Nature-inspired Moomins theme park coming to Japan
A theme park based on The Moomins is coming to Japan’s Saitama Prefecture in 2017 as part of a nature-inspired reserve, according to the investment bank behind the project.
The theme park, which will sit on the area around Lake Miyazawako in Hanno owing to its resemblance to the nature-rich homeland of the Moomins, will include a museum, restaurants offering Nordic meals and facilities where visitors can interact with Moomins characters.
Investment bank FinTech Global (FGI) is behind the development, which has signed a Basic Agreement on Local Renaissance with the city of Hanno to set out the development’s parameters, underpinning joint efforts to attract tourists to both the theme park and to Hanno.
The 190,000sq m (2,000,000sq ft) plot of land at Lake Miyazawa, which is currently owned by the Seibu Railway company, will be sold to FGI. In the 1960s, Seibu Railway developed recreational facilities at the site, which will now be developed to emphasise the concept of coexisting with nature as in the Moomin stories.
The park – known as Metsä – will be comprised of two zones: a Moomin Zone and a Public Zone. The Moomin Zone will be the theme park element of the development, offering visitors attractions themed around the storybook world. The Public Zone will take into account local residents, with the area being maintained as a free-to-visit public park. The area will also offer nature-inspired activities for all to enjoy.
Moomin Monogatari will oversee the project, which will be supplied in-part by Puuha International Oy, the Finnish playground equipment group.
The Moomin stories were first published in 1945 in Swedish by the Finnish writer and artist Tove Jansson, with the nine Moomin books and various Moomin comic strips since being adapted into animated TV shows worldwide.


James Corner Field Operations creates Highline for London

Esbjerg’s landmark maritime center, designed by WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta, opens to the public

SEVEN to open world’s first indoor Discovery Adventures centres in Saudi Arabia

Fun and fear drive new Universal attraction concepts for Texas and Las Vegas

Voelker Gray Design creates 10-acre hot springs wellness haven for Atlanta

AIDarchitecten create healing spa for Antwerp's Botanic Sanctuary

Hollaway Studio's Seahive would bring blue health to South-East England

SEVEN to invest US$13bn in developing entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia

World Spa’s expansive 50,000sq ft urban bathhouse and wellness club opens in Brooklyn

Floating Salmon Eye visitor attraction by Kvorning Design highlights sustainable aquaculture

White Arkitekter's Wood Hotel in Skellefteå Swedish Lapland is climate positive and made from local timber

Nohlab's 'Everything' installation among Noor Riyadh festival highlights

Bob Iger's return to Disney sparks major restructuring focused on creativity and storytelling

Therme Group plans US$200m urban wellbeing resort in South Korea

Digital art installation in Nanjing helps the public keep an eye on exoplanets

First glimpses revealed of flagship Blue Zones Centre in Miami

Warner Bros. and Infinite Reality launch metaverse experiences for live sports fans

Storyland Studios' Nigeria's film city project will break ground in Q1 2023

Canyon Ranch preps for major expansion with new destinations in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston

WilkinsonEyre-designed Battersea Power Station development opens as leisure district following £9bn redevelopment

Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design

Foster and Partners reveal design for sustainable marine life centre on the Red Sea

Anaheim's US$4bn ocV!BE project approved by planners

Construction marches ahead for Saudi giga-projects Amaala and The Red Sea

HBG Design behind Michigan’s six-storey Aquadome inspired by the sun’s path across the sky

Seventh International Museum Construction Congress to be held in Norway this year

The 'world's most anticipated museum' to finally open this year

Nike's Serena Williams Building, designed by Skylab, follows the concept of flow

Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'

David Adjaye and Ralph Appelbaum selected for £57m International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum project
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates