Moominvalley Park opened in March 2019 by Miyazawa Lake in Hanno, Saitama. A Japan-first, the park allows visitors to dive into the world of Moomin, and is always bustling with families, couples, and friends enjoying the jovial atmosphere and fun attractions.
For this article, the LIVE JAPAN editorial team visited Moominvalley Park to discover what you can do, see, eat, and buy, along with how to get there!
Moominvalley Park – Sitting on the Shores of a Nature-Rich Lake
Moominvalley Park is located in the nature-rich region of Hanno in southwestern Saitama Prefecture, roughly 50 km from the center of Tokyo. It’s easily accessible from Ikebukuro Station via the Seibu Ikebukuro Line to Hanno Station, after which you can take a 12-minute bus ride from the station’s north exit.
Bus tours are available, departing directly for Moominvalley Park from major terminal stations. The bus from Tokyo Station is even decorated with delightful Moomin illustrations on weekends and public holidays.
A special ticket that includes both a return bus ride and a 1-day pass costs 5,200 yen (adults) and 2,700 (children) on weekends and public holidays, and 4,700 yen (adults) and 2,700 (children) on weekdays. The bus also screens movies and comes with a free coupon book to be used at the metsä Village.
There are also direct bus tours departing from Shinjuku Station for 7,000 yen (adults) and 6,500 (children), which also include a return ticket and a 1-day pass. This bus also has movies plus a limited-edition Moominvalley Park tote bag for passengers.
Buy Moominvalley Park Tickets Here
Checking Out the Poukama Welcome Cove!
After getting off the bus and passing through metsä Village, we arrived at Moominvalley Park. For this article, we sent LIVE JAPAN Editorial Staff “M” and Bella for a first-hand look at what’s on offer.
Passing through the whimsical entrance of four giant Moomin books, we were instantly transported to the wonderful world of Moomin! Past the books is the Poukama Welcome Cove, which also has a ticket office to purchase the tickets required for the park.
(*1-day pass: 3,200 yen (adults), 2,000 yen (children), children under 3 are free.)
At the Entrance Shop is a hoard of Moomin merchandise perfect for souvenirs.
Many visitors can’t resist buying the adorable Moomin plush doll for an extra helping of cuteness in their photos.
We bought ourselves the “Clippable Plush Doll,” which can be attached to your bag or clothes. Naturally, we struggled to decide which we should settle on: Moomin, Little My, or Snufkin.
In the end, we settled on Moomin and Little My. Using the clip, we were able to easily ca…
