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Japan's Moomin Theme Park Opening Pushed Back to 2019
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The Moomin theme park in Japan, originally scheduled to open next year, is pushed back to 2019. Titled "Metsä," the theme park will open in spring 2019 at Lake Miyazawa, which is located in a relatively undeveloped corner of Hannō, in Saitama Prefecture northwest of Tokyo.
It will be divided into two zones: a free "Metsä Village" with nature activities and lakefront restaurants and shops, and a "Moomin Zone" with more Moomin-centered facilities, like the Moomin house and an art museum. The lake and forest setting was chosen to evoke the scenery of Finland, and the restaurants will serve northern European food using natural ingredients. It will also be available for use in weddings.
The Metsä Village area will open ahead of the theme park in fall 2018. There are plans to build replicas of buildings from the Moomin stories, like a lighthouse and bathing hut. There are also plans for a market where you can purchase fresh local vegetables and crafts and accommodations with a sauna with a view of the lake
Plans for the theme park were first announced in 2013 with an original opening date set for last year.
Moomin began in 1945 as a series of children's books written in Swedish by Finnish author Tove Jansson, but has expanded over the decades into comics, films, animated TV series, and a theme park in Naantali, Finland. Its cute main characters, the Moomins, have gained the franchise a sizable fanbase in Japan, and many of the animated series were produced in Japan.
Source: Fashion Press via Hachima Kikō
