Little Prince Museum
The Little Prince Museum was built in honor of the world-famous fairy tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which is familiar to most people from childhood. The work teaches kindness, love and friendship. The popularity of the tale is evidenced by the fact that almost 150 million copies have been sold. On the territory of the museum, the streets of Lyon are recreated, one of which the writer lived on. There are shops, workshops and bakeries here. The aroma of fresh baked goods spreads far and wide. Even the signs on establishments are written in French.
Brief description
70 kilometers from Tokyo in the resort town of Hakone, famous for its thermal springs, there is a piece of French Provence. Here, on an area of 10 thousand square meters, the Little Prince Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the famous writer, opened right in the open air. The museum received its first visitors in 1999.
The chapel and gates of the Little Prince Museum are reminiscent of the surrounding area and the castle in Saint-Maurice-de-Remans - the place where little Antoine often visited his great-aunt as a child. At the entrance to the institution there is a fountain with the figure of the Little Prince standing on a fantastic planet. On the ground floor, visitors are presented with personal belongings, letters, manuscripts, photos and documents from the writer’s archive. On the second floor there is a collection of editions of The Little Prince, published in different countries. In a small cinema on a ten-meter screen, guests can watch a video about the Little Prince. Unfortunately, it is shown without translation, only in Japanese. On holidays, on the stage of the theater, stylized as the desert of the planet where the Little Prince visited, theatrical performances are held dedicated to the writer’s work and based on the plots of the story.
Features of the Little Prince Museum
At the Little Prince Museum there is a souvenir shop where you can purchase memorabilia related to the theme of the museum. There is a magnificent park around the building, created by Japanese landscape design masters. After the tour, guests can try French cuisine in a cozy restaurant located on the territory of the museum.
The founder of the Little Prince Museum is T. Akiko, a fan of Saint-Exupery's work. The museum opened in honor of the 100th anniversary of the great writer on his birthday, June 29. The creation of the facility was actively assisted by the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television corporation. Fans of the famous writer's work have an excellent opportunity to get to know the author better when visiting the museum.
