27 Mar 2019
Moomins attraction opens in Japan
BY Luke Cloherty
The first phase of Japan’s new Moomins attraction, Moominvalley Park, has now officially opened its doors.
Located in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, near the Japanese capital Tokyo, the new theme park will attract one million visitors annually, according to its operator Moomin Monogatari.
The second phase of the project, Metsa Village, is due to open in November under the project’s phased opening plans but Moominvalley promises to be the main attraction for Moomins fans as its features a recreation of the iconic Moominhouse and other Moomin-themed features.
Finnish playground equipment group Puuha International Oy has acted as the main supplier to the park, which was built in a 190,000sq m (2,000,000sq ft) forest area by Lake Miyazawako.
The park opened with a special ceremony on 16 March, which saw dignitaries such as Pekka Orpana, the ambassador of Finland to Tokyo, in attendance alongside Sophia Jansson, creative director at Moomin Characters and the niece of Moomins creator Tove Jansson.
"It will probably turn out to be the last theme park opened in Japan during the country's Heisei era," Moomin Monogatari President Motoki Watanabe said, pointing to the fact that on 30 April 2019, the Japanese Emperor Akihito is expected to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne.
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