Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, and its theme parks have become a major draw for the growing number of travellers heading to the country. From record-breaking roller coasters to immersive character worlds, the parks range from large destination resorts to smaller regional attractions. The following roundup looks at 18 notable parks across Japan, in no particular order.
Destination resorts expand
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka opened in 2001 and combines lands based on the Harry Potter franchise with areas inspired by Jurassic Park and Minions. It became the first Universal site worldwide to open Super Nintendo World in 2021 and added the world's first Donkey Kong Country area within it in 2024. The park also runs limited-time collaborations with franchises including Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Pokémon, One Piece and Resident Evil. In 2026 it announced its first expansion since opening, planning to invest up to 300 billion yen in new attractions across 60,000 square metres of nearby land.
Tokyo Disneyland opened on 15 April 1983 and was the first Disney park outside the United States. Based on the original Disneyland in California, it is divided into seven themed lands, including World Bazaar, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The park and its companion site, Tokyo DisneySea, are owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company under licence from The Walt Disney Company, making them the only Disney parks in the world not owned by Disney. In 2026 the park announced Space Mountain Earthrise and Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue as part of a 100 billion yen ($630 million) transformation of Tomorrowland, with the new Space Mountain set to replace the original coaster in 2027.
Tokyo DisneySea opened in September 2001 and spans 49 hectares across seven themed ports such as Mediterranean Harbor, Arabian Coast and Mysterious Island. In 2024 the resort opened Fantasy Springs, its largest expansion to date, a $2.2 billion project with worlds inspired by Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan, including landmarks such as Arendelle Castle and Rapunzel's Tower.
Character and studio attractions
Ghibli Park, set within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, brings Studio Ghibli films to life across five themed areas. It opened in November 2022 with three lands and was completed with Mononoke Village in November 2023 and the Valley of Witches in March 2024. It has no major thrill rides but features a large-scale recreation of Howl's Moving Castle and Catbus electric vehicles that carry guests around the site. In 2026 the park announced plans for a new indoor area inspired by the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Sanrio Puroland, an indoor park in Tama City, western Tokyo, opened in 1990 and brings Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll to life through parades, shows and attractions. Legoland Japan opened in Nagoya in April 2017 as the first Legoland park in the country and became a resort in 2018; its Miniland Japan is built from more than 10 million Lego bricks. PokéPark Kanto, described as the world's first permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction, opened in February 2026 at Yomiuriland in Tokyo, with more than 600 Pokémon across two zones. Moominvalley Park opened in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, in March 2019 and is the second Moomin-themed park in the world, after Finland.
Thrill rides and regional parks
Fuji-Q Highland, opened in 1968 near the base of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, is known for record-breaking coasters such as Fujiyama, Eejanaika and Takabisha. Nagashima Spa Land in Mie Prefecture, which opened in 1966, has 13 operating coasters — more than any other park in Japan — and forms part of the wider Nagashima Resort. Huis Ten Bosch in Nagasaki Prefecture recreates a European-style Dutch town and, at about 152 hectares, is Japan's largest theme park by area; in 2025 it opened Japan's first premium flying theatre, with an 8K LED dome screen.
Smaller and historic parks add variety. Asakusa Hanayashiki in Tokyo, established in 1853, is considered Japan's oldest amusement park and features the country's oldest surviving roller coaster, built in 1953. Hirakata Park is Osaka's oldest park, dating to 1910, and attracts around 1.3 million visitors a year. Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura recreates an Edo period town across 49.5 hectares. Greenland in Arao City, Kumamoto, is among Kyushu's largest parks, with around 80 attractions. Sanrio Harmonyland in Oita Prefecture is the outdoor sister park to Puroland and opened a new AR area in 2026.