Unleash your inner child at the Poop Museum Tokyo

From the outside, the Unko Museum Tokyo looks like a colourful knick-knack shop you’d see along Harajuku’s Takeshita-dori. Inside, though, you quickly realise everything is poop-themed, from the candy to the T-shirts to the actual toilet paper. Hold your disgust – we’re talking about the cutesy ice-cream swirl emoji style poop, not the real deal. A nearby sign explains that “unko,” meaning “poop” in Japanese, is an important part of Japanese “kawaii” culture and that the goal of this museum is to convey its cuteness. Intrigued, we bought tickets and lined up.

Entering the Poop Museum 

Admission to the museum is done in groups. While we waited for numbers to accumulate, we chatted, periodically interrupted by children’s screams of “UNKO!!!” from beyond the partition. Just what on earth was going on back there? Families joined the waiting area one by one with their prams and children in tow, leading us to wonder if we might be a little too old for this place.  

A staff member arrived and ran through the rules on multilingual signs before letting us into the first room. We all gathered around to watch a short video of colourful animated poops flying around to energetic music. This poopaganda film was backed up with some call and response screaming of “UNKO!!!” to get us pumped up. The mystery of the screaming was solved… or so we thought. 

Pooping in progress 

The next area houses a row of colourful toilets and the staff will encourage people from the group to sit down and pretend to…you know. I will say that sitting on a plastic toilet alongside nine little kids, theatrically grunting on command, really wakes up one’s inner child. Once you stand up, a colourful plastic poop is waiting for you in the bowl, a token of your efforts and yours to carry around, pose with, and even take home if you want to. After this, you’re free to explore the rest of the museum. 

Exploring the Unko Museum

The first area to explore is named the “unstagenic” area which features all kinds of photo spots, like an afternoon tea setup and a convenience store. 

There is a flashy neon display and a ball pit for kids featuring a giant poop that periodically erupts with tiny foam poops. 

Looking around, we see that we’re not the only unaccompanied adults enjoying this place – there are a few cute dates in progress, too. While you can take photos amongst yourselves, staff are also on hand to help you to pose the house down. And they know all the best angles.  

Area Number 2

The next space is called the “unteractive” area which is all about interactive games. Think poopy projections, skill testers, and a “crappy” games arcade. 

There is even an interactive screaming game where the louder you scream “UNKO!”, the bigger the poop that materialises on the screen. It’s chaotic and hilarious and very popular with the kids. It also finally explained all the high pitched shrieking we had been hearing.

Once you’ve had your fill, exit through the giant toilet seat and you’ll wash up in the gift shop where you can shop for a “crappy” gift for yourself or someone you love. 

While the Unko Museum is really more of a playground or photography space, it’s still a fun spot to visit and indulge your inner child.

How to get to the Unko Museum

The Unko Museum is located in the DiverCity building, roughly an eight-minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station on the Rinkai Line, or a nine-minute walk from Daiba Station on the Yurikamome Line. If you or your kids are craving more poop experiences, check out the nearby Tokyo Sewerage Museum “Rainbow” where you can see what happens after you flush! 

Name: Unko Museum Tokyo 
Address: Level 2 of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza building, 1 Chome−1−10 Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0064 
Open: 11:00am – 8:00pm weekdays, 10:00am – 9:00pm weekends. 
Admission: Fluctuates depending on date. ¥1,900 – ¥2,600 for adults, ¥900 – ¥1,000 for children.  
Website: here

Post by Japan Journeys.