Long-awaited Moomin theme park in Japan finally announces its planned grand opening

If you’ve been in Japan for any length of time, you’ve probably become familiar with the Moomins — white, hippo-like creatures from a series of illustrated books and comics by Finnish illustrator Tove Jansson.

The books have remained best-sellers in Finland, Sweden, and other European countries throughout the decades, but the simple, sweet characters have become well-known and loved in Japan as well, which is why announcements of the Moomin Valley Park have made left fans in excited anticipation.

The Moomin Valley Park will open in March 2019 in the city of Hanno in Saitama Prefecture. There is already a Moomin-themed park in the same city, called Tove Jansson Akebono Children’s Forest Park, but the new park will be located around Lake Miyazawa, about 6 kilometers north of the already existing park.

From the details released, the Moomin Valley Park will feature a lot more structures and buildings that appear in the books, and will more closely resemble the original Moomin World theme park, which opened in Finland in 1993.

One of the main attractions will be the Moomin’s five-story house, which visitors can go in and explore from basement to attic. There will also be a three-story facility, with a shop, Moomin-themed restaurant, exhibit of Tove Jansson’s works, and an interactive exhibit. Park visitors can also visit Ocean Orchestra, the ship from the Moomin story books.

Metsä Village, an extension of the park which will offer a “Scandinavian lifestyle experience” to visitors, will open prior to the Moomin Valley Park in November of this year.

Initial plans for the park were announced in 2013, so fans have been waiting a long time to see the park become a reality. But, by around this time next year, it seems like we’ll finally get to explore the world of the Moomins for ourselves!

Source: Moomin Valley Park press release, Moomin official site

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