The Yanbaru Forest Toy Museum

Our group went to the museum called “The Yanbaru Forest Toy Museum” in Kunigami. There are many toys made of Okinawa’s wood in the museum. Everyone from kids to adults can enjoy  this place. In fact, we also played with wood toys with the children there. It is a place where Okinawa craftworkers use Okinawa’s wood to make toys and it is packed with plenty of local attractions. It took about 50 minutes from Meio University to the museum by car.

In the art museum you can freely play with toys made from Yanbaru's trees in the museum, which just opened in 2013. Even a small child can feel the warmth of the tree in peace. There are a lot of toys using the wood of Okinawa. One is an egg made of the trees and is the same size as the egg of the famous Okinawa rail. There is an egg pool which was filled with these wooden eggs. When all the children looked at the pool, they would run to the egg pool right away. It's wood so it looks painful, but it's soft and smooth. We were was surprised at the egg of the Okinawa rail being unexpectedly big when we looked at an egg.

Also there are wooden blocks which are held on the wall by magnets, and when we moved them, we could express various shapes. We thought it was fun for a child who likes assembling blocks and making pictures. In addition, trees of various kinds, with different grains of woods, sizes, and colors, can be used for the blocks. Linus lachuensis and china berry are used, so it becomes a way to study.
Recently in stores, there are noticeably few toys made of woody. We thought about whether we might have an opportunity to come in contact with wooden toys more heartily. We thought about how to play and whether a child is full of ideas because the wooden toys are very simple. We thought whether it was childlike, how to play with toys like these, and how children pay with toys in ways that adults have not thought of.  There seemed to be such things here, we thought.

There are many facilities around the museum. In the open space you can do recreation, at the campground you can rest in the shade of trees, and at the log cabins you can stay at observation platforms. You can play sports to the best of your ability with your friends because there is a shower room. Moreover, Lake Hentona is here. It's being maintained now, but it's a very popular spot in Kunigami forest park. It's recommended for a family and closing party, or a drinking party!! Moreover it's a great place to go on a picnic!!

Museum Info:

Open: 10:00am~16:00pm

Closed: every Tuesday

Gate money: Child 200 yen (three years old to elementary schoolchild)

Adult 400 yen (more than junior high school student)