PLAY! is part of the new GREEN SPRINGS complex in Tachikawa. On the entrance floor is the “Pictures and Words” themed PLAY! MUSEUM. Here one can view two exhibitions, one permanent and one special. When we visited, the special exhibition was a new exhibition presented by the creative unit, “tupera tupera.”

Aiko Morita, a press officer for PLAY!, told us, “ We are set up to let both adults and kids not only look at exhibits, but also jump into the world of picture books.”

There are many faces displayed, including the defining work, Kao Noto (“Face Notebook”), and other original images, as well as the Kao 10 (“Ten face”), a lineup of two-meter-size faces.

The permanent exhibition venue, which has many windows and openings in the walls, was built so that the space itself resembles a picture book. In FY2020, the permanent exhibition, which introduces a famous picture book author throughout the year, is presenting Eric Carle: Book to Play, a joint exhibition with the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Massachusetts, USA.

PLAY! PARK is laid out on the floor above PLAY! MUSEUM. The Balloon Monster is a huge attraction that can be played with freely—it is made of 8,000 balloons and never breaks, even when adults sit on it.

PLAY! PARK also has a Studio where you can play the piano and other instruments, and a Theater that shows animated films made by students in the Graphic Design Department of Tama Art University. You can spend as much time as you like at the zones of your choice, according to your interests and age group.