No entrance fee. Experience Toyota’s innovation as you freely take a relaxing tour of the Toyota Kaikan Museum. Various exhibits are available to allow you to have fun while learning about Toyota’s global efforts in safety, environmental issues, and vehicle manufacturing. In addition to exhibits introducing measures Toyota is taking to reduce carbon dioxide and gas emissions, to promote recycling, and to advance safety, the Virtual Factory section simply explains through videos and models the processes used in the manufacturing plants including presses, welding, coating, and assembly. There are many other points of interest including computers that let you design your own cars and more.
The Toyota Kaikan Museum also hosts shows by robots that guide, the robots that became famous at the 2005 World Expo that play the trumpet, and other robots. The performance by the robots is quite impressive. Also having gained public recognition at the 2005 World Expo, the single passenger concept vehicle, “i-unit,” is on display and invites you to experience the near future.
- Address
- 1, Toyota-cho, Toyota City
- Telephone
- 0565-29-3345
- Hours
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Closed
- Sundays, Year-end/New Years holidays,
Golden Week (generally starts from the last week of April until first week of May), Summer Vacation - Parking
- 840 vehicles
- Homepage
- http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toyota/facility/toyota_kaikan/index.html
The Toyota Municipal Museum of Art is built on the site of the ancient castle from which one can take in a view of all of urban Toyota City. This is the location of the castle of the old Koromo domain called Shichishu Castle. The gallery itself has the sophisticated air of a masterpiece featuring outdoor art exhibition spaces. With white forming a bright underlying tone to the interior, the museum is a comfortable and refined environment where one can spend time relaxing.
The museum’s collection includes a broad range of Japanese and international pieces from the modern period to the present. One characteristic is the many art exhibitions hosted by the museum, avoiding getting caught up in the image of conventional art galleries. The exhibition rooms are designed to match the pieces of art to maximize their impact.
Adjacent to the museum is the Takahashi Setsuro Gallery, which introduces the works of the lacquerwork artist, TAKAHASHI Setsuro. Lacquer panels, folding screens, calligraphy, prints and more are on display. His lacquered instruments, including piano, harp, and clarinet, are also worthy of note.
- Address
- 8-5-1, Kozakahonmachi, Toyota City
- Telephone
- 0565-34-6610
- Hours
- 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (entrance permitted until 5:00 p.m.)
- Closed
- Mondays (excluding holidays)
- Parking
- available
- Homepage
- http://www.museum.toyota.aichi.jp/
Built beside Yahagi River near the city center, Toyota Stadium is a soccer stadium with a roof that can be opened and closed for comfortable viewing of matches. The facility is the second largest soccer stadium in Japan after Saitama, seating 43,000 people.
All seats are individual and backed, with wide aisles maintaining space to allow spectators to enjoy the game in comfort. To allow people in rear seats to watch unimpeded, the stands are built up to a maximum 38° angle. The gallery in the stadium exhibits materials related to the history of the Nagoya Grampus Eight, and records of the public matches hosted at the stadium.
The stadium also includes facilities for more than just watching sports, such as a sports plaza with an indoor pool, an open style café, and a restaurant with a great view. The stadium site also has a park with streams and tree-lined paths to enjoy.
- Address
- 7-2, Sengoku-cho, Toyota City
- Telephone
- 0565-87-5200
- Hours
- Sports Plaza : March to November, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Sundays to 7:00 pm) and
December to February, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Restaurant “Verde Rosso” : April 1 to December 27, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (last order 8:30 p.m.) and
January 5 to March 31, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. - Closed
- Sports Plaza : Year-end/New Years (December 28 – January 4)
Restaurant “Verde Rosso” : Tuesdays (opened for people using stadium during certain events) - Parking
- available
- Homepage
- http://www.toyota-stadium.co.jp/english/
The Toyota City Folk Craft Museum is found in one corner of Hiratobashi Park, where one can enjoy the four seasons; cherry blossoms in the spring, schools of fish hopping from Yahagi River in the summer, and the colored leaves of autumn.
Three museums, a Meiji-era western-style building, a climbing kiln, a Ryurei tea house, and other buildings covering the themes, clothing, food, and home are interspersed on the 1.3 hectare site. One can view exhibited pieces or spend some time taking a relaxing walk.
Folk crafts (mingei) were advocated by YANAGI Muneyoshi, who began the folk craft movement, shortening previous terms used from the end of the Taisho period and into the Showa period such as minshuteki kougei and minkan kougei. This sees true beauty in the miscellaneous articles of normal everyday life more than the crafts and works of art that had been seen to have high artistic value up to that point. The Toyota City Folk Craft Museum is one of 12 folk craft museums in Japan that exhibit collected materials related to folk crafts.
In contrast to the modern way of life and extravagant lifestyle led on by the tends in society, why not consider how we should live through the medium of folk craft?
- Address
- 86-100, Namiiwa, Hiratobashi-cho, Toyota City
- Telephone
- 0565-45-4039
- Hours
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Closed
- Mondays (open on holidays), Year-end/New Years
- Parking
- free, 100 vehicles
- Homepage
- http://www.mingeikan.toyota.aichi.jp/eng.html
