Located in the town of Ikaho is the Ikaho Toy, Doll and Car Museum which wifey and I visited a while back.
One thing that has obviously helped me learn more about Japanese culture is having a fair command of the lingo. Another thing that I've been very interested in of late is Japan's history and by understanding more of Japan's past, I feel that I can enjoy more of this wonderful culture - especially as we are exposed to historical events and settings in anime, games and manga.