The museum is housed in a building originally designed as a different facility before being repurposed for this private collection.
The name 'Ayashii' translates roughly to 'suspicious' or 'weird,' reflecting the intentional atmosphere of the exhibits.
The collection relies heavily on psychological tension, utilizing dim lighting and cramped spaces to enhance the eerie presentation of dolls and relics.
Many of the exhibits are sourced from shuttered businesses or abandoned homes, preserving aspects of Japanese pop culture that are rarely seen in institutional museums.
The site is frequently categorized as a 'hikyō' or hidden, peculiar spot, a genre of Japanese tourism that embraces the intentionally strange.
The Weird Museum of Boys and Girls, locally known as Ayashii Shonen Shojo Hakubutsukan, is a privately owned collection of kitsch, retro, and horror-themed artifacts located in the Futo district of Itō. The museum houses a dense, chaotic assembly of vintage toys, occult objects, erotic art, and uncanny mannequins housed within an eclectic, multi-room structure. It operates as a cabinet of curiosities rather than a traditional museum, focusing on Japanese subculture from the Showa era. Visitors navigate narrow, cluttered corridors that intentionally blur the lines between nostalgia and psychological horror. The collection includes life-sized figures, historical propaganda posters, and miscellaneous pop culture ephemera gathered by the owner over several decades. It is widely recognized in Japan as a quintessential example of 'B-grade' tourist attractions characterized by an intentionally unsettling aesthetic.
The neon-lit exterior signage and the surreal mannequin displays near the entrance.
Bring a portable flashlight, as some sections of the museum are intentionally kept quite dark.
The flooring can be uneven and the exhibits are packed tightly, so move slowly to avoid bumping into the mannequins.
The museum is not air-conditioned in all sections, so dress according to the current weather in the Izu Peninsula.
Do not expect a polished, curated gallery experience; the charm lies specifically in its disorganized, 'trash-culture' aesthetic.
Open daily, but occasionally closes for maintenance; check their website before arrival as they do not always follow standard holiday calendars.
No flash photography is allowed in specific sensitive areas; keep voices low to maintain the intended eerie atmosphere.
