Family Trip to Japan - Part 2 - Anpanman Museum
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On our first adventure we are off to Nara to visit my aunt and her family. It takes a little over an hour to get there by train, perfect for a day trip. I spent many summers as a child in Ikoma, Nara with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins, and in Higashi Ikoma, Nara with another aunt, uncle, and cousins. It is a treat to be able to walk the same streets with my son after so many years and to be able to visit with some of the same relatives from my past, and to meet with new relatives. My son is about the same age as I was when I stayed with my grandparents while my parents made preparations to move to New York.
An eye-opening experience for my son on this adventure is the discovery of vending machines; he was completely amazed by the machines and their purpose. Vending machines are very common in Japan and can be found at many train stations, station platforms, and on the streets.
This day was tough for our son as his jetlag hit in the late afternoon and he fell asleep during our visit.
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For our second adventure we take our son to Harborland in Kobe to visit the Anpanman Museum. The trip from beginning to end is an adventure for our son. We take the local subway system which is very convenient. My son likes trains so he enjoys the new experience of the Japanese train systems which are clean, punctual, and well laid out. The station for the museum is well thought out and makes the 5 or 10 minute walk to the museum fun.
After a long and fun day, we return home so my son could spend some time with his grand parents. We enjoyed the evening by making takoyaki. My son really bonded with his grandparents making tako yaki, priceless moments, and one of the main reasons for this trip.
- Ikoma, Nara is a city located in the northwestern end of Nara Prefecture. Nara Prefecture has the distinction of having more UNESCO World Heritage Listings than any other Prefecture.
- For more information on Nara visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Prefecture
- For more information on Anpanman visit: http://anpanman.wikia.com/wiki/Anpanman
- For more information on takoyaki visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takoyaki
日本に到着して最初に訪れたのは奈良にいる伯母さんとその家族。電車に乗って約一時間程なので、日帰りで訪れるのにはちょうどいい距離。私は子供の頃、夏休み期間にニューヨークから日本に来てよく、奈良生駒の祖父母の家と、東生駒にある親戚の家で過ごしました。自分が通った道と同じ道をを長年経った今、こうして息子と、昔から知っている親戚や、新しい親戚に会いに行くのは至福の時でした。今の息子の年齢は、その昔、私の両親がニューヨークに移住する準備をする為に私を生駒の祖父母の家に預けたのとちょうど同じくらいの年齢。
日本で、息子がびっくりした発見は自動販売機。お金を入れたらジュースが出て来る事に本当に驚いてた。アメリカでは治安の問題などから、自動販売機が道にあるなんて事はないからね。
この日は、息子はひどい時差ぼけで、親戚のお家を訪問中に寝てしまいました。
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次の日の行き先は神戸ハーバーランドにある、アンパンマンミュージアム。家を出てから家路に着くまでが、息子にしたら大冒険。とても便利な神戸市営地下鉄に乗って行きました。ニューヨークの電車とはまた違う綺麗な日本の電車に乗って、息子は大喜び。最寄りの駅に着いて、アンパンマンミュージアムに行くまでに、５−１０分くらい歩くけど、アンパンマンが道のいたる所にいて、楽しい道のりでした。
楽しく長い一日が終わり家路についた後息子は、おじいちゃんおばあちゃんとたこ焼き作りに挑戦。このたこ焼き作りが、息子と、おじいちゃんおばあちゃんとの絆を深めたかけがえのない時でした。まさしく、この絆の為に日本に帰郷しに来たのです。
Rock Papa
