Hooray, now it is confirmed – the MoominValley Park in Hanno, Saitama, Japan will open on 16th March 2019!
The brand new MoominValley Park will be part of a park facility called Metsä comprising of two areas. Metsä Village, opening in November 2018, allows visitors to experience the Scandinavian and Nordic atmosphere and lifestyle and enjoy the rich nature whilst MoominValley Park is to discover the world of the Moomins.
MoominValley Park
MoominValley Park includes the Moominhouse, several attractions based on the original books, live shows and greeting events with the characters, replicas of the bathing house and the lighthouse and an exhibition facility where one can learn about the thoughts of the Moomin creator Tove Jansson.
MoominValley Park is filled with the charm of the original stories and art where Moomin fans can make new experiences and discoveries. With one of the largest selections of Moomin related merchandise, the Moomin gift shop has many original goods that cannot be purchased anywhere else. The restaurant at the theme park offers original menus that combine local ingredients with the Nordic and Moomin’s world.
Exhibition facility ‘ Kokemus’
The name of the three-story exhibition center, ‘Kokemus’, is Finnish for ‘experience’. Visitors can experience and learn more about the Moomins in an exhibition where Tove Jansson’s passion for both work and love and a life spent with Moomins intertwines with the Moomin books. After coming through the interactive space and different exhibitions, visitors can recall the experience in the cafe and concept store with a selection of import Moomin products as well as take part in a workshop to craft something from the Moomin books and take home a special memory of their own.
Permanent exhibition corner
”Tove’s Memories Theatre” that imitates a summer house
The exhibition center also has Main Shop Moominvalley that carries one of the widest selections of Moomin merchandise in the world. The restaurant called Moominvalley is inspired by the Moomin’s midnight party in the forest. An over 8-meter-tall, big scale diorama of the Moominvalley, as well as art pieces borrowed from the Helsinki Art Museum in Finland, are on display.
The exhibition is planned together with Mayumi Tomihara, who has published many Moomin comics, novels and research pieces about Moomin and is also known as the greatest Moomin scholar in Japan.
Restaurant Moominvalley “Muumilaakso Ruokala”
The Lonely Mountain area
The Lonely Mountain area is a mountain for adventure and contemplation. It is a recreational attraction modeled after the story of a Hemulen, who likes peace and quiet, from the novel “Tales from Moominvalley”. The area has a rope bridge, a merry-go-round and other playground equipment based on the episode where the amusement park where Hemulen had worked before closes down and Hemulen decides to build one of his own. The children can play to their hearts’ content and adults can relax on the benches, enjoy forest therapy, gaze at the photogenic tree house or take a refreshing stroll.
On top of the Lonely Mountain is a zip line attraction, ‘Hobgoblin’s zip line’. As an activity zip line is popular around the world and at Moominvalley Park the visitors can enjoy a thrilling round trip of around 400m over the Miyazawa lake sliding on a pulley on a wire pulled through the forest while gazing at the view. On the zip line, the visitors can glide through the forest and above the lake while looking for King Ruby, just like Hobgoblin riding his black panther in the Moomin story “Finn Family Moomintroll”.
Attraction ’Hobgoblin’s zip line’
Moominvalley area
Inside the Moominvalley is a Photo studio ”Muikku foto”, where the Moomins come to have their pictures taken. The studio offers photography taken by a professional as well as a chance to take a commemorative picture with the characters.
Greetings from Tove Jansson’s niece
Tove Jansson’s niece, Sophia Jansson, send her greetings to Moomin fans around the world and told her thoughts about the soon to be opened MoominValley Park.
Watch her greeting below:
About MoominValley Park’s location, the city of Hanno, Saitama
The city of Hanno is around 50km away from the Tokyo city center. With the ‘city’ and ‘nature’ together in harmony, the city of Hanno works on being a pleasant place to live and was chosen as a “town of forest culture” in 2005, thanks to its cultivation of living, culture, history and industry achieved through the people’s strong connection to the rich forest around them.