Moominvalley Park in Hanno
Last updated: September 13, 2026
Tove Jansson's Moominvalley rebuilt on a Japanese lakeshore: at Moominvalley Park in Hanno, the blue Moominhouse rises above Lake Miyazawa, live shows play at Emma's Theatre, and Kokemus — a three-storey museum of the characters and their creator — deepens the story behind the whimsy. The whole valley leans Nordic, from forest paths and lakeside views to the Finnish flavours in its restaurants and shops, making it the closest thing to Finland an hour from Ikebukuro. It is the first Moomin theme park outside the Moomins' homeland.
Itinerary
- Stop at: Moominvalley Park
Frequently Asked Questions
The valley's landmarks made walkable: the round blue Moominhouse at its heart, stage shows at Emma's Theatre, and Kokemus, a three-storey museum tracing the Moomin characters and Tove Jansson's stories. Around them spread forest trails, lakeside lookouts and play areas that keep the pace gentle rather than thrill-driven.
Take the Seibu Ikebukuro Line to Hanno Station — about 50 minutes from Ikebukuro — then a direct local bus to the Metsä lakeside complex the park sits in. The whole trip from central Tokyo runs about an hour and a half, an easy day out.
Surprisingly so — the park doubles as a Nordic lakeside retreat, with Lake Miyazawa's wooded shoreline, Scandinavian food and design shopping in the free-entry Metsä Village next door, and a calmer rhythm than Japan's big thrill parks. Fans, of course, get the full pilgrimage.
The round, hippo-like trolls created by Finnish author Tove Jansson in the 1940s, whose gentle books and comics became one of the world's most beloved children's universes — enormously popular in Japan. The park is the first Moomin theme park outside Finland.