Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory — Attraction in Hokuei

We booked an overnight stay in Tottori just to check out Conan Town and this museum. We knew the commute would be long but if you plan to come here, be sure to plan accordingly. The train times from Tottori to Yura Station are pretty far apart. Try to catch the Super Hakuto because it is the most direct ride. Otherwise, you will have transfers and waits between transfers, and the stations in between are small with no food options. From Yura back to Tottori, you have to buy the tickets with cash.

While I didn’t enjoy the Tottori Station area as much because of the limited English on the bus stops, many closed shops on the weekdays, I really liked the area where this museum is. It has a very different / rural feel compared to other areas. You can rent a bike and enjoy the views. Of course, it makes more sense when you’re a Conan fan.

We walked through the museum quickly as we had a train to catch but we enjoyed the interactive exhibits. You can take Conan themed sticker pictures in the gift shop next door, which was our favorite souvenir.

On the way back, we stopped by the Conan House shopping center for a Conan burger lunch, which was pretty good. If you plan it right, Conan town can be a nice stop...

I am not a big fan of Conan (I watch the animes a lot though!), yet the great story of the writer Gosho Aoyama brought me here. And I simply love this place since I first saw the well-designed Yura a.k.a. Conan station!

One would suddenly feel very young again!

This manga factory is located just 20 minutes walk from the station. You would love to walk since there are many spots to take pictures with, which you surey will miss if you drive a car or go by taxi!

There was a quiz session conducted at the factory and I had won myself a GAMF card, which was nice!

And you should check out their souvenir stores, I am amazed they have wooden postcards I just couldn't resist buying! And yes, they...

The main purpose of my family of five's visit Japan in December, 2014 was to visit this museum and to buy merchandise of my children's hero to their hearts' content. We also took the opportunity to visit the quiet vicinity, where you could find traces of the creative comic author's presence. It was a dream come true to my family and I was inspired to liberate more of my creative capacity to achieve more, not in the comics field though!

Postscript

On Oct 4, 2024, my wife and I chose to visit the factory again. It was very much the same as we visited 10 years ago. But this time, we played the skating board...