My son and I met up with a friend of a friend and her son to trek out to the Anpanman Children’s Museum in Yokohama this week. It was one of my first excursions “alone” with my son in Japan, and it couldn’t have been easier. The train to Yokohama is a straight shot from where we live – the hardest part was navigating the train station’s multiple exits to find the one closest for us to walk to the Museum. We only got lost twice. 🙂

Anpanman is a beloved Japanese cartoon, dreamt up by a young man who couldn’t stop dreaming about a red bean pastry-type bread during the bleak, hungry days of WWII, a fact that makes me hugely sad. It is THE cartoon in Japan, and the museum was packed with Japanese families – we were the only Westerners I saw that day.

Tucked away in a corner of Yokohama, it took some Apple mapping to find the exact location, but once we had, the boys were in heaven. It’s perfect for children around 2-3 years old – lots to jump on, slide down, and play with, but there isn’t too much for children much older.

At the end of the day, the mommies were lucky enough to find a wine bar near the Yokohama train station, where I had a truly amazing blood orange cocktail that I need many, many more of as often as possible.