Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, and its theme parks remain a major draw. A roundup of the country's leading parks points to a sector investing in new lands, attractions and character collaborations rather than standing still.
Universal and Disney push major expansions
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, which opened in 2001, became the first Universal park in the world to open Super Nintendo World in 2021, and in 2024 added the world's first Donkey Kong Country area within it. The park also runs limited-time collaborations based on Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Pokémon, One Piece and Resident Evil, and has hosted Sanrio characters in seasonal shows and parades. In 2026 it announced its first expansion since 2001, planning to invest up to 300 billion yen in new attractions across 60,000 square metres of nearby land.
Tokyo Disneyland, which opened on 15 April 1983 as the first Disney park outside the US, is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company under licence from The Walt Disney Company. In 2026 it announced Space Mountain Earthrise and Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue as part of a 100 billion yen ($630 million) transformation of Tomorrowland, with the new Space Mountain set to replace the original coaster in 2027. Its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, opened in September 2001 and spans 49 hectares across seven themed ports. In 2024 the resort opened Fantasy Springs, its largest expansion to date, a $2.2 billion project featuring worlds inspired by Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan.
New entrants and IP-driven attractions
PokéPark Kanto opened in February 2026 at Yomiuriland in Tokyo as the world's first permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction. The 26,000-square-metre park features more than 600 Pokémon across two zones, Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town, plus a parade and two attractions, Pika Pika Paradise and Vee Vee Voyage; tickets include admission to Yomiuriland, though its rides require separate tickets.
Ghibli Park, inside the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park, opened in November 2022 with three of its five themed areas and completed them with Mononoke Village in November 2023 and the Valley of Witches in March 2024. It has no major thrill rides; highlights include a large-scale recreation of Howl's Moving Castle and Catbus electric vehicles. In 2026 it announced plans for a new indoor area inspired by the 1984 film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Thrill parks and regional resorts
Fuji-Q Highland, opened in 1968 near Mount Fuji, is known for coasters such as Fujiyama, Eejanaika and Takabisha, while Nagashima Spa Land in Mie Prefecture has 13 operating coasters — more than any other park in Japan — including Steel Dragon 2000. Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo, a Dutch-themed park that is Japan's largest by area at about 152 hectares, opened Japan's first premium flying theatre in 2025 with Brogent Technologies, using an 8K LED dome screen, and added the Miffy Wonder Square in 2025.
- Asakusa Hanayashiki: considered Japan's oldest amusement park, dating to 1853, and home to Japan's oldest surviving roller coaster, built in 1953.
- Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura: a 49.5-hectare recreation of an Edo-period town with costumes, performances and hands-on activities.
- Legoland Japan: opened in Nagoya in 2017, with Miniland Japan built from more than 10 million Lego bricks.
- Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland: the indoor Tokyo park opened in 1990; Harmonyland opened the AR-based Nakayoku Lab in 2026.
- Hirakata Park: Osaka's oldest park, dating to 1910, drawing around 1.3 million visitors a year.
- Greenland: a Kumamoto park with around 80 attractions, including the dual-track Milky Way coaster.
- Moominvalley Park and Sylvanian Park: character-led parks in Saitama and Ibaraki.
Yomiuriland, which hosts PokéPark Kanto, drew around 2.4 million visitors in 2024, the year it marked its 60th anniversary and more than 70 million visitors since opening. It offers more than 40 rides, including the Bandit coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 110 km/h.