Otaru Music Box Museum: Yume no Oto Character House

My final last post on the Otaru Music Box Museum Yume no Ota (Character House) which is actually located across from the main building hall on the left side. This shop specialize in selling music boxes from popular anime characters in Japan. 

Cute Totoro and Mickey and Minnie mouse display outside of the shop.

The first floor of the shop has a small collection of different character music boxes such as Micky Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Snoopy, Doraemon and other characters that I don't remember anymore as I didn't take pictures of them. Instead I mostly took pictures of my favourite and beloved Doraemon music boxes, lol. 

The entire 2nd floor is dedicated to the most popular Ghibli animaton character of My Neighbour Totoro. 

Otaru Music Box Museum: Antique Museum

Continuing from my last post, this post will be about the 2nd music box museum hall in Otaru city which is known as the antique museum. Just like the name, the music boxes sold at this museum hall is more of the antique and elegant style and is also in higher quality.

These Japanese rabbits are my favourite. They're so pretty and elegant with the rabbits wearing the traditional Japanese kimonos. 

I also really like these beautiful antique style music boxes that you can also use as a jewelry box. They'd actually make a great souvenir gift! 

Otaru Music Box Museum - Main Building

When I was young, I recall watching Japan travel shows on TV and have always dreamed of going to Hakkaido one day because of how beautiful it is and especially during the winter season with all the snow scenery. I imagined that it would be so romantic and beautiful just like in the Asian dramas that I watch.

Although I actually didn't go to Hokkaido in the winter season and went during spring instead. I took a one day trip to Otaru city which is not far away from Sapporo to visit the music box museums there and I am sooooo in love with the place. 

There are actually 6 different music box museums that you can visit on the Sakaimachi street in Otaru and they are conveniently located close by in the same area so you can visit all of them in one day. This is the main building of the Otaru Music Box Museum.

There is an antique Steam Clock Tower located right outside of the main building and it is made by a Canadian clock maker Raymond Sounders in the same fashion as the clock built in 1977 in Vancouver's Gas Town. It is a gift from Vancouver to Otaru and is a well-known symbol of the city. The clock chimes on the hour and steams come out from the top of the tower and the steam chimes also play a five-tone melody every 15 minutes. 

The interior design of the main building is made out of wood including the floors giving it this very antique atmosphere with a big selection of music boxes to choose from, including glass music boxes that are unique to Otaru. 

There are many tables with music boxes of different themes and styles. My favourite one is the most popular one with the iconic metal flying airplane that spins and the big ferris wheel.