Science museum · est. 1953 · Meguro Ward, Tokyo

Meguro Parasitological Museum

The Meguro Parasitological Museum is a small, free-admission science museum in Meguro Ward, central Tokyo, devoted entirely to parasitology. Founded in 1953 by Dr. Satoru Kamegai, it is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to parasites and holds a research library of 60,000 preserved specimens alongside 300 public exhibits, including a celebrated 8.8-metre tapeworm. The museum operates as a private institution funded by donations and attracts approximately 57,300 visitors each year.

At a glance

Type: Private science museum (parasitology)
Period: Founded 1953; current building opened 1993
Style: Natural history / medical science
Location: Meguro Ward, Tokyo, Japan (accessible via Meguro Station)
Coordinates: 35.6317° N, 139.7045° E

Overview

Housed in a compact two-storey building, the Meguro Parasitological Museum presents parasites not as objects of horror but as subjects of rigorous scientific inquiry. Its 300 public-facing specimens — drawn from a research collection ten times larger — span nematodes, trematodes, tapeworms, and the organisms that carry them. Admission is free; the museum is sustained by donations and a modest gift shop whose unusual merchandise (phone straps encasing actual parasites in acrylic) has made it a cult destination for curious travellers.

History

Dr. Satoru Kamegai established the museum in 1953 as a research and public education institution at a time when intestinal parasites remained a significant public health concern in postwar Japan. The collection was rebuilt and relocated to its present Meguro address in 1993. After Dr. Kamegai’s death in 2002, Professor Akihiko Uchida took over leadership and expanded both the research library and the public programming, maintaining the museum’s dual identity as a working scientific institution and an accessible public attraction.

What you see

The ground floor provides a broad survey of parasite diversity — jars of preserved specimens, illustrated life-cycle diagrams, and anatomical models tracing how parasites interact with host organisms. The second floor focuses specifically on human parasitic infections, including X-ray images and case studies that give a clinical dimension to the exhibits. The museum’s most famous object is a preserved specimen of Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiensis, a tapeworm measuring 8.8 metres in length, displayed in its entirety in a large case.

Cultural significance

The Meguro Parasitological Museum is unique globally as the only institution dedicated solely to parasitology as a public science attraction. Its longevity — over seven decades — and its insistence on rigorous documentation rather than sensationalism have earned it respect from the international scientific community while drawing a broad general audience curious about one of nature’s most complex ecological relationships.

Practical information

Admission is free. The museum is open most days; check the official website at kiseichu.org for current opening hours and any temporary closures. A gift shop on the second floor offers guidebooks, postcards, and signature parasite-in-acrylic merchandise.

Getting there

The museum is located in Meguro Ward and is most easily reached from Meguro Station, served by the JR Yamanote Line, the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, the Toei Mita Line, and the Tokyu Meguro Line. From the station, the museum is approximately a 10-minute walk; local buses also serve the area.

Sources & resources

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