Legoland Japan Resort

Legoland Japan Resort
Entrance
LocationMinato-ku, Nagoya, Japan
Coordinates35°03′02″N 136°50′36″E / 35.05056°N 136.84333°E / 35.05056; 136.84333
StatusOperating
OpenedApril 1, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-04-01)
OwnerMerlin Entertainments
ThemeLego toys and childhood amusement
Operating seasonYear-round
Area23 acres (93,000 m2)
Attractions
TotalOver 40
WebsiteOfficial website

Legoland Japan Resort (Japanese: レゴランド・ジャパン) is a theme park in Nagoya, Japan. Opening on 1 April 2017,[1] it was the first Legoland theme park in Japan and the second in Asia (after the Legoland Malaysia Resort), and the eighth worldwide.[2] Upon opening, the park was projected to attract over two million visitors every year.[3]

History

[edit]

On June 30, 2014, Merlin Entertainments announced plans to open a Legoland Resort in Nagoya.[4] Construction officially began on April 15, 2015.[5] With a budget of USD $250 million, construction was implemented by Art and Project, TAA Group and Tejix.

The nine-hectare (22.24 acre) park is located in Nagoya's Minato Ward and contains seven areas.[6] It has over 40 attractions and uses approximately 17 million bricks.[7] Attractions include Imagination Celebration, completed on March 12, 2017, and Lego-brick cityscapes of places like Tokyo and Nagoya, which were completed on March 17, 2017.[6]

On March 27, 2017, a commemorative Lego-themed train began running on the Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit Aonami Line to celebrate the park's opening.[8] The commuter train, named Legoland Train, began daily service on the Aonami Line, traveling from central Nagoya to the new theme park.

Merlin Entertainments announced plans to build a Legoland Hotel and a Sea Life aquarium next to the park in 2018 to help transform the area into a resort, which was expected to cost JPY¥10 billion.[9]

On December 1, 2017, Legoland Hotel began accepting reservations for its grand opening on April 28, 2018.[10] The opening of Sea Life Aquariums was set for April 15, 2018. [11]

On February 28, 2020, the park was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park reopened on March 23, 2020, with limited services, reduced business hours, mask mandates and mandatory temperature checks.[12][13] Lego Ninjago Live, the Observation Tower, Submarine Adventure, The Coral Reef buffet, and the Knight's Table restaurant were not in operation.

Park locations

[edit]
Entrance of Legoland Japan
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
75m
80yds
Miniland
ミニランド
Factory
ファクトリー
Pirate Shores
パイレーツショア
LEGO Ninjago World
レゴニンジャゴーワールド
Knight's Kingdom
ナイトキングダム
LEGO City
レゴシティ
Adventure
アドベンチャー
Bricktopia
ブリックトピア
Legoland →
Japan Hotel
.
Entrance
Gate
Themed areas within LEGOLAND Japan Resort[14]

Themed areas of discovery within the resort include:

  • Bricktopia (ブリックトピア)
  • Miniland (ミニランド)
  • Adventure (アドベンチャー)
  • LEGO City (レゴシティ)
  • Knight's Kingdom (ナイトキングダム)
  • Pirate Shores (パイレーツショア)
  • Factory (ファクトリー)

Bricktopia

[edit]

Bricktopia includes the robotic workshops Build and Test and Lego Creative, where park goers can learn to build and program their robots.

Lego Ninjago Live offers guests a 4D interactive experience. Other interactive Bricktopia attractions include DUPLO Play, DUPLO Express, Imagination Celebration and Observation Tower. The Chicken Diner offers chicken meals and sandwiches, while Pino Cart offers Pino ice cream in a Lego souvenir box.[citation needed]

Miniland

[edit]

Located at the center of the park, Miniland features many popular tourist attractions from across Japan built from LEGO bricks, including locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya. 10,496,352 LEGO bricks were used to recreate the Japanese locations.[15]

City/Region Added Closed Image Description
Tokyo Tokyo 2017 Featuring models of Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Crossing, Sensō-ji, and the Shinkansen.
Sapporo 2017 Featuring models of Sapporo TV Tower and Sapporo Snow Festival.
Nagoya 2017 Featuring models of Nagoya Castle and Nagoya Dome.
Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto 2017 Featuring models of Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Byōdō-in, and Gion.
Hyōgo Prefecture Hyōgo Prefecture 2017 Featuring models of Osaka (Tsutenkaku Tower, Dōtonbori), Kobe (Kobe Port Tower), and Himeji (Himeji Castle).
Hiroshima Prefecture Hiroshima Prefecture 2017 Featuring a model of Miyajima, Hiroshima.

Adventure

[edit]

The Adventure area includes interactive games and maze-like areas for children's play. It is located on the east side of the park along with the park's underwater attractions. Rides in this area include Submarine Adventure, S.Q.U.I.D. Surfer, Cargo Ace and Beetle Bounce. The Coral Reef Pizza and Pasta Buffet, Artifact Shop, Sub Shop and Oasis Snacks are also located in this area of the park.[citation needed]

Lego City

[edit]

Lego City is located on the park's north side and has activities such as Junior Driving School, Coast Guard HQ and Rescue Academy. In this area of the park, guests learn to drive an electric car, take the wheel during a boat ride and work together to put out fires. The Lego Cinema plays Lego films and shopping is available in Studio Store, Heartlake Shop and City Shop. Pit Stop Juice ‘n’ Drive, Brick House Burgers and Marina Snack Shack offer snacks and lunch.[citation needed]

Knight's Kingdom

[edit]

The Knight's Kingdom is found on the park's northwest side. The medieval-themed area includes roller coasters like Dragon and Dragon's Apprentice, as well as attractions including Merlin's Flying Machines, Merlin's Challenge and Kingdom Games. Shops include King's Market and Knight's Table Restaurant.[citation needed]

Pirates Shores

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Pirate Shores is surrounded by water with activities including Splash Bottle, Castaway Camp, Anchors Away! and Blue Coat Games. The Lost Booty Trading Post is a gift shop in this area offering souvenirs.[citation needed]

Factory

[edit]

The Factory is located on the park's southwest side, containing The Lego Factory Tour. The Lego Story, displayed along the walls, shares Lego and Legoland history with park visitors as they walk through the factory's corridors. On display is the machinery that creates various Lego pieces used throughout the park. After the tour, visitors receive a new Lego piece from the production line as a souvenir. All photos taken in the park can be picked up at The Photo Shop, which offers a limited edition Legoland photo album. The Corner Shop provides stroller and wheelchair services and sells sundries and other useful goods. Souvenirs purchased in the park can be dropped off here and picked up upon leaving the park. Other shops and restaurants include Big Shop, Ice Factory and Factory Sandwich Company.[citation needed]

Rides and attractions

[edit]

Legoland Japan includes several rides as well as a miniature town featuring iconic landmarks such as Tokyo Station, Kiyomizu Temple, and Nagoya Castle.[16][17] Most rides were imported, installed and modified to meet Japanese regulations by Sansei Technologies, Inc. Since the opening of Legoland Japan in 2017, Legoland Ninjago World, Legoland Hotel, and Sea Life Aquarium have opened.

Creative Workshop

[edit]

Offers various workshops such as Daruma doll crafting, Tensegrity and Caterpillar.[18] Each workshop has a designated difficulty level.

Roller coasters

[edit]
Coaster Opened Area Description
Flying Ninjago 2019[19] Lego Ninjago World The ride is on the back of a dragon, giving park guests the option to rotate 360 degrees in the air. The ride reaches heights of up to 22 meters and speeds up to 50 kilometers an hour.[20]
The Dragon 2017 Knight's Kingdom This ride travels around the king's castle, with animated lego figures and a dragon along the way.[20]
Dragon's Apprentice 2017 Knight's Kingdom Similar to the dragon, but built for younger riders.[20]

Amusement rides

[edit]
Ride Opened Area Description
Lloyd's Spinjitzu Spinners 2019[21] Lego Ninjago World Containers that spin 360 degrees.[20]
Kai's Sky Masters 2019 Lego Ninjago World Guests sit in four-person cars and shoot at other vehicles to gain points.[20]
Coast Guard HQ 2017 Lego City Up to three guests sit in an electric-powered boat while the driver navigates around obstacles.[20]
Splash Battle 2017 Pirate Shores Eight ships, each seating eight people, compete to avoid getting sprayed with water cannons from the shore and the other ships in the water.[20]
Anchors Away! 2017 Pirate Shores A rotating pirate ship moving along a U-shaped track.[20]
Merlin's Flying Machines 2017 Knight's Kingdom Guests pedal themselves far into the air as their car travels around the carousel.[20]
Merlin's Challenge 2017 Knight's Kingdom Merry-go-round-like ride on a wooden train.[20]
Lost Kingdom Adventure 2017 Adventure Egyptian-themed ride with a point system based on the number of targets shot with laser guns.[20]
Observation Tower 2017 Bricktopia A 60-meter tower that offers guests a 360-degree view of the entire park.[20]

Other attractions

[edit]
Attraction Opened Area Description
Cole's Rock Climbing Wall 2019 Lego Ninjago World A small-scale rock climbing wall designed for younger children.[20]
Jay's Lightning Drill 2019 Lego Ninjago World Guests compete to press buttons on the wall as the light up within 30 seconds.[20]
Ninja Games 2019 Lego Ninjago World Carnival-style game where guests hit targets with toy ninja stars to win prizes.[20]
Palace Cinema 2017 Lego City Large indor movie theater showing 4D Lego movies with features like rain and wind.[20]
Rescue Academy 2017 Lego City Guests compete to user their fire engine's water guns to put out a fire.[20]
Driving School 2017 Lego City Riders race their own electric car around the circuit. Each guest receives their own Legoland driver's license.[20]
Miniland 2017 Miniland This attraction features imagery of 10 different cities in Japan built out of Lego bricks. Over 10 million bricks were used in this walkthrough experience.[20]
Kingdom Games 2017 Knight's Kingdom Carnival-style games with prizes on the line.[20]
Submarine 2017 Adventure An underwater attraction where guests can see fish and sea creatures up close with Lego models hidden underwater throughout.[20]
Build and Test 2017 Bricktopia Guests create and race their unique lego contraptions.[20]
Lego Creative Workshop 2017 Bricktopia Workshops spanning from simple machines to advanced robots.[20]
Robotic Play Center 2017 Bricktopia Guests build their own Lego Mindstorm Robot.[20]
Lego Factory Tour 2017 Factory Guests see firsthand how Lego bricks are produced on an informational walkthrough of this factory.[20]

Sea Life Nagoya

[edit]
Sea Life Nagoya
Entrance of Sea Life Nagoya
Map
Date openedApril 2018
MembershipsJAZA
Major exhibits"Ryugu-castle (Under Water tunnel)"
"Stingray Bay" etc.
OwnerSea Life Centres
ManagementLEGOLAND Japan Resort
Websitewww.legoland.jp/en/resort-guide/sealife-nagoya/

Sea Life Nagoya (ja: シーライフ名古屋), opened April 15,2018, is a public aquarium located on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Legoland Japan Hotel.[22] It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA).[23]

The aquarium is divided into 11 sections, including an exhibition with a Kiso River theme, a Ryugu Castle area with an Urashima Taro theme, and an exhibition related to Lego blocks and seafood.[24] Although part of Legoland Japan Resort, admission is charged separately for the aquarium and theme park. Sea Life Nagoya is the second Sea Life in a Legoland park, opening after Sea Life Aquarium in Legoland California. The aquarium emphasized experiences, with features like backyard tours and animal interactions.[22]

Sea Life Nagoya facilities include Shoaling Ring, Kiso River, Rockpools, Harbour, Seahorse nursery, Coral reef, Stingray Bay, Jellies, Sunken Shipwreck, Ryugu Castle (underwater tunnel), and Amazing Creations.[25]

Access

[edit]

The park is near Kinjō-futō Station on the Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit Aonami Line.[26]

Stores

[edit]

Legoland Japan Resort offers 12 stores, located throughout the park. These stores have different themes, but guests are able to pick any type of Lego they want at each location.[citation needed]

Store Opened Location[27] Description
Minifigure Market April 2017 Bricktopia Mini legos, lego keychains, lego plushes, build your own mini-figure lego.[28]
Pick a Brick April 2017 Bricktopia Guests build their own Lego building.[29]
Studio Store April 2017 Lego City Lego movies.[30]
Heartlake Shop April 2017 Lego City Based on the Lego Girl series.[31]
City Shop April 2017 Lego City Part of Driving School, where guests may create or buy Lego cars.[32]
The Corner Shop April 2017 Factory Stroller and wheelchair services.[33]
Lost Booty Trading Post April 2017 Pirate Shores Pirate Lego souvenirs.[34]
Artefact Shop April 2017 Adventure Ancient heritage themed store selling adventure Legos and Lego backpacks.[35]
The Sub Shop April 2017 Adventure Part of Submarine Adventure, offers pictures of guests on the ride.[36]
King's Market April 2017 Knight's Kingdom Part of Knight's Castle Restaurant, guests may buy Lego castles and dragons.[37]
The Photoshop April 2017 Main entrance Guests select their favorite photos from the park's seven locations.[38]
The Big Shop April 2017 Main entrance Variety of Legos sold in stores across the park.[39]

Restaurants

[edit]

The resort offers six restaurants, most of which are based on the theme of the area they are located within.

Date Restaurant Location Description
April 2017 Brick House Burgers Lego City[40] Hamburger style restaurant.[41]
April 2017 Factory Sandwich Company Factory, 2nd floor of Corner Shop Café offering handmade sandwiches and drinks.[citation needed]
April 2017 Chicken Diner Bricktopia[42] Chicken meals, including sandwiches.
April 2017 Coral Reef Pizza and Pasta Buffet Adventure[43] Seasonal pasta and pizzas.[41]
April 2017 Knight's Table Restaurant Knight's Kingdom[44] Fantasy castle themed restaurant.[41]
April 2017 Oasis Snacks Adventure[45] Snacks, including fries, churros, and cheeses.[41]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Yoshimoto, Minako (2 April 2017). "Long line marks opening of Legoland Japan in Nagoya". The Asahi Shimbun. Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  2. ^ Bolton, Adam (20 March 2017). "Lego makes Japan its next Legoland destination". Cnet. Cnet. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  3. ^ Okuma, Yu (6 March 2017). "Aquarium to open near new Legoland theme park in Nagoya". The Asahi Shimbun. Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Legoland park for Japan to be built by 2017". BBC News. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  5. ^ The Asahi Shimbun. "The Asahi Shimbun Weekly". Getty Images.
  6. ^ a b "【Official】Welcome to LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  7. ^ "Legoland Japan now serves food in the shape of Lego bricks and we need to try it | Virgin Radio UK". 28 July 2022.
  8. ^ "LEGOLAND train begins service on Nagoya's Aonami line". Japan Today. Japan Today. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  9. ^ Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Naho (5 April 2017). "Legoland Japan makes solid start despite high admission fees". Nikkei Asian Review. The Nikkei. p. 2. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  10. ^ "【公式】レゴランド・ジャパン・ホテル|レゴランド®・ジャパン・リゾート". www.legoland.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  11. ^ "【公式】レゴランド・ジャパン・リゾート". www.legoland.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  12. ^ "Theme parks and attractions reopen in Japan". blooloop.com. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  13. ^ Bevil, Dewayne (20 March 2020). "Legoland Japan set to reopen Monday after 3-week coronavirus closure". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Legoland Japan Park Map" (PDF). Leogland Japan.
  15. ^ "Miniland". Legoland Japan. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Japan's first outdoor Legoland park opens in Nagoya". The Japan Times Online. 2017-04-01. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  17. ^ "Legoland Japan Guide". Inside Osaka. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
  18. ^ "【Official】Workshops | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  19. ^ "ThemeParx Construction Board".
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Rides & Attractions".
  21. ^ "Legoland New Ride Lloyd's Spinjitzu Spinner 7/13". 3 September 2019.
  22. ^ a b 淺野倫孝. "さかなクンも来場!名古屋の新名所「シーライフ名古屋」がグランドオープン" (in Japanese). オリコン. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  23. ^ JAZA. "正会員名簿【水族館】" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  24. ^ 小倉祥徳. "一日中「レゴの世界」 テーマパークに開業 名古屋・港区". 毎日新聞中部夕刊 (in Japanese). 毎日新聞社.
  25. ^ "Aquarium Zones SEA LIFE Nagoya official site".
  26. ^ "The Aonami Line for Kinjo-Futo Station, Legoland Japan, & SCMAGLEV and Railway Park – Nagoya Station". www.nagoyastation.com. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  27. ^ "レゴランド®・ジャパンへの旅 | AIRDOダイナミックパッケージ | 北海道発着の飛行機予約・空席照会|AIRDO(エア・ドゥ)". AIRDO (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  28. ^ "[Official]Minifigure Market | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  29. ^ "[Official]Pick -A-Brick | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  30. ^ "[Official]Studio Store | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  31. ^ "[Official]Heartlake Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  32. ^ "[Official]City Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  33. ^ "[Official]The Corner Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  34. ^ "[Official]Lost Booty Trading Post | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  35. ^ "[Official]Artefact Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  36. ^ "[Official]The Sub Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  37. ^ "[Official]King's Market | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  38. ^ "[Official]The Photo Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  39. ^ "[Official]The Big Shop | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  40. ^ "[Official]Brick House Burgers | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  41. ^ a b c d JAPAN, WOW!. "Legoland (R) Japan's Grand Opening! Check Out the Cuisine". WOW! JAPAN. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  42. ^ "[Official]Chicken Diner | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  43. ^ "[Official]Coral Reef Pizza&Pasta Buffet | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  44. ^ "[Official]Knight's Table Restaurant(2F) | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  45. ^ "[Official]Oasis Snacks | LEGOLAND® Japan Resort". www.legoland.jp. Retrieved 2021-04-27.