What relevance do toys have with a chocolate factory? Plenty as i recall loving milk chocolates as a kid and even though i find them a tad sweet nowadays; i have taken a gradual liking to bitter chocolates!
Anyway, this children's toy box held a lot of classic toys that came from the Japanese imperial periods of Meiji, Taisho and Showa; for those who are better acquainted with Gregorian calendar, i am referring to year 1868 to 1989.
Though i might not have lived THAT long, i can recognise some of the toys popular in my childhood; ultraman, astroboy etc. A few have regained popularity in recent years; like Pokemon!
No idea why this monster was placed here and i am unaware of what show it belonged to! Anyone can help to enlighten as i don't think it's part of the alien / predatory film series?
Box compartments filled with childhood memories; mickey mouse, snoopy, winnie the pooh, characters from sesame street, doraemon etc. I can even recognise some of the toys that i actually still have in my parents' place!
Strangely, i couldn't find my favourite manga character which, coincidentally, came from Japan! Maybe because it's not a good influence for kids. Want to guess which character? It's the dirty-minded five year old kid; crayon shin chan!
Shelves full of toys from over the years! It's a bit cluttered as i was rushing for time; i didn't have the luxury to scroll through every single item.
Unless it caught my attention; e.g. darth vader surrounded by force lightning although he can't use the dark side power as his arms were already severed by Count Dooku.
An antique organ?
More familiar with the jukebox; up to the early 1990s, i still remember listening to music played by the coin-operated device. However, the gaining traction for MP3 quickened the death of this nostalgic instrument.
Those interested in tin toys would be amazed by what they have in this toy box! Okay, maybe i exaggerated a little as this is the first time i am seeing so many on display!
Housed on a large table with a glass / plastic cover, i counted a lot more war machines like warships, fighter planes which i presume were popular during the war times.
I have seen them around even though i don't know if there's a name for such dolls. Omg, they belonged to a brand known as kewpie that 'debuted in 1908' according to Wikipedia and all the while, i thought kewpie is the brand of a personal-favourite salad dressing!
A luggage with maybe a dozen footballs! I am no football fan and wouldn't recognise the significance of the signed balls. It's the brand of the luggage that took my breath away; a Louis Vuitton!
Specially for football fans who might be interested to know more about the footballs.
Despite my lack of understanding for the game played on a soccer pitch chased by 11 players from two teams, i do know that Brazil footballers are known to be the best and the team has won the World Cup 5 times!
More toys from eons ago.
Peko Chan - apparently a very famous mascot from a confectionery company! In my google search for the character, i chanced upon a website which provided a rather unbelievably scary background. You can read more here.
Mock up of a Japanese home in the past - kind of reminded me of the visit i made to the interesting Ghost Museum in Penang!
Not sure if i should count a memorial of The Beatles as part of 'toys' even though music entertainment could also be considered as part of our childhood.
On the bottom of the cupboard was a section dedicated to Princess Diana; wife to Prince Charles, mother to Prince William and the recently hitched Prince Harry. In my childhood, the real-life example of a princess for many kids is Princess Diana and for that, it's definitely deserving to include her in the Old-Style Children's Toy Box at Shiroi Koibito Park.
=====
Location
Level 2, Tudor House, Shiroi Koibito Park,
Miyanosawa 2-jo 2-chome, Nishi-ku,
Sapporo 063-0052, Hokkaido, Japan
Nearest Subway Station
Miyanosawa Subway Station (Tozai Line)
Website
Pricing
Free Access!
For my 8 days, 7 nights Hokkaido itinerary in summer, click here.
