Sanrio Puroland Guide

If you love Hello Kitty, cutesy parades, and rather cheesy performances, you’ll probably love Sanrio Puroland. This small theme park makes a good day trip out of Tokyo for fans who can’t get enough of Sanrio characters.

[The entrance to Sanrio Puroland. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Sanrio Puroland Overview

Hello Kitty may be one of Japan’s most famous international exports. Luckily for Sanrio, she isn’t just their company’s one hit wonder - they have a string of characters hits to their name, from the sugary-sweet My Melody rabbit to the famously apathetic egg, Gudetama.

Tokyo Holiday Essentials

If you can’t have enough Sanrio in your life, it’s time to fulfil those dreams and head on over to Sanrio Puroland in Tama City. It’s a relatively small theme park, but it’s loaded with enough pastel-coloured kawaii to keep you and your kids happy for the day. As a bonus, there’s plenty of themed merchandise on sale. If you have ever wanted a Hello Kitty-branded nail buffer or card-holder shaped like a ping pong bat, this is exactly where you need to go.

[Ticket prices for Sanrio Puroland. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Buying Tickets

Here are the basic admission prices for the park:

• Holiday Passport Prices (Weekends, public holidays, other Puroland holiday dates)
  Adult (18+): JPY3,800
  Child (3~17): JPY2,700
• Weekday Passport Prices (Monday~Friday)
  Adult: JPY3,300
  Junior: JPY2,500

Weekdays aren’t particularly crowded, but it can be much busier during weekends and school holidays when families congregate here with their children. At this point you may need to queue for tickets.

[The ticket barriers at Sanrio Puroland. - image © Florentyna Leow]

In our opinion, Sanrio Puroland is not worth paying full sticker price for, especially when there are myriad discount ticket options out there. We suggest purchasing tickets in advance, which offers up to 48% off the full price.

On the day, all you need to do is bring a printout of your ticket or show a mobile ticket on your smartphone. They’ll scan the QR code at the entrance. It’s very simple, and you won’t have to queue on the day to buy tickets.

[A Sanrio takarabune, or treasure boat. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Things to Remember Before You Go To Sanrio Puroland

• Check the online calendar before you go. Unlike Disneyland or some other theme parks, Sanrio Puroland isn’t open every single day. They are typically closed on Thursdays, but there are occasionally other days where they are closed for maintenance or other reasons. Check their online calendar here.
• Check the online schedule before you go for parades and shows. Like Disneyland and Disney Sea, Sanrio Puroland has regularly scheduled performances and shows, such as the Kawaii Kabuki show or Memory Boys musical. Some of these are held daily, and some are only held on special occasions. If you’re keen on seeing any of these, it’s worth checking their website so that you can time your visit accordingly.
• They do special things for birthdays and anniversaries. If you’re visiting Puroland on your birthday or an anniversary of any kind, head to the information counter on the third floor. You’ll get a card, but also fun, secret, special things. Go and be surprised.
• You can actually buy a ‘Fastpass’ at Puroland. This JPY500 pass gives you priority access to rides and attractions. However, if you’re here on a weekday, you will almost never have to wait for a ride other than the Sanrio Character Boat Ride. Unless you’re really pressed for time, don’t bother.

[Signs to the Keio Line. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Getting To Sanrio Puroland

You’ll start at Shinjuku Station. Any entrance will do, but you essentially want to find the Keio Line. If you’re starting from the South Exit, just follow the signs and downward escalators leading to the Keio Line.

[Entrance to the Keio Line. This is also the entrance to the Toei Shinjuku and Oedo lines. Just look for the signs for Platforms 4 and 5. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Make your way to Platform 4.

[For illustration purposes, the top line in orange shows the Semi Rapid Express bound for Hashimoto at a different station on the Keio Line. - image © Florentyna Leow]

You want to board a train bound for Hashimoto 橋本, ideally a Semi Rapid Express 準特急 or Express 特急 train as these are the fastest and stop at the fewest stations. If there is only a Rapid Train 快速 available, that’s fine too - it will just take a little bit longer as there will be more stops on this line.

[The station platform at Keio Tama Center Station. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Alight at Keio Tama Center Station.

[A large sign for Sanrio Puroland. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Head to the exit. It’s pretty obvious where you are.

[A map of the surrounding area. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Turn left and head for daylight. There’ll be a map in front of you, but it shouldn’t be necessary to consult it unless you have other things to look for. Walk up the stairs and cross the bridge.

[You’ll pass a large Hello Kitty figure. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Keep walking straight.

[Look for the orange building. - image © Florentyna Leow]

At the crossroads, turn left at the orange building.

[Shops, shops, and more shops. - image © Florentyna Leow]

You’ll see Sanrio Puroland in the distance, at the end of a road lined with multinational fast food chains and conglomerates like McDonalds, Subway, and Mister Donut. That’s your destination.

The route in summary: Take any of the rapid trains on the Keio Line bound for Hashimoto Station from Shinjuku Station. Alight at Keio Tama Center Station. Turn left at the ticket barriers, walk straight, up a short flight of stairs, and onwards. At the crossroads, turn left and walk straight. Sanrio Puroland is at the end of the road. The fare if you take the Keio Line is JPY320.

[Odakyu Tama Center Station is next to Keio Tama Center Station. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Note: You can also take the Odakyu line to Odakyu Tama Center. The only real difference is the fare: taking the Odakyu line from Shinjuku Station costs JPY370.

[Crossing the bridge to Sanrio Puroland. You’ll hear cheery theme park music, much like Disneyland. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Inside Sanrio Puroland

Sanrio Puroland isn’t overwhelmingly large like Disneyland, and is you don’t really need a game plan or strategy here. It’s more about exploring and shopping. There’s also free unsecured WiFi so you can immediately overshare all your delightful experiences here on social media.

There are four floors in the Sanrio Puroland building, connected by escalators and staircases. It doesn’t really matter what order you visit each floor in. One of the zones, Sanrio Town, is only accessible via the first floor or the third floor. We’ll introduce each of the floors and this zone in turn.

[Inside Rainbow Hall, right after the ticket barriers. - image © Florentyna Leow]

3F: The Third Floor

This is where the entrance and exit to the theme park is. When you enter through the ticket barriers, you’ll be in Rainbow Hall.

[Queuing for photo opportunities. - image © Florentyna Leow]

At the foot of the stairwell, there’ll be staff dressed up in various Sanrio character costumes throughout the day. There’ll also be long queues of people for the photo op.

[A dedicated area for baby carriages and strollers. - image © Florentyna Leow]

To the left is the information counter and a stroller storage area.

[The inside of the souvenir shop. - image © Florentyna Leow]

To the right is a large souvenir shop.

Taking either side of the stairwell up will lead you to the fourth floor.

[The My Melody shop. - image © Florentyna Leow]

4F: Fourth Floor

This floor has a few shops and three eating spaces.

[Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? - image © Florentyna Leow]

In addition to merchandise, the My Melody Shop has a very pink room you can take photos of or in.

[The Dream Cafe. - image © Florentyna Leow]

There’s the Dream Cafe, which looks a bit like the ghost of a dream. Next to Dream Cafe is Restaurant Yakata.

[In front of the Sanrio World Restaurant. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Then there’s the Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant, which is essentially a very large cafeteria.

[The inside of the Rainbow World Restaurant. - image © Florentyna Leow]

The nice thing about it is that there’s a skywell that lets plenty of natural light in. If you have to wait for a friend or child while they explore the rest of the place, this is a decent place to chill out and read a book - assuming you don’t mind the constant theme park music in the background.

[A menu for omurice. - image © Florentyna Leow]

They sell omelette rice, various pasta dishes, and roast beef rice bowls.

[A pudding, Caesar salad, and spaghetti bolognese. - image © Florentyna Leow]

The food is overpriced for what it is - average - but portion sizes are reasonably large. You’ll pay a premium if you order something character-themed like a Gudetama pudding. In other words, it’s standard theme park fare.

[The welcome sign at the bottom of the escalators. - image © Florentyna Leow]

2F: Second Floor

Taking the escalators down from the third floor, straight from the ticket barriers, will take you down to Puro Village. This zone encompasses both the first and second floors.

[View of the first floor from the second. - image © Florentyna Leow]

To explore the second floor, you can turn left after reaching the bottom of the escalators. From here, you’ll essentially walk around a raised balcony overlooking the space around the Wisdom Tree on the first floor below.

[The entrance to the Sanrio Character Boat Ride. - image © Florentyna Leow]

From here, there’s one ride you can go on, which is the Sanrio Character Boat Ride. This is a surprisingly popular ride and the only one you’ll really see queues for, even on weekdays.

After you’ve finished walking around, you can take another staircase down to the first floor.

[The Wisdom Tree takes center stage - literally. - image © Florentyna Leow]

1F: First Floor

The first floor is mostly a mix of theatres and shops around its perimeter. In the centre is the Wisdom Tree Stage, where they stage performances and hold parades.

[The Candy Factory display. - image © Florentyna Leow]

There’s a series of displays depicting various factories and plants, such as the candy factory or bread factory. These are sponsored by local Japanese companies such as Morinaga (the chocolate factory) or Yamazaki Baking (the bread factory). They’re not interactive displays and seem to be there primarily for decoration and world-building purposes.

[Somebody must have figured out by now that no one likes clowns. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Some of the displays are quite cute, but some are more like the stuff of nightmares.

[The entrance to the Discovery Theatre. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Theatres you’ll find on the first floor include the Fairyland Theatre and Discovery Theatre.

[A performance at the Wisdom Tree Stage. - image © Florentyna Leow]

You may witness an energetic dance performance at the Wisdom Tree Stage during your time there.

To get to the Sanrio Town zone from the first floor, find the big television screen and walk underneath it. This will take you to Sanrio Town.

[Entrance to the Character Food Court. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Sanrio Town

In addition to various shops, Sanrio Town is home to the Character Food Court, a short car ride called ~My Melody & KUROMI~ Mymeroad Drive, Strawberry Hall, Lady Kitty House, and ~Kiki & Lala~ Twinklingtour.

[One of the menus at the food court. - image © Florentyna Leow]

The Character Food Court serves food such as curry rice and ramen, all with Sanrio mascots on them. Excellent if you want Instagrammable photos of cute characters on your food.

[Thinking pink. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Next to the Character Food Court is the terrifyingly pink Mymeroad Drive ride, a 3-minute ride through the very small world of a white rabbit and her friends. Strictly for those who want photos of them on this ride, as photographs of you will be taken at every other diorama stop along the way.

[Apathetic eggs unite. - image © Florentyna Leow]

The entrance to the mysteriously-named Strawberry Hall, where you play games with and about Gudetama the apathetic egg.

[The outside of Hello Kitty’s house in Sanrio Town. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Hello Kitty fans will most likely want to visit Lady Kitty House on the second floor, which is exactly as billed - a look inside the iconic character’s dwellings.

[Everything you could ever want emblazoned with Hello Kitty on it, from stationery to towels to nail buffers. - image © Florentyna Leow]

There’s a shop full of Hello Kitty-themed goods right outside.

[No lines on a weekday. - image © Florentyna Leow]

On the same floor is the ~Kiki & Lala~ Twinklingtour.

[Child-sized entertainment. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Outside this ride are several small merry-go-rounds, claw machines, and child-sized train carriages.

Note: To get to the Sanrio Town zone from the third floor, turn right from the ticket barriers and veer towards the souvenir shop. You should see an additional set of escalators to the right. This will take you to Sanrio Town, which spans a section of the first and second floors.

[Sanrio mascot-themed instant noodles - the perfect souvenir for your friend who didn’t want to come with you. - image © Florentyna Leow]

Is Sanrio Puroland worth it?

Sanrio Puroland is a day trip out of central Tokyo. It’s a little bit of a schlep, so you should only visit if you fall into one of the following categories:

• You’re a parent with young children. This theme park is extremely child-friendly. Everything, from the pastel-coloured, goggly-eyed characters to the energetic parades and dancing staff members, is designed to appeal to young children. The small train carriages and 3-horse merry-go-rounds in Sanrio Town are obviously for the tiny. Something to remember, however, is there aren’t that many rides here. A day out at Sanrio Puroland is more about enjoying the numerous performances and parades - there’s pretty much a different one every hour.

  There are plenty of parent-friendly facilities like stroller storage areas and nursing rooms, and many, many seating areas around the building - a boon for parents otherwise on their feet all day. Nightmarish clowns aside, this theme park will most likely keep young kids entertained for at least a couple of hours.

[Real kabuki actors are wincing just thinking about this. - image © Florentyna Leow]

• You like kawaii culture and you’re open to experiencing it in all forms. Well. This place is perfect for you, then! Obviously, this isn’t representative of Japan in any sense, but it is an interesting look into one aspect of pop culture.
• You’re already a fan of Sanrio characters. Puroland is definitely not just for kids. Much like Disneyland and Disney Sea, the theme park attracts a surprising number of adults who were just as excited - perhaps even more so - as the children to be there. You’ll see couples on dates, groups of girls eating crepes, people of all ages and genders shopping for themed merchandise and getting excited over ‘character food’.
• Unfortunately for some of us, Puroland is about kawaii cuteness. There’s no room here for Sanrio’s more adult-oriented, satirical characters like Aggressive Retsuko and her furious death metal karaoke. If Puroland ever adds a death metal karaoke booth where you can scream out your frustrations at being a cog in the corporate machine, though, count me in for a second visit.

English name:
Sanrio Puroland

Japanese name:
サンリオピューロランド

English address:
1-31 Ochiai, Tama City, Tokyo 〒206-8588

Japanese address:
〒206-8588 東京都多摩市落合１丁目３１

Opening hours:
9:30am - 5:00pm (Hours vary; consult website before going)

Admission: JPY3,800 directly from the venue, or discounted when bought online

Nearest Transport:
Train: 8-minute walk from Keio Tama Center Station on the Keio Line, or Odakyu Tama Center on the Odakyu Line.

Nearest Hotels:

Telephone:
+81-42-339-1111

Website:puroland.jp

Where Is This Place Located?

• Open the Tokyo map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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