First Visit to Harmonyland: Shows are Comfortable! Recommended as the Main Event for an Oita Family Trip

【Approx. 4,800 characters, approx. 110 photos】
Sanrio operates this theme park, Harmonyland (Oita Prefecture Hayami District). I visited for the first time and here are my thoughts.

▶︎ Conclusion

Access is very unique but I felt it was well worth planning an Oita trip centered around Harmonyland. This is mainly because 1) there are relatively few people, so you can fully enjoy the shows!, 2) there are plenty of attractions children can enjoy in the great outdoors!, 3) you can enjoy it even if you visit multiple times!, and 4) the admission fee is inexpensive (3,600 yen).

A point to note is that the last bus leaves earlier than the park closing time!

▶︎ Reason for visiting

When I started planning the trip, I decided on Oita Prefecture, where Harmonyland is located, considering that 1) I have visited Puroland multiple times, and 2) I wanted to go somewhere relatively far away.

▼ Impressions of Puroland

▶︎ Access

To get to Harmonyland, it takes about 12 minutes by bus from Yoko Station. Buses also run from Kitsuki Station. Due to the hotel we were staying at, we used Yoko Station.

Yoko Station has many decorations reminiscent of Harmonyland, so it is fun to arrive early and take photos.

A point to note is that the number of buses is extremely limited (only one per hour!). When playing from the 10:00 opening, there is no choice but to take the 9:10 bus.

There is really nothing around the park. Therefore, I realized that Harmonyland is effective in attracting a certain number of visitors and creating jobs.

Note that the closing time of Harmonyland is 17:00. However, the last buses are at 16:12 (Kitsuki Station) and 16:37 (Yoko Station). I hadn't checked that, so I ended up taking a taxi to the station 😨

▶︎ What is Harmonyland?

Harmonyland (opened in 1991) is an outdoor theme park and a sister facility to Puroland in Tama City, Tokyo.

Everyone wonders, "Why is it in Oita?." At the time, Oita Prefecture was implementing the "One Village, One Product Movement" at the suggestion of the governor. Taking advantage of that, they established the "One Village, One Product Craft Park."

Oita Prefecture wanted to attract many people, so they approached Sanrio, and as a result, Harmonyland was created.

The indoor Puroland opened in 1990. It seems they decided it was worth opening Harmonyland because it is an outdoor facility and would help raise awareness in Kyushu.

Around 1990 was the period just before the bubble economy burst. Various entertainment facilities were built all over Japan. For example, around that time, Space World (Fukuoka Prefecture, 1990) and Miyazaki Seagaia (1993) also opened.

There are a total of 15 attractions in the park (all aimed at children and focused on relaxed enjoyment), and four restaurants of various sizes.

The right half of Harmonyland is the main area with attractions and where parades are held. On the other hand, the left half is a nature-focused area with athletics and parks based on the "One Village, One Product Craft Park" concept. If you were just spending time there, you wouldn't even notice the left half existed.

In recent years, with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in flights from Asia, Harmonyland has been focusing on attracting visitors. Therefore, Oita Airport was reborn as "Oita Hello Kitty Airport" (from April 13 to October 13, 2025, during the Expo).

The initiative is interesting. However, the bottleneck for Harmonyland is that public transportation access is poor. I felt that to fundamentally increase the number of visitors, it would be meaningless unless there were multiple direct buses per day connecting Oita Airport to Harmonyland and major cities in Oita to Harmonyland.

▶︎ "Sanrio" = "Holy River"

Throughout the park and the shows, Sanrio's corporate philosophy of "Everyone getting along" was well expressed.

Among books about Sanrio, "V-Shaped Recovery with 4x the Visitors! Human Resource Development at Sanrio Puroland" (by Aya Komaki) is recommended. Not only is it a good reference for why the business got on track, but the origins of Sanrio and Aya Komaki's personal experiences were very moving.

"Sanrio" means "Holy River" in Spanish. This was named by founder Shintaro Tsuji. When Shintaro Tsuji was a child, there was no custom of celebrating birthdays in Japan. However, at the mission kindergarten Shintaro Tsuji attended, the teachers held a birthday party every month, baked cookies, and gave out pencils as gifts.

Also, at that kindergarten, there was a "Flower Day" where they would give unused items from their homes to the homeless. Through these experiences, he felt that "giving presents to people is a wonderful thing. The person who receives it is happy, and the person who gives it feels warm inside," which became the original experience for his gift business.

After that, Yamanashi Prefecture was air-raided during World War II. While running around carrying my younger sister on my back, in a tragic situation where I no longer even paid attention when someone died, I thought, "We must never again let the world become a place where people kill each other." It is said that these experiences led to Sanrio's corporate philosophy of "Everyone getting along".

When there is a consistent story behind corporate philosophy and activities, the sense of conviction is completely different. When I learned this, I thought, "I will continue to support Sanrio".

I felt that it would lead to better results for both Sanrio and its fans if they created booths or panels to convey this story (even if they are not prominent) at Harmonyland, Puroland, and other locations.

Even for the "Hello Kitty Exhibition," which drew about 320,000 visitors, if they had conveyed the story behind the corporate philosophy, I think what the visitors "took home with them" would have been completely different.

▼ Impressions of the Hello Kitty Exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum

▶︎ Daily Schedule

I will introduce the daily schedule. Basically, I didn't make a plan and just wandered around.

✔️ Rhythmic Coaster

Inside the park, there were two paid attractions (500 yen). Everything else is free (excluding coin-operated rides).

✔️ Pop'n Smile

✔️ (Coin-operated ride) Character Cart

✔️ Hello Kitty's Angel Coaster

✔️ Fairy Kitty Carousel

✔️ Water Shot

✔️ (Coin-operated ride) Train

✔️ Strawberry Cafe

✔️ (Show) Parade Parallel Original ver.

Because I had a fun experience with the parade at Puroland, I also participated in the show at Harmonyland.

At Harmonyland, unlike Puroland, there are fewer people and they are spread out, so securing a spot for the show was easy. If you arrive between one hour and 30 minutes before the show starts, you could get a front-row seat in the free area.

When going to a theme park, a plastic sheet is essential for saving your spot. With a sheet, you can clearly mark, "This space is mine!" Since I didn't have a sheet, all I could do was try to claim a spot where people were sitting or had placed their belongings.

The show's name includes "Original ver.." This seems to mean it is not a hand-me-down show from Puroland. Also, the show lasts 25 minutes.

Although this show is called a "parade," it doesn't march in a straight line; it is circular. Because of this, it was great that viewers could see well from anywhere. It is also easy to take photos. This was a major difference from Disneyland and Puroland.

Also, the content of the shows clearly conveyed Sanrio's corporate philosophy of "Everyone Getting Along." The cast members had wonderful smiles, which made us smile too 😃

On the day, I used a zoom lens to photograph the show. It was fun! Because the cast's movements are so intense, there were many photos that didn't make the cut, but it was fun when I suddenly managed to take a good shot.

✔️ (Lunch) Harvest Table

We had lunch at a large restaurant near the entrance. It was spacious and comfortable to spend time in. The high prices are just part of the charm.

✔️ (Show) Bingo Game

We headed to the Plaza Stage to watch "Hello Kitty and Join Hands." There, the "Bingo Game" was still in progress. I stood and watched from the back. To participate in the "Bingo Game," you need 1,000 yen (Participation prize: original hand towel).

At the Plaza Stage, seats are not cleared between shows. Therefore, if you want to see "Hello Kitty and Join Hands" from the front row, you need to secure your spot starting from the "Bingo Game."

✔️ (Show) Hello Kitty and Join Hands

It was a fun show where you move your body along with the music! Here too, the cast members' smiles were wonderful ☺️

✔️ Sky Jet

Finally, we rode an attraction where you pedal to move.

✔️ (Show) Chocolat x Fruit Contest

I caught a glimpse of the final show while walking past.

✔️ (Snacks) Circus Kitchen

✔️ Souvenir Shop

For the kids, anticipating future trips to Puroland, I bought a headband that I usually try not to buy.

The seven hours from opening to closing went by in a flash! Although it was compact compared to Disneyland, we only managed to ride half of the attractions. We didn't even enter the left half of the grounds (Nature Area, Harmony Garden, etc.). I thought it was surprisingly a theme park you can enjoy no matter how many times you visit.

▶︎ Summary

Did I convey the fun of Harmonyland? Although access is poor, because there are relatively few people, the fact that you can watch the shows in a relaxed manner was good. There is plenty of nature and many laid-back attractions, so children can fully enjoy themselves. I thought it was a spot you could even make the main event of an Oita trip!

▶︎ Today's Harmonyland Meals