A small yet beautifully presented museum located in the city of Noshiro. If you happened to be in Akita and are a fan of “Slam Dunk”, it’s definitely worth a visit.
A museum that both Slam Dunk fans and basketball enthusiasts can enjoy!
This is a museum in Noshiro, the sacred ground of basketball.
We visited for the first time as a family, hoping to inspire our child who has just started playing basketball, and also because I myself have a strong attachment to Noshiro as it was the model for Sannoh Kogyo in "Slam Dunk," and I wanted to experience the atmosphere of Noshiro.
[Access and Parking]
There is no dedicated parking lot, so we used the parking lot in front of the nearby city hall.
It's about a 3-minute walk from there.
The manhole covers on the sidewalk along the way are designed with basketballs, which delighted our child even before we arrived.
[Exhibits and Experiences Inside the Museum]
Upon entering the museum, we were given a short questionnaire about our place of residence at the reception, and we were happy to receive a Noshiro basketball sticker as a thank you gift.
The space itself isn't very large, but the content is very condensed.
Noshiro Technical High School (now Noshiro Science and Technology High School) basketball team,
Dedicated booth for player Yuta Tabuse
Exhibits related to Slam Dunk, NBA, Japan national team,
Akita Northern Happinets materials, etc.
Photography is allowed inside the building,
with photo cutouts, and opportunities to take commemorative photos wearing Noshiro Technical High School uniforms, making it full of fun elements.
It seemed to be a good stimulus for children as well.
[Souvenirs and Overall Impression]
At the goods corner, we purchased Akita cedar pin badges, can badges, and collaboration dolls from the anime "Space Something Kotetsu-kun."
While it's a fantastic space for basketball fans,
to be honest, I felt a slight lack of excitement in the shops around the facility and the town as a whole, considering the "basketball town" label.
With specialty shops opening around the museum, and with more community-wide efforts to attract repeat visitors, I hope it will become an even more wonderful place as a sacred site!
Since Noshiro is known for basketball, I went to the basketball museum. Amazingly, admission is free! That's fantastic!
The museum displays photos, memorabilia, and books related to Noshiro's basketball history, the B.League, and the NBA. You can sit and read the books freely. There are also Slam Dunk-related goods on display. They have a strong focus on Sannoh High School, the model for the manga.
The staff are also very friendly. Everyone, be sure to buy lots of souvenirs when you visit!
It's located in the city center. Registration is required. You'll be asked where you're from.
The reception staff are quite talkative, so it might not be suitable for those who are uncomfortable with that.
There's no dedicated parking, so we recommend using the nearby government office parking lot.
It felt more like a shop than a museum.
There are autographs from various basketball players, rows of basketball magazines, and basketball games are being shown.
There were some Slam Dunk magazines and merchandise, but it didn't really have a strong Slam Dunk feel.
