Saitama Attractions|Travel through the Showa era amusement park in the suburbs of Tokyo—Seibuen Amusement Park
#Theme park
Attractions: Seibuen Amusement Park (西武園ゆうえんち)
📍Address: 2964 Yamaguchi, Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture
🕰️Business hours: Monday to Thursday 10:00-18:00, Friday to Sunday 10:00~19:00
💰Average consumption: One-day pass for adults ¥4900 yen, children ¥3600 per day
💞Recommendation reason:
The theme park in Saitama Prefecture, Seibuen Amusement Park, is not as famous as Disneyland or Universal Studios, but it is a real amusement park for the Japanese with the world of the Showa era in Japan as the background. The park is filled with the nostalgic atmosphere of the Showa era, including the Yuhigaoka shopping street, and there are various restaurants, rides, and activities, making it an amusement park suitable for all ages.
Transportation tips: Take the Seibu Railway from Ikebukuro to Seibu Stadium-mae Station, then transfer to the Seibu Yamaguchi Line and get off at Seibuen Yunchi Station. Alternatively, you can take the JR or Seibu Railway from Shinjuku Station to Tamako Station, then transfer to the Seibu Yamaguchi Line and get off at Seibuen Yunchi Station.
After exiting the station, you will reach Seibu Garden Plaza. As soon as you enter the park, you will see the "Yuhigaoka Shopping Street". The currency in the park is Seibu yen, so you can exchange some for backup. Some stores also provide card and cash services. Most of the shops are actually open for business, and a small number are for taking photos, where you can interact with local residents. They are shop assistants and actors at the same time, and it seems like they have become residents here too. Of course, every amusement park has its own parade, and you can refer to the official website for the performance times. The day I arrived was at 1pm, when the "Sunset Hill Residents Gathering, Shopping Street Specialty Bugiugi Festival" was on. On this Showa-style street, the actors who poured into the shopping street did their best to bring joy to everyone, and they were very dedicated. In addition to the parade time, owners of different shops will also have personal shows for interaction, making it a very interesting playground.
In addition to the shopping street, Seibuen Yunchi also has amusement facilities called Sunset Hill Amusement Park, such as a carousel, a pirate ship, an aerial swing, a water park, etc. These are relatively low-scare attractions suitable for both adults and children. The restaurant is also not sloppy. The Western and Japanese cuisine is not inferior to other restaurants. There is also a paid immersive theater restaurant: The Suspense Hidden in the Luxury Train - tourists will be involved in the story. When you are enjoying afternoon tea on the luxury train, a murder suddenly occurs. Unexpectedly, the murderer is actually yourself? You need to pay an additional ¥5,400, but only Japanese service is available. There are more people on holidays, but fewer people on weekdays. It seems that everyone is serving you alone. I personally think it is a Showa-style amusement park that is worth experiencing.