Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology Tours and Activities

Located in the industrial city of Nagoya, the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology introduces visitors to the history of Japanese manufacturing technology. Through its displays, the museum traces the history of the Toyota company, which started as a textile firm and evolved into an international automobile maker.

The Basics
You can explore the museum on a self-guided tour, join a tour led by a docent, or visit with a guide as part of a larger sightseeing tour of Nagoya. Housed in the original redbrick buildings of the Toyoda (the forerunner of Toyota) textile factory and research center, the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is divided into two separate buildings: the Textile Machinery Pavilion and the Automobile Pavilion. In the first, visitors learn about cotton spinning via displays of spinning frames and looms and by watching live demonstrations. In the second building, various automobile-production-line units are on display, including the latest Japanese robot technology for welding and painting. You can also admire classic Toyota models such as the Cedric, Celica, Corolla, Corona, and Model AA.

Things to Know Before You Go

• The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology is a must-visit for automobile enthusiasts.
• The museum is wheelchair-accessible, and people with disabilities and their carers receive free entry.
• You can download a free audio guide app onto your phone.
• There is free Wi-Fi throughout the museum.
• Seniors over the age of 65 receive free entry.
• There is a shop, self-service café, and restaurant all on-site.

How to Get There
The museum is a 20-minute walk from the JR Nagoya Station, which has connections to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed-train route and serves the Higashiyama and Sakuradōri lines on the Nagoya Subway. It is also a 3-minute walk from Sako Station on the Nagoya Railroad, and the museum offers free parking.

When to Get There
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from morning until late afternoon and closed on Monday (or Tuesday, if the Monday is a holiday) and for the New Year’s holidays. Free guided tours in English are offered once per afternoon in both the Textile Machinery Pavilion and Automobile Pavilion.

Robot Serenade
High-tech robots play music in the entryway to the museum throughout the day. It’s worth timing your arrival or departure to catch the human-like robot’s violin performance.