7-decade passion for toys fills Mexico museum

Even as a child, Roberto Shimizu (left) loved collecting things. So when his Japanese immigrant father opened a stationery and toy store in Mexico City in 1940, Shimizu began a lifelong quest to save and collect toys.

Back to a nostalgic past

More than seven decades years later, Shimizu’s youthful fascination lives on in the Antique Toy Museum, a four-story building packed with objects that transport visitors back to a nostalgic past.

Shimizu still helps out occasionally, but the museum is now run by his son, Roberto Y. Shimizu Kinoshita.

Stuffed with toys

Tucked in the middle of the capital’s historic but seedy Doctores neighborhood, the museum is stuffed with Legos, superhero action figures, robots, model airplanes, trains and Hello Kittys. In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, a visitor stands among model airplanes and trucks.

Reminders of a once-robust industry

There are also “lucha libre” wrestling masks, old traditional Mexican toys and other playthings that are reminders of the country’s once-robust toy industry that has all but disappeared following the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Raising money

The younger Shimizu is struggling after a congressional decision to stop allocating cultural funds for the collection. The museum has had to cut staff by half, and most of its cultural events and workshops have been suspended, says the younger Shimizu. He hopes to raise money for the museum through a Kickstarter campaign.

“It is very sad that once again the budgets destined for culture are the ones most punished,” he said at the opening of a recent Barbie doll exhibit.

A Barbie Doll exhibit

In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, a Barbie doll is displayed during a large Barbie Doll temporary exhibit at the museum. Several Barbie doll collectors teamed up to display their dolls.

Through a magnifying glass

In this Jan.11, 2017 photo, toys displayed inside a steel box are seen through a magnifying glass.

Reliving childhood memories

“Through our toy museum, our intention has always been to share our collection so that people enjoy and relive their childhood memories, to enter that tunnel of time to relive all those past Christmases and Three Kings’ Days when you got your new toys - and even the toys you never got,” said the younger Shimizu.

In this Jan. 6, 2017 photo, Archie and Jughead dolls are displayed at the museum.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.