Merlin breaks ground on Legoland Japan
The building blocks are being put together in Nagoya, Japan, as construction work has started on the country’s first Legoland theme park.
Merlin Entertainments CEO Nick Varney and Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura were both on-hand at the groundbreaking ceremony for the US$315m (€292m, £210m) attraction, with the start of construction marked by the arrival via digger of 20,000 Lego bricks.
Set to open in Q2 of 2017, Legoland Japan will be the eighth Lego park to open worldwide (Legoland Dubai being the next to open in 2016) and will include a mix of rides and attractions unique to the location.
“We look forward to working closely with [the city of Nagoya] as the project progresses, and have no doubt that through their continued efforts this region and the City of Nagoya will become a major family leisure destination both for Japanese and international visitors,” said Varney. “Legoland Japan will play a key role in driving that strategy, adding a new and exciting dimension to the entertainment which is on offer.”
The Lego brand already has an attractions presence in Japan, with Merlin’s existing Legoland Discovery Centre in Tokyo and a planned Discovery Centre in Osaka, opening later this year.
20 Legoland developments in the pipeline, says Merlin
4D film based on Lego Movie coming to Lego theme parks and Discovery Centres
Lego named world's most powerful brand
Merlin builds on Lego's popularity in Japan with announcement of Osaka Discovery Centre
Merlin unveils US$315m plans for Legoland Japan
AI firm Midjourney enters wellness with spa, fitness and body scanning concept
Hot spring wellness community Ameyalli sells residences and breaks ground on resort and spa
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming. The latest addition, Oberon, extends the visitor experience beyond the gallery, reflecting a growing trend for museums to become all-day destinations.
The New Museum in New York has entered a new chapter with the completion of a major
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has architecture by Leach Rhodes Walker and interiors by Bergman Design House.
Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
Qiddiya and Populous share details of Saudi Arabia’s National Tennis Centre
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Luxury resort coming to Hunter Valley will have longevity spa
'Data chocolate', dreams made real and artworks shaped by visitors’ emotions: Refik Anadol’s AI art museum launches in Los Angeles
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres




















