Karuizawa Picturebook Forest Museum

The Karuizawa Ehon-no Mori Bijutsukan, or Picture Book Forest Museum, is a small museum based on picture book art located in the forest of Karuizawa. Karuizawa became a popular destination among Westerners after A.C. Shaw, a famous missionary, built a villa there in 1886. The Karuizawa Picture Book Museum displays approximately 6,000 works of children's literature, fairy tales, Nursery Rhymes, and more. Most of the works collected are from Anglo-American and Western backgrounds, and there are many original draft sketches of picture books.

Travelers are likely to find first edition and sketches of well-known fairy tales and stories like Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Rabbit. The museum is split into seven sections, the Entrance, garden, First Exhibition Hall, Second Exhibition Hall, Picture Book Store, Picture Book Library, and The House in the Forest (Event space). Visitors can relax and read their books in the garden area while enjoying nature, or opt to take photos by the museum's garden. The Picture Book Museum is a relaxing place to visit for children and adults to enjoy or reminisce their childhood stories when in Karuizawa. Add this spot to your Japan tour itinerary's free day with Japan Deluxe Tours fully-guided line of select Cherry Blossom Japan Tours & Golden Route Japan vacation packages!