There are several amusement parks in Tokyo that you may not have heard about. Their rides are more traditional than those in the newer specialized parks, but no less fun. And they include the oldest amusement park in Japan – smack in the middle of the city. Read on to find out more.
It did not take many years after the modernization of Japan had started for the first amusement parks to open. The concept is well beloved by the Japanese, and there are several amusement parks within the confines of the 23 wards, the city parts that comprise what we normally consider central Tokyo.
To start with, the oldest, Hanayashiki in Asakusa, is the oldest amusement park in Japan. It started out as a flower park, then introduced carnival rides, and gradually turned itself into a full-fledged amusement park.
Since the park is squeezed between houses and shops in the attractive Asakusa neighborhood, it is not very large, and there is no way to expand it. Except virtually, and with the owner of the games giant Bandai-Namco, that may happen.
Even within its physical constraints, Hanayashiki is a wonder of compactness, packing more than 20 rides into a small space. The rides are a bit retro, with ”showanyoi”, the sense of nostalgia for the immediate post-war period that the Japanese love. Many of them require yourself to pedal to drive the ride, which can be a hassle for more than average wide or tall Westerners. You will simply not be able to fit well enough to push the pedals.
The fare (should you decide to eat there, and not in one of the many restaurants surrounding the park) is rustic if you are kind. But it is a fun park nevertheless.
Entrance as of spring 2025 was 1200 yen for grown-ups (half price for children), with a book of 11 ride tickets priced at 1000 yen. Getting a ”free pass” for 2800 yen (grown-ups, 2400 yen for under-12) will pay off quickly if you ride more than a few times, as rides usually cost 4 or even 5 tickets.
Hanayashiki may be the oldest of the amusement parks in Tokyo, but the prize for the most audacious goes to the Tokyo Dome amusement park. It is also considerably larger than Hanayashiki, and the area of the Tokyo Dome is frequently used as an easily relatable surface measure when discussing how large something is in Japanese media.
Located around the Tokyo Dome arena, used for concerts and, in particular, baseball games, this park has a rollercoaster that runs through a building, and a regular show with masked rangers fighting evil forces. But while there are several outdoor attractions, most of the activities are indoor and focused on participation.
Not only does Tokyo Dome City have the largest bowling hall in central Tokyo, but there is also a roller skating rink and a huge indoor playground for children (handy when it is raining). Plus, of course, a batting center where you can test whether your skills at pitching and batting are enough to make you the next Ohtani.
Baseball is the mainstay of the Tokyo Dome area, with the arena regularly fielding home games of the Yomiuri Giants team. But also visiting teams from other parts of Japan, and regularly the World Baseball Classic, with visiting teams from the USA and the rest of the Americas, Europe, and several Asian countries (baseball is a national sport in Korea, much as in Japan).
Tokyo Dome is often considered the home of Japanese baseball, although the memorial to the foundation of Japanese baseball is located a few hundred meters to the southeast. The Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame is however, located on the second floor of the Tokyo Dome building and features a museum for those interested in the development of the sport in Japan.
The Tokyo Dome attractions are priced differently depending on the attractiveness of the day, which makes it rather complicated to decide what the price will be. Especially if you do not want a one-day passport, but just ride a rollercoaster through a building.
The one-day passport is priced between 5500 and 4700 yen for an adult, and since the price depends on the day, you have to look it up to determine which price applies to you. You can also buy a 5-ride ticket for 3800 yen, which allows you five rides during one day (but not more). Which may be enough if you are just ticking off your bucket list, not planning to enjoy a day out (or in, in case it rains).
The Tokyo Dome area, and the area surrounding the Suidobashi station, is also a leading gastronomical district and while focus of the restaurants is not on haute cuisine but more for those who want their stomach to become full while they enjoy a good time with friends, this is enough to feed an entire industry in Japan. There are plenty of both Japanese and Western restaurants, including the iconic TGI Fridays, and other international cuisines are well represented too.
It is worth staying for dinner in the Tokyo Dome area, especially in winter. Like so many other parks and commercial areas around Tokyo, the Tokyo Dome park invests heavily in illumination during the dark season, before Christmas but keeping the illuminations until February.
Both Hanayashiki and Tokyo Dome City are privately owned, meaning that potentially the land could be used to redevelop into condominium complexes (although this is very unlikely to happen to the Tokyo Dome complex). But that is even less likely in the third major amusement park on the list — because this one is owned by the city of Arakawa. And another advantage is that you can take the only (and coolest) tram in Tokyo to get there.
The Sakura Tram starts in Waseda, just outside the gates of the university, and runs through residential neighborhoods and parks along the Arakawa river. It is not the fastest way to get around Tokyo, but definitely one of the quaintest.
The Arakawayuenchi Mae stop is a few hundred meters from the park, a really classic amusement park that saw a huge renovation before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, re-opening in October 2022 with the rides completely renovated and an indoor playground and a water park added.
The Ferris wheel is still there, as well as the train (an actual steam train) that runs through the park. This park is the most family-friendly of the Tokyo amusement parks, featuring a petting zoo in addition to the other child-friendly attractions.
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