A brand new theme park based around Tove Jansson’s much-loved Moomin characters is to open in Japan in 2018.
‘Metsä’, meaning ‘forest’ in Finnish, is a joint venture between Tokyo’s FinTech Global Incorporated (FGI) and Moomin Monogatari Ltd.
Its wooded location on the shores of Lake Miyazawa in Hanno is intended to evoke the Moomins’ Finnish homeland.
The new theme park will incorporate two zones. Metsä Village is scheduled to open in Autumn 2018, and MOOMINVALLEY PARK will open in Spring the following year.
Metsä Village is being designed as a Northern European lifestyle country park. With no admission fee, visitors can relax or pursue outdoor activities in the park’s natural setting. Additionally, there will also be a covered European style market selling fresh local produce as well as arts and crafts. Accommodation will be offered in the form of lakeside glamping and a hotel with en-suite saunas.
At MOOMINVALLEY PARK, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the unique world of the Moomins. Landmark buildings recreated from the original stories will include the family’s Moomin House, the lighthouse and the bathing hut. The park will also feature a number of attractions, plus a restaurant and a Moomin store selling original park products.
Japan’s new Moomin attraction is being designed to deliver ‘Six Experience Values and 3 Guidelines that Lead to a True Sense of Contentment’:
- The experience of adventure, of discovery, of learning new things
- Natural experiences – a gentle breeze at the lakeside, soft grass under foot, the changing seasons
- The satisfaction of achieving goals through one’s own effort
Tove Jansson’s Moomin books first appeared in 1945 and are still as popular today with children all over the world.
All images © Moomin Monogatari Ltd. Main image is for illustrative purposes only.
