Snoopy Snoopy Doo, Where Are You?

Since we officially have internet, I can tell you where everyone’s favorite beagle can be found. Snoopy’s in Tokyo-Roppongi to be precise-and he and the entire Peanut’s gang have their own museum! Thanks to Time out Tokyo we now know that Snoopy Museum Tokyo is one of the four most popular within the city, and that makes getting your tickets in advance pretty important.

We didn’t do that.

And we were lucky. This time it worked out just fine, but we did a little research so the children and I could enjoy this museum to the fullest. For instance, due to the crowds that would want to beat the heat (and the fact that Snoopy is so kawaii) we wanted to get to the museum when it opened at 10. This was a gamble that paid off very well. The crowds were minimal for optimal fun!

Since this is also a temporary museum and closing in September, we knew that before the doors shut and all exhibitions are moved to Santa Rosa, CA- and before Madeline has to fly back to Oxford- it would be the best time to get in there and make some memories.

First things first. You should know that since this was created to be a temporary museum, one that opened in 2016, they shifted the focus of the exhibits every couple of months. Our visit coincided with what is being called “The Final” as it is the final three months of the museum's presence in Japan. We missed the original “Snoopy Dance” comic strip but we saw plenty others, many that included more obscure Peanuts characters. Have you heard of 5? Joe Agate? Frieda? I admit I’m not the most knowledgeable about the Peanuts Gang but these names rang absolutely no bells.

Nonetheless, it was very fun to move from room to room, guided by a constantly changing brick wall of varying colors. Each change in color signified an aspect of what Peanuts represented, and from celebrating strangeness to appreciating the bonds of friendship, between the humor and occasional satirical display the messages about friendship and acceptance were poignant and clear. And we loved that.

It’s interesting to note that all of the walls were covered in comic strips, some framed, some making up the entirety of the space. The one entirely devoted to panels of Lucy removing the football right before Charlie Brown could kick it had to the best, and from the year she was added to the Peanuts gang until 1999 we never really did find out if Charlie Brown ever did get his shot. It remains a mystery to this day-even to his friends.

We probably spent the better part of 3 hours wandering through the displays, and while we were introduced to new characters and rarely seen comics, people watching was also enjoyable. There was a gentleman in our group dressed in all sorts of Snoopy paraphernalia. We’d see him in the pink brick room, then the yellow, the green, and by the time we reached the blue I had to tell him how cool I thought his outfit was. He was so delighted he took off one of the pins decorating his outfit, handmade by him, and presented it to us in thanks. I cannot tell you how tickled we were. He fashioned each of his pins out of paperclips before painting them and let me tell you, it’s a sweet keepsake we will always treasure.

We finished up our tour with a heartfelt video courtesy of Jean Schulz, and a lovely message:

"I am very happy to have met you. As you walked through this wonderful exhibition, I know you have learned more about the neighborhood hat existed in Charle’s Schulz’s mind. I hope you enjoyed meeting these characters and they will be your friends forever."

Jean Schulz

Three icy cold treats later in Linus’ Blanket Cafe and a few fun pictures later, we made our way back to our home, tired, hot, but so very happy. There are few better ways to escape the heat than spending hours within the inviting walls of a museum, but this one especially had a magic and charm that touched people of every age. I think that’s what is so appealing about Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the entire group of friends we grew up with. They’re relatable, they’re funny, they’re us in so many ways. It is a celebration of friendship that invites us to remember the basic tenants of what it means to be a good friend: to love, to accept, to support, and to encourage one another.

I could not have asked to see a better final themed exhibit than this one. To have seen “Friendship in Peanuts” with Madeline and Jackson was absolutely perfect. It touched on something I always wanted for them both, something that I’m forever thankful to know that they have: a genuine bond of friendship. I’ve received comments numerous times about their age gap and how hard it must be for them, when in truth it never has been. They love one another and are each other’s best friend, and that is the greatest blessing. In the words of Mr. Schulz himself, “A friend is forever,” and I am so grateful that forever is what they’ll have.