The Unko Museum Is Coming to Hiroshima!

If you are looking for somewhere to take that special someone or want to give the kids a treat this summer, your prayers have been answered. Yes, the Japan’s poop-themed Unko Museum is coming to Hiroshima.

Unko is the Japanese word for poop, and, as you may know, poop is a thing here in Japan. A big thing.

Usually stylized as a cute, perfectly-formed portion of colorful soft serve, you find unko everywhere. From books about poop and poop-themed toys to poop-shaped hats (yes, we love sh*theads here), Japan’s fascination with unko is longstanding and far predates the rise of worldwide poop unkonsciousness, spearheaded by the poop emoji.

It is hardly surprising then, that Japan has an Unko Museum that dedicated to all things poop-related. And, this being Japan, it’s even less surprising that it makes poop cute enough to make you want to hold it tight and give it a cuddle.

The Unko Museum started as a temporary exhibition held in Yokohama back in spring 2019 that proved so popular, it was given a permanent home in Odaiba in Tokyo.

Now, like a kind of fecal Team Lab, it is on tour, taking poop to the regions (and even as far as to Shanghai). This summer it will set up its stall at bayside outlet mall Marina Hop in the south of Hiroshima City.

hiroshima unko poop museum neon display

All comers are asked to come enjoy a slew of Untertainment (we can’t help thinking they missed a trick by not going with Unko-tainment, but anyway…) and photograph, play with and, yes, TOUCH UNKO from July 17 through to September 12.

So, what can we look forward to at the Hiroshima Poop Museum?

Unstagenic Zone

Princess of poop zone at hiroshima unko museum
A photogenic space where, “you can take pictures of various poops like the surreal flying poop and colorful shiny poop.” There are also some suspicious-looking cupcakes in the “Princess of Poop” area.

Unteractive Zone

shout unko as loud as you can at hiroshima poop museum
“Games using your body such as stepping on poop” (projected onto the floor) and screaming “UNKO!!” as loud as you can.

Untelligence Zone

learn about poop at the hiroshima unko museum
Families that like to include an educational spect to holiday activities, will be relieved to hear that “this academic area will surely satisfy your intellectual curiosity”. And how can it not, with poop drawn by celebrities and a chance to draw your own poop!

Unko Museum Poop Factory

souvenirs at hiroshima unko museum poop factory
Crappy souvenirs, unavailable anywhere else will also of course be available for purchase.

Say hello to Unberto guardian angel of the Unkoin Museum

unberto the guardian angel of hiroshima unko poop museum
Any enterprise of this standing, of course, requires a mascot. The face of the Unko Museum is Unberto, a black and white poop-shaped guardian angel who is definitely at the kimo-kawaii (grossly-cute) end of the spectrum of cuteness.

UNKO MUSEUM HIROSHIMA

Marina Hop Mermaid Space
July 17-September 12
11:00-19:00 (final admission 18:30)

Admission
Adults: ¥1400 (adv), ¥1500 (door)
Kids (elementary school age): ¥900 (adv), ¥1000 (door)

Advance tickets can be purchased online here.

https://unkomuseum.com/
Unko Museum Instagram

Paul Walsh

Paul arrived in Hiroshima "for a few months" back in 1996. He is the co-founder of GetHiroshima.com and loves running in the mountains.