Most people think Sanrio Puroland is a theme park just for kids. Tiny rides, squealing toddlers, and parents counting minutes until the exit.
They are wrong.
For anyone who grew up with Sanrio characters, this place is a full-scale childhood dream come true for adults.
If Hello Kitty once lived on your pencil case, if Cinnamoroll smiled at you from a notebook, or if characters like Kerokerokeroppi and Badtz-Maru quietly shaped your sense of fun and style, Sanrio Puroland hits on a deeply nostalgic level. It is not about rides or thrills. It is about memory, comfort, and reconnecting with the joy you were told to outgrow.
Sanrio Puroland’s 35th Anniversary
Sanrio is not just a character company. It is a cultural phenomenon that has shaped Japanese pop culture for over half a century, with its influence extending around the world. Long before “kawaii” became a global aesthetic, Sanrio was quietly teaching the world that gentleness, kindness, and cuteness could be powerful. That philosophy has endured across generations, and today, as Sanrio Puroland celebrates its 35th anniversary, it feels more relevant than ever.
How to Navigate Sanrio Puroland
In this guide, I will walk you through how to navigate the park smoothly, how PUROPASS works, what not to miss, and how to maximize your day without stress, so you can focus on enjoying what Sanrio Puroland does best: offering a dreamy, gentle, comfy experience for all.
Where is Sanrio Puroland?
Sanrio Puroland located in western Tokyo. It is about 30 minutes from Shinjuku Station and is very easy to reach by train, even for first-time visitors to Japan.
The park is located right next to Tama Center, which is served by three railway lines:
• Keio Tama Center Station on the Keio Line
• Odakyu Tama Center Station on the Odakyu Tama Line
• Tama Monorail Tama Center Station (bonus option)
In general, the park opens in the morning and closes in the early evening, but exact times can change. It is very important to check the official website before your visit to confirm the opening hours for your chosen date. Arriving early, ideally before opening time, is strongly recommended, especially on weekends, holidays, and school vacation periods.
How to purchase tickets
Tickets for Sanrio Puroland can be purchased online in advance or at the entrance on the day of your visit. For overseas travelers, buying tickets online is the easiest and safest option, especially during busy seasons. Advance tickets help you avoid ticket lines and ensure entry on popular dates.
Stepping Into the World of Sanrio
Sanrio Puroland is a fully indoor theme park where the outside world politely disappears the moment you step inside. Unlike large outdoor theme parks, everything here is contained in one building, making it easy to explore, weather-proof, and comfortable for visitors of all ages.
Instead of thrill rides, the park is built around experiences: character-themed attractions, live shows and parades, sweet moments with Sanrio characters, cafés filled with edible cuteness, and souvenir shops that are very hard to leave empty-handed. Many of the biggest highlights happen on stage, so planning your day around show times is far more rewarding than sprinting from one attraction to the next.
Quick-Access Hack: PUROPASS (and why it saves your sanity)
Once you step inside Sanrio Puroland, you’ll quickly notice that many of the most popular experiences are available with a priority access called PUROPASS.
Instead of standing in long lines, PUROPASS lets you reserve a time slot for selected attractions, shows, or character experiences. When your time comes, you simply return and enter with minimal waiting. In between, you are free to explore, snack, shop, or take photos without constantly watching the clock.
These express passes are limited in number and can sell out, especially during busy hours, so if you see them available and know you want that attraction, it’s worth deciding sooner rather than later. You simply purchase the pass on the spot and enter much faster.
Used thoughtfully, these quick-access passes can save time and protect your mood. It quietly removes the longest waits so you can focus on what Puroland does best, shows, characters, atmosphere, and joy.
Meeting Your Favorite Sanrio Character in Real Life
One of the most heart-melting experiences in Sanrio Puroland is meeting your favorite characters in person — and these interactions are managed in a way that feels calm, organized, and delightfully kawaii. The main character greeting attraction is called Charaguri Residence, a themed space designed like a cute little “mansion” with different rooms where beloved Sanrio pals appear for photos and high-fives.
To take part, you’ll need a digital numbered ticket (整理券), which you can get from your smartphone starting right when the park opens. These are free but limited, and they do run out, so your first priority after entering the park should be scanning the QR code inside the building and connect to “PUROLAND WIFI” to grab your ticket before they’re gone.
Once you’ve secured your digital ticket, you’re free to enjoy the park until your time slot. When the moment arrives, return to Charaguri Residence, show your ticket, and you’ll step inside one of the themed rooms for your special meet-and-greet and photo opportunity with the character.
A few helpful tips:
• Get to the digital ticket spot right when the park opens — these go quickly.
• You’ll need a smartphone with internet access to get your ticket.
• Once you use your ticket for one greeting, you can get another later if there’s availability.
Lady Kitty House: Stepping Into Hello Kitty’s world
Walking into Lady Kitty House honestly feels like entering a soft, pastel dream you forgot you once had.
This is not just a meet-and-greet. You slowly walk through Hello Kitty’s beautifully designed home, moving from room to room, surrounded by elegant details, gentle lighting, and that unmistakable Sanrio softness. Everything feels calm, graceful, and slightly unreal, like you’ve stepped into a storybook version of her world.
And then, at the end, you meet Hello Kitty herself.
It’s completely heart-melting! Hello Kitty makes the moment–however brief it is–feel personal, even though you know she’s met thousands of people before you. It’s sweet, a little surreal, and genuinely delightful.
You’re not just “taking a photo.” You’re having a small, gentle moment with an icon that has quietly been part of so many childhoods around the world.
A few things to keep in mind:
• Lady Kitty House is extremely popular, especially with first-time visitors
• Lines can grow quickly later in the day
• Visiting earlier makes the experience feel calmer and more relaxed
Even if Hello Kitty wasn’t your favorite character growing up, this experience has a way of melting defenses. It’s dreamy, nostalgic, and deeply Sanrio in the best possible way.
Kawaii Kabuki~Momotarō by the Hello Kitty Troup
If there is one show you should actively plan your day around at Sanrio Puroland, this is it: Kawaii Kabuki.
Kawaii Kabuki is exactly what the name promises and then some. It blends traditional Japanese kabuki elements, dramatic poses, stylized movement, music, and storytelling, with Sanrio characters and an unapologetically cute twist. It sounds wild on paper, and somehow works beautifully in real life.
You do not need any prior knowledge of kabuki, or even Japanese, to enjoy it. The visuals are expressive, the story is easy to follow, and the emotional beats land clearly.
A few practical tips:
• Kawaii Kabuki is the most popular of all shows so check show times early
• Using PUROPASS for this show is highly recommended if available. Note that it is a priority entry pass only and does not guarantee a seat, so be sure to return to the theater by the designated time.
• Seats fill up fast, especially on weekends and holidays
The Moment Everyone Falls in Love
If there’s one moment when Sanrio Puroland shifts from “cute” to genuinely magical, it’s during the parade.
Puroland’s parade is fully immersive and multi-level, meaning characters appear before you, beside you, and sometimes right above you. Lights dim, music swells, and suddenly the entire space feels like it’s part of the performance. You’re not just watching the parade. You’re inside it.
What makes it especially special is how emotionally tuned it is. The choreography, music, and pacing are designed to gently build feeling rather than overwhelm. Characters pause, make eye contact, and interact with guests in a way that feels surprisingly personal. It’s joyful, yes, but also warm and very moving.
Watching the parade felt like the emotional heart of the day. It perfectly captures what Puroland does best, blending nostalgia, kindness, and pure kawaii into one shared moment. It’s the kind of experience that stays with you long after you leave, humming quietly in your memory on the train ride back to Tokyo.
Where Childhood Memories Gently Come Alive
Beyond the big shows and parades, Sanrio Puroland hides a collection of gentle attractions that feel like drifting through childhood memories.
You’ll find rides inspired by My Melody, where pastel skies and soft music make everything feel weightless, and attractions themed around Little Twin Stars wrapped in sweetness and nostalgia. There are also classic storybook-style rides that quietly gather many Sanrio characters into one slow, dreamy journey.
Pick one or two, let yourself float through, and enjoy the quiet magic.
Kawaii Food You Almost Don’t Want to Eat
Across the park, you’ll find cafés and restaurants serving character-themed meals and desserts that look like they escaped straight out of a picture book. From character-shaped curry rice, to real-Gudetama-egg floating on ramen, everything is designed to make you pause, smile, and reach for your camera before your fork.
My tip: don’t wait until you’re starving. Pick a calm moment, sit down, and enjoy the cuteness properly. At Sanrio Puroland, even eating feels like part of the healing.
Souvenirs: Taking a Little Piece of Happiness Home
Before you leave Sanrio Puroland, make time for the souvenir shops. Not a rushed dash at closing time, but a proper wander.
Puroland’s shops are filled with exclusive merchandise you won’t find in regular Sanrio stores. Plush toys, stationery, accessories, and seasonal items are designed specifically for the park, which makes them feel extra special. It’s very easy to walk in “just to look” and walk out hugging a new friend.
For longtime fans, this is where nostalgia hits hardest. Seeing familiar characters reimagined in new designs feels like meeting old friends in fresh outfits.
My advice is to browse once earlier in the day, then return later to actually buy. Popular items can sell out without any notice, and what’s on the shelves in the morning might be gone by afternoon. Carrying bags around all day slightly breaks the spell. Ending your visit with souvenir shopping, though, feels just right. One last soft moment before stepping back into the real world.
Because at Sanrio Puroland, the magic doesn’t end at the exit. It follows you home, quietly, in pastel form.
Ending: Leaving With a Lighter Heart
Sanrio Puroland surprised me in the best possible way. Thirteen years after my last visit, it felt more immersive, more thoughtful, and far more emotionally rich than I remembered.
If you grew up with Sanrio characters, this visit feels like reconnecting with a kinder version of yourself. And even if you didn’t, you may still leave feeling lighter, calmer, and a little more open than when you arrived. That’s the quiet magic of the world’s most kawaii healing spot.
If you’re visiting Japan and looking for something uniquely comforting, quietly joyful, and unmistakably Japanese, Sanrio Puroland is absolutely worth the trip.
Official website:
https://en.puroland.jp/
©2026 SANRIO CO., LTD. TOKYO, JAPAN
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