Moominvalley Park

Moominvalley Park opened in March 2019 in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture, marking the first Moomin theme park outside Finland. The park celebrates the beloved characters created by Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson (1914-2001), who wrote and illustrated the original Moomin books in Swedish beginning in 1945. The Moomins are white, round fairy-tale trolls with large snouts resembling hippopotamuses, and a Japanese animation TV series made these characters particularly popular in Japan. Located approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Tokyo on the shores of Lake Miyazawa, the park spans roughly 187,000 square meters and brings the fictional Moominvalley to life.

The park is divided into four main zones: the Welcome Cove at the entrance, Moominvalley with most attractions, the Kokemus exhibition facility, and the forested Lonely Mountain. Kokemus is a three-story museum about the Moomin characters and stories, their development, and author Tove Jansson. The building features Japan's first permanent Moomin exhibition space, interactive experiences, and a giant diorama of Moominvalley measuring over 8 meters.

Visitors can explore the Moominhouse, a faithful reproduction from the books, and the Moomins' bathing hut. Lonely Mountain includes an outdoor playground at its peak, Snufkin's Tent in a quiet cove, and a lighthouse from the story "Moominpappa at Sea". A zipline ride spanning approximately 400 meters is available for an additional fee. Emma's Theatre presents participatory shows featuring Moomintroll and friends with songs and dances, performed on weekdays and weekends. Little My's Play Spot has been updated into an animation theatre featuring "Who Will Comfort Toffle?" based on Tove Jansson's picture book.

The ground floor of the Kokemus building houses the world's largest Moomin store, offering items including a Moominvalley Park-exclusive mug sold only at this location. The park includes two restaurants, a cafe, and several food stands serving Nordic-inspired cuisine. Outside the paid area lies Metsä Village, a free public zone offering additional dining and shopping with a Nordic theme.

A convenient Moominvalley Park Ticket & Travel Pass is available starting from March 2025 in digital format, including unlimited Seibu line rides, bus fare, and park admission for 4,500 yen (adults), 2,300 yen (junior/senior high school students), and 1,600 yen (children 6-11 years). Standard admission for a 1-day pass costs 4,300 yen for adults and 1,300 yen for children, with children under 3 free. By car, the park is accessible from the Ken-O Expressway via Sayama-Hidaka Interchange or Ome Interchange, with both open-air and multi-storey parking available.

The park is easily accessible from Tokyo via the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. From Ikebukuro Station to Hanno Station takes approximately 50 minutes on local trains (490 yen one way) or 40 minutes on limited express trains (1,090 yen one way). From Hanno Station, frequent buses connect to the Metsä bus stop outside the park (15 minutes, 220 yen one way).