I’d wanted to visit Japan for a very long time and knew I would want souvenirs; for months before going I was avoiding buying things I need so I could instead shop in Japan.You may have seen this snap on my instagram – one of my most liked images – today I’ll show you what I got! I have to say I felt very hypocritical as I’m just not the “haul” kind of girl. I don’t go crazy with my purchases; I shop rarely and I hate buying replacements or items similar to things I already own. I‘m also very conscious of where my stuff comes from and goes back too (as you may have guessed from my ethical and vegan lifestyle choices). That being said; I absolutely planned to buy a lot in Japan and purposefully took more money than I thought I’d need to live (first time I’ve ever done that for a holiday…!).
I first heard about Sanrio Puroland at a ’Tokyo Life’ event in London when I was 8 years old – now I’ve finally been! Sanrio are the Japanese company behind various cute characters such as My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Chococat, Keroppi and of course, Hello Kitty, and as you might expect the theme park is one of the most kawaii places I’ve ever visited. I actually videoed my time there and am very proud to present the below video diary, which features the show, the parade, the rides, me completely losing it on the boat ride and the shop.
Pictures speak louder than words, and moving pictures speak louder than non-moving pictures.. so I hope you’ll watch the video! It’s not too long, and please bear in mind I’m not a seasoned pro with this vlogging stuff – this is the first time I’ve made a video for this purpose. Let me know what you think as I’ve got a few more on the way! I’ve also included some tips and directions at the bottom in case you’re planning a trip to Sanrio Puroland anytime soon. Enjoy! x
TIPS:
– The park is fairly small, so you’re unlikely to need a whole day unless you want to watch all the shows. Arrive early to do so as most of the shows are done by about 4.30pm (save for the main arena show).
– Tickets are very reasonable – but bring money as there is merchandise EVERYWHERE and much of it is exclusive to the park. I found it to be very fairly priced compared to the internet/Hello Kitty section in Hamleys. In my experience theme parks and tourist destinations tend to inflate their prices a lot but the opposite seemed to be true at Sanrio Puroland. (I’ve got a big Japan “haul” post coming soon if you want to see what I’ve got, and a giveaway if you want in on the action!).
– I went alone, and was seemingly the only person above the age of 16 who wasn’t accompanying a child and the only non-Japanese person – but I didn’t care! The staff were all incredibly friendly and there are enough signs in English to get you around if, like me, your Japanese is a little lacking.
– I’d recommend going on all the rides – there’s no big thrills (mostly dark rides) but they’re all very cute and the level of detail is impressive.
– I forgot to video or photograph my food – but it was all shaped like various characters, so do stop by the restaurants! HOW TO GET THERE:
– You will need to get the Keio line from Chofu, Tokyo to Keio Tama Centre – this was one of my only non-JR journeys and cost the equivalent of £3, so I decided I could live with it. You can also take the monorail back but it’s a much longer journey!
– From the station it is an incredibly simple walk – straight, turn left when you reach a massive arch with Hello Kitty on and can see the centre. If you do decide to get lost there are adorable maps everywhere with Sanrio characters to guide the way – so cute I took a picture!
TAPE PARADE 