It’s been two years since news first broke of a Moomin theme park opening in Japan, and since then fans have eagerly been waiting to hear about the what and where. Finally, the deets have been announced, and the Moomin Theme Park is reportedly set to open in 2017 near Lake Miyazawa in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture.
Back in 2013, there was already speculation over whether the theme park would be in- or outdoors, but in the end the creators decided to keep close to Moomin’s Finnish roots, choosing a natural, lakeside setting that would emanate the land of forests and lakes.
The size of the park will be equivalent to four Tokyo Domes and it will be divided into a Moomin Zone and a Public Zone.
Why in Japan?
Moomin and Scandinavia lovers now have one question on their mind: will the theme park be similar to Moomin World in Finland?
Full details haven’t yet been released, but we do know that there will be classic red-and-blue Moomin houses and you’ll be able to meet Moomin family characters. The Public Zone will be a place for locals to chill out, and will be free for all.
If, at this point, you’re wondering why there’s even a demand for a Moomin theme park in Japan, we asked our resident Finn for some insight.
He told us that, ironically, there are few avid Moomin fans in Finland: “Although everyone knows the characters, they seem to mostly be used in textbooks rather than pop culture.
In Japan, on the other hand, Moomin’s popularity has risen to new heights in the past few years. Local Finnish newspapers even feature stories of large numbers of Japanese tourists making the trek to Finland just to see Moomin World.”
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