Dragon Quest Island Theme Park in Japan Review — Worth It?

Last Updated on September 6, 2024 by Kay

Did you know that there’s a Dragon Quest theme park in Japan?

If you’ve ever wanted to immerse yourself in the world of Dragon Quest, a popular RPG series made by Square Enix, then Dragon Quest Island, a theme park in western Japan, is likely for you.

In this article, I’ll share my experience visiting this theme park and provide my honest thoughts on whether it’s worth making the trek. (Spoiler alert: Yes, it absolutely is.)

Where Is Dragon Quest Island and How to Get There?

Dragon Quest Island is located on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, which is likely where the word “island” in the name comes from.

The theme park is within Nijigen no Mori, which is a large park containing many small theme parks featuring popular Japanese anime and games such as:

• Dragon Quest Island
• Godzilla
• Naruto and Boruto
• Crayon Shin-chan
• Monster Hunter
• SPY x FAMILY

To get to Dragon Quest Island, you can either drive or take a bus.

By car, it takes about 30 minutes from Kobe or 1 hour from Osaka.

If coming by public transport, refer to the Nijigen no Mori website. They’ve provided very detailed information about how to reach the park from Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe.

Should you rent a car to get to Dragon Quest Island? Well, it’s easier for sure but not necessary unless you want to explore the rest of Awajishima. In that case, I recommend renting a car.

Opening Hours of Dragon Quest Island

Dragon Quest Island is open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Before you head inside, I highly recommend visiting the Dragon Quest souvenir store up the road (next to Luida’s Bar) where you can buy some Dragon Quest goods to complete the experience. My daughter got a slime headband and I saw some people with Dragon Quest T-shirts.

If it’s really hot outside, you can also buy a small Dragon Quest-themed towel from the store to mop up your sweat (because, trust me, you will be sweating).

What to Expect at Dragon Quest Island

Dragon Quest Island immerses you into the world of Dragon Quest. It’s primarily based on Dragon Quest IV, so if you’re a fan, you will find familiar characters from this game. (I’m not going to share who because that would give away the surprise!)

One great thing about Dragon Quest Island is that you can experience it in English, so if you don’t know any Japanese, it’s no problem!

After you purchase or submit your tickets, you’ll be given a very nice-looking wristband and an Adventurer’s Emblem. This emblem will be very important for your upcoming quest so make sure not to lose it!

After this, you (and anyone else in your party, up to four people) will get to choose what language you want to play and your character (appearance and profession, such as wizard or warrior).

When you’re done, you’ll go to a room where King Onogaldo will tell you about your quest to recover something that was stolen. If your party has less than four people, you’ll get some additional party members after speaking to Healdrick IV. We were originally a team of three people (my husband, myself, and our daughter) and got one additional character added to our party).

Keep in mind that you are not allowed to take videos or photos of any of the screens where you interact with characters and get information (when a video is playing). You are also not allowed to share any information about how to solve the puzzles because this will spoil the experience for others. Due to this, I am just going to share in general about what we did during our Dragon Quest Island experience.

Once you’re done speaking to the King, you can finally enter the town of Onokogard, and it’s absolutely spectacular and true to the games! It’s filled with small houses and dotted with characters and objects from the Dragon Quest games such as slime, Dracky, chests, and pots.

I loved finding all the different slimes throughout, and there are plenty of places to take great photos. The music from the Dragon Quest games also plays throughout the park, which perfects the atmosphere.

In town, you’ll need to do various quests and missions such as get materials to create weapons and talk to townspeople on the video screens. This will involve a lot of going back and forth between buildings and areas. It really makes you feel like you’re in the game!

You’ll need to find different mini medals throughout town, which means searching every nook and cranny and opening things, making you feel like you’re in a Dragon Quest game. Once you find a mini medal, touch it with your Adventurer’s Emblem to “collect” or gather materials, or learn new abilities.

It can be a little overwhelming at first trying to remember which building is which and where you’ve already gone but we found that we quickly got the hang of it.

If you’re having trouble finding medals, look for a hint written on a small paper-looking plaque in the room. Note that the hint is usually referring to another building.

You also get to fight monsters on screens in different forests outside of town, just like in Dragon Quest. Sometimes you might need to wait your turn to fight if it’s a busy period.

One of the best parts was being able to fight bosses on a massive screen using a combination of buttons. The staff outside the shrine also did a great job with his character, which was fun to watch.

When we bought our ticket for Dragon Quest Island, we got the Gold Ticket, which includes an additional attraction (or sidequest) called Kandata’s Great Prank Plan. This was… underwhelming and personally, I don’t think it was worth the additional cost.

In total, we spent a whopping 4.5 hours at Dragon Quest Island but we also took a break to eat at Luida’s Bar and look at souvenirs.

Overall, we had a great time visiting Dragon Quest Island (minus the heat). We truly felt like we were in the game and it was fun solving the puzzles and battling enemies. The figures throughout the island featuring slime and other enemies like the killing machine were also really fun to find and take photos with.

My only gripe is that I wish there was an indoor building in the town with a bench to sit down and rest since there’s so much walking. The only air-conditioned place you can do this is Luida’s Bar but you have to walk a little bit to get there and you need to order something.

Where to Eat on Dragon Quest Island

Eating at Luida’s Bar is a must. The food not only looks nice but it tastes pretty good as well.

It’s a bit expensive (they raised the price recently as well) but I think it’s worth it.

My husband got the Homilot IV lunch box (ホミロット4世のごきげんランチボックス), pictured below, which contained omurice and onion fries. He shared this with our daughter and it was enough for the both of them.

I got the Adventurer’s lunch box (勇者の冒険ランチボックス), which had basil pesto rice (very yummy, I need to make this at home), a hamburg steak with a slice of cheese on top, salad, onion fries, and jelly with fruit.

I also got a jasmine tea with cotton candy on top (天空風わたあめドリンク), which was the most disappointing thing I had at the restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend it. The slime macaroon was good, though.

Note that there are vending machines near the entrance, so if you need to get a drink, you can buy something from there. There’s also a shop in town selling popcorn in slime buckets as well as bottled water.

Souvenirs on Dragon Quest Island

There’s a souvenir shop next to Luida’s Bar, which is filled with lots of great Dragon Quest merchandise. Some of this is exclusive to Dragon Quest Island and can only be purchased at this shop, such as an onion slime (Awaji Island is famous for its onions).

If you spend more than a certain amount, you’ll get a freebie. For purchases of more than 3000 yen, you’ll get a slime sticker. 5000 yen and up will get you a large bag.

They also have an online shop but the selection is limited.

FAQ

Do I need to buy tickets for Dragon Quest Island in advance?

When my family went, we purchased our tickets directly at Dragon Quest Island. However, we went in July when it was very hot, so I imagine there were fewer people than usual.

If you buy tickets in advance, you’ll receive a free Dragon Quest clear file folder. You can also cancel your ticket as long as it’s not on the day.

🎫 Purchase advance tickets here

Which ticket should I get?

There are three types of tickets:

• Dragon Quest Island Light Ticket
• Dragon Quest Island Gold Ticket
• Dragon Quest Island Premium Ticket

If you’re wondering about the difference, the Gold ticket includes an additional attraction, which is a sidequest called Kandata’s Great Prank Plan. This will take an extra 30 minutes or so.

The Premium Ticket has the same additional attraction as above but also includes a Sky Shield Backpack and plush toy.

How much time should I expect to spend at Dragon Quest Island?

Depending on how fast you are at solving the puzzles and if you purchase the additional attraction (Kandata’s Great Prank Plan), expect to spend at least 2-3 hours at Dragon Quest Island.

We spent 4.5 hours but I think we were a little slower to complete everything than average.

When is the best time to visit Dragon Quest Island?

I suggest going in spring, autumn, or winter. Do not go in summer.

We went in July and it was really, really hot. Only one of the buildings had air conditioning and I think we would have had a better experience had we visited during a cooler season. They had some giant fans outside but it wasn’t enough.

You’ll be outside most of the time so try not to go when it’s raining, either, especially since you’ll be going from one building to another. Constantly opening and closing your umbrella would be a pain!

What should I bring to Dragon Quest Island?

Bring comfortable shoes (there will be a lot of walking), a pen if you want to keep track of where you’ve been (you’ll be given a book at the ticket counter where you can keep notes), a drink, and a towel if it’s hot outside.

Is Dragon Quest Island kid-friendly?

Yes, Dragon Quest Island is absolutely kid-friendly! Our daughter went when she was five years old and although she knew nothing about Dragon Quest, she had a blast! And after that, she started watching my husband play Dragon Quest XI and became a huge fan of slime.

Notably, despite how young she was, our daughter was able to find a lot of things that we missed, so having her help was indispensable!

There’s also a stamp rally, so kids can look for various stamps throughout the park to stamp onto their paper. Once completed, go back to the entrance and submit the paper to receive a special Dragon Quest sticker.

Kids ages 4 and under are free but they won’t receive an Adventurer’s Emblem. If you want your kid to play with you, you need to purchase a ticket for your child.

If you’re traveling to Awaji Island with kids, consider reading my article about other places to take them!

What is the closest airport to Dragon Quest Island?

The closest airport to Dragon Quest Island is Kobe Airport (UKB) and the second closest is Itami Airport (ITM).

Where is the closest hotel to Dragon Quest Island?

The closest hotel is Grand Chariot Hokutoshichisei 135°, which is only a 12-minute walk from Dragon Quest Island.

This is a gorgeous hotel with cabin-like rooms that allow you to stargaze. They also have themed rooms featuring the anime and games from Nijigen no Mori, including Dragon Quest!

For a more affordable option, you might want to consider staying at GRAND NIKKO Awaji, which is an 11-minute drive from Dragon Quest Island.

Wrap-up: Reviewing Dragon Quest Island in Japan

If you’re a fan of Dragon Quest, this is an experience that you just can’t miss. You will truly feel like you’re in the game and if you’re anything like me and my husband, it’ll be a blast that’s unlike anything else.

I wish they would make a Final Fantasy version of this!