Information for the annual Winter Wonderland at Moominvalley Park in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture. The highlight of this winter event is the illumination which recreates the Northern Lights of Finland. They will also have mini fireworks on select dates…
In 2018 when Metsa Village was only newly opened it created a name for itself with its highly successful Digitized Lakeside and Forest in collaboration with TeamLab. In 2019 they introduced the equally magical and just as successful Winter Wonderland event. And good news for fans – that event is back this year. Metsa is the collaborative name for both the free park “Metsa Village” and the charged theme park “Moominvalley Park”. Metsa Village opened in November 2018, and Moominvalley park only opened in 2019. The Winter Wonderland event is in the area you have to pay into.
Winter Wonderland Moominvalley Park 2023 / 2024
This year is another luminary surprise that, like last year, uses light and projection mapping with music to create a fantasy dream world. This winter only event is based on the novel “Winter in Moominvalley” and follows the story of Moomintroll who awakens alone from hibernation. You can join him on his adventures as he makes his way through the story.
During the day you can enjoy the winter vibes and at night the vivid lights great a magical night. During the period of the event they will have a balloon sky, much like the one they have annually in Autumn, only the colors are winter colors of blue and white. Moreover, the balloons will be lit up after dark. However, the highlight for many is the projection mapping on Moominhouse that creates the effect of the Northern Lights (Aurora). In addition, they have a lantern road, a winter carnival, a path of seasons, glimmering trees and a snow globe at the lighthouse.
Sound Walk
“Sound Walk” combines the visual with narration. Along with the scene unfolding before your eyes, you can hear the Moomin character’s voices, even their footsteps, as you take the “Winter in Moominland” journey.
If you would like to see the Winter Wonderland both during the day and at night, the one day pass is probably the best ticket. You can also get tickets that include admission to the hot spring near the entrance to Metsa Village.
Mini Fireworks
The firework information was added on November 4th 2023 (the information was not included on the initial press release about the information). During the course of the Winter Wonderland they will have mini firework displays, just five minutes each, at 6.30 pm on select dates:
- Public holiday November 3rd
- Saturday November 4th
- Saturday November 11th
- Saitama Day, November 14th
- Saturday November 18th
- Public Holiday November 23rd
- Saturday November 25th
- Saturday December 23rd
- Christmas Eve, December 24th
Shortly after the Winter Wonderland starts, Metsa Village’s Christmas events will start:
Information
Event: Winter Wonderland in Moominvalley Park
Dates: from Thursday November 2nd 2023 until public holiday Monday January 8th 2024
Times: base hours are from 11 am to 8 pm, but in November it will start at 10 am. Lights go on at 5 pm except for New Year’s Eve as the park closes at 5 pm on that day. The park is closed on New Year’s Day (January 1st) annually.
Cost: It is advised you buy the tickets online in advance, because not only are they 200 yen cheaper, there are more options. A one day pass costs 3400 yen for an adult, 2000 yen for a child. A one day pass plus Sound Walk Set costs 4500 yen for an adult and 3100 yen for a child. The night pass costs 1800 yen for all.
Access
Moominvalley Park is only about 10 minutes by car from the Sayama Hidaka Interchange of the Keno expressway. Unfortunately since April 1st 2023 you now have to pay for parking on weekdays again (it was free during the pandemic). It costs 1000 yen on weekdays, but the first two hours are free. On the weekend the price has actually come down. In 2023, it costs 1500 yen for parking on a Saturday or Sunday, there are no free hours. A bus goes to Metsa (within which Moominvalley park is located) from Seibu Ikebukuro Line’s Hanno Station.
Images from the official event webpage in 2023.
Attractions in Moominvalley Park detailed on this blog:
For more winter and illumination events in Saitama, please see the main events category.
This post was temporarily removed from the blog during the pandemic. It was republished on October 16th 2023.