Housed in a building shaped like a huge ocean liner, this is one of Tokyo's most entertaining museums. It's dedicated to the sea and ships, and features exhibits, models, hands-on displays and theater presentations. Most fascinating are the hundreds of intricate models of everything from Edo-era benzai ships to today's most modern container ships and liners. Check out the models of the battleship Yamato and the ill-fated Mauritania.
Kids really enjoy the pond for radio-controlled boats.
An exhibit on shipbuilding features a full-size hull section that you walk through, and you can also see what the inside of a submarine is like. Dioramas portray the past, present, and future of Japanese shipping, and a 70-meter crow's nest serves as an observation deck. Nearby are moored the Soya Antarctica observation ship that you can explore, and the Yotei Maru, a ferry that once carried travelers between Honshu and Hokkaido before the tunnel was built. A four-engine seaplane dating from the Second World War and a swimming pool complex make this a complete family destination.