Nagashima Spa Land with Kids: A Guide for Families
Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Kay
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If you’re thinking about going to Nagashima Spa Land with your kids, you won’t regret it.
When I first moved to Osaka from Tokyo, I asked my new nailist what her favorite place to take her kids nearby was, and she answered, “Nagashima Spa Land. We go there on a day trip every summer!”
I looked it up, and I was shocked because Nagashima Spa Land is located in Mie Prefecture, and it would take us two hours to drive there one-way (three hours by train from Osaka Station). When I expressed my shock, she smiled and assured me it was worth the drive.
This was a few years back, and I had always been intimidated by how far Nagashima Spa Land seemed. But since my daughter has been obsessed with theme parks for the past three years, and I had heard from a neighborhood friend that she often took her kids there, our family decided to make the trip to Nagashima Spa Land (but stay overnight).
And you know what? It was, as my nailist told me, absolutely worth it.
In this article, I’ll share my family’s experience visiting Nagashima Spa Land so that you’ll have an idea about what to expect and can decide whether this theme park is a good place to take your kids.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Visit Nagashima Spa Land with Kids
Contrary to what you might believe based on the name, there is no spa in the Nagashima Spa Land amusement park. However, there is an onsen just outside the park at their official hotel, Nagashima Hotel, as well as in the waterpark area in summer. These are all part of Nagashima Spa Resort, which also includes Mitsui Outlet Park Jazz Dream Nagashima, a flower park called Nabana no Sato, and an Anpanman Museum. In this article, I’ll focus exclusively on the amusement park, Nagashima Spa Land.
Although we visited Nagashima Spa Land on a Saturday, it was blissfully empty compared to other theme parks like Tokyo Disney or Universal Studios Japan. I suppose this shouldn’t have been surprising, considering that it’s not located in a major city such as Tokyo or Osaka.
It also helped that we visited in late September, after school vacations were well over in Japan.
Since the park was rather empty, most kiddy rides had less than a 5-minute wait time, which made our entire family very happy.
Nagashima Spa Land is also spacious and boasts 58 different rides and attractions (!!!) for most ages, ranging from toddlers to thrill-loving teens and adults. Teenagers especially will adore this place. I met some teachers from Australia who brought their high school rugby students here, and they loved it.
There’s also a huge playground here that kids will love if they need a break from rides or just don’t enjoy them. (This is especially great if you have one kid who likes amusement parks but the other doesn’t, but it does cost 800 yen to enter.)
Nagashima Spa Land also doesn’t have long hours, meaning your kid won’t stay out too late or be overly exhausted. (Although perhaps this might be boring for older kids who want to stay later.) The typical hours of operation are between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM, and honestly, I found this was more than enough, especially since wait times are short.
Make sure to check their hours of operation before you go because the schedule changes daily, and some days they’re completely closed.
Finally, if you or your kiddos are fans of Peter Rabbit, there are two Peter Rabbit-themed rides as well as photo spots and merch here.
If you like, you can purchase a Peter Rabbit ear headband from the souvenir shop. The whale is for their famous roller coaster Hakugei (absolutely not for the faint-hearted, I screamed my lungs out the entire time), and the bat is for a ride called Acrobat (another intense one that was too scary for even me!).
Tips for Visiting Nagashima Spa Land with Kids
Entry for the Nagashima Spa Land costs 1800 yen for adults, 1100 yen for elementary school kids, and 600 yen for children ages two to six.
A day pass with unlimited rides costs 6000 yen for adults, 4500 yen for elementary school kids, and 2800 yen for children ages two to six.
If your child is young and not accustomed to amusement parks (and you’re not sure whether they will even like going on rides), consider paying per ride by buying individual tickets from machines located throughout the park rather than getting a day pass. Rides for youngsters range from 300 to 800 yen, while the more thrilling rides for older kids are 400 to 2000 yen. (If your kid is a teen and likes intense roller coasters, just buy the day pass because these rides cost around 1500 to 2000 yen each time you go on them.)
Note that there are some discrepancies between the English pamphlet and the Japanese. For instance, the English sometimes says a kid should be at least six years old to go on a certain ride, while the Japanese states they should be in elementary school. This was a little annoying when my family visited because my daughter was six, but still in preschool (she starts elementary school in April), so they wouldn’t let her on some rides.
If you have kids under age seven, I recommend taking them to the Kids Town area in Nagashima Spa Land, pictured below, which has over 30 rides (!) for kiddos. This is located next to the entrance, so it’s very easy to find. I’ll cover the rides in this area later on.
Feel free to bring a stroller if you need one; there aren’t any stairs at Nagashima Spa Land, and the park is very stroller-friendly. My friend took her two middle-schoolers here when her youngest was a baby, and the baby just slept in the stroller while the older kids went crazy going on the rides. (My friend also briefly shopped at the Mitsui outlet mall while the kids were in the park, which is five minutes away on foot.)
You can bring food and drinks into the park, but there are also plenty of places to eat in the park, as well as the outlet mall. In fact, there’s a restaurant just for kids at Nagashima Spa Land that has kid-friendly Japanese food like curry rice and udon!
Note that almost everything at the park is in Japanese, including ride explanations, although they do have an English map.
If you’re visiting from May to October, bring mosquito spray. There were a surprising number of mosquitoes at the park when we visited!
Lastly, I highly recommend staying at Hotel Nagashima, which is the official hotel for the theme park. If you stay here, you’ll get to enter the park 15 minutes before the official opening time the day after your stay, and it’s only a few minutes away from the park on foot. This hotel also has a remarkable onsen, one of the best I’ve ever visited.
Rides for Babies at Nagashima Spa Land
There aren’t very many rides for babies at Nagashima Spa Land, but don’t let that stop you from visiting if you have older kids who will enjoy the other rides.
Below are baby-friendly rides that have no height restrictions. (I didn’t include every single ride with no height restrictions because I don’t think some are good for babies.) Of course, children even in elementary school can enjoy these rides as well!
Peter Rabbit Sky Liner
This is a suspended ride that takes you around the kids’ area in a car with a Peter Rabbit character on the top, so you get a great aerial view!
It is undoubtedly cute and I liked that we could ride as a family as up to four people can go inside one car. However, I was surprisingly scared on this ride! You feel suspended in the air, which made me feel like I might fall. My daughter loved it, though, and I quote, “I love Peter Rabbit!”, and rode it three times (twice with her father).
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★★★
No height restriction if riding with an adult.
Peter Rabbit Coaster
This is another Peter Rabbit-themed ride, but this time it’s a roller coaster. It’s not fast and perfect for toddlers, although there were lots of junior high school students on it (probably because it is adorable).
My daughter enjoyed this ride and went on it twice. My husband thought it was short and boring, but our daughter was happy, so he was as well.
Make sure not to miss the photo spot featuring Mr. McGregor’s Garden!
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★☆ (she took off one star because, according to her, it wasn’t a completely smooth ride)
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★☆☆ (he thought it was boring)
Children must be at least age two to ride, and must ride with an adult if they’re under age six.
Balloon Race
This ride moves fast and spins clockwise at a slight angle. My daughter and I enjoyed it, but we were riding facing forward. Sadly, my husband got motion sick on this while riding backwards, so if you have a weak stomach, sit facing forward!
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★ (“It’s fast and fun!”)
My Rating: ★★★★★
My Husband’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
No height restriction if riding with an adult.
Flying Elephants
This is a pretty standard ride at amusement parks, like a smaller and gentler version of Dumbo at Disneyland. My daughter didn’t go on this because she finds this ride too boring, but I think it’s perfect for toddlers.
Children ages three and under must ride with an adult.
Merry Go Round
This is a standard ride you can find at all theme parks, so no explanation is necessary! My daughter is getting too old for Merry Go Rounds, so we didn’t ride it.
Children ages five and under must ride with an adult.
Let’s Go Thomas
If your child is a fan of Thomas, they’re in luck! They can ride on a small, kid-sized Thomas train that goes at a slow but enjoyable speed for little ones. If you have a baby, you can hold them while you ride. (Might be a bit of a tight squeeze depending on your size.)
My daughter didn’t go on this ride because “it’s for babies!”
Children ages two and under must ride with an adult.
Water Ace
Take a ride in a swan on the water. I think this is great for the entire family, but it was unfortunately closed when we visited.
Children ages eight and under must ride with an adult.
Rides for Toddlers at Nagashima Spa Land
Nagashima Spa Land is a great place to introduce curious toddlers to rides. These rides are, of course, totally fine (and recommended) for preschoolers and early elementary school kids as well.
My daughter went on almost all of these, so I’ll provide her thoughts on them, too.
Notably, you’ll see that every ride has a different type of restriction, some being height and some being age. It’s a little strange, but it is what it is.
Kids Square
This is an amazing playground inside the park. It does cost 800 yen to enter if you don’t have a day pass. We didn’t go inside because my daughter prioritizes the rides.
Children must be accompanied by an adult and cannot enter if they’re in grade 4 (elementary school) and up.
The “Dog Ride” (Dachshund)
This long, dog-shaped ride looks like a mini-roller coaster, but it actually just bounces along a circular track. My daughter said this one actually hurt because of the bouncing. We skipped a repeat ride.
Although this ride has no height restriction, I don’t recommend bringing a baby on it.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
No height restriction if riding with an adult.
Kids Flume Ride
This is a very mini splash-mountain type of ride. You will probably get wet, which is why we chose not to go on it, but if you and your kiddo don’t mind getting a little soaked, definitely try it out!
No height restriction
Ladybird
Children can ride on little ladybug-shaped cars and turn in circles. They don’t bump into each other, which is great if your kids don’t like bumper cars like mine. My daughter went on this with her father, and she enjoyed it.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★☆ (she took off one star because she said the seat was hot)
My Husband’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Guests ages two to three must ride with an adult.
Water Shot
Kids ride in a cart and shoot at targets using water. My daughter enjoys these rides and always goes on them at amusement parks
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Husband’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Guests under age three must ride with an adult.
Ashika Circus
Ashika means sea lion in Japanese, and true to its name, the ride has you travel “on the back” of a sealion along a gentle water-filled path. There’s a very small drop, so it’s exciting and yet gentle enough for toddlers.
At age six, my daughter thinks she’s too old for this (and she doesn’t like water-based rides), but she went on a similar ride when she was five years old, and she enjoyed it.
Guests ages two to six must ride with an adult.
Children Coaster
My husband and I were not fans of this ladybug-themed roller coaster. It shook too much and wasn’t a smooth ride, but my daughter wanted to go twice so she enjoyed it enough!
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Guests ages two to five must ride with an adult.
Bouncing Dome
Children can bounce around on a soft, white dome. They need to take off their shoes to go on this. My daughter didn’t go on this since we have something similar near our house (and it’s free!).
Children ages three and under must be supervised by an adult.
Go Carts
Kids can race around a track in a car in a small forest. My daughter had no interest going on it, unfortunately, but it looked fun to me! This ride is located right below Jet Coaster (my family’s favorite ride), so there is a chance that the roller coaster above might scare younger children.
Children ages five and under must ride with an adult.
Tea Cup
Another standard ride at amusement parks, you sit in a teacup that moves around and turn the dial to spin the cup around.
Children ages five and under must ride with an adult.
Mini Train
This is a replica of a steam locomotive that goes in a circle throughout the same lovely forest as the Go Cart ride. It’s short but sweet, although older kids might be bored on it.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★☆☆
Children ages five and under must ride with an adult.
Kiddy Ride
These are coin-operated car-like rides that cost 100 yen, so you cannot use the unlimited ride pass for them. But as you can see in the image above, they come in cute characters like Hello Kitty, Thomas, and Anpanman.
Children ages two and under must ride with an adult.
Spin Helicopter
You ride inside a tiny “helicopter” (that looks more like a car to me). While inside, kids can press buttons to honk and turn a steering wheel.
This is great for kids who aren’t used to rides since it’s not intense; it only goes up and gently moves in a circular motion, but it was HOT inside the vehicle. I wish it was open-air!
My daughter found it boring but I think toddlers would enjoy it.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★☆☆☆
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Guests under age five must be accompanied by an adult to ride.
The Best Rides for Kids at Nagashima Spa Land
If you’re visiting with kids in preschool through elementary school, here’s what’s available and what my daughter thought about it. (As well as me!)
Note that my daughter was six years old when she first visited Nagashima Spa Land and was only about 110 cm tall.
For older, taller, and more thrill-seeking kids, read this article.
Jet Coaster
This was hands-down my daughter’s favorite ride at Nagashima Spa Land (as well as mine!). We went on it a whopping nine times!
Do not let the name or the size scare you. My daughter was intimidated at first because it looks huge, but this is the perfect “starter coaster.”
It doesn’t go very fast, it’s smooth, and there are no steep, scary drops. It feels like a leisurely open-air drive through a forest. If you have a child who is ready to graduate from kiddie coasters but isn’t ready for loops, this is it.
As with all roller coasters, I suggest sitting in the back for a more thrilling ride.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★★
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★★★
Guests must be at least two years old to ride. Children ages six and up can ride without a parent. But honestly, I don’t know if I would take a two-year-old on this, I think my daughter would have been scared since it does have a few drops (albeit gentle)!
Buran Buran
“Buran buran” is the sound a swing (buranko) makes in Japanese. This is a more intense swing, though, that goes up a comfortable (but fun) distance for kids. My daughter loves it but it does make my stomach flip a little. (My mom friend can’t go on this ride because of it.)
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Children must be at least 90 cm to ride.
Magic Bike
If your kid ever wanted to ride into the sky ET-style (maybe ET is no longer a thing for youngsters…), then this is it.
My daughter didn’t want to go on it.
Guests must be at least 90 cm to ride.
Spin Boat (Rock In Tug)
This land-based boat ride spins around while moving side-to-side. Unfortunately this was not in operation when we visited, which is too bad because it looks really fun!
Guests must be at least 90 cm to ride.
Jet Ski
This was such a fun experience! You get to ride on secure jet skis that you can move inwards and outwards.
Note that you will likely get wet, although it’s not that bad. You won’t be sopping or need a change of clothes. Thankfully, there’s a box next to your jet ski where you can place your things before you get inside.
My daughter typically doesn’t like rides that are on the water, but we all had a great time on this.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★★
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★★★
Guests must be at least 100 cm to ride.
Rock ‘n Roll
My daughter was too short to go on this, and I didn’t even try because I’m too old to get rolled around inside a giant tin hamster wheel. It didn’t seem like a pleasant experience for me but the older elementary school kiddos on the ride seemed to enjoy it!
Guests must be at least 120 cm to ride.
Wave Swinger
This is yet another staple amusement park ride and one that I had fond memories of riding when I was a kid. However, I couldn’t take my daughter because she was still in preschool at the time, despite meeting the age requirement stated on the English pamphlet (age six). Had we bought her a ticket for elementary schoolers, she would have been able to ride.
(If you’re confused, I explain how Japan’s school system and ages work in this article.)
I went on this ride alone, though, and had a nice, leisurely ride. I think my daughter would have been a little scared, so perhaps she was still too young to ride anyway.
Guests must be in elementary school to ride.
Tele-combat
This is yet another standard amusement park ride that took me back to my childhood. You can use a lever to move the small spaceships up and down while you spin around and shoot targets.
My daughter and I enjoyed this but as it’s metal, the seats were HOT, which is why we didn’t go on it a second time.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Apparently no minimum height requirement if a child is with an adult, but I wouldn’t bring a small child on this. Elementary-age kids can ride alone.
Giant Wheel Aurora
This Ferris Wheel is a must when you visit Nagashima Spa Land. You can see the entire park as well as the sea from it! I really loved seeing the roller coasters from up here, especially Nagashima Spa Land’s famous Hakugei.
However, it does go up very high, and although my daughter and husband were completely fine, I started feeling a little scared. (Disclaimer: I am afraid of heights.)
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★★★
Guests younger than elementary school age must be accompanied by an adult.
Viking
This was unfortunately not in operation when we visited. My daughter loves Viking rides so I bet she would have had a blast on it!
Guests must be at least 110 cm to ride.
It seems like you can take a swan boat to this ride, but I couldn’t verify this since both rides were closed when we visited.
Make sure not to miss the bridge near this ride, where you can buy fish feed (the green garbage bin-looking machine on the bottom left of the image below) and give it to the koi fish!
Keroyon Jump (Frog Hopper)
My daughter has gone on a version of this at other theme parks and she absolutely loves it. You sit in a row with other guests, and everyone is raised up and “bounce” gradually down, as if they’re frogs that are hopping. It’s really enjoyable.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★★★
Guests must be at least 100 cm to ride.
Red Baron
This plane ride takes kids into the sky (safely, of course) so they can feel like a pilot! My daughter had no interest in going on this, unfortunately.
Guests must be between age 3 and 12 to ride.
Motocross
My daughter doesn’t care for motorbike rides either, but this looks like an awesome ride for kids who do!
Guests must be between age 3 and 12 to ride.
Circuit 2000
This is another great ride for car fans. I love how colorful it is and all the different types of cars. I wish my daughter had tried to go on it!
Guests must be between 90 cm to 130 cm to ride.
FARM de BANG BANG!
My daughter was obsessed with this ride, and so were other kiddos, because the wait for this was around fifteen minutes (one of the longer ride wait times when we visited).
You need to wear 3D glasses for this attraction, and they don’t have children’s sizes but the glasses thankfully fit my six-year-old perfectly.
In this ride, you sit in a car and move along a course shooting at targets on different screens using carrot guns. Yes, carrot guns. It’s whimsical and weird, but also surprisingly difficult?
At the end, you find out your score, and mine wasn’t great, haha. Up to four people can sit in one car, so it’s great for the whole family.
My daughter went on this at least four times.
My Kid’s Rating: ★★★★★
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Husband’s Rating: ★★★★☆
Guests ages three and up can ride.
Haunted House
This was a somewhat scary Haunted House that I walked through pretty quickly to see if my kid could handle it. There are no jump scares or anything, but I thought my daughter wouldn’t like it due to the darkness, loud noises, and slightly realistic-looking props.
I think kids in elementary school and up would get a kick out of it, though.
No minimum height requirement, but I wouldn’t bring a toddler to this.
Kite Flyer
For whatever reason, my daughter refused to go on this ride. I think the idea of lying down on her belly and moving forward “superman-style” just wasn’t appealing to her. However, I saw many (elementary-age) kiddos on this, and they seemed like they enjoyed it.
Guests must be at least 110 cm to ride.
Shooting Gallery
This is an attraction where you have to pay 200 yen for 10 shots using a toy shotgun. Winners who shoot all 10 targets get a special Sheriff’s badge.
No height restrictions.
Nagashima Tsuri Spirits
This is an attraction that you have to pay 500 yen extra for.
My daughter loves fish, so my husband decided to take her on this fishing (tsuri) ride. Using a rod-shaped controller, you “fish” on a large screen.
If you catch a white whale (which is what Nagashima Spa Land is famous for, as its most famous ride is called Hakugei, meaning “Moby Dick”), you’ll get a prize… which my daughter somehow accomplished (with my husband’s help)! She was so proud of herself.
No height restrictions.
The Thrill & Speed Rides
I cover the more thrilling and fast rides, including the ones Nagashima Spa Land is most famous for, in this article.
I highly recommend reading it and checking whether your kids meet the height requirements before you go, because the last thing you want is a disappointed kiddo.
My daughter was too short to go on these rides, so I went on them alone while my husband stayed with her, but it was fine because she was too scared to want to go on them anyway. However, she did say “mama kakkoi” (Mom is cool!) when she saw what I rode!
My Overall Thoughts on Nagashima Spaland with Kids
Overall, my family came expecting a busy, stressful day, but we left with great memories and zero stress. My daughter found her new favorite ride (The Jet Coaster), my husband was happy not to wait in long lines, and we were able to go on everything we wanted (some rides several times!). We will definitely be back.
Note that if your kids are under 3, there isn’t as much for them to do, so it might not be worth the price.