Anpanman Museum (Yokohama)

I took my youngest daughter to the Anpanman Museum a few years, and she loved it. Ages 2-4 is the perfect age for Anpanman! The museum has been closed but it reopened on July 7, 2019. Three floors of Anpanman characters in a sparkling new facility. All of my older three children had the same “Anpanman crazed” period between 2-4 years old. However, the Anpanman Museum did not exist when they were younger. The Anpanman Museum houses plastic characters sculptures of the Anpanman gang, play areas, and performances. You can also eat at the Anpanman Restaurant and shop at the store without paying the 2,200 yen entry fee. For those who may not know about Anpanman, there is a bit of an intro to the character below.

Anpanman Museum, Yokohama – Reopened July 7, 2019

Now allow me to be very honest with you. If your child is between 2-4 years old, the Anpanman Museum is paradise; however, for parents it is a nightmare (think hundreds of screaming toddlers)! A nightmare that has moments of sheer bliss when your child looks at you with the biggest, happiest eyes and squeals of happiness. Days have past and she is still taking about her visit to Anpanman.

The old Anpanman Museum was showing quite a bit of ware and tear so we are excited to head back soon to see the remodel. It is guaranteed to be hands-on like the older museum but with more high-tech elements. There is also a new online ticket system so you can secure your tickets, and have shorter wait times.

Background of Anpanman from Wikipedia (アンパンマン) is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase, running from 1973 until 2013 following his death. The anime adaptation Soreike! Anpanman (それいけ!アンパンマン, Let’s Go! Anpanman) is one of the most popular anime series amongst young children in Japan. The show has been on the air in Japan continuously since October 1988. Also every toy imaginable has a licensed Anpanman character version.

The new Anpanman Museum is three floors, similar to the older museum.. You enter the first floor to buy a ticket and get a small Anpanman toy if your child is elementary and below (Anpanman plastic rattle toy). The first floor has an indoor small play area and slide (recommend you hit this area on the way out). It looks like most of the action is on the 3rd floor, so we recommend you start there and work your way down.

Here are design sketches of the new museum. We will post pictures once we visit.

Overall high energy, fast past and quite exhausting. Bathrooms are plentiful and child friendly.

If you have any energy remaining, you can exit the museum and enter the shopping centre (free entry if you just want to shop and not play) to buy some bread at the Anpanman restaurant.

Was it worth it? Yes. Would I go again? No. Like climbing Mt. Fujii, it is a once in a lifetime events.