Indoor Recreation & Sports

Japan's Theme Parks Combine Record Tourism With New Lands and Expansions

A roundup of Japan's major theme parks, from Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disney Resort to newer draws such as Ghibli Park and PokéPark Kanto.

Aiko TanakaOctober 14, 20265 min read12 views

A stylised illustration of a Japanese theme park with a ferris wheel, a looping roller coaster and a castle-like landmark framed by trees under warm evening light.

Japan drew a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, and its theme and amusement parks have become a major reason travellers make the trip. The country's lineup ranges from record-breaking roller coasters to immersive lands built around films, games and television characters.

Universal Studios Japan

Located in Osaka and opened in 2001, Universal Studios Japan features lands and attractions based on the Harry Potter franchise, Jurassic Park and Minions. In 2021 it became the first Universal park worldwide to open Super Nintendo World, and in 2024 it added the world's first Donkey Kong Country area. The park also stages limited-time collaborations tied to franchises including Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Pokémon, One Piece and Resident Evil, and has hosted Sanrio characters in seasonal shows and parades. In 2026 it announced its first expansion since 2001, with plans to invest up to 300 billion yen in new attractions across 60,000 square metres of nearby land.

Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo Disneyland opened on 15 April 1983 and was the first Disney theme park to launch outside the United States. Based on the original Disneyland in California, it has seven themed lands: World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country and Toontown. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company under licence from The Walt Disney Company, making them the only Disney parks not owned by Disney. In 2026 the resort announced Space Mountain Earthrise and Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue as part of a 100 billion yen ($630 million) transformation of Tomorrowland, with the new Space Mountain set to replace the original coaster in 2027.

Tokyo DisneySea opened in September 2001, spans 49 hectares and is divided into seven themed ports, including Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Arabian Coast, Mermaid Lagoon, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery and Mysterious Island. In 2024 the resort opened Fantasy Springs, its largest expansion to date; the $2.2 billion addition introduces worlds inspired by Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan, with landmarks such as Arendelle Castle, Rapunzel's Tower and Neverland.

Character-led attractions

  • Ghibli Park, inside the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, brings Studio Ghibli films to life across five themed areas. It opened in November 2022 with three lands, added Mononoke Village in November 2023 and completed the set with Valley of Witches in March 2024. Highlights include a large-scale recreation of Howl's Moving Castle and Catbus electric vehicles. In 2026 it announced plans for an indoor area inspired by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
  • Sanrio Puroland, an indoor park in Tokyo, opened in 1990 and features characters including Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll.
  • Legoland Japan opened in Nagoya in April 2017 as the first Legoland park in Japan and the second in Asia. Its Miniland Japan uses more than 10 million Lego bricks to recreate landmarks including Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Hiroshima and Nagoya.
  • PokéPark Kanto, described as the world's first permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction, opened in February 2026 at Yomiuriland in Tokyo, covering 26,000 square metres with more than 600 Pokémon across two themed zones.

Thrill and regional parks

  • Fuji-Q Highland opened in 1968 and is known for coasters including Fujiyama, Eejanaika and Takabisha, as well as views of Mount Fuji.
  • Nagashima Spa Land opened in 1966 and operates 13 coasters, more than any other amusement park in Japan, including Steel Dragon 2000.
  • Yomiuriland, in Tokyo's Tama Hills, has more than 40 rides and attractions and drew around 2.4 million visitors in 2024, its 60th anniversary year.
  • Hirakata Park, Osaka's oldest amusement park, dates back to 1910 and attracts around 1.3 million visitors a year.
  • Greenland in Arao City, Kumamoto, is among Kyushu's largest parks, with around 80 attractions and a 105m-high Ferris wheel.

Cultural and themed destinations

  • Huis Ten Bosch, opened in 1992 in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, recreates a Dutch town across about 152 hectares, making it Japan's largest theme park by area. In 2025 it opened Japan's first premium flying theatre with Brogent Technologies, and its Miffy Wonder Square also opened that year.
  • Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura, a 49.5-hectare cultural park in Tochigi, recreates a town from the Edo period's Genroku era.
  • Asakusa Hanayashiki, established in 1853, is considered Japan's oldest amusement park and retains Japan's oldest surviving roller coaster, built in 1953.
  • Moominvalley Park opened in March 2019 in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, as the second Moomin-themed park in the world.
  • Sylvanian Park in Ibaraki is a Sylvanian Families-themed attraction within the wider Komorebi Mori no Ibaraido leisure park.
  • Sanrio Harmonyland, in Hiji, Oita Prefecture, is the outdoor sister park to Puroland; in 2026 it opened Nakayoku Lab, including the Sky Pal Collection AR experience.