Tokyo: Birthplace of Manga & Anime Guided Museum Walk

Tokyo, Japan
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Duration3h 30m
Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away
TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted
LanguagesEnglish
Group sizeUp to 4 travelers

Overview

Where Manga & Anime Were Born — A Tour Only Locals Know

Most anime tours take you to Akihabara. This tour goes deeper, to the streets where the legends lived and created the stories that shaped global pop culture.

In the 1950s, a small apartment in Toshima called Tokiwa-so became the birthplace of manga. Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), Fujiko Fujio (Doraemon) and Shotaro Ishinomori (Kamen Rider) lived here. See re-created rooms with desks piled with ink pots, left as after all-night drawing sessions.

Walk streets that still feel like 1950s Japan, browse vintage manga at second-hand bookshops, and pass Matsuba, a ramen shop Tezuka once frequented — eat there if you like (optional, pay on-site).

(Extended option only) Continue to Oizumi Gakuen, home to the Toei Animation Museum where Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and One Piece were born.

Your guide Hide is a lifelong manga and anime enthusiast — a small-group, personal walk through living history

Options

Extended

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
Tokiwaso Manga Museum + Matsub

Standard

Duration: 2 hours
Tokiwaso Manga Museum + Matsub

What's included

  • Admission ticket to Tokiwaso Manga Museum
  • Lunch at Matsuba ramen shop (pay on site)

What to expect

  1. Toshima City Tokiwaso Manga Museum
    40m · Admission ticket included
    Guided tour of the faithfully reconstructed Tokiwa-so apartment where Osamu Tezuka, Fujiko Fujio and Shotaro Ishinomori once lived and created their manga. See re-created rooms, drawing desks piled with ink pots, and unfinished pages left exactly as they were, plus a photo stop.
  2. Toei Animation Museum
    40m · Admission ticket included
    (Extended option only) Explore behind-the-scenes exhibits on how Japanese animation is made, from storyboards and hand-drawn keyframes to voice acting booths and editing suites. Try a simple drawing activity, take photos with popular anime characters, and browse the museum shop for exclusive items available nowhere else.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet your guide at the ticket gate of Shiinamachi Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Toei Oedo Line).

End point

This tour ends at the Toei Animation Museum, a short walk from Oizumi-gakuen Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line). From there, guests can easily continue their day — direct trains run back to central Tokyo (Ikebukuro, about 20 minutes).

Additional information

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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8,000.00 JPY per person
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  • You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.
Operated by Hidden Tokyo Experiences · Booked through Viator
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