Is Chiikawa Park Worth Visiting in Tokyo? An Honest Review (2026)

Kawaii fans, did you know that there is a Chiikawa Park in Tokyo? 

It’s an adorable exhibition featuring Chiikawa and friends, where you can enter their whimsical illustrated world. 

You’ll encounter many familiar scenes and characters from the series that you can interact with and take cute photos.

There are also character greetings, games, a huge shop, and plenty of other magical things to do that will keep you entertained. 

As a fan of Chiikawa, I wasn’t initially planning to go due to it being so popular and the fact that tickets required a lottery.

But I found out last minute that you could buy tickets online without the fuss, and so I jumped at the chance.

Here is a complete Chiikawa Park guide and whether it’s worth visiting in Tokyo.

What is Chiikawa Park in Tokyo?

If you haven’t heard of Chiikawa (where have you been?), It’s an adorable animated series by the Japanese artist Nagano.

He’s easily one of the most popular kawaii characters in Japan today, who has taken the country by storm.

This magical illustrated world has other friends like Hachiware, Usagi, Momonga, and Rakko. My favourite is the crab bookworm Kani. 

Chiikawa is so famous that they have several flagship stores, a bakery and even a ramen restaurant.

It’s now so popular that there is also a permanent theme park in Tokyo. It has all sorts of photo opportunities, and every Chiikawa fan must visit. 

How to get a ticket

Chiikawa Park is quite new and very popular, so tickets are usually only available via a lottery system.

But I managed to buy my ticket with Klook last minute as I was shopping in Ikebukuro. I saw the sign in Sunshine Mall, and it reminded me. 

I wasn’t expecting to be able to visit on my trip due to its popularity. But I thought I would try my luck. I had the time spare, so why not?

Lo and behold, Klook had tickets available on the app. So, I booked and got to visit just 20 minutes later!

My ticket cost around 3,500 yen, or approximately £16.55 / $22.19.

Are there any rides in Chiikawa Park?

No, Chiikawa Park is not your typical theme park. It’s more like an exhibition. 

There are no rides, but there are plenty of adorable displays, games, photo opportunities and even character greetings.

There’s also an enormous Chiikawa shop at the end, filled with exclusive merchandise. Some of this you can customise.

It’s not a place you will spend all day, maybe 2-3 hours at most. But you certainly won’t be bored if you’re a fan of Chiikawa and his friends. 

Entering Chiikawa Park

As I booked last minute, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I just knew I loved Chiikawa and wanted to go.

As soon as you enter, your bags will be searched, and then you’ll be in the lobby waiting to go inside.

I absolutely loved the manga entrance gate, and it got me really excited for what was in store.

At this point, the staff will ask you to connect to their WiFi. This is important as you’ll need it to receive official photos via QR codes later. 

Things to do in Chiikawa Park

After you enter with your group, you’ll be taken to the Welcome Theater with a short introduction video.

This will be in Japanese with English subtitles and will instruct you on all the rules.

On that note, there isn’t much English at this exhibition. But it’s not really needed. It’s very easy to know what’s going on and what not to do.

Your group will then enter the Alarm Corridor, a vortex loop created by the Black Star. It was super trippy.

Although you initially start with a group. Once you’re through the vortex, you’re free to explore the exhibition at your own pace. 

So, here are all the magical things to do in Chiikawa Park.

1. Chiikawa Headband Shop

When you step through the vortex, you’ll arrive in an area called The Wood.

At the back of the room, there is an adorable Chiikawa Headband Shop that sells all sorts of ears. 

You may want to visit this first, as there will be lots of photo opportunities throughout the park, and these ears would look great!

Even if you don’t buy a headband, you should still check this area out. You’ll find Pochette no-Yoroi-san or the silver knight behind the counter.

There’s also Ramen no Yoroi-San (yellow knight) sitting with Shisa, drinking a “Shuwa” from their world. 

My favourite Chiikawa character is Furuhonya or Kani, and I was so happy to find them here with Momonga, who is wearing crab ears. 

2. The Wood 

In the centre of the room, you’ll encounter an adorable tree surrounded by benches.

If you sit on one of these benches, there are screens with cameras where you can take cute photos with Chiikawa and his friends.

You can choose between Chiikawa, Hachiware or Usagi. They will land on your lap and show you something fun.

You’ll need to scan a QR code to download your photo. So, make sure you’re connected to their WiFi, or you won’t see it.  

3. Chiikawa’s House 

One of my favourite rooms in this space was Chiikawa’s House, which was so tiny and looked like an Igloo. 

Inside, you’ll find Chiikawa hard at work writing at the table. Plus, there are all sorts of miniature household items to browse.

Make sure to watch the window, as you may see some familiar friends playing around and trying to get your attention. 

4. Hachiware Fell into a Hole

Another official photo experience at Chiikawa Park is with Hachiware. 

They have recreated the hole that he fell into! You’ll enter the hole with them and can get a photo.

It’s not the most flattering thing in the world, but it’s funny to see the result. 

5. Usagi Shutter Chance 

There is a virtual reality game you can play called Shutter Chance with Usagi.

Chiikawa and Hachiware are watching Usagi bouncing around. You’ll use your hands to take photos of them. 

This was in Japanese, and I had absolutely no idea what was happening at first. Just go with it, and it will make sense after a while.

6. Rakko’s Car 

You’ll find Rakko’s Car at the entrance to the Night Forest, and the Sea Otter is driving.

You can take a photo of this before you leave the first room and then enter the next area.

Make sure you’ve done everything you want to do before you leave, as you can’t come back. 

7. Akumuna Room

You’ll enter the Night Forest through the trippy Akumuna Room, which is a funky mirror maze.

If you follow the winding path, you’ll eventually meet Zou at the centre, or the nightmare elephant. 

He can brainwash you into having strange dreams. Hopefully, you can wake up and escape this crazy labyrinth.

8. Forest Observatory & Kuri-Manju

Once you escape Zou’s nightmare, you’ll arrive in the Night Forest Observatory. 

You’ll receive a pair of 3D glasses at this point, which will allow you to see some of the night creatures who are prowling around.

Make sure to visit Kuri-Manju, he is a honey badger enjoying a drink of alcohol at night. Kampai!

9. Goblin Prison 

My favourite scene at Chiikawa Park was the Goblin Prison with the Giant Ode. 

This scene recreates the time that Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi were sent to jail.

These goblins were the cutest things I have ever seen. I wanted to take one home.

10. Demon House & Ending 

In the last part of the exhibition, you enter an old inn where everyone seems to be under a spell.

As you explore this demon house of horrors, you’ll discover that a white snake has everyone in a trance.

Thankfully, Chiikawa and his friends manage to escape, and this is where the adventure ends. 

11. Chiikawa Character Greeting 

Before you head up to the Chiikawa Shop on the top floor, you’ll get the chance to meet Chiikawa and one of their friends.

It’s my understanding that Chiikawa is here for character greetings all the time, and then his friends switch around.

On my visit, this was Momonga. He was so fun to meet and looked cute with his teddy bear bag.

I also loved meeting Chiikawa with his Chiikabu headband. It was so wholesome.

Both interactions were very sweet, but note that you’re not allowed to touch or hug them.

The only downside of the character greetings is that there is nowhere to put your bags. You have to keep hold of them, which is unusual in Japan.  

It looked so awkward in photos, and I wish I had stored my bags in a locker or saved my shopping spree for later.

12. Chiikawa Park Shop

Although the exhibition and character greetings are amazing, the shop here is worth buying a Chiikawa Park ticket alone.

The store is enormous, and there are several rooms filled to the brim with Chiikawa merchandise.

There is a plushie corner, where you can buy every Chiikawa character you can think of. You can even buy mini ears for them. 

I bought a Kani plush bag charm with a Chiikawa hat, and it looked incredible.

You can visit a popcorn room filled with Chiikawa sweets, an apparel room, and there are also rooms with customised pins and keyrings. 

They have Chiikawa blind boxes in abundance and exclusive items that you can only buy in this shop. 

I spent ages in here admiring all the kawaii items. Make sure to budget enough time and money, and leave some room in your suitcase! 

Just note that some of the merchandise has purchasing limits. So, double-check before you check out.

13. Chiikawa Games

The last thing to do in Chiikawa Park is to try your luck with some of their carnival games. They have two that you can play:

1. Meatball rolling game
2. Spider web catcher

You can only play one game per person. If you win, you get some awesome Chiikawa prizes.

I tried the meatball game, and it’s a lot harder than it looks! I really sucked at it, but I still had fun. 

It’s good to note that you have to pay extra to play these games, and it costs ¥700. But, even if you lose, you get a participation prize.

As I lost, I got a blind box pin. I was so excited as the badge was of my favourite character Kani. So, I didn’t feel so bad in the end. 

Is Chiikawa Park worth visiting? 

If you’re a fan of Chiikawa and his friends, then Chiikawa Park is definitely worth visiting. 

I absolutely loved this place and thought there was a lot to keep you entertained for a couple of hours.

But, as much as it’s a lovely exhibition, you’re really not going to enjoy it that much if you’re not interested in this animated world.

There are no rides, and most of the activities involve taking photos with the characters. 

The price point is also something to consider. It’s not the cheapest place to visit if you’re not going to fully enjoy it.

In conclusion, definitely visit if you love Chiikawa and have the time and budget. If not, skip it and visit one of the free shops/bakery instead. 

Where is Chiikawa Park in Tokyo?

You’ll find Chiikawa Park in Sunshine City Mall in Ikebukuro. This was my favourite place to eat and shop in Tokyo. 

It’s a huge shopping centre that’s filled with themed character shops and cafés.

You’ll find a Pokémon Centre, Pikachu Sweets Café, Ghibli Shop, Disney Store, Sanrio Café and Sesame Street Market. 

There’s also the largest Gashapon Hall in Japan on the 6th floor in the Bandai-Namco Cross Store. 

The nearest metro stop is Higashi-Ikebukuro Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.

Just note that you enter the park via the underground passage near the Sanrio Café, and then you exit outside of the Sunshine City Mall.

My top tips

• This attraction can get busy with long queues. I would visit early or late. I visited 1 hour before closing, and it was almost empty.

• Video recording is strictly prohibited. It’s photos only. 

• You can’t put your bags down for the Chiikawa character greetings, and it looks bad in photos. Use a locker or delay your shopping spree!

• There is nowhere to buy food in Chiikawa Park. Eating and drinking are also not allowed inside.

• Tripods are not allowed. If you’re visiting alone, the kind staff are more than happy to help you take photos. 

• Leave enough time for the gift shop and room in your suitcase. There is SO much stuff to buy, including customised merchandise. 

Chikawa Ramen Buta

After you visit Chiikawa Park, why not carry on the cuteness by visiting Chiikawa Ramen Buta?

It’s an adorable themed restaurant serving up tasty ramen dishes and merchandise.

I went to the temporary one in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. But the permanent one can be found in Ikebukuro near the park. 

I thought it was really tasty, but you can check reviews on Tabelog.

More Chiikawa attractions in Japan

If you love Chiikawa, then I have some good news for you: you’ll find shops and experiences all over Japan.

If you want to shop for Chiikawa merchandise, you’ll find Chiikawa Land stores in Shinjuku and Osaka.

I particularly loved the Chiikawa Mogumogu Honpo Fushimi Store near Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto.

You can also visit Chiikawa Bakery in Harajuku. Here, you can buy Chiikawa bread and all sorts of delights from a pretty pink patisserie. 

Read more of my Japan guides

Sanrio Puroland – Visit a Hello Kitty Theme Park 

The Snuggly Duckling – Tangled Restaurant in Tokyo DisneySea

Where to find Alien Mochi at Tokyo DisneySea

Royal Banquet of Arendelle – Frozen Restaurant

Pokémon Café in Japan – how to reserve

Pikachu Sweets Café – a Poké Paradise in Tokyo

Shibuya Sky Review – Is this viral viewpoint worth it? 

Kumachan Onsen – Tokyo’s Viral Teddy Bear Hotpot

Why you must visit the Snoopy Café in Japan

Visit the Kawaii Chiikawa Bakery in Tokyo

How to visit the Kirby Café in Japan

Akasaka Harry Potter Locations to visit

Is Tokyo’s Harry Potter Café worth visiting?

Is the Sanrio Café Ikebukuro worth a visit

Visiting Chureito Pagoda – Best view of Mount Fuji

Save Chiikawa Park for later