In the city of Inuyama in Aichi Prefecture near Nagoya, there is a gigantic park called Little World Museum of Man. In this park, you can experience the whole world without leaving Japan, all in one place.
We already have an article discussing some villages, theme parks, and resorts inspired by other countries and regions. This time we are talking about a single place that takes you on a journey through various countries of the world.
This time we will detail Little World or ritoruwaarudo [リトルワールド], which literally means small world. A museum/park full of replicas and constructions from various countries, mainly from Europe and Asia.
Table of Contents
The history of Little World
Little World was founded in 1970 as an anthropological museum and amusement park. Buildings representing a total of 22 countries were constructed, along with some buildings representing parts of Japan like Okinawa and Hokkaido.
In this open museum, people can visit these buildings filled with objects and representations of their countries, and even wear traditional costumes from France, Germany, Korea, Okinawa, and other countries.
The museum also hosts different exhibitions, events, concerts, and other projects representing various countries. It is also possible to try local cuisine from some countries or buy products that originated from that country.
The attractions of Little World
It covers more than 12 square kilometers of park with a walk of about 2.5 kilometers to explore the 33 buildings and 22 countries. Not to mention a gigantic exhibition/museum that is right at the beginning of Little World.
In addition to all the mentioned buildings and countries, you can also access this museum exhibition with over 6000 objects from more than 70 countries. Historical objects that tell the entire story of the human race.
The museum exhibition is divided into 5 themes: evolution, technology, language, society, and value. Near the entrance, you also have access to a gift shop and a restaurant called World Bazaar Café with food from all over the world.
As you walk through all the regions, you can try meals from Taiwan, Germany, Okinawa, Peru, Indonesia, Africa, Italy, France, India, Turkey, Thailand, and Korea. For example, you can eat alligator meat at the African restaurant or have cheese from France.
You will find themed shops with products from each country represented by buildings from Okinawa, Taiwan, Peru, Indonesia, Germany, Alsace, France, Italy, India, Nepal, Africa, Turkey, Korea, and Japan. You can find jewelry, offerings to gods, dolls, food, as well as thousands of wines and beers.
The place also has a bus that circulates everywhere, vending machines, and places to get stamps for your stamp collection notebook.
My experience at Little World
Without a doubt, Little World park is a testament to how brilliant the Japanese are, who once again managed to bring together fragments of various countries and their cultures in just one place. At Little World, you can appreciate architecture, clothing, music, typical dishes, and even the scents of each country.
I accessed Little World by bus from Nagoya station. There are various ways to get to the park, and the website offers some routes and prices for buses or other means of transportation.
I was invited by some friends to go to Little World at the last minute, and I ended up arriving early. Upon arrival, I paid about 1700 yen to enter the park. I walked alone through the museum exhibition while waiting for my friends to arrive.
It is incredible the amount of historical objects that represent the evolution of our society spread throughout the exhibition. One of the most interesting museums I have visited, and to think that it was just the beginning.
During this visit, I went to a place where I got wet simulating a rain shower. I wore a Panda head and a Chinese Girl outfit, visited a house full of dolls and toys. I bought products from Germany and ate alligator and snake meat.
It was one of the most fun places I have visited, and I can’t explain my entire experience with text, which is why the photos in this article are completely original and taken by me. I hope these photos show a bit of my experience at Little World.
Have you ever had the chance to visit this place? What did you think of Little World? Have you added it to your travel list? If you liked the article, don’t forget to share and leave your comments. How about reading about the small towns of Japan?
Leave a Reply