Kawasaki Good Time World in Kobe, Japan

When you think of the name Kawasaki, you probably think jet skis or motorcycles. And while that's about all the consumer ever gets to see, they are responsible for ships, industrial plants, ATVs, tractors, trains, and aerospace equipment.

 Kawasaki is named after its founder and has no connection to the city located near Tokyo. Originally, Kawasaki comes from Kobe. Kawasaki Good Time World isn't much of a "world" as it is a museum devoted to the history and machines of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

 The museum is made for kids, but is educational as much as a company's historical museum can be. You'll see how robots work...

 You'll see jet skis and learn how they work...

 You'll see once-cutting-edge-science and history...

 And motorcycles...

 And motorcycles...

 And motorcycles...

 And motorcycles. Japan loves its two-wheeled vehicles. And as you could see in one of the pictures above, you can sit on a couple and get a feel for them.

 You can play with switches and explore a bullet train. Kawasaki is Japan's largest builder of rolling stock, from commuter trains to shinkansen.

 Here's an oxygen capsule. I could be happy taking a nap in there.

 How about the latest in local transportation technology? In addition to traditional trains, Kawasaki builds monorails and emerging technologies.

 Robotics!

 Helicopters!

 You can't sit in the cockpit here (what a shame) but you can get a good look inside.

 Inside a small plane.

 Because Japan loves trains more than motorcycles, there's a large model layout that you can operate, too.

 Here's the city at night! For an adult, this is a moderately fun museum that'll take about 30 minutes to go through. But for younger children especially, the ability to interact with many of the displays means this museum really lives up to its name. Now if only they'd let you take the motorcycles for a spin, take a nap in the oxygen capsule, or ride the jet ski out on the harbor!

Admission to Kawasaki Good Time World is included in admission to the Kobe Maritime Museum, which is 600 yen. It's open from 10:00-17:00, closed on Mondays. View the link to the Maritime Museum for more details on access and surrounding sights.