Is Harmonyland Worth It? Honest Review + Tips (2025)
Last Updated on June 5, 2025 by Kay
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Harmonyland is one of those places that I feel every Sanrio and Hello Kitty fan should visit at least once.
When it comes to Sanrio theme parks in Japan, featuring beloved characters like Hello Kitty and My Melody, I feel like many people know about Sanrio Puroland, but not so much Harmonyland. This isn’t surprising, though, considering that Sanrio Puroland is located in Tokyo and is much easier to access than Harmonyland.
But, if you haven’t heard of Sanrio Harmonyland, or if you have and you’re wondering whether it’s worth the time and effort to visit, I’ve written all the details in this article about what it was like for my family to visit. Hopefully by the end, you’ll be able to decide if you want to go.
Table of Contents
Harmonyland Review
Harmonyland is located in Oita, which is one of the southernmost prefectures in Japan. My daughter (age five at the time) is a huge fan of Sanrio, especially Cinnamoroll. We had already taken her to Sanrio Puroland as well as the even lesser-known Hello Kitty Apple Land.
Harmonyland can be a little out of the way for most travelers, especially in comparison to Sanrio Puroland. I was a bit worried about whether it was worth making the trek from Osaka to visit it with my daughter, but looking back, I’m glad I did.
We flew into Beppu’s Oita Airport from Osaka and spent some time exploring Oita before visiting Harmonyland on our last day.
We had rented a car for our Oita trip, so it was quite easy for us to drive to Harmonyland. The park opened at 10 AM, and we arrived at 10:22. The parking lot still had plenty of space, though, and there was no line to buy tickets at the gate. We had already bought our 1-Day Passes for Harmonyland from Klook, so getting in took no time at all.
The first thing that surprised me about Harmonyland was the lack of people. I hadn’t seen a theme park in Japan this empty in a very long time! I was able to take lots of photos with absolutely no one in them!
The photo below is the Harmony Village, which you’ll see right after you enter Harmonyland. This is a very important spot to know because many parades and shows are here!
After you enter Harmonyland, make sure to reference the pamphlet for shows. You can also check the Information Board, which makes it super easy to see the order of upcoming shows and parades and where they’re being held. This way, you can plan your day around the parades and shows (which you absolutely should not miss).
The first event was the My Melody & Kuromi Anniversary High Five Greeting in Harmony Village. Although it was only 10:30 AM, people were already lining up. I got my husband to line up while my daughter and I took a quick look around the souvenir shops.
I bought my daughter an adorable Cinnamoroll headband to complete her Sanrio theme park look.
We also ventured a little further into Harmonyland to take some photos. I’m glad we did this because later on, Harmonyland became busy!
Harmonyland is divided into five areas:
- Harmony Village (near the entrance/exit and where parades, greetings, and shows take place)
- Harmony Park (rides galore)
- White Birds Square (more rides, including a Ferris Wheel)
- Harmony Garden (small playgrounds for kids)
- Carnival Square (Harmonyland train station for the Boat Ride)
Harmony Garden and Carnival Square are located on the left side of Harmonyland, and there isn’t much apart from the Boat Ride and playgrounds for kids. There’s a large abandoned stage there, so I think it used to be more popular back in the day.
There’s a station at Harmony Park where you can take a train to Carnival Square, but depending on how long the wait is, it might be better to just walk.
Rides at Harmonyland
There are 16 rides and attractions at Harmonyland. I’ll share them according to where they’re located in the park. Note that some of the rides/attractions cost an additional fee, which I’ll share below.
Harmony Park
- Kitty Castle: This is a building where you can take lots of cute photos, including one with Hello Kitty! All ages can enjoy this attraction, and it’s especially great if the weather isn’t great since it’s indoors.
- Rhythmic Coaster: This is a small roller coaster for guests ages four and up.
- Harmony Train: This will take you from Harmony Park Station to Carnival Square Station. Both stations are in Harmonyland, and the train is free to ride.
- Sanrio Ninja Trial: This costs an additional fee of 500 yen and is meant for children between the ages of 3-12 years old. Kids can enjoy playing inside a bouncy maze and athletics course.
White Birds Square
- Fun Plaza: This is an amusement hall with some coin-operated rides for young children and spots where you can take photos.
- Water Shot: Ride around while shooting targets using a water gun. Kids under four can ride as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.
- Strawberry Cafe: A teacup ride. Children younger than six need to ride with an adult.
- Spin Trick: A ride featuring Cinnamoroll. Children under age four cannot ride.
- Pop’n Smile: A leisurely ride where you sit in a Sanrio character box and go up and down. Children under age six must ride with an adult.
- Sanrio EV Go-Kart: A go-kart where you can ride around a short course. This costs an additional 500 yen. Children must be at least three years old to ride and must be accompanied by a parent if they’re younger than 9 years old.
- Hello Kitty Angel Coaster: A small and cute roller coaster for guests ages three and up.
- Big Ferris Wheel Wonder Panorama: A Ferris wheel with gondolas featuring different Sanrio characters. Children under age 7 must ride with a parent.
- Sky Jet: A ride that takes you around White Birds Square. Children younger than age 10 must ride with a parent.
- Fairy Kitty Carousel: A merry-go-round. Children ages three and under must ride with a parent.
- Game Plaza: This is a small game center with Sanrio prizes.
Carnival Square
- Sanrio Character Boat Ride: A leisurely boat ride where you’re taken through the world of Sanrio.
Now that’s out of the way, from here on, I’ll share my impressions of the rides we went on in the order we rode them, as well as what we did in between. Hopefully, by reading this, you might get a better idea about how to plan your day at Harmonyland.
Our Day at Harmonyland: Reviewing Rides and Shows
Fun Plaza
Before the My Melody and Kuromi greeting at 11 AM, we quickly took a look at Fun Plaza. The vehicle-themed rides were quite old-looking, and I didn’t see any photo spots that the Harmonyland pamphlet had mentioned.
Fun Factor: ★☆☆☆☆
My Melody & Kuromi Anniversary High Five Greeting
This greeting was exactly as the name states — My Melody and Kuromi giving high-fives to visitors. They pop out of the round stage at Harmony Village and engage in some cute banter, but everything is in Japanese.
If you have someone with you, they can take a quick photo of you while you’re getting a high five from My Melody and Kuromi.
The event started at 11 AM, and by 11:04 AM, my daughter had already been greeted by the characters, so it was off to the next spot. So I think it might not be worth it to line up in advance for this greeting. I suggest showing up about 10 minutes after the greeting starts since the line moves very quickly.
Fun Factor: ★★★★☆
Rhythmic Coaster
My daughter loves roller coasters, so this was the first ride we did after the greeting. I loved how each car represents a Sanrio character. My daughter and I rode in Hello Kitty, and my husband rode in Keroppi.
The ride wasn’t bad, but it was a little rickety and certainly showing its age. I liked that it went around the Harmony Park area.
We rode this at 11:08 AM and were done very shortly after.
Fun Factor: ★★★☆☆
Kitty Castle
This was a pretty cute attraction that took us through Hello Kitty’s castle. There are lots of photo spots that we took snaps at as we made our way to greet Hello Kitty herself.
At some points, we were just waiting in line, but my daughter didn’t mind since she liked looking around at the cute decor. There are also some small screens showing retro Hello Kitty anime, which I appreciated as a nostalgia fan.
It took us 20 minutes in total from the entrance to getting to take a photo with Hello Kitty (11:20 AM to 11:40 AM). The staff will take a photo for you with your phone, but the background is a green screen.
If you want a printed photo with a customized background, you need to pay extra, which is what we did.
Fun Factor: ★★★☆☆
At 11:43 AM, we headed up the stairs to White Birds Square.
If you have a stroller or wheelchair, you can use the slope to the left (and even if you don’t, I recommend checking it out to see some Sanrio characters).
There are some rides that young kids can do for a few additional yen in this area, but we skipped them.
Water Shot
The first ride we did in this area was the Water Shot at 11:46 AM.
My daughter rode with my husband, and she seemed to have fun, although I can see this being boring for older children. The funky and vibrant colors are great for photos, though!
Fun Factor: ★★☆☆☆
Strawberry Cafe
Since it’s right next to Water Shot, my daughter and I rode the Strawberry Cafe ride. This is a teacup ride where you spin the wheel in the middle to make the cup go faster.
We went totally nuts on this and spun like crazy. It is very easy to turn the wheel, making it a thousand times better than the Hello Kitty teacup ride at Universal Studios Japan!
Fun Factor: ★★★☆☆
Spin Trick
My daughter adores Cinnamoroll, so this was a ride she was really looking forward to! Unfortunately, it was closed for maintenance.
Fun Factor: N/A
Pop’n Smile
This ride is undeniably Sanrio eye-candy. I mean, look at it!
Like many of the rides at Harmonyland, we were able to get on right away at noon since there was no line. This is probably one of the least exciting rides at the park, but it’s nice to just sit and be able to see the view below. I think it’s especially great for very young kids.
Best of all, we were able to choose which character we wanted to ride on! My daughter chose Hello Kitty.
Fun Factor: ★☆☆☆☆
Hello Kitty Angel Coaster
This was hands-down our favorite ride at Harmonyland. I can’t even remember the number of times we rode on this. We would get off, line back up, and ride again, over and over again.
It’s smoother and yet more thrilling than the Rhythmic Coaster since it goes fast and has some dips and turns that are just right for kids who are just getting into exciting rides.
Fun Factor: ★★★★★
Parade Parallel
This parade started at 12:45 PM at Harmony Square, but since it was a little far from White Birds Square, my husband decided to go ahead of us at around noon to secure a spot for us.
My daughter and I headed down at 12:30 PM, and I was so grateful my husband snagged a spot early because it was packed!
There are paid seats for shows and parades where you can sit at the very front if you purchased one in advance. My husband found a spot for us in the row right behind these paid seats, and we lucked out because no one sat in front of us!
Note that when I say “seat”, you’re sitting on the ground. There is some standing space as well if you would prefer to be on your feet.
This parade was so fun and lively. I loved how the Sanrio characters moved around in little vehicles, so you’re able to see them right in front of you at some point. The characters waved at us and we just couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t too crowded either (compared to Tokyo Disney parades or Sanrio Puroland).
Near the end of the parade, a ton of bubbles were released from the Sanrio vehicles, and it felt so magical! It was like being transported into a fun, fantasy world.
The parade lasted 20 minutes in total, and it was worth every minute. Do not miss this!
Fun Factor: ★★★★★
Harmony Train
After Parade Parallel, we wanted to go on the boat ride, especially since the wait time for the Harmony Train wasn’t too bad.
While we waited in line, we munched on some fried chicken we got from Circus Kitchen. One was cheese flavor in a Pompompurin cup, and the other was mayonnaise and teriyaki in a Badtz Maru cup.
Circus Kitchen changes its menu every month, meaning that the fried chicken dish will come in a different character cup and is topped with a different sauce.
The wait time was a whopping 20 minutes to get on the train, so I’m glad we ate lunch in line because it helped the time go by quickly. In fact, we had just finished eating when it was time to get on the train!
The train follows a course down to Carnival Square. It was pretty rickety, another ride showing its age.
Fun Factor: ★★☆☆☆
When we arrived at Carnival Square Station at 1:45 PM, we quickly hurried to the Sanrio Character Boat Ride.
Sanrio Character Boat Ride
The ride is fairly similar to the one at Sanrio Puroland, although the first and last parts of the ride are outdoors.
There are also more retro characters in this boat ride, and it’s a little less grand compared to Sanrio Puroland’s, but we still enjoyed it.
Fun Factor: ★★★★☆
Afterward, my husband and daughter took the train back to Harmony Park at 2:15 PM while I decided to walk back to see how long it would take me and to check out this area of the park.
While I walked back, I saw the Festival Stage, which looked like it hadn’t been used in a while.
There was also a very small playground where kids could play called Nakayoku Athletic Park. Cherry blossom trees were blooming in this area, and it was quite beautiful.
As I continued up, I came across a much larger playground that was decorated like a birthday cake! I knew my daughter would want to play in this park, so I would bring her there later. There’s a restroom here, too, so I made a quick stop.
There’s a super cute Cinnamoroll train as well, which you will see anyway if you ride the Harmony Train. But since I was walking, I could take my time looking at it and snapping some pictures. I wonder when this train was used and why it’s no longer running?
At the end of the journey up, I found some escalators that took me straight to Harmony Park — thank goodness for that!
Overall, it took me 20 minutes to walk back, which includes the time I took to take photos and go to the washroom.
My husband and daughter had arrived well before I did and were waiting in line for the Sky Jet ride.
Sky Jet
This is a great ride if you want to take a bird’s eye look around White Birds Square. There are several different character cars, too, but unfortunately, you cannot choose the one you ride on. My daughter wanted Kuromi but she got Keroppi. She didn’t mind, though!
The ride is a little slow and boring, but I think it’s good if you’re tired and want a little break. The view of the nearby forest and mountains in the distance is quite lovely. There are some cherry blossom trees along the ride as well, so I believe it’s very beautiful in the spring, so around late March. (I imagine it must be very busy as well!)
We rode from around 2:45 PM to 2:48 PM, so this ride lasted about three minutes.
Fun Factor: ★★☆☆☆
Big Ferris Wheel Wonder Panorama
We rode the Big Ferris Wheel Wonder Panorama right after Sky Jet at 2:50 PM. We were able to get on right away since there was no line, and the staff even asked us which car we wanted to ride on from some of the upcoming ones. My daughter chose My Melody.
Unsurprisingly, the Ferris Wheel provides a much better view than the Sky Jet. I mean, look at this!
Everyone had a great time leisurely looking out of the windows and soaking up Oita’s beauty.
We saw some cows, too!
The ride took about ten minutes in total.
Fun Factor: ★★★★☆
Fairy Kitty Carousel
After the Ferris Wheel, we decided to go on the merry-go-round. It’s like any other and nothing too special, but there are some Hello Kitty-themed things to ride on.
From the ride, we could see a show at the nearby theatre so we decided to check it out.
Fun Factor: ★★☆☆☆
Join Hands With Hello Kitty
We managed to catch the tail end of the Hello Kitty show meant for birthday kids, which featured Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll. I’m not sure if the characters change depending on the month.
My Melody & Kuromi Cafe Terrace
My daughter and I decided to grab something to eat at the My Melody & Kuromi Cafe Terrace while my husband headed down to Harmony Village to save a spot for the 4 PM ChocolateXFruit Contest Show. The cafe is super cute and has some nice photo spots, which we took advantage of.
I got a little Kuromi meal set for my daughter, which featured a teriyaki chicken sandwich, nuggets, and onion rings inside a souvenir bento. It came with a free souvenir coaster as well!
I helped her eat the meal quickly, which tasted fine, nothing too remarkable, and then headed down to Harmony Village for the parade.
ChocolateXFruit Contest Show
This was the last show of the day at 4 PM, and since it was a show rather than a parade, it was a little more subdued compared to Parade Parallel. If you can only choose one, I would recommend Parade Parallel.
For this show, the audience was divided into teams according to where they were sitting, and each team cheered on a Sanrio character who was “baking” a delicious dessert. We were Team Kuromi.
The show was entirely in Japanese, so I can imagine people who don’t understand the language being confused. But there are songs and dances as well, and the Sanrio characters are in adorable themed costumes. The bubble machines made a comeback as well!
Fun Factor: ★★★☆☆
When the show ended at around 4:20 PM, we checked out the souvenir shops and bought some special Sanrio goods to take home with us. My favorite one was Country Market, pictured below.
Harmonyland has super cute souvenirs that you can only get there, so we made sure to take advantage of that.
Then it was time to go home, especially since none of the rides were running anymore.
Interestingly, we encountered lots of decorations that looked like they would light up at night, but surprisingly, they didn’t! Maybe it did in the past, but no longer now.
Is Harmonyland Worth It? My Overall Thoughts
If you’re a Sanrio fan, I definitely recommend visiting Harmonyland as long as you are not expecting any thrilling rides. The rides are made for young kids in mind, so adults might be disappointed. You might also find there’s not much to do if you’re an adult. It’s quite easy to see everything in the theme park in an afternoon, if you’re willing to miss the morning greeting.
Having been built in 1991, Harmonyland is also old and certainly shows its age. But there are still so many cute photo spots, and the parades are fantastic, so I didn’t mind at all. I also liked the retro vibe this Sanrio theme park has.
Another important point to remember is that Harmonyland is outdoors, as are most of the attractions. So if it’s raining, you likely won’t have a great time. Sometimes rides are closed as well due to needing maintenance.
However, this park is one of my favorites, mainly because it’s super empty compared to other theme parks in Japan! This meant my family could go on as many rides as we wanted, as many times as we liked! For this reason alone, I would gladly visit again.
There are also tons of adorable photo spots, and since there weren’t many people, we were able to take photos easily.
Harmonyland Tips — What to Know Before You Go
Here are some essential tips that every visitor to Sanrio Harmonyland should know before going.
Dress appropriately
Harmonyland is outdoors, so dress appropriately. This also means trying to avoid visiting when it’s raining, because almost no rides are indoors.
Bring a mat
If you want a sitting spot for parades and shows, consider bringing a small mat that you can sit on.
Don’t arrive too late
Harmonyland usually closes at around 5 PM, and rides will stop at around 4 PM, so I suggest coming around noon at the latest so you can see Parade Parallel.
Where to Stay Near Harmonyland
Here are some hotels I recommend staying at if you’re visiting Harmonyland.
fico HIJI
This 4-star hotel is the closest to Harmonyland. It takes only 7 minutes by car (or taxi) and 17 minutes by bus.
I think this hotel is best for single travelers or couples. The rooms are quite small, so I wouldn’t recommend it for families.
Grand Mercure Beppu Bay Resort and Spa
This is a highly reviewed hotel that’s quite affordable. It has large and spacious rooms, some with seaside views, making it perfect for all sorts of travelers, including families with kids. Best of all, it has a public onsen bath.
🚗 I only recommend staying here if you’re renting a car. It takes only 14 minutes to get to Harmonyland by car.
FAQ About Sanrio Harmonyland
Where is Harmonyland Located?
Harmonyland is located in Oita Prefecture, which is one of the southernmost prefectures in Japan.
What is the best way to get to Sanrio Harmonyland?
The best way to get to Harmonyland is by car, taxi, or public transportation. If you come by car, you need to pay 500 yen for parking, cash only.
If you’re taking public transport, ride on the Harmonyland Via (ハーモニーランド線) bus.
How to purchase Harmonyland tickets?
We purchased our Harmonyland tickets in advance through Klook. You can also buy tickets at the gate, but I recommend buying in advance so you don’t have to wait in line and waste your precious time.
The one-day passes for Harmonyland include most rides and attractions.
How much do Harmonyland tickets cost?
Harmonyland tickets cost 3600 yen for guests ages four and up. There is no children’s ticket or pass. Children ages three and under are free.
If you purchase from Asoview, you can sometimes get a discount, but this site is in Japanese only.
What are the hours of operation for Harmonyland?
The hours of operation vary depending on when you visit.
Make sure to visit the official Harmonyland website to find information about opening and closing hours.
What is the best ride at Harmonyland?
This depends on what you’re looking for, but my favorite ride, as well as my husband’s and daughter’s, was the Hello Kitty Angel Coaster.
Where to eat at Harmonyland?
There are several restaurants at Harmonyland. Most are near the entrance in Harmony Park.
If you’re a fan of Kuromi or My Melody, visit the My Melody & Kuromi Cafe Terrace located in White Birds Square.
If you need a highchair, eat at Harvest Table. It has some cute forest-themed Sanrio decor, especially on the ceiling.
Can I rent a stroller at Harmonyland?
Yes, there are stroller rentals at Harmonyland. It costs 500 yen per rental.