Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
23 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
23 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
23 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
23 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Gamagori Takeshima Fantasy Museum

Takeshima Fantasy Museum

Shells collected from over a hundred different countries line the walls, floors and ceilings of this fantasy museum.

Gamagori, Japan

Added By
Emerson Easley
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Takeshima Fantasy House   Emerson Easley
Takeshima Fantasy House   Emerson Easley
Shell bouquet   Emerson Easley
Yet another dragon   Emerson Easley
Dragon   Emerson Easley
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Takeshima Fantasy Museum in Gamagori, Japan looks relatively unassuming from outside, but once you enter, you are immersed in a surreal magical world of ceiling to floor shell decorations, LED lights, mirrors, and fantastical music.

The museum is geared toward children, so you'll come across cute characters — Misell and Gamago — who appear on screens in each room to act out each part of your shared underwater saga. Walk through tunnels of thousands of shells to encounter princesses and shell-dragons in shell-castles. If your Japanese is decent, you can collect information en route to fill out a worksheet and win a small prize. 

At the end of the fantasy tour, there is a small museum with shells arranged in glass cases (as at a more typical natural history museum). There is also a gift shop where you can buy kitschy yet sweet shell-bouquets like those seen throughout the fantasy house. 

Related Tags

Shells Museums

Know Before You Go

Entry fee is 1000 yen for adults

The Takeshima Fantasy House is about a ten minute walk from Gamagori Station

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Emerson Easley

Published

July 6, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Takeshima Fantasy Museum
28-14 Takeshimacho
Gamagori
Japan
34.814993, 137.239021
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mount Ishimaki

Toyohashi, Japan

miles away

Okehazama Battlefield

Nagoya, Japan

miles away

Tokoname Pottery Footpath

Tokoname, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Mount Ishimaki

Toyohashi, Japan

miles away

Okehazama Battlefield

Nagoya, Japan

miles away

Tokoname Pottery Footpath

Tokoname, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Related Places

  • Kasori Shell Mounds

    Chiba, Japan

    Kasori Shell Mounds

    This prehistoric site is home to the largest shell midden cluster in Japan.

  • The remains of a Jomon dog, c. 3000-4000 YBP.

    Funabashi, Japan

    Tobinodai Shell Midden

    The remains of a prehistoric settlement with a museum showcasing fascinating archaeological finds next to modern artworks.

  • Shell Museum

    Boothbay, Maine

    Kenneth E. Stoddard Shell Museum

    A son's promise to his dying father in the form of a covered bridge filled with thousands of seashells.

  • Bones on display in the museum.

    Rīga, Latvia

    RSU Anatomy Museum

    See an anatomy teaching collection assembled in the 1920s and 1930s.

  • The Phono Museum features decades of different sound technology.

    Paris, France

    Phono Museum Paris

    A treasure trove of audio technology, from wax cylinders to juke boxes and record players.

  • New Bedford, Massachusetts

    The Lagoda

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts displays what it calls the world's largest ship model.

  • Fez, Morocco

    Nejjarine Museum of Wooden Arts & Crafts

    A caravanserai turned into a museum showcasing the mastery of local carpenters.

  • Hokuto, Japan

    Nakamura Keith Haring Collection

    The only museum dedicated to the American street artist is in rural Japan.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.