Small Worlds is Asia’s largest indoor miniature museum, located in Tokyo’s Ariake Ward(有明) Opened in 2020, the exhibition hall, which covers an area of ​​approximately 7,000 m2, features nine to ten themed exhibition areas that create an extremely detailed and interactive miniature world on a 1/80 scale.

3 minutes on foot from Yurikamome, Ariake Tennis Mori Station
9 minutes on foot from Rinkai Line, International Exhibition Center Station(Kokusai-tenjijō Station)

Address

Japan 〒135-0063 Tokyo, Koto City, Ariake, 1 Chome−3−33 有明物流センター

Contact
https://smallworlds.jp/

Business hours 9:00 -19:00

We took a bus to a nearby stop and after a short walk the enormous Small World building came into view. We crossed the crosswalk and went to the block where the building was.

The entrance to the Small World Tokyo Museum. A small entrance with a low ceiling compared to the size of the entire museum building. Painted in yellow and purple, the entrance evokes a childlike sense of curiosity and anticipation.

the Evangelion statue erected in front of the entrance. This is one of the photo spots in the museum.

Before entering the building, there are lockers next to the door where you can store your personal belongings.

I bought a ticket at the ticket office. Adult admission day 2700 yen
You can buy tickets in advance on the Small World website.

There is a tunnel that leads to the Small World exhibition hall. If you take a picture of the QR code at the entrance of the tunnel, you can check the entire map of the museum.

Once you pass through the tunnel, there is an elevator that will take you to the 3rd floor exhibition hall, where you can begin to tour the exhibition hall in earnest. (You can also use the stairs instead of the elevator.)

The 3rd floor is Gallery A, where the theme exhibition areas are gathered (the 2nd floor is Gallery B, where there is a museum cafe)

Space Center Area

This area depicts the Apollo program era in the 1960s and the space center of the future.

Here, you can closely observe the realistically recreated launch scene of the Saturn V rocket and space shuttle, and there are also delicate depictions of people preparing for space travel or watching the launch.

You can also see the launch pad departing from the space shuttle station at a set time, moving to a set location, and the spacecraft launching into the sky.

Rockets and satellites from various eras are on display, and you can also see a spaceport of the future.

You can see more information and images about the Space Center Area in the post below.

Experience the 1960s Apollo Era and the Future of Space Centers at Small Worlds in Tokyo

Global Village Area

This exhibition is a space that reinterprets cities in five Asian and European countries during the Industrial Revolution in the 1900s in a steampunk and fantasy style.

A beautiful country surrounded by snow-capped mountains

A city surrounded by white walls. Tourists resting on the beautiful town streets and the beautiful sea.

A virtual city 瑣石門(されきもん) 市街地(しがいち)
The city streets, where people’s daily lives and commerce take place, are expressed as a steampunk fantasy world.

You can see more information and images about the Global Village Area in the post below.

Small Worlds Global Village : Cities and towns depicted in fantastic steampunk and fantasy

Kansai International Airport Area

This is a miniature exhibition modeled after Kansai International Airport in Japan, a space that precisely recreates the excitement and liveliness unique to airports.

You can observe the takeoff and landing of various aircraft, and also see the ‘taxiing’ scene where they slowly approach the boarding gate.

You can also experience the romantic atmosphere of the airport at night through a production that changes from day to night every 10 minutes.

You can see more information and images about the Kansai International Airport Area in the post below.

Small Worlds Kansai International Airport : Experience the dynamic daily life of an airport

Pretty Guardian Salor Moon Area

This is a must-see for Sailor Moon fans — a special space where you can immerse yourself in the daily lives of the Sailor Warriors in a miniature Tokyo where reality and fantasy intersect.

This miniature city, modeled after Azabu-Juban, a neighborhood in Tokyo’s Minato Ward where the anime’s main characters live, is intricately depicted with alleyways leading to school, quiet residential areas, and charming little shops.

Taxis, buses, and busy cars running along the streets add to the liveliness of the scene, while hidden Sailor Warrior figures scattered throughout stimulate visitors’ curiosity

The night view of the city becomes even more enchanting with the day-and-night transitions that follow the passage of time. The futuristic world of Crystal Tokyo is beautifully brought to life with LED lighting, evoking the emotions of the original animation.

You can see more information and images about the Pretty Guardian Salor Moon Area in the post below.

Small Worlds Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: A Diorama Recreating an Iconic Anime City

Evangelion Hangar, Evangelion TOKYO-III

You can see the scene where three Evangelions, Unit-0, Unit-01, and Unit-02, which were in the hangar, are launched one after another.

TOKYO-III also includes sequences where the entire city changes from day to night depending on the time of day, with alarm lights turning on, defense devices activating, buildings sinking into the ground, and then rising again.

You can see more information and images about Evangelion Hangar, Evangelion TOKYO-III in the post below.

Inside the Evangelion-Themed Miniature City at Small Worlds Tokyo

Small Worlds Creative Studio

This is where you can see the miniature production process of the last Small Worlds exhibition hall, as well as the 3D printing, painting process, and modeling equipment used by professional staff.

There is also a workshop area where regular workshop programs with miniature artists can be held.

The Museum Café in Gallery B

on the second floor is a resting space where you can rest during or after viewing the exhibition, and is an experiential café that continues the atmosphere of the miniature world.

You can enjoy a variety of desserts and meals along with a large diorama that recreates the night view of Japan.

You can see more information and images about The Museum Café in Gallery B in the post below.

Small Worlds Museum Café in Gallery B: An Atmospheric Coffee Break with a Japanese Landscape Diorama

Museum Shop

After looking around all the exhibits, I returned to the first floor of the Museum. On the way to the exit, there is a Museum Shop, which sells goods that can only be purchased there.

I bought a book that compiled the exhibition contents into drawings and photographs.