours.■
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Diaper binDiaper disposal bin：none
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Kids' toiletKids' toilet seat & step stool：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：none
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Stroller OK■
Nursing■
Changing■
… show all 10
Elevator There is an elevator, along with an accessible parking bay, a ramp and an AED. Two wheelchairs and one walking trolley wait by the entrance and are free to use.■
Stroller OKStroller friendly: There is one loan stroller, and only one — ask at the main reception desk. Inside the galleries, staff ask you to hold small children by the hand.■
See details (1)
- The museum has a single loaner stroller, so ask a staff member at the main reception desk when you want to use it.■
Nursing A nursing room or the family room can be used — tell a staff member and they will show you. The number of rooms and whether hot water is available are not stated.■
ChangingDiaper changing table: Changing beds are inside the accessible toilets on the first and second floors — two in all.■
Diaper binDiaper disposal bin: Used diapers go home with you. The museum hands out disposal bags for them.■
Family WCFamily restroom: Accessible toilets on the first and second floors; the one on the first floor takes an ostomate.■
Own foodOutside food allowed: Food and drink cannot be brought into the building. Drinks bought from the museum's own vending machines may be had in the first and second floor corridors, never inside a gallery, and trash goes home with you. The Manga Cafe is open 10:00-16:00 (last order 15:30), cash only, no takeout and no seat reservations.■
Show all 3 checks
Indoor / outdoor: Everything listed on the museum's own floor guide — the galleries, the manga library, the cafe, the shop and the workshop room — is inside the building. Smoking is sent outdoors because the whole interior is non-smoking.■
Best-fit ages (guide): Preschoolers get into the special exhibition free, and children of elementary school age and under must have a parent with them. Workshops change every month, and group bookings for the weekend and holiday ones are not taken. Photography and video inside the galleries are not allowed as a rule, though some exhibitions permit it — follow the signs in the room.■
Stroller access notes: Free parking for 180 cars, large buses included, and about 10 minutes by car from the Jumonji interchange of the Tohoku-Chuo Expressway. By bus, Jumonji station to the Masuda Kura-no-Eki stop takes 5-10 minutes with six services a day inbound (the 15:24 does not run on weekends or holidays); from Yokote station east exit it takes 25-30 minutes with four a day (the 15:00 does not run on weekends or holidays). From the bus stop it is a 10-minute walk. Coming back, five buses a day return to Jumonji, the last at 17:59, which itself does not run on weekends or holidays. Free lockers are inside, and larger bags are kept at the main reception desk. Pets cannot come in; guide, service and hearing dogs can. Books in the manga library are for reading on the spot and are not lent out.■
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
Your phone becomes the audio guide: the multilingual guide to the manga museum and the town walk is on the web
QR speech bubbles in the museum and the town give free audio in Japanese, English and Chinese. Try it before you travel.
city.yokote.lg.jp2021
YouTubeJapanese · opens translatedOfficial
Yokote Masuda Manga Museum: a guide to the building
A 4 min 35 s tour of the inside, posted by Yokote City. You can see the rooms without reading any Japanese.
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A whirlwind trip to Yokote (2): the K2 original artwork exhibition at Masuda Manga Museum
Curry at the cafe at lunch, dessert before closing. A same-day stamp lets you re-enter; cash only, big bags at the desk.
note.com2025
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Complete guide to Yokote Masuda Manga Museum: fees, access, highlights and what is nearby
All indoors, so it works in the rain: walk the old town if fine, anchor the day here if wet. It reckons 1-2 hours.
akitatravel.com2026
Yokote Masuda Manga Museum · Links & reads ▾
＋ Add a link
Where to go next
Near here
285 Shinmachi, Masuda, Masuda-machi, Yokote-shi, Akita 019-0701■■
Before you go
- You cannot bring food or drink into the building, and the only thing you can drink indoors is something from the museum's own vending machines, in the first- and second-floor hallways.■
- Eating and drinking are not allowed inside the exhibition rooms, and your trash leaves with you rather than going into a bin here.■
- The cafe has no takeout and takes no reservations for tables, and it is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.■
- Photos and video are generally not allowed in the exhibition rooms, though some displays are an exception, so follow the signs inside each room.■
- Pets cannot come in, but service dogs are welcome: guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and hearing dogs.■
Basics
- Fee：The permanent galleries are free; only the special exhibition is charged. Adults ¥1,500, high school ¥700, junior high ¥500, elementary ¥300, preschoolers free. Payment is cash only, and children of elementary school age and under cannot enter without a parent. A year pass costs ¥3,000 for adults, ¥2,000 high school, ¥1,500 junior high, ¥800 elementary. Prices can change with the exhibition.■
- Hours：10:00-18:00, last entry 17:30. Closed the third Tuesday of the month; when that Tuesday is a public holiday the museum opens and closes the next day instead. There are exceptions — August 2026 has no closed day at all, and the next one is 15 September 2026 — so check the closing-day calendar on the official top page before setting a date. The Manga Cafe closes at 16:00, two hours before the museum.■
- Booking：Tickets for the special exhibition are sold only at the machine next to the main reception desk, in cash. They are valid on the day of purchase only.■Official booking site ↗
Basics in detail (16)
Fees
- The permanent exhibits are free, and only the special exhibitions charge admission.■
- Special exhibition admission is 1,500 yen for adults, 700 yen for high school students, 500 yen for middle school students, and 300 yen for elementary school students, and preschoolers are free.■
- Admission is cash only, the 1,500 yen adult ticket included, with no credit cards and no tap-to-pay of any kind.■
- You buy special exhibition tickets from the ticket machine next to the main reception desk, then hand the ticket to the staff at the exhibition entrance to trade it for a same-day pass.■
- Show a disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate, or a designated intractable disease recipient certificate at the desk and the special exhibition is free for you and for one companion.■
- An annual pass, good for as many special exhibition visits as you like for a year, costs 3,000 yen for adults, 2,000 yen for high school students, 1,500 yen for middle school students, and 800 yen for elementary school students.■
Hours and closures
- The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the last entry is at 5:30 p.m.■
- It closes on the third Tuesday of every month, and when that Tuesday falls on a public holiday it stays open and closes the next day instead.■
- August 2026 has a third Tuesday, August 18, but no closing days at all, and the next closing day is Tuesday, September 15, 2026.■
- The closing-day calendar on the official homepage has dates filled in through March 21, 2029, so you can check the day you have in mind before you settle on it.■
- The manga cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last orders at 3:30 p.m., closing two hours before the museum shuts at 6.■
Getting there
- It is about a 10-minute drive from the Jumonji interchange on the Tohoku-Chuo Expressway.■
- From in front of JR Jumonji Station, the bus to the Masuda Kura-no-Eki stop takes 5 to 10 minutes, with six departures a day, and the 3:24 p.m. one does not run on weekends or public holidays.■
- From the east exit of Yokote Station, the same stop is 25 to 30 minutes away by bus, with four departures a day, and the 3:00 p.m. one does not run on weekends or public holidays.■
- Coming back from Masuda Kura-no-Eki to Jumonji Station there are five buses a day, the last at 5:59 p.m. and the one before it at 4:34 p.m., neither of which runs on weekends or public holidays.■
- The Masuda Kura-no-Eki bus stop is a 10-minute walk from the museum.■
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (10)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Public agency: Elevator
- Official: main site
The museum was rebuilt and reopened in May 2019, so older photos show a different building. Galleries, manga library and cafe are all under one roof. Diaper changing tables sit inside the accessible toilets on the first and second floors. Used diapers go home with you, but the museum hands out diaper disposal bags, so you do not have to pack your own. Only one loan stroller exists, so bring your own. The Manga Cafe closes at 16:00, two hours before the museum, so have snacks before then.
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor | Everything listed on the museum's own floor guide — the galleries, the manga library, the cafe, the shop and the workshop room — is inside the building. Smoking is sent outdoors because the whole interior is non-smoking. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | There is one loan stroller, and only one — ask at the main reception desk. Inside the galleries, staff ask you to hold small children by the hand. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Nursing space | Yes | A nursing room or the family room can be used — tell a staff member and they will show you. The number of rooms and whether hot water is available are not stated. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Diaper changing table | Yes (2) | Changing beds are inside the accessible toilets on the first and second floors — two in all. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Diaper disposal bin | No | Used diapers go home with you. The museum hands out disposal bags for them. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Family restroom | Yes (2) | Accessible toilets on the first and second floors; the one on the first floor takes an ostomate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Elevator | Yes | There is an elevator, along with an accessible parking bay, a ramp and an AED. Two wheelchairs and one walking trolley wait by the entrance and are free to use. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | city.yokote.lg.jp |
| Outside food allowed | No | Food and drink cannot be brought into the building. Drinks bought from the museum's own vending machines may be had in the first and second floor corridors, never inside a gallery, and trash goes home with you. The Manga Cafe is open 10:00-16:00 (last order 15:30), cash only, no takeout and no seat reservations. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Preschoolers get into the special exhibition free, and children of elementary school age and under must have a parent with them. Workshops change every month, and group bookings for the weekend and holiday ones are not taken. Photography and video inside the galleries are not allowed as a rule, though some exhibitions permit it — follow the signs in the room. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Free parking for 180 cars, large buses included, and about 10 minutes by car from the Jumonji interchange of the Tohoku-Chuo Expressway. By bus, Jumonji station to the Masuda Kura-no-Eki stop takes 5-10 minutes with six services a day inbound (the 15:24 does not run on weekends or holidays); from Yokote station east exit it takes 25-30 minutes with four a day (the 15:00 does not run on weekends or holidays). From the bus stop it is a 10-minute walk. Coming back, five buses a day return to Jumonji, the last at 17:59, which itself does not run on weekends or holidays. Free lockers are inside, and larger bags are kept at the main reception desk. Pets cannot come in; guide, service and hearing dogs can. Books in the manga library are for reading on the spot and are not lent out. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | manga-museum.com |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet |
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