Splish, Splash, Sploosh!: Your Guide to Tokyo’s Waterparks

Jun 26, 2018

Splish, Splash, Sploosh!: Your Guide to Tokyo’s Waterparks

When the air outside is thick with humidity, cicadas begin their endless chirping, the stores start stocking endless varieties of flavored bottled water and teas, and all the kids start sporting “playground tans”, Tokyo Summertime has finally come. We are the enviable environment to enjoy a trip to the beach, but sometimes we’d like to cool off a bit closer to town. Good thing there are several great water-parks around the metropolis we can take advantage of!

Here’s our guide to some of the best waterparks to take a beat the heat and catch a few thrills at the same time:

Tokyo Summerland

Located less than 2 hours away from Shinjuku in the city of Akiruno, this sprawling amusement park has rides like roller coasters and a Ferris wheel but is well known for its water park.
Both outdoor and indoor sections, outfitted with various water slides, fountains, and pools that can keep visitors entertained for the whole day. And when that isn’t enough, a hotel is also available.

Water park schedule:
Tokyo Summerland is open year round, except during the winter season where it is closed from December through February.

Ticket Prices:

	Entrance Fee	Free Pass	Summer Entrance Fee	Summer Free Pass
Adults (Ages 13-60)	¥2,000	¥3,000	¥3,500	¥4,500
Children (Ages 7-12)	¥1,000	¥2,000	¥2,500	¥3,000
Infants/Senior Citizens(Ages 2‐6 / 61 and over)	¥1,000	¥1,500	¥1,800	¥2,000

• Regular Period: March to June | October to November
• Summer Period: July 1 – September 30
• Admission Ticket: This ticket includes Admission + use of Adventure Dome (Indoor Pool) +Adventure Lagoon (Outside Pool, opens during summer season only) + Water slides (excluding DEKASLA).
• Free Pass Ticket: This ticket includes use of facility available with the Admission ticket + use of DEKASLA (opens during summer season only) + unlimited ride on rides (excluding some part of rides, coin-operated rides).*

Access:

• JR Chuo Line [JC] or Keio Line [KO] to Hachioji Station. Transfer to city bus services that offer direct access to the amusement park from there.
• Map Link
• 600 Kamiyotsugi, Akiruno-shi, Tōkyō-to 197-0832
• Tel: 042-558-6511
• www.summerland.co.jp

Yomiuri Land Water Amusement Island

Located about an hour away from central Tokyo is one of the larger and well-known amusement parks, Yomiuriland. The park offers over 25 types of attractions including modern thrill rides and water fumes as well as kid-friendly rides.

The park also opens its water park in the summer time. The water amusement island which is also know to locals as WAI offers several pools including an Anpanman-themed kids’ pool and various sliders featuring the Giant Sky River which stands at 24.5 meters and has a 386 meters downhill runway, navigable only with the use of a four-seater inflatable ring.

Special Events are also held throughout the summer including various shows, synchronize swimming performances, and summer water races.

Water park schedule:
July 01 to September 10, 2017 | 9:00 – 17:00.

Ticket Prices:

	Pool admission (Amusement park + Pool admission)	1-Day pass with pool (Amusement park + Pool admission + unlimited rides)
Adults (ages 18 – 64)	¥3,200	¥6,000
Junior and senior high school students	¥2,500	¥4,800
Children (ages 3 – elementary school)	¥2,100	¥4,400
Silver (ages 65 & above)	¥2,000	¥5,300

Access:

• Keio Line [KO] Keio-Yomiuri-Land Station.
  From there, cross the street and board the “Gondola Sky Shuttle” to get to the the park gate.
• Odakyu Line [OH] Yomiuri Land-Mae Station.
  Transfer to buses bound for Yomiuri Land.
• Address: 4015-1 Yanokuchi, Inagi-shi, Tokyo 206-8725
• Phone：044-966-1111
• Website: www.yomiuriland.com

Toshimaen Water Park

This park located in Nerima ward a includes a vast assortment of carnival rides in addition to that water park having 26 water slides and 6 different pools.

• Open July 15 to September 4, 9:00 – 17:00

Admission

	Admission	Admission + Rides	Admission + Kids Rides	Water Park Only
Adult (15yrs old +)	¥1,000	¥4,200	¥2,900	¥4,000
Children A (height more than 110cm)	¥500		¥3,200	¥3,000
Children B (height less than 110cm)			¥2,400	¥2,000

Access:

• Seibu Ikebukuro Line[SI] or Toei Oedo Line [E]to Toshimaen Station.
  About a 1-minute walk from the station.
• Map link
• Address: 3−25−1 Koyama, Nerima-ku, Tōkyō-to 176-8531
• Phone：03-3990-8800 | 03-3990-4126 (Toshima Hotspring)
• Website: www.toshimaen.co.jp

Tobu Super Pool

Located north of Tokyo in Saitama prefecture, Tobu Dobutsuen-Koen consists of an amusement park, a zoo area, and leisure pool complex which is open during the summer season. The pool area has many slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool with giant fountains.

Water park schedule:
July 22 to September 9, 9:30 – 17:00

Ticket Prices:

	Admission Fee	Pool Admission (Admission + Pool	1-Day Pass(Admission + Unlimited Rides + Pool)
Adults (Junior high & above)	¥1,700	¥2,400	¥4,800
Children (ages 3 & up)	¥700	¥1,100	¥3,700
Seniors (ages 60 & above)	¥1,000	¥1,700	¥3,700
Ride Ticket (1 ride)	¥300 – ¥1,000

Access:

• Direct service is available via Tokyo Metro’s Hanzomon line [Z] and Hibiya line [H] that continue onto the Tobu Skytree line [TS] to Tobu-Dobutsukoen Station. From there, shuttle service is available to the park.
• Map link
• Address: 110 Suka, Miyashiro-machi, Minami Saitama-gun, Saitama
• Phone：048-093-1200
• Website: www.tobuzoo.com

Showa Kinen Park: Rainbow Pool and Water Playland

Once home to a prewar airfield, Kokuei Shōwa Kinen Kōen (国営昭和記念公園 ) is a massive park located in the western Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa and is considered as a paradise for families as it offers a wide range of activities to choose from – cycling, boating, playing sports, picnicking, flower and plant viewing, or just simply relaxing.
During the summer season, the park opens its Rainbow Pool and Water Playland. Nine different pools, water slides and wave machines are on offer here.

Water park schedule:
July 17 to September 4 | 9:30 – 18:00.

Ticket Prices:

	Pool Rates	Group Rates	Sunset (entry after 14:00)	Pool Passport
Adult (ages 15 or older)	¥2,500	¥2,100	¥1,250	¥6,700
Children (elementary & junior high school)	¥1,400	¥1,100	¥700	¥3,400
Young children (ages 4 & 5)	¥500	¥400	¥250	¥900
Maternity (Pregnant Ladies)	¥500
Silver (ages 65 or older)	¥700

• Maternity – please present Mother & Child Handbook
• Silver – please present ID confirming age
• Rates includes park entrance.

Access:

• JR Chuo Rapid Line [JC] bound for Ome to Nishi-Tachikawa Station.
• Map link
• Address: 3173 Midori-cho Tachikawa City, Tokyo 〒190-0014
• Phone：042-528-1751
• Website: www.showakinen-koen.jp

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— By Jason L. Gatewood

Images: Tokyo Summerland via YouTube