Summer fun with kids in Japan: ④ theme land

Summer is not the time for an outdoor amusement park with children in Japan. Its far too hot and humid. But many of the theme lands or theme parks are indoors. I use the term theme land in this post, because theme park conjures up the outdoors. In this post I talk about places that are largely indoors or have indoor options.

Your child will certainly thank you for a trip to one of Japan's many theme lands, its a fun way to escape the heat with kids. Perhaps the most popular, and certainly one of the most famous, is Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo. It is an all weather facility. It has some amusement rides, but the focus is on character meetings and shows. In Saitama Prefecture, beside Tokyo, there is a Moomin theme park. However, you do have to walk quite a bit outdoors to get to the indoor play area and the 'Kokemus' facility, where Moomin stories come to life. 

But its not just character theme parks on offer, there are also indoor entertainment theme lands, such as Joypolis and Nanja town, with AR experiences on offer. There are also experience based theme lands, such as the excellent Kidzania. At Kidzania children can try different types of work! It is hugely popular with children, with good reason. Tokyo Legoland Discovery Center has an excellent reputation, but I have not personally visited it yet. There is also one in Osaka. Edo Wonderland (Tochigi) has some indoor options too, if you want the kids to experience some Japanese culture. They can try some ninja experiences and / or be awed by the ninja shows.

There are plenty more indoor options of indoor theme lands (parks) where you can escape the summer heat and have a fun and memorable day with kids this summer. Are there any you have been to that you particularly enjoyed?