[태그:] Hanatako

  • Traveling to Osaka with a 26-Month-Old Toddler (Part 2)

    Traveling to Osaka with a 26-Month-Old Toddler (Part 2)

    A Day of Anpanman Adventures

    The Day of Anpanman

    Today’s main destination was the Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum.
    Originally, we planned to catch the 9:30 AM Anpanman greeting, but the night before, we realized we hadn’t booked a ticket for Dad.
    The Kobe museum requires online reservations in advance, and same-day admission is only available if there are remaining spots. After checking the site, we found the earliest available entry was at 11:30 AM. With a bit of panic (and a cold sweat), we changed our plan to aim for a 10:15 arrival and hoped for help at the entrance.

    Kobe Anpanman Museum Ticket Site


    10:00 – Entering the Anpanman Museum

    Kobe is just 27 minutes from Osaka by JR Tokaido-Sanyo Line.
    When we arrived, the museum felt large and exciting, with Anpanman characters everywhere, keeping our toddler completely entertained.
    It’s said that this museum helped revitalize Kobe’s economy after the Great Hanshin Earthquake — proof of how much this city loves Anpanman.

    Thanks to the kind staff, we managed to enter just after 10:00 AM as a family of three.
    We watched the 10:30 AM performance standing, since there were no seats left — but our little one was completely captivated nonetheless.

    Our Anpanman backpack and plush from Yodobashi Camera


    Anpanman statues all around the area

    Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum&Mall


    11:00 – Anpanman Bread & Shopping

    Our baby burst into tears when the show ended, so we headed downstairs to buy some Anpanman-themed bread.
    The line was long — about a 30-minute wait — so while my husband held our place, I went with our toddler to pick out pajamas and souvenirs from the museum store.
    The bread didn’t quite live up to the hype, but it was still fun as a keepsake.

    Cute character breads


    12:30 – Missed the Afternoon Show

    We lined up early for the 1:15 PM show, only to find out… even the 2:30 PM performance was fully booked.
    The museum was packed in the afternoon — it was hard to move.
    Compared to Fukuoka’s Anpanman Museum, Kobe’s was a bit smaller in scale, and the stage area was more cramped.
    Our toddler, possibly sensing this, started to get fussy.
    There were no seats, so I carried her in my arms, but she wasn’t satisfied and ended up crying loudly.
    We had no choice but to leave the museum in a bit of a rush.

    Staff were drawing on the floor with wet sponges — such a cute detail!


    13:30 – Lunch at Umie Harborland

    Our little one cried herself to sleep.
    Since traveling far didn’t seem realistic, we headed next door to Umie Harborland, a massive mall similar to COEX in Seoul, with shops and restaurants of every kind.

    We went straight to the food court and had stir-fried udon, tonkotsu ramen, and dumplings. The food was average, but there was a kids’ zone — a huge plus when dining with a toddler.
    Unlike Osaka, where we rarely saw children, Kobe felt family-friendly with many kids and plenty of child-centered facilities.

    Harborland Umie Map

    Stir-fried udon at the food court


    Afternoon Plans: Coffee & Shrine (Almost)

    I had hoped to visit Nishimura Nakayamatedori, a famous Kobe coffee shop, and Ikuta Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest shrines.
    But with our baby sound asleep, we sadly decided to skip both and return to Osaka.

    Nishimura Coffee
    Ikuta Shrine


    18:00 – Dinner at Dotonbori & Ebisu Bridge

    Since we were in Osaka, we couldn’t skip Dotonbori.
    We rushed to make our dinner reservation nearby — this time at a wagyu beef restaurant.
    Japanese beef tends to be pricey, but worth it!
    We ordered a set platter and beef tongue, and watching our baby finish a whole bowl of rice made it all worthwhile.

    So many similar BBQ places, but this one stood out


    Beautiful cuts of wagyu

    Restaurant: Kuroge Wagyu Yakiniku Dotonbori Mitsuru

    After dinner, we walked toward Ebisu Bridge, but it was packed with people — so much that I had to carry our baby through the crowd.
    It almost felt dangerous, so we quickly snapped a photo and retreated.

    Ebisu Bridge Location


    20:00 – Hanadako Takoyaki to End the Day

    On our way back to the hotel, we spotted the famous Hanadako takoyaki stand.
    The line was so long that we almost gave up… until a staff member noticed our baby and offered us “baby priority service.”
    These moments — small acts of kindness while traveling with a baby — are what make everything feel so meaningful.

    Back in the hotel, we had the takoyaki with beer, and it felt like the perfect ending to a long day.
    Hanadako’s taste left such an impression that I truly thought, “This trip’s star is you, little one!”

    Green onion-loaded takoyaki

    Thought 10 pieces would be too much after dinner? Think again. They were gone in seconds.

    Hanadako Location


    Visiting the Anpanman Museum was a magical experience for our toddler, and Hanadako’s takoyaki was the reward we didn’t know we needed.
    Though traveling with a stroller isn’t easy, Day 2 in Osaka was filled with laughter, challenges, and unforgettable family moments.