Posted October 5, 2014 by Jonelle Patrick4 Comments Awesome Stuff To Do

An Afternoon At The Poo Museum

Poo rules at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation! Their current special exhibit tells you everything you always wanted to know about that most human and unmentionable of subjects, and it’s helpfully narrated by a series of talking toilets. You can even don a poo hat and flush yourself down the giant toilet slide to follow the journey of those infamous brown trout as they wend their way through the Tokyo sewer system!

Who can resist singing along with a chorus of educational toilets?

Birds do it, bees do it, and so do (left to right) pandas, sumatran tigers and giraffes. (Am I the only one who was surprised that giraffe poo is so small?) — Birds do it, bees do it, and so do (left to right) pandas, sumatran tigers and giraffes. (Am I the only one who is surprised that giraffe turds are so small?)

Super Pooman not only demonstrates the pinnacle of poo pulchiritude by being banana-like in color and shape, he imparts essential information about color, size and shape so you can analyze your own. — Super Pooman not only demonstrates the pinnacle of poo pulchiritude by being banana-like in color and shape, he imparts essential information about color, size and shape so you can secretly analyze your own.

You KNOW you've always wanted to ask these questions! — You KNOW you’ve always wanted to ask these questions!

And just in case you're an experiential learner, check out these handy models. — For the experiential learner, these handy models.

Toilets of note: would you prefer the crystal rhinestone model (it has 72,000, in case you were wondering), the space station toilet (for all your anti-gravity needs), or that golden throne that graced the Japan Industry Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai? — Toilet Hall Of Fame: would you prefer the golden throne that graced the Japan Industry Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai? Or how about the space station toilet (for all your anti-gravity needs)? Or perhaps the rhinestone commode is more your style (it’s encrusted with 72,000 of those blingy babes.)

And finally, don your trusty poo hat and take the plunge! — And finally, strap on your trusty poo hat and take the plunge!

Sadly, this is not a permanent exhibit at the Miraikan – it only runs until October 5th, 2014.

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Since the poo exhibit is over, try a novel set in Tokyo instead

“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.” –Raven Crime Reads

For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? *Read more*

Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!

4 thoughts on “An Afternoon At The Poo Museum” ›

You’d think this exhibit would be really crappy, but it deserves to be throned.

Poop.

Jonelle Patrick says:

October 7, 2014 at 7:44 am

Ahahahaha those were ripe for the picking.

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I just…well…words escape me.

One of my clients tried to sell some pre-school poo-related educational materials in the States. I told them it wouldn’t fly but they didn’t believe me. Sorry, guys. I know it’s a natural function, but it is simply taboo in the States.

Jonelle Patrick says:

October 7, 2014 at 7:47 am

I know, right? I was surprised when I first came here at how many “bodily function” things were treated and discussed without any embarrassment – everything from farting in TV commercials to helping obviously drunk people on the subway. There’s a completely different set of “unmentionables” in Japan!

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