Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
195
marriages. Otherwise, the museum does an excellent job with displays of Lennon's hand-
written lyrics, trademark wire-rim glasses, leather jacket, motorcycle, U.K. passport,
guitars, white Steinway, and other memorabilia, with concert videos and personal footage
throughout. Few Lennon fans will probably escape dry-eyed, especially in the Final
Room, adorned only with the powerful lyrics of his songs. The Museum Lounge, with
listening stations and books, is open only to visitors. This was my teenage son's favorite
Tokyo museum. You can easily spend 90 minutes here.
Saitama Super Arena, 2-27 Kamiochiai, Yono-city, Saitama.
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048/601-0009.
www.taisei.co.jp/
museum. Admission ¥1,500 adults, ¥1,000 high-school and college students, ¥500 children. Wed-Mon
11am-6pm. From Shinagawa or Tokyo Station, take the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line 30-40 min. to Saitama
Shin-toshin Station, from which it's a 3-min. walk from the west exit. Or, from Shinjuku, take the JR Saikyo
Line to Kita-yono, from which it's a 7-min. walk.
Kite Museum (Tako-no-Hakubutsukan)
This private collection consists of more
than 3,000 kites, mainly Japanese, all jam-packed in a few small rooms you can tour in
about 30 minutes. They range from miniature kites the size of postage stamps to kites
dating from the Taisho Period, some ornately decorated with Kabuki stars, samurai, and
animals. There are even hand-painted kites by ukiyo-e master Hiroshige.
Taimeiken Building, 5th floor, 1-12-10 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku.
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03/3275-2704.
Admission ¥200 adults,
¥100 children. Mon-Sat 11am-5pm. Closed holidays. Station: Nihombashi (3 min.). Off Eitai Dori, btw.
Chuo Dori and Showa Dori and behind Coredo shopping center.
Megaweb
This huge technology playground and amusement spot on Odaiba is
a Toyota showroom in disguise. For the kids there are several virtual thrill rides, including
racing simulators, a motion theater with seats that move to the action, and driverless
electric commuter cars (some rides have passenger height restrictions). The History
Garage displays models from around the world, mostly from the 1950s through the
1970s. But the complex's main raison d'être is its Toyota City Showcase, with 140-odd
Toyota models (many of which you can climb in), including hybrids and racing cars. The
Universal Design Showcase is fascinating for its cars designed for people with disabilities
(and including Japan's aging population), complete with ramps, seats that swing out for
easy access, and car seats that double as wheelchairs, as well as for its display of wheel-
chairs of the future and everyday products (such as easy-to-use scissors) geared toward
people with disabilities. Car buffs and families can probably kill an hour or two here, but
serious Toyota fans may want to skip this in favor of the adult-oriented Toyota Auto
Salon Amlux, described below. Beside Megaweb is a 113m-tall (371-ft.) Ferris wheel that
takes 16 minutes to make a complete turn and costs ¥900 to ride, as well as Leisureland,
a huge game arcade.
Note:
Megaweb may close in 2012; check the website or contact
Tokyo's tourist offices for an update.
Palette Town, 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, Odaiba.
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03/3599-0808.
www.megaweb.gr.jp. Free admission, but
some activities cost extra. Daily 11am-9pm for most attractions (7pm for the Universal section). Station:
Aomi, on the Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi (1 min.); or Tokyo Teleport, on the Rinkai Line (3 min.).
Miraikan—National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Nip-
pon Kagaku Miraikan)
Opened in 2001 on Odaiba, this fascinating
educational museum provides hands-on exploration of the latest developments in cut-
ting-edge science and technology, including interactions with robots, virtual-reality rides,
and displays that suggest future applications such as noninvasive medical procedures and
an environmentally friendly home. Everything from nanotechnology and genomes to
space exploration is explained in detail; English-language touch-screens, and a volunteer
staff eager to assist in demonstrations and answer questions catapult this to one of the
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