Sanrio Puroland: A Whimsical Adventure in Tokyo's Hello Kitty Paradise

Discover a world where your favorite Sanrio characters come to life. This theme park is the perfect destination for the entire family. Sanrio Puroland allows children and adults to create unforgettable memories with Hello Kitty and friends!

Introduction:

If you’re visiting Tokyo with kids, you don't need to ponder too hard about where to take them. Sanrio Puroland is just a few minutes away, and it is arguably the best theme park in the city. Located in Tama City, the park is dedicated to the colorful world of Sanrio characters. You get to see performances by Hello Kitty, My Melody, Gudetama, and many of the others.

The theme park is also home to several attractions. Some of the biggest highlights of Puroland are the exciting boat rides, photo booths, live performances, Hello Kitty-themed foods, and merchandise shops.

In this post, we’ll provide detailed insights into what it’s like to spend time at Puroland. You’ll have all the information you need before you set foot on the park grounds.

Welcome to Sanrio Puroland: Tokyo’s Magical World of Cute

Sanrio Puroland (サン リオ ピ ュ ー ロランド) is an indoor theme park in Tama City, Tokyo, with activities and attractions based on popular Sanrio characters. The park has many on-site attractions, ranging from rides to games.

Also known as Hello Kitty Land, it’s filled with kawaii items that keep visitors engaged for several hours. Puroland is a family-friendly destination. If you or your kids are fans of Sanrio characters, the park is a must-visit. Its main attractions are a variety of rides, walkthroughs, live performances, parades, and stage plays. The park is also famous for its kawaii-themed shops and restaurants, where you can get souvenirs and tasty treats. 

Puroland (ピ ュ ー ロ  ランド) was established in December 1990 as Sanrio’s answer to Disneyland. The entire park took two years and 2,500 workers to complete. It also set the company back more than 60 million yen. The first few years were difficult for the founders as the park struggled to turn a profit. However, it would go on to become a very profitable venture. Today, the theme park has become synonymous with family-friendly fun in Tokyo.

Sanrio Puroland Overview: Floors and Their Facilities 

The theme park is as large as DisneyLand. Its building consists of four huge floors, each filled with its own unique attractions. Below is a summarized floor guide:

• First Floor (1F): theaters, shops, decorative displays, and entrance to Sanrio Town.

• Second Floor (2F): boat ride and Puro Village.

• Third Floor (3F): main entrance and exit, photos, information counter, and souvenir shop.

• Fourth Floor (4F): restaurants, cafes, and other eateries.

Getting to Sanrio Puroland: Travel Tips

Next, we'll explore some detailed travel tips on how to get to Sanrio Puroland from major areas in Tokyo. We recommend that you make the trip by train because it's the cheapest option. If you’re in central Tokyo or its environs, head over to Shinjuku Station. From there, you need to find the Keito Line. Simply follow the signs leading to Platform 4 and Platform 5. 

Board an express or rapid train heading to Hashimoto Station on the Keio Line and alight at Tama-Center Station in Tama City. Sanrio Puroland is only a few minutes away from that station, so feel free to walk the rest of the way. Feel free to look at the Tama Center Area Map next to the station’s exit. It will give you an idea of what direction to walk on your way to Puroland. Overall, the entire journey should last for about 30 minutes. Please note that rapid trains to Tama City tend to have more stops than express trains. So, you could significantly cut down on travel time by taking an express train.

A train on the Odakyu Line offers an alternative route. You would need to stop at the Odakyu Tama Center and make your way to Sanrio Puroland from there. However, tickets for the Odakyu Line are more expensive. 

Attractions at Sanrio Puroland

Amidst the endless attractions at Sanrio Puroland, you’ll find a few that are truly exceptional. These attractions are the most popular at the park and you’ll often find people queuing to participate. The following is a list of key attractions within the park:

• Lady Kitty House: Sanrio Town is home to a wide variety of attractions, but few of them are as famous as Hello Kitty’s house. This is an actual house that gives Hello Kitty fans a chance to explore the everyday life of the Sanrio character. It contains many Kawaii features, including a milk tea bathtub, plushies, tea room, and a giant fluffy big bear. 

• My Melody & Kuromi‘s Mymeroad Drive: You can enjoy a ride through Maryland in the Eco My Melody Car, Kuromi’s rental vehicle. It takes you through several iconic scenes from the Sanrioverse. Explore My Melody’s house, Hide and Seek Forest, and Strawberry Field. You get free photo shoots with each ride.

• Sanrio Character Boat Ride: Join Hello Kitty, Cinnamon, and their friends on an adventurous boat ride. The Sanrio Character Boat Ride is arguably the most popular attraction in the amusement park. You’ll find it in Puro Village. The attraction has a character synthesis service that allows you to digitally add characters to the photos you take on the ride.

• Marchen Theater: The Marchen Theater is one of three mini-theaters on the first floor of Puroland. This is the only place to see Hello Kitty perform her famous Kawaii Kabuki. The theater hosts many more shows several times a day. There’s a strict no-photography policy during the shows.

• Character Greeting Residence: Puroland recently launched a character greeting residence known as Charaguri Residence. It consists of five luxury apartments, each with its own theme and main character. You get to meet and greet iconic characters like Bad Badtz-Maru, My Melody, Wish Me Mel, and Cinnamon.

Shows and Performances: Live Entertainment Schedule

Sanrio Puroland offers an endless run of live shows and events for the viewing pleasure of its visitors. The shows involve different Sanrio characters taking turns to entertain viewers through parties, plays, parades, and decorations. Most of these shows take place at the theaters in the park. There are three of them: Marchen Theater, Discovery Theater, and Fairyland Theater.

The shows come in different forms, ranging from parades and festivals to stage troupes and live events in collaboration with popular artists. The Miracle Gift Parade is a major attraction at the park, in which the characters move about on colorful floats and share gifts. Hello Kitty's production of Kawaii Kabuki is another must-see. Most of these events have passed, but you can expect to see them return in the near future.

Meet and Greet: Interacting with Sanrio Characters

The amusement park is home to many iconic characters, and you can visit them where they live. There are several meet-and-greet opportunities where visitors can interact with their favorite Sanrio characters. With a basic pass, you can enjoy most of the special greetings available for free.

If you want to greet and take photos with characters for free, try the Caragli Residence and Lady Kitty House. They’re the permanent greeting spots in town. However, Puroland also offers limited-time greetings on special occasions. The Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary greeting runs until the end of August 2024. You can also greet the top 10 characters from the 2024 Sanrio Character Rankings for free until mid-July. 

There are even more novelty, limited-time greetings available to you with an advance reservation purchase. Hello Kitty and Hello Mimmy will be waiting for you during the anniversary celebrations. You can also meet the neon-clad characters during the Puroland Neo Natsumatsuri.

Dining in Sanrio Puroland: Themed Eateries and Snacks

There are several themed dining options available at Sanrio Puroland, including Hello Kitty-themed foods and character-inspired treats. You can choose from any one of five different restaurants and cafes at the park. We’ve listed all five available eateries below:

• Character Food Court: The restaurant sells the best curry and ramen in the park. Most of the products are decorated with the faces of Sanrio characters. 

• Yakata Restaurant: This buffet-style eatery allows you to enjoy different kinds of dishes while you watch Sanrio characters play on the stage and work as restaurant staff. The restaurant also offers special menus to celebrate different events, such as anniversaries and festivals. 

• Sweet Parlor: The perfect place to enjoy the Miracle Ice Cream, a special dessert resembling small. You can choose from several flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and more.

• Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant: This is a rainbow-themed food court that sells pasta, roast beef, desserts, steaks, and drinks. 

• Cinnamoroll Dream Cafe: This establishment is based on Cinnamon and his friends. It sells arguably the best sweets, snacks, and beverages in the park. 

Shopping at Sanrio Puroland: Exclusive Merchandise

Don’t leave Puroland empty-handed. The amusement park offers ample shopping experiences for all needs and budgets. The following are the six main shops at the park:

• Lady Kitty House Shop: This is where you’ll find a wide range of Hello Kitty merchandise. You can also customize your own original items, including fans and sticks.

• Fairy Tale Workshop: The workshop allows you to combine colorful parts and create a unique item. The shop also sells a few merchandise items.

• Gudetama Shop: Visit this shop to buy beverages, Gudetama goods, and baby products.

• My Melody Shop: This shop is one of the best places in the world to buy exclusive My Melody items. Get My Melody and Kuromi stationery, headbands, plushies, key chains, and more.

• Entrance Shop: This is Puroland’s largest shop. You can find nearly everything here, from sweets to stuffed toys.

• Village Shop: Located in Puro Village, the shop offers a wide variety of goods. It’s located on the first floor of the building.

Seasonal Events and Festivals at Sanrio Puroland

The park hosts dozens of festivities throughout the year. Some of them are one-time events, while others are seasonal. During holidays, you can find a rich blend of the current themes and Sanrio characters. Halloween parties and Christmas celebrations are perfect examples of these seasonal holiday events.

Earlier in this post, we mentioned the Puroland Neo Natsumatsuri. It’s one of the occasional festivals celebrated at the park. Sanrio also hosts anniversary parties in honor of the parent company. If you’re a fan of illuminations, you’ll love some of the character performances under bright decorative lighting, such as Hello Kitty Piano Illumination and Mignon Illumination.

Sanrio Puroland's Impact on Pop Culture

For 30 years and counting, Sanrio productions and Puroland have led the kawaii culture scene both in Japan and internationally. The fact that it caters to both kids and adults is a reflection of how kawaii culture appeals to people of all age groups. Fans of Hello Kitty and friends travel from all over the world to Puroland. To many of them, seeing their favorite characters in real life is a dream come true. The experience is similar to how kids feel when they visit Disneyland.

The items sold at the park have influenced kawaii-style fashion items sold at other theme parks around the globe. Anyone who has visited Sanrio Puroland will agree that it is the most Kawaii place in the world. 

The Future of Sanrio Puroland: What’s Next?

Despite suffering several setbacks over the years, such as the temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanrio Puroland is still a global powerhouse. The future looks bright for the park, as we expect new attractions this year and beyond. The Hello Kitty Piano Illumination is scheduled to take place in December 2024. Puroland Neo Natsumatsuri is also on the way in July 2024. No matter what time of the year you decide to visit Tokyo, you’ll surely find exciting ongoing events in Puroland.

Conclusion:

Sanrio Puroland offers a magical experience for all. Even though entry into the amusement park isn’t free, you’ll get your money’s worth as soon as you step into the building. There’s so much to see and do that you might require more than one visit to even come close to exploring all the offerings. Whether you’re a Sanrio fan or simply looking for some family-friendly fun in Tokyo, Puroland is one of the best destinations. Immerse yourself in the vibrant, joyful world of Sanrio characters next time you visit Japan.

Celebrate Hello Kitty’s special day with her and her best friends! My Melody has organized the perfect surprise party and assigned everyone to bring a delicious treat. Join in on the fun to see what surprises are in store!