Duskin Museum (Mister Donut Museum)

Japan’s largest donut chain (and this writer’s personal favorite), Mister Donut has been serving sweet, circular treats since 1971. Famous for its mochi-like “Pon de Ring,” seasonal donuts, and fun collaborations, the chain has secured its place in Japanese culture.

This free museum in Osaka honors its humble beginnings in Japan, with the first store having opened in nearby Minō. Although Mister Donut is originally an American chain, there’s now only one store left in the U.S. Japan has truly adopted it as its own.

Despite being relatively small, there are fun things to see and do at the museum. As soon as you enter, the official mascots Pon de Lion and Dusken (the white dog) will greet you.

If you’re a Mister Donut megafan, you might be wondering — who is Dusken? Dusken is the official mascot of Duskin, a cleaning company that is the sister company of Mister Donut.

After meeting the adorable pair, you will see busts of the founders of Mister Donut. Continue through and you can learn about the history of the franchise through retro memorabilia. Additionally, you can learn more about the company’s current initiatives through short films.

You will then come across the “Donut Forest”, a wall displaying Mister Donut’s original creations. The last part of the exhibit is an arched walkway where you can see photos of the Mister Donut stores throughout the years. Although the exhibits are in Japanese, there are enough visual and sensory elements to make it an enjoyable experience even if you don’t speak the language.

Mister Donut Kitchen

To top the donut experience, the Duskin Museum offers two workshops. The main one is the Donut-Making Experience, where you can cut your own donut, watch the frying process, and take five donuts home with you as a souvenir.

Held twice a day at 10:15 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., this workshop requires an advance reservation. To secure a reservation, you will need to apply online. First, select your date and number of participants (there’s a minimum of two people). After confirming this information, you will be entered into a lottery.

Should you be successful, ¥1,800 will be taken off the credit card you used to apply. If you aren’t, you will have to check if there are any last-minute cancellations. From our sad personal experience, there weren’t any drop-outs, so make sure to check the lottery application dates.

The other workshop at the museum doesn’t require advance reservations. The “Donut Topping” experience costs ¥300. As part of this, you will receive three donut balls which you can decorate with toppings and sauces of your choice. You can then either eat your original creations right there, or take them home.

How much time do I need at the Duskin Museum?

Unless you are lucky enough to participate in the donut-making workshop, we would say you need no more than a hour here. You might want to schedule some more time if you are planning to go to the Mister Donut shop next door to enjoy a sit-down and sweet treat.

There is also the Duskin Cleaning Museum, if you want to get some cleaning tips and learn about the history of cleaning tools.

How to get there

From Shin-Osaka Station, it takes 19 minutes to get to the Duskin Museum. Simply jump onto the Midosuji Line (Platform 2) and get off at Esaka Station. From Esaka Station, it is a 15-minute walk, through some quiet residential backstreets, to get the museum.