Sanrio Puroland

Sanrio Puroland (サンリオピューロランド, Sanrio Pyūrorando), also known as Hello Kitty Land, is an indoor theme park located in Tama New Town, Tokyo, Japan. Opened on December 7, 1990, it hosts attractions, live shows, shopping outlets, and restaurants dedicated to Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Gudetama, and Aggretsuko, in a manner akin to Disney theme parks. Sanrio Puroland attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year, and is ranked among the major theme parks in Japan, along with both Tokyo Disney Resort parks and Fuji-Q Highland. Sanrio also operates Harmonyland, an outdoor theme park in Oita Prefecture. History Sanrio Puroland was a "bold attempt" to challenge Disney and its theme parks. During its conceptual phase, Sanrio Puroland was known by many names - first as Sanrio Communication World, as well as Sanrio Heart Park and Sanrio Piero Land. The original theme was going to be "communication", as opposed to Sanrio's existing works, including its characters. In 1985, Sanrio initiated a project called "Sanrio Science Culture Communication Center" (SSCCC) with the goal of constructing a theme park that would open in 1990 to coincide with Sanrio's 30th anniversary. To build knowledge on theme park operation, management, and interior design, Sanrio commissioned Landmark Entertainment Group to design two facilities - the Ginza Sanrio Gift Gate (a concept shop that was located at the same spot as the current Ginza flagship store of Tiffany and Co.) and Sanrio Phantasien (an indoor mini-park that was located inside what is now the LaLaport TOKYO-BAY retail complex). The initial design phase began in 1987, and Sanrio Puroland broke ground on November 16, 1988. It took a team of 2,500 workers approximately two years to complete, at a cost of around JPY 60-70 million. Early days Sanrio Puroland opened on December 7, 1990, and would operate at a loss for the first few years of operation, due to factors such as the aftereffects of the Japanese asset price bubble burst and complaints from city locals. Modern times Notable temporary closures Sanrio Puroland was temporarily closed from February 22 to July 20, 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Points of interest Attractions Rides Sanrio Puroland features two dark rides. The Sanrio Characters Boat Ride, which tells the story of various Sanrio characters preparing for a party held by Hello Kitty, was the park's only ride until the opening of Sanrio Town in 2013, and with it, the opening of Mymeroad Drive, where riders are taken on a tour of Mariland (My Melody's homeland) via a rental car designed by Kuromi, My Melody's rival. Both rides offer commemorative photographs which can be separately purchased. Walkthrough attractions Sanrio Puroland has two walkthrough attractions, both found at Sanrio Town (second floor), as follows: Lady Kitty House - Visitors explore a regal-like residence with several items decorated in Hello Kitty's image (some parts of this attraction are designed by Japanese graphic designer and art director Yuni Yoshida). At the end of the attraction, visitors can have a photo together with Hello Kitty (can be printed for a separate fee). Kiki & Lala Twinkling Tour - Visitors explore a replica of the birthplace of Kiki and Lala (Little Twin Stars). Other attractions Visitors can ring Hello Kitty's Bell of Happiness, located inside the Tree of Wisdom. There are also five food factory displays (candy, juice, chocolate, bread, and ice cream), and a game corner with kids' rides, purikura booths, and UFO catchers. Former attractions Monster Planet of Godzilla was a former simulator attraction featuring Godzilla that ran from March 18, 1994 to July 1, 1998. Live entertainment Main parades The main parades of Sanrio Puroland take place around the Tree of Wisdom in Puro Village (first floor). The current main parade is the "Miracle Gift Parade", which debuted in late 2015 to commemorate Sanrio Puroland's 25th anniversary. Past parades and seasonal parades are as follows: Stage shows Sanrio Puroland hosts a variety of stage shows (both regular and seasonal) in various areas. Selected past and present shows are as follows: Other shows Sanrio Puroland also hosts a daily fireworks show (during the summer) and various illumination shows. Shops Entrance Shop - The largest shop in Puroland, located on the third floor. Original Puroland goods are available here. When the park first opened, it was called the “Souvenir Festival Plaza”. Inside the store was a castle and circus tent, and a moving trap bridge was built. Additionally, the cashier was set up inside of an enclosure similar to that of an Orient Express train car called the “Register Train,” and the entertainment part of shopping was displayed. Lady Kitty House Shop - A shop focused on selling Hello Kitty goods, located on the second floor of Sanrio Town. Original “Lady Kitty House” goods are also available here. My Melody & Kuromi Shop - Located directly above the entrance of Rainbow Hall on the fourth floor, Vivitix (a shop that closed on November 5, 2013, and was formerly Strawberry Lounge) was renovated. This is a shop focused on selling My Melody and Kuromi goods, some of which are exclusive to Puroland. Attached to this shop was a room decorated entirely with My Melody goods, which was renewed as a photo spot called “My Melody Garden” in 2020. Gudetama Shop - A shop focused on selling Gudetama goods, located on the third floor of Rainbow Hall. Village Shop - A shop that mostly sells stationery, plush toys, etc. and is located on the first floor of Puro Village. Duty-free counter - A tax-free counter that sells candy, plush toys, cameras, etc. located on the fourth floor of Rainbow Hall. The duty-free counter and duty-free services are no longer available as of November 17, 2023. Boat Ride Photo Corner - A shop located on the second floor of Puro Village that sells souvenir photos, headbands, etc. after exiting the Sanrio Character Boat Ride. Restaurants Restaurant Yakata - A buffet-style restaurant located on the fourth floor of Rainbow Hall. Visitors are able to meet and take photos and/or videos with six different characters at random - Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, PomPomPurin, and Wish Me Mell - at this restaurant. There is a 70-minute time limit. Installed at the information desk is a “reception system to reduce waiting time.” To know when their turn is called, customers receive a numbered ticket from the information desk and use their mobile device to scan the QR code found on the ticket. Until their turn is called, customers can freely roam around inside the park. Operation was suspended after its temporary closure in February 2020. In July 2020, the buffet was made available again. The same year, on August 10, the buffet format was suspended, and the restaurant reopened for business with a one-plate menu. As of 2022, greeting visitors at their seats has been suspended and characters appear onstage in the restaurant instead. Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant (sponsored by Coca-Cola East Japan) - Located on the fourth floor of Rainbow Hall, this “Food Machine Restaurant” underwent renovation and reopened as a rainbow-themed food court-style restaurant on December 23, 2016. The restaurant interior is decorated with colorful rainbow-like decor. Mainly depicted are the associated colors and messages of seven Sanrio characters (Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, PomPomPurin, Keroppi, Gudetama, and Cinnamoroll), and aside from this, their objet d’art is placed at the entrance of the restaurant. The menu features desserts decorated with Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty and Gudetama, as well as other dishes that can be found in food machine restaurants, regardless of the typical clientele. Additionally, a limited-time menu supervised by Koji Matoba was available to celebrate the restaurant's opening. Seating capacity: 350 people. Character Food Court (sponsored by Coca-Cola East Japan) - A fast food-style food court/restaurant inside a renovated “gourmet bazaar”, located on the first floor of Sanrio Town. The menu is primarily aimed at young women and children, and features Japanese curries and desserts in the shape of characters like Hello Kitty, My Melody, etc., reminiscent of character bentos and food art, as well as the Sanrio characters that are popular on social media. Events like the “Character Curry General Election” are held periodically. Seating capacity: 524 people. In addition to these restaurants, there is the Dream Café (formerly Tea Time Terrace, seating capacity: 65 people), located on the fourth floor of Rainbow Hall. For a limited time, the café operated as “My Melody Dream Café,” “Cinnamoroll Dream Café,” etc. (sponsored by Nissei) and offers original sweets and other items with character designs. Additionally, on the first floor of Puro Village is Sweet Parlor, which offers a selection of drinks, character-inspired ice creams, etc. Incidents In 2015, a five-year-old boy of foreign nationality fractured one of his fingers in the Sanrio Characters Boat Ride after reaching one of his hands out into the waterway and jamming it into one of the boats' metal stopper. On February 24, 2024, the park was closed after staff received an email saying that a "hazardous" object had been placed on the premises. A subsequent police search found no such item. References Footnotes Citations Bibliography External links Media related to Sanrio Puroland at Wikimedia Commons Official website (in Japanese)