Roadtrip to Anpanman Museum

During our last stint in Japan in 2013, we managed to travel around a little but were quite busy with the residency schedule so didn't get loads of time to wander further afield than Ikumi Beach in the next prefecture (county). This time, we knew we wanted to see more of the island, this breathtaking, mountainous, rivery, sinewy swath of forest and jungle called Shikoku. 

We had been checking weather forecasts and hotel options and found a perfect sunny window to hop in the Cube and head southwest to the beach in Shimanto but first, a little detour for Hopper-chan.

No trip through the area of Kochi, about 2 1/2 hrs drive, can go without visiting the shrine to all things Anpanman: The Anpanman Museum in Kami, the hometown of the creator Takashi Yanase. The whole area looks a lot like Kamiyama, and there is very little around, well except breathtaking views and windy roads. Of course.

Anpanman is beloved by children and adults alike, he's a super hero whose head is made of bread (with red bean jam filling!- like almost every freakin desert in Japan) who saves creatures from his nemesis Baikinman (and when they're starving, by offering them bits of his head, only to return to his creator and baker Uncle Jam who bakes him a new head and makes him whole again). He has lots of friends and foes, the list of characters is astonishing (1768 to be exact), but his biggest enemy is Baikinman, who is always up to dastardly deeds. 

Hopper was introduced to him a couple of years ago so knew him by name. But now that he's a fully cognizant nearly-4 year old, and fascinated with "super heros" and super powers, he's really into it and knows quite a few of the characters names. (This is all without having seen a single cartoon, just flipping through books, seeing them on "healthy" cookie boxes, toys, shirts, dolls, toothbrushes.) We were excited to go but mostly overjoyed at seeing the excitement in his eyes in the car.

Then, we were off to Kochi, a lovely little city beach hamlet with a taste for superb fish and a big Sunday market. Stay tuned...

Anpanman with a map of Kochi Prefecture on the Southern coast

beautiful setting, and free parking!

There he is!

Baikinman, poke him in the eye

A little bit of the story, with glorious translation

The old guy on the poster is the creator, Yanase. He died in 2013.

A few of the main characters, prints of Yanase's original oil paintings

probably the best part of the museum, the paintings were fantastically psychedelic

a wall with all 1768 characters, def too much attention required from a 3 year old

merchandising: a history

diorama of the land of Anpanman and co, it was massive and moved (see video)

Uncle Jam's bakery

more cute characters, Japanese really have the market cornered on 'cute'

theater showing cartoons

play nice...

oh no it's baikinman!!!

Of course he's too afraid to actually say hello to his favorite super hero!

outside was a fab playground with different parts for different ages, and an ice cream shop

but sometimes the best part is the grassy field for running around playing silly chase games