Visiting Thomas Land in Japan: Everything You Need to Know

Traveled in October 2025

If you have a toddler who loves trains, then I guarantee Thomas Land in Japan will be your toddler’s favorite theme park in Japan! This Thomas the Train-themed amusement park has life-sized models of Thomas and his friends and all kinds of kiddy rides. The best part for little kids is that unlike other theme parks, they can go on all the rides! Our kiddo loved everything about Thomas Land, not just the rides. Even climbing into the Thomas and Percy models, playing trains in the gift shop, and watching the Percy train go by while eating lunch in the restaurant was magical. If your kiddo loves Thomas the Train, then here is everything you need to know to bring them to Sodor in real life!

Who Will Love It?

Thomas Land in Japan is best for Thomas the Train lovers from 0-5 years old. The rides are all kiddy rides, so older kids might get bored quickly. Luckily, since Thomas Land is embedded in Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park, there are plenty of other rides in the rest of the theme park for older kids looking for more thrills.

When to Go

The short answer is, any time! I imagine that weekends may be a bit more crowded, but when we went to Thomas Land on a weekday there were no lines or crowds at all. Since this is a smaller theme park geared towards younger kids, the target audience is smaller.

How to Get There

Thomas Land in Japan is located in Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park, a theme park located in Kawaguchiko, which is a 2 hour bus ride from Tokyo. While there is a direct bus from Tokyo Station to Fuji-Q Highland, I would recommend staying overnight in Kawaguchiko to experience the beauty of this lakeside resort town rather than trying to do Thomas Land as a day trip from Japan.

If staying overnight in Kawaguchiko, you can reach Fuji-Q Highland by train from Kawaguchiko Station. From Kawaguchiko Station, take the Fujikyu Railway line to Fujikyu-Highland Station. This station is directly connected to Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park.

Once you enter Fuji-Q Highland, follow the blue line on the ground that leads you to Thomas Land. It is a bit of a walk from the entrance of the park to Thomas Land, so bring a stroller if needed.

Where to Stay

I highly recommend staying in Kawaguchiko for at least one night to enjoy this relaxing lake town rather than visiting Thomas Land in Japan as a day trip from Tokyo. Kawaguchiko was our favorite stop during our Japan trip with our kiddo! It’s an onsen resort town with a lot of opportunities to enjoy nature, and a great view of Mount Fuji (if you’re lucky!). We stayed in the town of Kawaguchiko in a super kid-friendly onsen hotel, and LOVED our stay. If you want to stay closer to Thomas Land though, you can stay at the Highland Resort Hotel & Spa.

• Fujikawaguchiko Onsen Konanso: We stayed at the Konanso Onsen Hotel and absolutely loved it! Although they offer rooms with private onsens, we chose a Japanese-style tatami room without one since our kid wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. The hotel has both public onsens and private onsens you can rent. We especially enjoyed the foot bath on the roof after a day of walking, with a view of Mount Fuji on clear days. We loved waking up to the stunning lake view from our room, and the amazing kaiseki dinners we enjoyed in our room every night, which even included a kids’ meal with dessert! Our kid loved sleeping on futons with us – it felt like a fun family slumber party for him. We can’t recommend this hotel enough and can’t wait to go back!
• Highland Resort Hotel & Spa: For the most convenient option, stay at the Highland Resort Hotel & Spa right next to Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park. Most rooms have a Mount Fuji view, which is great for maximizing your chances of seeing the elusive peak. The hotel is great for families because they have rooms of all sizes, including family rooms that have beds for 4. They even have Thomas and Naruto-themed rooms, which kids will love. The hotel includes free entrance to the onsen next door, which has indoor and outdoor onsens.

How to Buy Tickets

There is a ticket window when you first enter Fuji Q Highland. It’s free to enter the theme park, but you have to pay for each ride. You can either get an unlimited ride pass, or pay by ride. I’ve broken down what kind of ticket to ask for at the ticket window depending on which option you choose.

Kids over 1 year old need their own ticket. When deciding which option to choose, factor in the cost of at least one adult since preschool-aged children must be accompanied by an adult on all the rides.

• One day Thomas Land pass: gives you unlimited rides for all 12 Thomas Land rides. The Thomas Land passes are available at the ticket window and will work as your entrance ticket. You would need to buy at least one adult and one infant pass since an adult has to accompany the child on the rides.
• Pay 500 yen per person per ride: Request a free entrance ticket at the main ticket window. Use the ticket machines in Thomas Land to purchase individual ride tickets. One ticket per person, and tickets cost the same for adults and kids. The ticket machines accept cash or Suica card.

We went with the pay by ride option because I didn’t know how many rides we would go on. But the cost of those individual tickets add up quick! After doing the math, it probably would have been cheaper to get one adult and one infant Thomas Land pass since we took turns going on rides with our kid, and purchasing extra single tickets for any rides we wanted to go on all together.

Thomas Land Japan Rides

There are only three rides with either a height or age restriction, which I’ve noted below. However, preschool-aged children do have to be accompanied by an adult on all rides.

Thomas’ Dokidoki Playground

Thomas themed indoor playground. We skipped this since we were paying by ride, but if you have the pass this would be a nice break for parents to sit while the kids play.

Thomas’ Treasure Hunt

Fun interactive ride where you can shine a flashlight at crystals throughout the ride to light them up. There is a photo op at the end of the ride in front of Thomas and friends. Just make sure you are looking at the right place for the camera (we were not)!

Thomas and Percy’s Fun Ride

Super fun little train ride! The passenger carts are pulled by either Thomas, Percy, or James. It was Percy the day we visited. The train winds around different scenes from Sodor so you get to see many other Thomas the Train characters during the train ride. The train also passes by the restaurant, and it’s super cute to see all the little kids waving as they eat their meals. The ride ends in the gift shop.

Nia and Animal Coaster

For kids 3 years old and older. A mini roller coaster with some ups and downs, with some African animal statues scattered around the track.

Harold’s Sky Patrol

A revolving helicopter ride that goes high up into the air. This was our kiddo’s favorite ride. He loved soaring above everything!

Thomas’ Happy Smile

A bucket ride that goes slowly up and down along a track.

Hopping Winston

For kids over 90 cm tall. This ride is a little bouncy, which is probably why there is a height requirement.

Thomas and the Dancing Party

Spinning around in Thomas and friends cars to the tune of some fun music. This was the first ride our kiddo went on and he had a great time!

Mischievous Cranky

This ride spins up and down high up into the air. This was another ride that didn’t seem to be running the day we were there.

Thomas’ Bubbly Splash

A boat ride with a splash! There is a bit of up and down during the part before the splash.

Go! Go! Bulstrode

For kids over 90 cm tall. This ride is similar to the spinning, swinging boat rides at carnivals and amusement parks, but on a smaller scale.

3D Maze Thomas Circus

A multistory, 3D maze where kids go around collecting stamps. Apparently there is a quiz at the top that you answer based on the clues collected while searching for the stamps. We skipped this one because we weren’t sure if there would be English versions of the quiz.

Where to Eat

Theme park meals are one of my favorite easy meals with kids in Japan because there is bound to be something even picky eaters will eat. There is one main restaurant and two food booths in the Thomas Land area. The main restaurant has indoor seating, while the food booths just have outdoor seating. There were also plenty of picnic tables for families that brought their own lunch.

• Thomas Restaurant: we ate at the Thomas Restaurant and it was so fun! The food isn’t gourmet, but some meal sets come on souvenir Thomas plates that you can keep (just trade for a new one at the end). The kid-friendly seating area with mini tables and chairs was a hit, especially next to the windows where the Thomas and Percy train passed by. It was adorable watching all the kids wave at the trains! We also happened to be there during a birthday celebration that included a dancing Thomas train, so it was like lunch with a show. The Thomas Restaurant is located in the back of Thomas Land, next to Thomas and Percy’s Fun Ride.
• Kindley Ladies Kitchen: this take out booth has some souvenir lunch boxes and plates, kid’s lunch boxes, and sandwiches. It is located near the front of Thomas Land, next to the 3D maze.
• Lady Hatt’s Afternoon Tea: this food booth mostly serves snacks and sweets, like soft serve ice cream sundaes, soft serve floats, cakes, and souvenir popcorn containers. It is located near the entrance of Thomas Land.

Packing Essentials for Kids in Japan

• Layers of clothing:
  • Light rain jacket: it’s helpful to keep a packable rain jacket that doesn’t take up too much space in your everyday bag. We didn’t want to bother with carrying multiple umbrellas so a rain jacket was clutch on the sprinkly days.
  • Comfortable walking shoes: everyone does a lot more walking in Japan than usual. Make sure kids have comfortable shoes that are easy on and off!
  • Sun hat
  • Socks: part of Japanese culture is taking shoes off indoors, so you will find yourself removing your shoes much more than usual. Make sure to pack the good socks without holes!
  • Japan is a shopping mecca (check out my curated list of things to buy in Japan for moms!). If you forget to pack anything, you can probably find what you need at Muji or Uniqlo at a good price!
• Snacks and hydration:
  • Favorite snacks: Japan is a snack paradise, so I’m sure your kiddo will eventually find something that they like at the convenience stores. But bring some favorite snacks from home to tide you over until you figure out which Japanese snacks your kids love.
  • Water bottle: tap water is generally safe to drink in Japan, though we still prefer bottled water to avoid stomach upset as a result of the difference in mineral content.

• Entertainment options for downtime:
  • Screens will usually keep kids occupied, and while our kiddo gets a lot more screen time than usual when traveling, we don’t like to rely solely on screens for entertainment because there are usually more massive meltdowns when we try to turn it off.
  • We bring one new book (search and find books or lift the flap books are great!), Water Wow coloring books, sticker books, and drawing pads for travel days.
  • We usually make a toy store one of our first stops and get a small toy for our kid to play with during the trip. This also doubles as a souvenir, because whenever he plays with the toy at home he remembers where he got it. In Japan, he picked out some Tomica Thomas Trains that he loved.

• Kids supplies for daily living:
  • Sleep essentials: bring anything that your kid needs to sleep well to encourage good sleep while traveling. For us, that is a sound machine.
  • Medications: it goes without saying to pack any prescription medications your kid is taking. I also bring over-the-counter kids medications like Children’s Tylenol, just in case. I’m okay with buying Japanese OTC meds for myself and winging it with the translation, but I prefer using the kids’ OTC meds we’re familiar with because I am sure about the dosing and ingredients.
  • If you forgot anything, look for these stores in Japan that sell all kinds of kids goods: Nishimatsuya, Babies “R” Us, Akachan Honpo
• Travel Stroller: If your kid is not used to walking a lot at home it can be helpful to bring a stroller. It’s especially helpful for theme park days. But keep in mind that Japan is not as stroller friendly as the US. There are many stairs in train stations and elevators are small and require a longer walk to find. Many restaurants and stores are small and can’t always accommodate a stroller. While we did use our stroller, we folded it up and carried it quite a bit during train transfers to avoid having to take the long way around. If you do bring a stroller, bringing a smaller travel stroller is key. We love our Babyzen Yoyo. The Gb Pockit strollers also pack up amazingly small.
• Hip Seat Carrier: A better alternative to a stroller if your kid is still small enough to carry is a hip seat carrier. We loved using ours during our trip to Switzerland because it’s one less thing to carry through train stations. The hip seat is clutch because it’s more comfortable to sit in for longer periods. We loved our version that had straps and could be worn in the front or back. It’s especially helpful for crowded places like Japan where maneuvering a stroller can be tricky.
• Power plug adapters: Japan uses two pronged plugs similar to the US, except the prongs are the same length. Most 2 pronged chargers will work fine without adapters. If you have any chargers that have 3 prongs, then you’ll need an adapter.

Reality Check of Visiting Thomas Land in Japan with a Toddler

This theme park was the most chill experience out of the four theme parks that we visited during our Japan trip with our toddler. Not surprisingly, our kiddo enjoyed Thomas Land the most! It helps that he loves Thomas the Train, but the no lines and generally toddler-friendly rides was the big win for Thomas Land. We even spent at least 30 minutes in the gift shop, because he had so much fun playing with the Thomas trains on the wooden train track they had. After spending so much time in the gift shop I can also confirm that Japanese kids have meltdowns in gift shops the same as all other kids, despite their reputation for being extremely well-behaved. But it was very heartwarming seeing our kiddo sharing the trains with Japanese kids despite the language barrier!

Speaking of language barriers, it was definitely more noticeable at Thomas Land than at the Tokyo Disney resorts. I think our family was one of the only foreigners visiting that day. Unlike the Tokyo Disney resorts, there were mostly locals at Thomas Land so all the staff spoke to us in Japanese, and they didn’t have the booklet of translations like at Tokyo Disney. Luckily, none of the rides are terribly complicated, so it was pretty easy to understand the instructions with some pantomime. Overall, it was a great theme park experience for our preschooler – 10/10, would recommend!

Looking for more theme park fun in Japan? Check out our detailed guides to Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea and Legoland Japan to make planning easier!