Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura — Attraction in Nikko

Edo Wonderland. Located north of Tokyo near Nikko, the park is about a hundred acres of Edo-everything; plays, demonstrations, cosplay, restaurants and snack bars, and shops. Edo Wonderland caters to Japanese, not Westerners, but does enthusiastically welcome us. There is a small film production facility on site I've used and how I discovered this famous (to Japanese) attraction. Take a moment to Google Edo Wonderland and then come back here. Getting to Edo Wonderland. I jump on an express train going from Asakusa Station, the one with above ground platforms on the second level. There are at least four Asakusa Stations, but the others are Metro underground.The Spacia X train is my favorite. Very futuristic. You can buy tickets online, but during one trip during this year's Golden Week, the park was not sold out. I buy tickets through my employer's connection with TripAdvisor. Klook has not been friendly to us. Upon arrival in Nikko, there is supposed to be a shuttle to Edo, but I've yet to see one. The signage is confusing, but that's me. One can walk to the park, but it's nearly three miles. I take a taxi. A word of caution. Make arrangements with one of Nikko's seemingly few taxis to pick you up at Edo Wonderland after the main event of the day, The Oiran Parade. Make sure you get the driver's phone number. There is supposed to be a shuttle from the park back to town, but I've never seen one in four trips. But, I am concentrating on getting a taxi and may have missed seeing the shuttle. If your experience has been different from mine, please reply. Is all of the hassle worth it? Absolutely! Most visitors arrive by car and the parking is excellent. Next to parking is the ticket office and main entrance. Show your e-code and the staff will give you an info packet marked with your name. The short walk to the Edo town is a via a lush, meticulously maintained, wooded pathway. You ticket stub will be collected by one or two warriors (selfie friendly) in period costume guarding the entrance. Be prepared to be challenged by Ninjas (also selfie friendly) during your walk. Note: EVERY staffer is happy to be in photos and will also, using your phone or camera, take photos of you and your party. Once in town, staff, in costume, are everywhere. It's great fun. Go online and see what's offered and partake. At least two plays are available to attend. Upon entering the play's venue, each attendee is given a small square of paper. Huh? It turns out the paper is used to wrap any spare coins you may have and then toss the package onto the stage at the end of the performance. Who knew? This being Japan, Japanese people seeing my confusion the first time, mimed what was to be done. I love this country over and over. FYI, the restaurants do not serve western food unless you call ice cream a western food. 🙂 The main event of the day is the Oiran Parade. Google it. I can't see this enough times. It's that good. BUT, when the parade begins varies. The time doesn't always match published information. Find someone fluent in Japanese a few days ahead of time and have them call Edo Wonderland and get the correct time for the parade. Why is this important to me? Because I have prepaid reservations on the special express trains in Nikko and allow a full 90 minutes to get from Edo to the station. Do not be discouraged, it's all very...

TLDR: Family had a great fun, it was engaging and the experience was unique. Should definitely do it, and knock out all the crafts, games, training experiences, and public shows/scenarios as possible.

Now the long: Edo-World is nestled in the forest 20min drive from Nikko's main town with beautiful scenery of mountains, rivers, and rice fields as you make your way there. Having done Tokyo Disney (both parks, multiple times), Legoland, and Universal Studios Japan, this was hands down a favorite for myself and the family. From the moment of opening, they celebrate with drums welcoming your arrival to the park and some fun interaction for you and the family as you make your way to the parks interior. The traditional look of the town and it's people, the shows, crafts for adults and kids, had kept us busy for hours. Park staffers were engaging and would genuinely watch families enjoy themselves. The staff is well prepared for foreigners and do their best to accommodate with separate written instructions and not breaking themed scenarios by having a samurai, ninja, towns-person or instructor who has a decent handle (some outstanding) of the English language. I will say, knowing basic Japanese gets you more out of it and they are eager to help you and your kids learn more. Costume selection was pretty generous, and requires 30-40min to be properly fitted and dressed (costume style dependent). Walking the streets of an Edo theme town, having my kids run around dressed as ninjas with plastic swords fighting me (Samurai) was absolute blast with park goers and faculty laughing and enjoying the interaction. For example, my daughter dressed in princess kimono, decided to fight her siblings using rubber nunchucks, which one of the lady staffers laughed calling her the Kenjutsu Hime encouraging the interaction and watched her fight. They let kids (and lol adults) enjoy the roleplaying and fun of the town. Please note, you must keep yourself and children's play within reasons, as they will say something if it's excessive, which luckily I didn't have that happen with my kids but witnessed it with another family. The food options are decent, and plenty of drink options for the whole family. Also of note, certain shops, food, and experiences are cash only so bring a decent amount of pocket change (food is a little pricey but it's a theme park what do you expect). As one might infer from my long post, it was fun and I am going back later this year to do more. I hope the park expands on what it has, includes more things like tea ceremony, holiday theme events and other times period crafts to keep fresh year after year. If your near Tokyo (or not) go visit this place, it's fun without long lines, huge crowds, and technology slammed into your face. Touch some grass and take your family...

This place was AMAZING and so much bigger than I imagined! We were thwre for about 4 hours, but I would have loved to soend the entire day there. Went with my family of 6 with kids ranging in age from 8 to 14, with a larger group of 13. There is something here for everyone! Just like stepping into the Edo Period of Japan. There is incredible attention to detail. There is not much signage, and not all signs have English translations. I found a helpful translation app that allows you to point your smartphone camera at Japanese text and translates it in real time. Very helpful! Even with limited understanding of the Japanese language, there is SO much to take in. I highly suggest reading up on the history of the Edo Period prior to going to Edo Wonderland Nikko in order to fully appreciate the experience. The oiran parade is fascinating and the mock trial was a highly entertaining comedy sketch understandable even to those with no Japanese language ability. We were all in stitches! The water performance was really neat as well. For most of our family, though, the highlight was the ninja performance! It was done at a professional level and felt like we had just stepped into a movie. It's definitely a must see, though very young children may be afraid of the dark. All of the performances are included in the entry ticket price.

For those wanting a fully immersion experience, you can rent traditional clothing to take pictures in and walk around the village in. Try your hand at ninja star throwing, traditional bow and arrow shooting, or katana sword craft. If you do well, you can win prizes! The employees were very kind and patient with us and helped make it a great experience for us! Be aware that these extra experiences do cost money in addition to the entry ticket.

Even if you don't participate in any of the extra experiences or shows, just walking through the village and museum is a neat experiences. There are beautiful Japanese gardens tucked between houses, tiny alleyways to explore, expansive traditional recreates residences to peek into, and various displays and merchandise to take in.

Of course, as is typical for anywhere you go in Japan, there are specialty food items to try. You can eat a snack, dessert, or a full meal...just take your pick as you wander down the main street of the village.

I can't recommend this place enough, whether you speak Japanese or not! Give yourself at LEAST 4 hours, though a full day would be better, so that you have enough time to look, hear, smell, taste, and experience everything there is on offer at Edo...