This is a fun science museum featuring the products and history of Yanmar, one of Japan’s leading makers of agricultural and construction machinery. They also pioneered small diesel engines in Japan, based on early and much larger German technology.

The museum opened in 2012 commemorating the company’s 100th anniversary. The company is headquartered in Osaka, but Nagahama is the hometown of the founder, Magokichi Yamaoka, hence the muesem location.

In addition to some kid-friendly attractions, like the mini-excavator they can shovel plastic balls with, there is also a roof terrace “biotope” with wild grasses, a pond, and a public footbath that’s heated by waste heat from their generators.

Accessible via 10 min. walk from JR Nagahama Station. There’s also a shuttle bus from the station that runs on the weekends.

Adults: ¥600, Students: ¥300, preschool: free.