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Yomiuriland

Inagi, Tokyo, Japan

“Classic Japanese amusement park fun”

In the world of theme parks, it’s important to have a good mascot. Walibi has a kangaroo, Efteling has Pardoes, Phantasialand has its six dragons, Liseberg has a green rabbit and PortAventura is the home of Woody Woodpecker. The latter also plays an important role in Japan, as he represents the world-renowned Universal Studios Japan. However, I’m not dedicating this page to Pardoes or Mr Woodpecker, but rather to a Japanese theme park mascot who isn’t world-famous (yet). I am talking about Good, a cheerfully-coloured dog with a rather sad look on his face. Yet, he has absolutely no reason to be sad. Good is accompanied by his girlfriend Lucky, and together they get to spend their days in a surprisingly large amusement park near Tokyo. Welcome to Yomiuriland.

The word ‘Yomiuri’ may refer to a newspaper, a baseball team or even a Japanese travel agency. However, my focus is mainly on the amusement park of the same name, which is 12 miles west of Tokyo. That’s not exactly a comfortable walking distance, but public transport can get you nearly everywhere in Japan. From Shinjuku Station, the Keio New Line takes you to Keio-Yomiuri-Land Station in approximately 30 minutes. Once you arrive, you’re only a short cable car ride away from the park entrance. The so-called Sky Shuttle is old and its gondolas have seen better days, but it offers some amazing views of the amusement park. There’s even direct interaction with the park’s biggest roller coaster.

ROLLER COASTERS

That massive roller coaster is Bandit, a former record-holder. When it was unveiled in 1988, it counted as the world’s fastest roller coaster. Its top speed of 68 mph (110 km/h) isn’t particularly noteworthy these days, but Bandit remains an impressive machine nevertheless. It’s got nearly one mile of track and despite the lift hill being ‘just’ 176 feet (51 metres) tall, the hilly terrain results in a total elevation of no less than 256 feet (78 metres). But… is it a fun and comfortable ride? After all, Bandit was built by Japanese manufacturer Togo, a company that isn’t known for its smooth roller coasters. They were responsible for the infamous Big Apple Coaster in Las Vegas and Fujiyama at Fuji-Q Highland. However, I must admit that we are pleasantly surprised by Bandit. The experience isn’t entirely smooth and the shoulder restraints feel completely unnecessary, but overall it’s more than fine. Bandit creates a good sense of speed, there are a few pops of airtime, and I’m also a huge fan of the attraction’s unique, spread-out layout.

The brightly coloured, yet sad-looking dog is everywhere in Yomiuriland. There’s a giant statue of Good at the entrance and he’s also displayed on dozens of information signs. Furthermore, this good boy even got his own ride. Wan Wan Coaster Wandit is a family roller coaster with very modest statistics, but the cute front car gave us a valid reason to visit this coaster. By the way… let’s hope that our sad little dog isn’t afraid of prehistoric giants, as Dino Runner can be found just across the street. This is a rather odd-looking (and very tame) powered coaster that was decorated with cheap dinosaur sculptures and a plastic volcano.

Our first visit to Yomiuriland took place in 2013. One area of the park has remained virtually unchanged since then, but there has been a huge expansion on the northern side of the park. This is where the so-called Good Job Attractions were created, referring to monozukuri. These are traditional crafts or areas of interest specifically associated with Japan. They were housed in four different buildings: Fashion Factory, Food Factory, Car Factory and Space Factory. It goes without saying that these ‘factories’ have a rather industrial look, so I wouldn’t describe this zone as particularly cosy or beautiful. Still, I’d like to praise Yomiuriland for the originality and educational value of this theme. Besides, the three largest Good Job Attractions are surprisingly unique.

A ride on Spin Runway might just be the highlight of the day for fashionistas, as the central theme of this spinning coaster is fashion. The queue was decorated with oversized tailor props and the actual ride feels like some sort of fashion show, characterised by bright spotlights and catchy pop music. We also get to see Good the dog as a traditional fashion designer, so theming-wise this attraction turns out to be pretty okay. However, don’t expect any major thrills from Spin Runway. The layout is barely 1,470 feet (450 metres) long, the top speed is relatively low and the whole experience feels very controlled. Perhaps the most surprising feature of Spin Runway is its spiral lift hill, which is (as far as I know) the only one ever built by Gerstlauer.

Five years after the opening of Spin Runway, Gerstlauer was once again hired to create Lipovitan Rocket Luna. Yomiuriland opted for something unique, as this is the only Family Suspended Coaster the Bavarian manufacturer has built until this very day. The stats are once again anything but spectacular: the ride is just 51 feet (15,5 metres) tall and the cars don’t travel faster than 24 mph (39 km/h). Unfortunately, Yomiuriland also missed the mark when it comes to theming. Lipovitan Rocket Luna is located in the Space Factory area, so I guess the attraction is meant to simulate a journey to space. However, the indoor portions of the ride aren’t dark enough and the amount of theming and/or lighting effects are very limited, so it actually feels like a flight through cold and sterile hangars.

WATER RIDES

Food Factory is home to the most original Good Job Attraction. This pavilion is all about Nissin U.F.O. Yakisoba, a popular Japanese ready meal. At Splash U.F.O. we discover the production and preparation process of these instant noodles aboard a rapid river boat. Just as with the space roller coaster, I have to admit that the hall looks relatively bare, so I certainly wouldn’t call Splash U.F.O. an immersive experience. I’m also not a huge fan of the interactive game you get to play while riding. However, I have no complaints about the ride itself. The layout features an unusually steep descent and the short outdoor section of the attraction is quite photogenic thanks to the enormous kettle standing there. In short: Splash U.F.O. is a very unusual rafting adventure.

It won’t get us wet, but Giant Sky River certainly belongs on the list of water attractions. This is, in fact, a raft ride similar to La Descente du Nil at Parc Astérix. Giant Sky River is similar to the French version in terms of statistics, but we must point out a few key differences. Firstly, there is absolutely no theming whatsoever. Great for those who love industrial design, but personally I prefer a slightly more decorated experience. Secondly, the boats are transported upwards by a vertical lift, albeit without passengers. Therefore, you must be prepared to climb a considerable amount of stairs if you’re interested in riding this attraction. Thirdly, there’s the capacity, which is incredibly low. Plan your visit to Giant Sky River as early as possible, as you’ll probably end up in a long and slow-moving queue later in the day.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

In terms of park layout, Yomiuriland is a rather weird place. The main boulevard (which includes that cute little dog roller coaster) and the Good Job Attractions are bustling with energy, but some other areas of the park feel terribly out of the way. In the eastern corner of the park, for example, there is the Twin Towers Area that features a double S&S tower ride and a Zamperla Mega Disk’O. And there are even more spinning and swinging attractions for those flat ride lovers. Yomiuriland offers the Looping Starship, a brightly-coloured Wave Swinger and a handful of family-oriented carousels. These aren’t the rides that convince people to visit a certain amusement park, but they do create a more complete experience. The only flat ride that I’d consider as a must-do is Sky-Go-LAND. This is a 200-feet-tall (60 metres) Ferris wheel, which looks even more imposing than it actually is due to its hilltop location. Stunning views of Yomiuriland are guaranteed, and on clear days you can even spot the city centre of Tokyo and Mount Fuji.

Tokyo Disney Resort has created a hype with its popcorn stalls. Yomiuriland seems to have something similar, but they did this with interactive attractions. Games have been incorporated into several rides, including EV Grand Prix, one of Yomiuriland’s three go-kart tracks. During a lap, riders must drive over specific targets on the track as accurately as possible to collect points. The Sky Patrol monorail also features built-in screens with a game. Here, you watch augmented reality scenes featuring villains. These bad guys can be captured by adjusting the speed of your vehicle, which then earns you points and a heartfelt ‘Good Job!’ from the staff on the unloading platform. The game becomes a bit monotonous after a while, but this is an incredibly clever way to pimp a relatively simple attraction. Finally, a brief mention for an interactive dark ride Animal Rescue – Season 2. In this attraction, you must rescue wild animals by taking out the poachers with a laser gun. The animatronics and the scale remind us of a haunted house on a regional funfair, but I appreciate the fact that Yomiuriland offers a dark ride.

Some areas of Yomiuriland transport us back to a bygone era. The clearest example of this is the Sea Lion Show, which takes place in a dilapidated little theatre next to Bandit. The trainers deserve my utmost respect and they perform their act with great passion, but there’s no denying that the whole thing exudes a rather sad and outdated atmosphere.

POKÉPARK KANTO

During our first trip to Japan, it seemed as if we were the only non-local visitors at Yomiuriland. These days, however, the park manages to attract noticeably more Western tourists, but most of them aren’t interested in Yomiuriland’s roller coasters and carousels. The vast majority of foreign visitors are actually there because of PokéPark Kanto, which opened in 2026. This is a sort of theme park within an amusement park. This immersive Pokémon land is entirely within the boundaries of Yomiuriland, but you do need a separate admission ticket to get in. Those tickets are in high demand: when tickets go on sale online, most time slots sell out in the blink of an eye. So be quick if you want to visit PokéPark at all costs. We aren’t into Pokémon at all, so we’re skipping the PokéPark Kanto experience entirely.

WORTH A VISIT?

I can’t say whether PokéPark Kanto is worth a visit or not, but Yomiuriland certainly is. Don’t expect it to match the brilliant theming of DisneySea or to offer bigger thrills than Fuji-Q Highland, but this is a fine local amusement park. Yomiuriland offers a very wide range of attractions for the whole family. The park’s visual highlight remains Bandit, but during our recent visit I was particularly charmed by the Good Job Attractions. Yomiuriland opted for less conventional theming ideas and they focused on indoor entertainment, which is definitely a plus on very hot or wet days. Besides, we were pleasantly surprised by the relatively short queues for most rides at Yomiuriland, despite visiting on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The park offers a fairly stress-free experience, which felt refreshing after our very busy days at the nearby Tokyo Disney Resort. In short: any theme park enthusiast travelling to Japan should put Yomiuriland on their to-do list. And admit it… you want to meet that sad-looking yet brightly-coloured little dog, don’t you?

Have you visited Yomiuriland yet? Did you manage to take a selfie with Good the dog? Which Good Job Attraction is your favourite? And did you catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji during your ride on the Ferris wheel? Share your experiences in the comments section below.

This article reflects my personal experience at Yomiuriland during a visit in April 2026.