Museum
Chibi Maruko-chan Land
A full-size recreation of the 1970s Shimizu of the series — the house, the classroom and the shopping street.
An indoor recreation of the world of the series inside the Dream Plaza complex on Shimizu port: Maruko's house, the classroom, and the shopping street of 1970s Shimizu, built at full size. The author drew her own childhood in this town, so the reconstruction is of a real place at a real time.
Why it is worth it
Chibi Maruko-chan is enormous across East and Southeast Asia and almost unknown to Western fans, so this is a major site that Western visitors rarely reach.
When to go
Busy at weekends and in school holidays.
Good to know
Open every day of the year, which is rare. Shimizu is 15 minutes from Shizuoka station, and on a clear day the view of Mount Fuji from the port is worth the trip on its own.
Chibi Maruko-chan
The 1970s Shimizu of the series, recreated at full size.