Mibu Town
(toy town)
Highlights of Mibu Town
Mibu Town (壬生町) is a small town also known as Omochanomachi (Toy Town). It developed as a small castle town in the 17th century as it was on an important route from Edo (now Tokyo). During the end of the Edo period (1603-1868) the townspeople eagerly studied western medicine and in the early 19th century western medicine was practiced by doctors on Rangakudori (Rangaku Street / 蘭学通り) in the old district. Mibu town went on to produce the first nurse in Japan and is currently home to Dokkyo Medical School, one of the largest medical facilities in the area.
After WW2, Mibu became the center of Toy manufacturing in Japan and in the 1960’s it produced 75% of all toys exported from Japan. In 1964, Omochanomachi Eki (Toy Town Station) opened and in 1977 part of Mibu town was named Omochanomachi (Toy Town) as an official address.
Present day Mibu has much less toy manufacturing than in the 60’s and 70’s, but is now home to two popular toy museums. The most famous is the Bandai Museum where Gundam fans come from around the world to see the head of Full-size Gundam. The other is Mibu Toy Museum which is a very popular place for families with young children to visit as it has an an indoor playground, rooms with train sets to play with and a large outdoor park.
Access
From Tokyo
- 1h 45 min from Tokyo by train (Tobu Line).
- 1h 45 min drive from Tokyo by car
From Airports
- 2H from Narita Itn. Airport (Car)
- 2H from Haneda Int. Airport (Car)
- 2h 40min from Haneda Int. Airport (Train)
- 1H 30min from Ibaraki Airport (Car)
From Main Stations
- Omochanomachi Sta. (Tobu Railway)
- Mibu Sta. (Tobu Railway)
Things to DO
Visit Bandai Museum
Bandai Museum is home to Gandam (a popular anime) and a massive collection of Japanese toys as well as one of the largest collection of Thomas Edison’s inventions in the world. (15 min walk from Omochanomachi station)
Visit Mibu Toy Museum
Mibu Toy Museum is located in Wampaku Koen (Wampaku Park), a large park made for families. The Mibu Toy Museum has a collection of toys, but also has a indoor play area for children and rooms where children can play with trains.
Eat like a KING !
Recently, an ancient scroll from 1805 was discovered in a neighborhood town which contained the recipe for the feudal lord family (Otonosama). This has been remade into a popular lunch set menu served at six restaurants in Mibu town. Why not give it a try!
Mibu Strawberry Farm
Popular with children, families, couples and fun girls day out.
Mashiko Travel Guide
We’ve created a special online guide about Mashiko to help overseas visitors explore Mashiko. Click the image to discover more!
Top events around MIBU town
Places to EAT
Japanese & Western Food
Mibu has many restaurants ranging from Japanese to western. For restaurants open late in the evening it is best to find one around Omochanomachi Station and Dokkyo Medical University.
The KING'S Breakfast (Lunch)
Otonosama Ryori (The King’s meal) is a luxurious lunch course / lunch box offered at six restaurants in Mibu. The recipe is based on a historical scroll recently discovered containing cooking instructions for the feudal lord family (Otonosama) between 1st-29th July 1805.
COENA Cafe
A small European style restaurant with delicious homemade food prepared with local ingredients hand-picked by our chef.
Places to STAY in Mibu town
Hotel
There is a large hotel located next to Dokkyo Medical School called Hospital Inn Dokkyo Medical University.
Holiday rental (Airbnb)
There are a few airbnbs in Mibu. See link below.
Find the full list of airbnbs in Mibu.
Hospital Inn Dokkyo Medical University
Type: 3 star Business Hotel
Location: 3 min drive from Omochanomachi Station.
Day trips from Mibu town
Each of these places are within a day trip away. Click on the image to find out more.
Useful links for Mibu town
Mashiko Travel Guide
We’ve created a special online guide about Mashiko to help overseas visitors explore Mashiko. Click the image to discover more!
Mashiko Photo Gallery
We’ve created a Mashiko Photo gallery to help overseas visitors and travel companies see what Mashiko has to offer. Click the image to discover more!
Mashiko in the Media
