Now one of the best parts about YPT, in my opinion anyway, is that we don’t mind going off on a tangent, or changing the itinerary if something cool comes along. And that is how we discovered not just the Nostalgic Toys Museum, BUT also a Samurai Darth Vader!!
And overall this was a cool little detour for us as we visited not just Mount Fuji, but also the infamous “Suicide Forest”. But, y’all wanna know about Samurai Darth Vader right? All in due course.
What is the Nostalgic Toys Museum?
Also known as Lake Kawaguchi Kitahara Museum “Happy Days” it is a museum that showcases a rich collection of vintage toys, predominantly tin toys, pedal cars, star records, posters, dolls, miniature cars and corporate character memorabilia from the 1950s to the 1970s. This is as opposed to toys that are themselves feeling nostalgic ala a Toy Story type deal.
And while it is not exactly massive there is some really cool shit here, such as foxy Barbies and perhaps my personal favorite an old Nintendo that you could play on. Well actually that was not my favorite, of course my favorite was Samurai Darth Vader.
Samurai Darth Vader
Samurai Darth Vader is what happens when Japan looks at Star Wars and goes “Yeah cool but what if we made him a feudal warlord”. And that is exactly what they did. This though was not some kind of fan art, but an official licensed crossover made by Tamashii Nations Meisho Movie Realization line.
And what does he look like? Think full black armor with layered plating, crested helmet, and a kabuto-style face mask that already looks kind of Vader to begin with. His chestplate is stylized like Japanese lacquer armor, he’s got shoulder guards like a warlord, and the helmet comes with exaggerated devil horns or a crest depending on the model. The lightsaber? Reimagined as a katana with a glowing red blade. I mean does it get much cooler than that? Hypothetical question, because it really doesn’t.
In this line he is called “Darth Vader Samurai Taisho”, which basically means Darth Vader the Shogun General. Luke becomes Yumi Ashigaru who is dressed in white with a topknot and traditional robes, holding a lightsaber katana.
The coolest though? That would be Ronin Boba Fett who has full samurai bounty hunter with shoulder cloak, katana, and blaster-turned-old-school cool shit. Apparently there is a Kylo Ren, but no one cares…..
I therefore declare this to be even cooler than the Old West Star Wars figures! And better than Soviet Batman, or Superman.
And there’s a gift shop too!
Alas I did not see Darth Vader the Shogun General, or I would have dropped more cash. I did though find some slightly offensive toys that my Japanese staff said “were not made anymore”. I purchased said toy because who knows it might be worth some money one day. I hope my bags don’t get checked though, because this alongside the Swastika I got in Sikkim and the Imperial Japanese fridge magnet might make me look like a bit of a Nazi.
Alas though I am not, even after visiting the dodgy alternate history museum. There were also slightly less offensive gifts, with me picking up Moomin keyring.
Overall a great stop and something that will be integrated into the YPT Extremes of Japan Tour.
Where is the Nostalgic Toy Museum
Lake Kawaguchi Kitahara Museum “Happy Days”
1204-2 Kodachi, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0302, Japan
Phone: +81 555-83-3321
Website: http://www.kitahara-museum.jp
Open daily 9:30am – 5:30pm (closed Wednesdays)
Easily reachable via bus from Kawaguchiko Station
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