TRAVEL/HISTORY/CULTURE

The Yokohama Doll Museum’s Global Treasures

A fabulous collection of dolls from all over the world for all ages

B.R. Shenoy
The Heritage Pub
Published in
4 min readSep 29, 2024

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Yokohama Doll Museum
Credit: B.R. Shenoy‘s daughter

“Don’t go to a museum with a destination. Museums are wormholes to other worlds. They are ecstasy machines. Follow your eyes to wherever they lead you…and the world should begin to change for you.” — Jerry Saltz

Back in the early 2000s, when my family and I were living as American expats in Yokohama, Japan, one of our favorite spots to visit was the Yokohama Doll Museum. It still holds a special place in my heart.

It’s located near Yamashita Park and Chinatown, so it’s easy to swing by if you’re in the area.

The museum opened in 1986, thanks to a generous donation from Hideko Oono in 1978. Her collection formed the foundation for what’s now a showcase of over 1,300 dolls from 140 countries. The sheer variety is mind-blowing.

The museum itself has three floors packed with dolls from all corners of the globe, ranging from traditional Japanese dolls to those representing different cultures.

Some of the Japanese dolls were crafted by artists who’ve been designated as Living National Treasures, which speaks to how special they are. Every doll has its own story to tell and

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B.R. Shenoy
The Heritage Pub

Avid Globetrotter• Expat on 3 Continents •Editor: The Shortform, Dancing Elephants Press, Good Vibes Club, & The Heritage Pub•MS Toxicology•BS Biochemistry.