Sanrio Puroland – Experience Japan’s Kawaii World

(Image by Alvin Leong via http://www.flickr.com/photos/leonghongrui/5167114604/)

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.

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 cardholder shaped like a ping pong bat, this is exactly where you need to go.

9 Different Cute Attractions

Among the nine attractions of the park, you don’t want to miss the “My Melody & Kuromi~ Mymeroad Drive,” in which you hop on a train and ride around Mariland. Other attractions include the Sanrio Character Boat Ride, a ten-minute trip into the Sanrio world, and the Hello Kitty Bell of Happiness inside the Wisdom Tree, which claims to improve your luck in happiness and love with one ring!

Additionally, you can step in the dreamy scenes of rooms dedicated to popular Sanrio characters like My Melody and Gudetama. All rooms include cute props, making them the perfect settings for creative and funny pictures!

Parades and Special Shows

The park doesn’t only offer fixed attractions, but also parades and special shows which tend to change over the years. Remember to check the website to see what shows are available on any given day. Shows at the time of writing include the “Miracle Illusion Happiness,” a Hello-Kitty-themed illusion show enhanced with lights and projection mapping; “Hello Kitty in Wonderland,” mixing the best-known Sanrio characters with Alice in Wonderland; and the “Miracle Gift Parade,” featuring an array of Sanrio characters.

(Image by Masaya Anan via http://www.flickr.com/photos/mellmelo/19223391332/)

Aside from parades, you can also meet some of your favourite characters in the special meet and greet shows. The available characters change each month, so, again, check the website for more info. Special events are also held for characters whose birthdays fall in the month as well as the occasional seasonal events that are also held at Puroland around popular festivities like Christmas or Halloween.

The Best Place To Get Sanrio-Themed Goods

Shopping is also a large part of the Puroland experience. Shops sell all kinds of Sanrio-themed goods, anything from small objects like stationary and key chains to food or clothing. Along with the general Sanrio shops, characters like Gudetama or Little Twin Stars also have their own dedicated shops. Be on the look out for Sanrio Puroland limited items!

Try Out Their Sanrio-Themed Food!

After all the running around in such a cute world, you’re bound to get hungry. While bringing food from outside is prohibited, Sanrio Puroland offers plenty of restaurants for you to choose from. Naturally, most of them are themed around Sanrio characters, offering food almost too cute to eat. If you want to sit down for a proper lunch or dinner, you can choose between the Character Food Court, the Yakata Restaurant, and the Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant.

(Image by Amy Jane Mitchell via http://www.flickr.com/photos/amy_jane/22440453288/)

The Character Food Court is the place to go if you want to eat cute Sanrio-themed food. The only problem will be choosing among irresistibly adorable dishes like the Hello Kitty’s pink burger plate, the My Sweet Piano milk pasta or the Purin and Muffin soy sauce ramen. The Yakata Restaurant is a buffet restaurant with both Asian and international cuisine. While eating, you can enjoy a live singing performance by none other than Hello Kitty! Prices are around ¥2,000 for adults and around ¥900 for children.

The Sanrio Rainbow World is peculiar because each booth has its own menu. You can choose among a large variety of dishes, such as pasta, omurice, meat, crêpes, ice cream, etc. Needless to say, all dishes are decorated with beloved Sanrio characters like Little Twin Stars and Hello Kitty. Don’t miss the cute crêpes filled with refreshing fruits!