Now that international travel is picking up again, travellers, especially families, are looking for their next destination. Did you know that Aichi Prefecture has many destinations where families can have fun? In this release, we will introduce some of the most exciting spots where children and adults can learn and have fun together.

Fun for the whole day with kids! Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park / Moricoro Park

One of the largest parks in Aichi Prefecture and famous for hosting the World Expo in 2005, this park has become a hot topic once again in recent years. This is because the much-talked-about Ghibli Park has opened within the park. In fact, Ghibli Park is part of Moricoro Park, and the attractions of the vast expanse of Moricoro Park do not stop there; it is a park where families can spend the whole day with a smile on their faces. There is an indoor skating rink that can be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike all year round, especially in mid-summer to escape the heat, a cycling course, and the 88-metre-high giant Expo Ferris Wheel.

The family-friendly kids park has outdoor playgrounds in three themed areas - forest, wind and water - with a giant slide, playground equipment and, in summer, a water play area. Best of all there is no entry fee. Additionally, Aichi Children's Centre is a facility where children are encouraged to use their five senses to learn in a variety of ways. Various play and events using light, images and science are available to support children's development while having fun.

Expo 2005 Memorial Museum was built to commemorate the 2005 Aichi Expo, which was visited by more than 20 million people from all over the world. The exhibition features more than 300 exhibits, including antiques and art donated by pavilions from different countries.

There is also a beautiful Japanese garden in part of the park, and visitors can enjoy matcha green tea and Japanese sweets at Kanare-tei tea house. Please note reservations are required for this activity.

Come and explore the world of LEGO at LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Japan is a popular theme park in Aichi Prefecture, where visitors can enjoy a full day of fun with their families. Many rides are suitable for children as young as 3 years old, and there are more than 40 rides and attractions, including roller coasters, games, Lego Factory tours, workshops and other fun activities using colourful Lego. Children and adults alike can relive the excitement of creativity that playing and exploring with Lego provides.

For those who are looking to continue their Lego experience through the night and while you sleep, the best option would be an overnight stay at LEGOLAND Japan Hotel.

Rooms are designed around five themes - Pirates, Kingdom, Adventure, Lego Friends and Ninjago - and all rooms have a treasure box, allowing guests to go on a treasure hunt in their own hotel room. The hotel also has a kids' play area, workshops and an indoor water area, where children can make the most of the facilities while the adults relax and eat.

Laguna Ten Bosch, a beautiful and fun collaboration of light and water

Laguna Ten Bosch is a series of facilities in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, including the theme park Lagunasia, Festival Market where you can enjoy shopping and food, a 3D Aquarium where you can draw your own fish, and a hotel, where the whole family can have fun.

Lagnasia is a harbour town-inspired theme park with numerous exhilarating roller coasters and other rides, as well as an athletic park for children called 'Henn na Forest' to engage a child's adventurous spirit.

 In summer visitors can enjoy various water attractions, while in winter they can enjoy fantastic illuminations and projection mapping shows with sparkling water and light. To add an extra unique overnight stay, a futuristic hotel with a dinosaur receptionist welcoming you, which will be an unforgettable experience for anyone, Henn na Hotel Laguna Ten Bosch is highly recommended.
　　　　

-------- Subtopic： Hands-on experiences that excite adults along with children -------

FLIGHT OF DREAMS

Reopened in December 2021, FLIGHT OF DREAMS is a museum dedicated to ZA001, the first Boeing 787, located at Chubu Centair International Airport, the hub of the central area of Japan.

There, you can even experience being a Boeing pilot in a flight simulator. The museum displays retired propeller, jet and helicopter aircraft associated with Nagoya, including the YS-11, a domestic turboprop aircraft from the 1960s, and the MH2000.

Also, Chubu Centair International Airport is the only place in Japan where visitors can see the Dreamlifter, built to carry Boeing aircraft parts as there are only four of these huge planes in the world. Right next to the aircraft display, there is a playground area and visitors can also enjoy a meal while watching the aircraft, making it a fun place for both small children and adults.

Nagoya City Science Museum

Nagoya City Science Museum is a comprehensive science museum in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, where children and adults alike can enjoy interacting with science through a variety of exhibitions and hands-on experiences based on the concept of "see, touch and feel".

The main feature of the museum is the NTP Planet, one of the world's largest planetariums, which has been recognised by The Guinness World Records. It reproduces a starry sky as close to the real thing as possible, and with a dome inner diameter of 35m, it is one of the largest in the world and has excellent image quality.

The museum also has four other large scientific exhibits rich in entertainment that allow visitors to experience the wonders of nature, including the 'Deep Freezing Lab' where visitors can experience the world at minus 30°C, the 'Tornado Lab' where visitors can experience a 9m-high artificial tornado, and the 'Electric Discharge Lab' where an electrical discharge experiment show is held to allow visitors to experience the intensity of electrical energy. There are approximately 230 different exhibits in total.

Toyota Motor Corporation's museums – the world leading automobile manufacturer

Aichi Prefecture is famous as the home of Toyota Motor Corporation, the leading company in the automobile industry with the top-selling brand-new cars in the world for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. There are three museums filled with Toyota's history and automobile technology. People of all ages can learn about Toyota's history and have a chance to think about the future. It is recommended for family trips as well as incentive trips.

If you are interested in the visual aspect of cars, we recommend a visit to the Toyota Automobile Museum, as there are many cool cars, from classics to new cars. The museum is a 50-minute train ride from Nagoya Station, which is also a Shinkansen station in the heart of Aichi Prefecture.

If you want to learn more about what's inside the car - Toyota's technology and car systems - visit the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology. This museum is the birthplace of the Toyota Group and preserves a factory from the Taisho era (1912-1926) as an industrial heritage site. Visitors can experience the textile machinery that supported the development of modern Japan and the changes in automobile technology that continue to pioneer the modern era through dynamic displays and demonstrations of real machinery.

This museum can be easily accessed by a 15-minute walk from Nagoya Station.

The last museum is the Toyota Kaikan Museum, which exhibits Toyota's latest environmental and safety technologies and new models. Visitors can learn about the evolution of hybrid cars, hydrogen cars and other technologies for the future. Factory tours of Toyota Kaikan where visitors can learn about Toyota's vision and plans for the future are also available.

The museum is located right next to Toyota's headquarters and is about an hour and 15 minutes by train from Nagoya Station.

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Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Known to locals as the 'heart' of Japan, Aichi Prefecture boasts a colourful past as a crucial point for traffic between east and west Japan. It is highly diverse and is a melting pot where rustic Japanese charm meets innovation and technology.

How to get to Aichi

By bullet train: It takes one hour and 40 minutes from Tokyo, 50 minutes from Osaka and just 35 minutes from Kyoto to get to Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture's capital city.

By air: Aichi Prefecture's international airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport offers ease of access from other airports in Japan, as well as for those flying from Australia via Southeast Asia.

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