Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

This museum seems an odd marriage: It's devoted to both textile machinery and automobile production and technology. That's because the Toyota Group, founded by Toyoda Sakichi, the inventor of automatic looms, has a long history of producing both. Housed at the site where the Toyota Group had its beginnings, in an attractive brick building dating from the Taisho Period (1912-25), the museum displays approximately 90 looms and textile machinery, from wooden hand looms to air-jet looms that utilize computer graphics. The automobile pavilion provides a historical chronology of automobile production, beginning with a replica of the first Toyota car (1935), early assembly lines using manpower, and automated assembly lines using industrial robots for everything from engine mounting to painting. There's also a display of both old and new Toyota cars and four films of how Toyota makes its cars, including design. Frequent demonstrations of looms (they're loud!), auto-making equipment (including robotics), a Swiss 1898 steam engine, and a trumpet-playing robot make this a fun destination for adults and kids alike. There's also a children's hands-on discovery room. Expect to spend 90 minutes here, longer if you opt for the ¥200 audio guide.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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