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Japan's Moomin Theme Park Opens March 16 in Saitama
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The long in development Moomin theme park will officially open its doors on March 16, 2019 in Hannō, Saitama. The "Moomin Valley Park" was first announced in 2013 with the name "Metsa," but the area has since divided into two zones.
"Metsa" encompasses both "Metsa Village" and Moomin Valley Park. Metsa Village is a Nordic-themed shopping area that will blend Northern European aesthetic with the natural elements around Lake Miyazawa. The area will include shops, restaurants, a farmer's market, and workshops. Entry into Metsa Village will be free when it opens on November 9.
Moomin Valley Park will have three different areas. The park will be home to replicas of the three-story Moomin family home, the lighthouse and bathing hut from Tove Jansson's original stories. A three-story exhibition space "KOKEMUS" will retell Jansson's life and Moomin for visitors. Staff offered a sneak peek of Kokemus on August 9 which includes a two-floor diorama of Moomin Valley measuring about eight meters high. The diorama includes rotating parts that interact with a video.
Kokemus is also home to the Paja workshop space where visitors can create artwork, the Muumilaakso Kauppa (Moominvalley Shop) where merchandise is sold in a forest setting, the woodsy Muumilaakso Ruokala (Moominvalley Restaurant), and the snowy-themed Kauppa & Kahvila (Shop & Cafe) that sells Scandinavian and Moomin goods.
The Lonely Mountains Area (Osabishiyama) is home to an athletic playground full of suspension bridges, climbing ropes, a tree house, slides, and a merry-go-round. There's also a 400m round trip zipline with stunning views of Lake Miyazawa.
Other attractions include the Sea Orchestra show that Moominpapa and his friends witnessed in the books and a live entertainment stage.
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: Moomin Valley Park Instagram, Metsa Official website via Nijimen
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