Winter Fun in Tokyo at Yomiuri Land

Nov 29, 2022

Winter Fun in Tokyo at Yomiuri Land

With the famous Disney Resort a relatively short ride from Tokyo Station, it is easy to forget that Tokyo actually has several other wonderful theme parks and attractions worth visiting. Today we will focus on Yomiuri Land, just 30 minutes from central Tokyo. While not as big as Disney, Yomiuri Land makes for a fun day out of all four seasons of the year. It should also be said that the wait times here are much shorter than at Disney, making it a much more enjoyable experience, 

The Yomiuri Group operates the park. If the name sounds familiar, they also own the Yomiuri newspaper and the famous Yomiuri Giants baseball time. The park has been operating since 1964 and is still one of the largest theme parks in the region. 

Yomiuri Land’s Attractions

Yomiuri Land has more than 43 attractions aimed at people of all ages. We’ve gone over some of the more popular ones below. 

• Bandit –  This is Yomiuri Land’s most popular ride and has been running since 1988. When it was built, it was actually the fastest in the world. The top speed of 110 km/h, so it isn’t for the faint of heart. 
• Ferris Wheel – At 160 meters high, you can see views of Tokyo Tower, Mt. Fuji, and Tokyo Skytree on clear days. It is the symbol of the park and is absolutely stunning when illuminated. 
• Bungee Jump – Another ride for the thrill seekers among us. This bungee jump is the only one in Tokyo and can be experienced by children as young as 12. You need to want to jump roughly seven stories. I had to pass on this one, but maybe one of my readers can come back and tell me how it was. 
• MOMOnGA Roller Coaster – This is Japan’s first standing roller coaster and has a fall of 25 meters from the top of the loop to the bottom. 
• Laser Athletic – Temple of the Sun – This is more my speed. This laser-based obstacle course has three challenge levels, from beginner to expert. Give it a try and see if you can beat all three levels!

Yomiuri land for kids

This park is a great place for kids of all ages. The Goodjoba (good job) area, in particular, is definitely worth the price of admission. It gives a more educational and career-oriented vibe to your visit, but that’s not a bad thing in the least. There are four vocational areas for kids to explore, from a miniature car factory to a ride focused on the fashion industry to a place focused on education and campus life to a food factory ride where kids get to experience being turned into UFO Yakisoba. 

Yomiuri Land Seasonal Attractions

Autumn to winter

This brings us to the real goal of this article. We are finally coming into illumination season. Here, the park offers a gorgeous “Jewellumination” light display. From October 20 to April 9, the park will be aglow with the various stunning “Jewellumination” light displays set to music.

Spring

As the park is based within a forest, spring offers plenty of cherry blossoms for your Hanami needs. If you are short on time, the Bandit rollercoaster, which flies through a forested area, is hailed as the world’s quickest cherry blossom viewing experience.

Summer

I’ve mentioned Pool WAI before, but I will repeat it since it is a lot of fun. Pool WAI at Yomiuri Land has a whopping five pools and three water slides, including the rubber ring ride ‘The Giant Sky River’ that stands 25m high and runs for 386m. You can play it safe in the Anpanman pool if that is too thrilling for your disposition.

Yomiuri Land Access

Ticket prices

Ticket prices range from 5,800 yen for adults, 4,600 yen for junior and senior high schoolers, 3,600 yen for elementary schoolers and seniors over 65, and 2,000 yen for children from 3 years to elementary school. There is a slight discount if you order the tickets online. They also offer great yearly passes since repeat visits are almost assured. 

Getting there

The closest train station to Yomiuri Land is Keioyomiuri Land Station on the Keiō Sagamihara Line. You can walk 1.2 miles uphill from the station or take the five-minute Gondola Sky Shuttle for ¥300 (one way) to reach the park entrance.

Yomiuri Land
206-8725 Tokyo, Inagi, Yanokuchi, 4015−1 (map link)
044-966-1111
yomiuriland.com

江戸村のとくぞう, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons