Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall Anpanman Museum Kochi

Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall (香美市立やなせたかし記念館) is a museum in Kami City, Kochi Prefecture, dedicated to the manga artist and picture‑book author Yanase Takashi. The site is a purpose‑built complex that centres on an Anpanman Museum and a separate Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall, and it stands adjacent to the roadside station Michi‑no‑Eki Mirofu.

History

The memorial hall grew from a local plan that began in December 1992 to build a comprehensive cultural centre in what was then Kahoku Town. In January 1994 the decision was taken to dedicate that project to Yanase Takashi; formal naming followed in August 1994. Yanase contributed private funds toward construction after seeing that a memorial to his friend Osamu Tezuka had been established in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture after Tezuka’s death and expressing that a memorial completed during an author’s lifetime would be fitting. The Anpanman Museum component broke ground in June 1995 and the complex opened in July 1996.

What the complex contains

The site is organized as a compound rather than a single gallery. Its principal components are:

• Anpanman Museum — a gallery focused on Yanase’s Anpanman work, including tableau paintings and original picture‑book artwork. This is the element most closely associated with the Anpanman name.
• Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall — a separate building concentrating on Yanase’s poetry, manga and illustration work outside the Anpanman series.

Beyond those two paid galleries the complex also includes an annex, a large storage building completed in 2011, and Yanase Takashi Memorial Park. The museum complex is sited next to the Michi‑no‑Eki Mirofu roadside station.

Building, management and honours

The museum’s building design was recognised by the Architectural Institute of Japan in its 2000 Works Selection. Yanase Takashi served as honorary director. Operational responsibility passed over time to a foundation set up to promote the museum; since 1 November 2012 the designated manager has been the public interest foundation established for the Yanase Takashi Memorial Anpanman Museum.

Timeline of major milestones

• 1992 December: Kahoku Town announces the comprehensive cultural centre concept.
• 1994 January: Decision to make the centre a Yanase Takashi memorial facility.
• 1995 June: Groundbreaking for the Anpanman Museum; November sees the establishment of an Anpanman Museum promotion foundation.
• 1996 July: Anpanman Museum opens.
• 1997 October: Construction begins on the Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall.
• 1998 August: Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall opens.
• 2001 January: The memorial hall annex opens.
• 2005 February: Yanase Takashi Memorial Park opens; local residents erect a Yanase rabbit statue in the park.
• 2006 March–April: The Anpanman World corner inside the Anpanman Museum is renewed; after municipal mergers in April 2006 the facility’s name changed to reflect Kami City.
• 2008 November: A large “Giant Dadandan” statue is installed beside the Anpanman Museum.
• 2011 July–October: The museum marks its 15th anniversary, installs an Anpanman statue in front of the museum, again renews the Anpanman World corner, and completes a large storage building in October.
• 2012 November 1: Operational control moves to the public interest foundation for the museum.
• 2017 July–September: The Poetry and Merhen hall and the annex host concurrent exhibitions featuring Sanrio characters My Melody and Little Twin Stars; in August 2017 the facility was selected as one of the “Visit‑worthy Japan Anime Spots 88” for the 2018 edition by the Anime Tourism Association.
• 2018 July–October: On the Poetry and Merhen hall’s 20th anniversary the museum displayed the magazine series’ covers from first to last issue; commemorative events in August included a ceremony and a photo/handshake session with a Yanase‑designed character for the Gomen‑Nahari railway line.
• 2025 March 29: The complex reopened after refurbishment; from that date it operates on a full reservation basis with a daily entry cap set at about 3,000 visitors.

Notable installations and exhibitions

Several large outdoor and indoor installations are part of the site’s public face: the Giant Dadandan statue (installed 2008), the Anpanman statue in front of the museum (installed 2011), and the Yanase rabbit statue in the memorial park (installed 2005). The Poetry and Merhen hall has hosted themed exhibitions, including Sanrio‑related shows in 2017 and a retrospective tied to the hall’s 20th anniversary in 2018.

Getting there

By car and taxi the museum is reachable from local transport nodes in the following approximate times and distances listed by the facility: about 60 minutes (approx. 30 km) from central Kochi, about 40 minutes (approx. 20 km) from Kochi Ryoma Airport, and about 35 minutes (approx. 18 km) from the Nankoku interchange on the Kochi Expressway.

By public transport the standard route is via Tosa‑Yamada Station on the JR Dosan Line. From Tosa‑Yamada Station take the JR Shikoku Bus Otochi Line for roughly 25 minutes and alight at the terminus listed as Mirofu (the stop known as Anpanman Museum‑mae); from that stop the walk to the museum is about five minutes. The service has also been run by the themed Anpanman buses (Anpanman‑go and Baikinman‑go). Tosa‑Yamada Station is served by the Nanpu limited express (Okayama–Kochi), and some services on the route operate as Anpanman‑branded trains (red and yellow Anpanman trains). Historically, bus service to Otochi ran until 31 March 2020 and the local stop formerly named “Anpanman Museum‑mae” was later renamed “Omiya‑mae” after transfer to city bus operation.

Present day notes

The site presents two complementary perspectives on Yanase’s career: the Anpanman Museum foregrounds the long‑running character series and its original picture‑book artwork, while the Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall concentrates on Yanase’s poetry, manga and illustration work beyond Anpanman. The complex has evolved incrementally through gallery renewals, new outdoor installations and periodic special exhibitions since its first opening in 1996.

FAQ

Where is Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall located?

In Kami City, Kochi Prefecture (formerly Kahoku Town).

What are the two principal buildings at the site?

The Anpanman Museum and the Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall.

When did the museum first open?

The Anpanman Museum component opened in July 1996; the Poetry and Merhen Picture Book Hall opened in August 1998.

Does the museum use reservations?

From its re‑opening on 29 March 2025 the complex operates on a full reservation basis with a daily entry cap of about 3,000 visitors.