Is Japan open for travel?
With the recent announcement of the Japan border reopening for package group tours, word on the street is that #japantravel2022 for independent travellers is FINALLY on the horizon!
With one of the world’s most popular destinations finally opening up again, people are scrambling to book a trip to Japan and experience the best things to do there whilst catching it in its final days of summer (or early autumn for those that are more a fan of colder weather vibes and fashion)!
What are the top things to do and which attractions are still open in Japan?
Whether you’re a return visitor keen to see if your old fave places in Japan are still open, or a total newbie planning your first-time Japan itinerary and wanting to cover the main attractions and experiences there, we’ve got you covered!
Here are our top 5 picks of everyone’s ultimate favourite attractions and activities that are open in 2022!
- Universal Studios Japan
- Tokyo Disney Resort
- teamLab Planets
- Street Go Karting Experience in Akihabara
- Moomin Valley Park
1. Universal Studios Japan
What’s it like to be Mario at Super Nintendo World, Universal Studios Japan. Credits: @uri_sensei
Consistently ranked as Japan’s best theme park for four years in a row, Universal Studios Japan - otherwise known as USJ - was the first Universal Studios branded theme park to be built in Asia. It’s everyone’s top pick when they visit Osaka, and covers ten massive sections all inspired by popular franchises, covering:
- Universal Wonderland
- Minion Park
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Amity Village
- Waterworld
- Jurassic Park
- San Francisco
- Hollywood
- New York
- Super Nintendo World
Despite temporary closures in mid-2021, USJ has stayed open throughout the pandemic. Currently they’re open again at relatively normal capacity, however with health and sanitation protocols in place to protect the safety of all guests. Guests are required to:
- Have their masks on pretty much at all times (although the park has established certain ‘mask-free zones’ where you can take a break from wearing a mask)
- Get their temperatures tested at the entrance gate
- Ensure a safe distance between themselves and other guests
- Ensure frequent washing and disinfecting of hands
Also worth noting that the park’s operating hours tend to vary - from the latter half of July, it will be typically open from 9am to 8pm, with closing times extending up until 9-10pm from August onwards.
Onto the fun stuff - travellers planning a visit to Japan and USJ won’t want to miss Super Nintendo World! Newly opened in 2021 after five years of delays, this wacky attraction will be the quirkiest thing to do in Japan, boasting an entirely separate world within USJ. Lose yourself in the land of a Nintendo Game (you literally can’t even see the other rides in the theme park) and explore its two major rides - Yoshi’s Adventure and Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge.
If you’re a massive Nintendo fan and keen to learn more about Super Nintendo World, check out our full summary of the attraction to make you go wahoo!
2. Tokyo Disney Resort Park - now better than ever with the new Toy Story Hotel
Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort. Credits: @tokyodisneyresort_official
One of the world’s most magical places, Tokyo Disney Resort encompasses both Tokyo Disneyland (famous for being the first Disney theme park built outside of the US) as well as Tokyo DisneySea. Easily accessible and a short walk away from JR Maihama Station, the resort has stayed open for locals during these past couple of years, and has been welcoming international visitors since Japan’s soft border reopening in June.
A new thing to get excited about however is the Toy Story Hotel which opened a few months back in April! With everyone’s nostalgia for Disney’s most beloved franchise, this is the newest hotel offering from Tokyo Disney Resort inspired by Toy Story. Built 11 storeys high with almost 600 guest rooms, a stay at this hotel is unmissable if only for the decor alone - capturing childhood joy and wonder, the hotel is the fifth Disney-themed accommodation at the resort, and has immense colourful toy-decorated vibes to allow their visitors to dive headfirst into the dreams and imagination they had as kids.
Get immersed in the colourful world of Toy Story whilst having easy access to the rest of the Disney Resort line. Everything about the hotel features callbacks to characters from Toy Story - the design for the guest rooms were made in collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Pixar Animation Studios and are modelled after Andy’s bedroom, welcoming guests as honorary toys in the film set.
If you’re planning to stay near Tokyo Disney Resort whilst you’re there, look no further than the Toy Story Hotel - it’s an amazing option for both families and fans of the film franchise.
3. teamLab Planets Toyosu Tokyo
Take off your shoes and step into a world of mind-bending installation spaces.
Fans of digital art exhibits and genre-bending things in general would likely have either heard of or already visited teamLab Borderless in the past prior to the pandemic and border closures.
Sadly teamLab Borderless will be closing in August 2022, however fret not as teamLab Planets, another otherworldly dreamscape owned by the same team, will still be open for visits.
Originally planned to only open until late 2020, the popularity of teamLab Planets has made it more or less a permanent fixture in Toyosu (or at least for the foreseeable future). Less congested than Borderless - which is great for all those influencers in the making out there looking for photo ops! - Planets sets you on a designated path across four main rooms housing seven ‘body-immersive’ large-scale installations. With the goal of getting guests to engage with the artworks much like they would with the natural world, you’ll journey across rooms barefoot, sometimes even submerging yourself to the knees in water.
Located in Tokyo’s Toyosu area - new home of the fish market, and located between Ginza and Odaiba - teamLab Planets is a reasonable 30 minute train trip from Shinbashi Station to Shin-Toyosu. Opening hours differ month to month - at the moment in July, teamLab Planets is open from 10am - 8pm on weekdays and 9am - 8pm on weekends. Come August, the attraction will be open for a full 12 hours every day from 9am - 9pm.
4. Street Go Karting Experience in Akihabara
Dress up as your favourite Mario characters down the streets of Tokyo! Credits: @maricarjp
Everyone who visits Japan will have experienced the quintessential Japan Rail, but less people can boast about dressing up in a Mario costume and racing across the streets of Tokyo at 60km per hour!
Whilst Covid has thrown a bit of an, ahem, banana peel at different go-kart operators, with some having to close shop during the pandemic, go-karting is still possible in Japan. If you’re heading to Tokyo, Akiba Kart, based in Akihabara, is your friend as they’re the only operator taking bookings at the moment. For those planning trips outside of Tokyo, other go-karting options include Street Kart’s Okinawa operation, and a Go Kart tour in Chiba.
One of the most unmissable things to do in Japan and the best way to get the full Otaku experience, particularly if you’re visiting the country for the first time, and also a very cheap and affordable adventure at $37.99 per hour ride - perfect bonding experience for a group of friends or families. Unfortunately due to sanitation and health protocols, costume rentals are actually still currently suspended.
A few things you’ll need to keep in mind before you jump onboard a go-kart however is that, like with literally every other vehicle, you’ll need to carry your license with you at all times. In addition to this, you’ll also need two other forms of ID, including your passport (which is mandatory for all tourists anyway) as well as an International Driver’s Permit (IDP).
5, Moominvalley Park
Traipse around with everyone’s favourite Moomins! Credits: @moominvalleypark
Just a short 40km trip northwest of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture lies Moominvalley Park - the first park outside of Finland dedicated to the beloved hippopotamus-like characters created by Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson. These characters have gained an inexplicable almost cult fandom in Japan over the decades, with a series of anime being made in the early 90s.
Modelled after the world of the Moomins and combining an aesthetic combo of both nature and cute entertainment, the park encompasses four zones alongside a lake:
- Welcome Cove, located at the entrance
- Moominvalley itself, housing the bulk of the park’s main attractions
- Kokemus exhibition
- Lonely Mountain - a forested area with a gorgeous canopy of colourful umbrellas, you can hike this area and find the Moomins’ treehouse
Admission ticket will get you covered for the bulk of these zones, however there are certain attractions that require extra payment not covered by general admission. These include the Moominhouse, Little My’s Attraction, the Oshun Oxtra Theatre, and the Hobgoblin’s Zipline.
You can get to Moominvalley Park via the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. The park itself is a short distance away from two stations - Hanno Station, and Higashi-Hanno Station (which is also served by the JR Hachiko Line).
If you’re travelling to multiple areas for your Japan trip, also worth checking out purchasing a JR Pass which can easily cover journeys across Japan.
