【Tama】Sanrio Puroland – Tips for more enjoyment the sanctuary of Sanrio lover

Sanrio is a company that has produced Hello Kitty and other characters that boast global popularity. For almost 50 years, Sanrio has been creating characters that have led Japan’s “Kawaii” culture, but do you know how many different types of characters there are?

The answer is … more than 450 characters.

Looking at the list of characters, in addition to familiar characters, a variety of characters with motifs such as animals, vehicles, food, etc. are created every year. Many of the characters are unfamiliar to us, but all of them have one thing in common: they have a gentle atmosphere. It is said that Sanrio characters are created with the aim of raising one’s self-esteem, and as the saying goes, they exude a gentleness that envelops everyone.

Sanrio Puroland is a sacred place for Sanrio lovers to spend time surrounded by these characters.

In 2024, our family finally made its debut at Sanrio Puroland, as the children learned a few Sanrio characters! (Then, by chance, we went one more time. Two visits in six months.) Although I am a beginner to Puroland, I have learned a few tips on how to enjoy it and how to spend your time, so I will share them with you… in the hope that they will be useful to you.

Access

By Train

The nearest station is Tama Center Station on the Keio Line, Odakyu Line, and Tama Monorail. Although it is a short distance from each station, you can get there without getting lost as they are connected by a promenade.

I took the Keio Line, and when I arrived at Keio Tama Center, I was greeted by many Sanrio characters, which made me very excited.

By Car

Sanrio Puroland has a total of four parking lots: the Puroland underground parking lot and three Tama Center area shared-use parking lots.

The most accessible parking lot, the Puroland Underground Parking Lot, can hold about 80 cars, but it can fill up early during busy times. In fact, when I arrived 30 minutes after opening time on a holiday, the parking lot was already full, so I parked in the East 1 Multilevel Parking Lot. It is recommended to use the elevator in the parking lot to get out of the East 1 multi-story parking lot and go to the ground level, which will take you to the front of Puroland right away.

Preparations

Passport Purchase / Admission Reservations

To enter Puroland, you must have a visitor’s reservation and a passport.

Please note that while admission tickets (passports) can be purchased at the ticket counter on the day of the event, even if you have a passport, you will not be able to enter without a visitor’s reservation. Reservations for visits and e-Passports with reservations for visits can be purchased on the official website. It is better to make reservations early on weekends and holidays when crowds are expected. If you are talking with your family the day before, “Let’s go to Puroland tomorrow!” but we were not able to go because all the reservation slots were already taken.

Parade PUROPASS

If you want to be sure of seeing the parade, we recommend that you purchase a “Parade PUROPASS”. Tickets are available at Lawson Ticket. (Lawson Ticket membership registration is required.)

You will be seated at the seat numbers listed on the parade PUROPASS to watch the parade. The area will vary in terms of the characters you can see, etc., so please choose your preferred location. Popular areas fill up quickly, so it is a good idea to purchase your seats as soon as possible after you have decided which parade you want to see. (Please check the official website for the start date of sales)

If you don’t mind waiting, you can see the parade without purchasing a PUROPASS if you do your best to get a spot before the parade starts! In fact, there were many people waiting on leisure sheets. However, it seemed like people were waiting for an hour before the parade, so I guess it depends on how you use your time. Of course, the seats are behind the PUROPASS holders.

Once the parade starts, the aisles are roped off, making it impossible to stop and watch the parade.

Upon entering…

After entering Puroland, you can spend your time as you like, such as picking up seats for the parade, lining up for attractions, going to photo spots, etc. However, there are some points to consider in order to make the most of your limited time.

If you want to ride the attractions smoothly

Two of the most popular attractions at PUROLAND are the “Sanrio Character Boat Ride” and “~My Melody & Kuromi – My Melody Drive”. Both of these rides are based on the concept of enjoying the world of Sanrio characters on a ride, but they quickly become an hour-long wait.

Since the wait times for these two attractions can be long, we recommend that you purchase a PUROPASS at a ticket machine near the attraction. If you have a PUROPASS for the time of your choice, you can experience the attraction smoothly from the priority lane. By the way, only cash is accepted at the ticket machine.

If you want to enjoy greetings with characters

The “Kyara-Guri (Character Greeting) Residence” is one of the most popular attractions in Puroland where you can meet and greet various characters, and you need a numbered ticket to use it. If you want to enjoy “Kyara-Guri (Character Greeting)”, go to get a numbered ticket first when you enter the park!

A smartphone is required to issue a numbered ticket, and each device can obtain a numbered ticket for one character. If you are a family member or a friend, you can get a numbered ticket for a different character for each of them, so that you can meet more characters.

However, on days when Puroland is crowded, numbered tickets for the character you want may end early. In that case, you can purchase a PUROPASS at the sales counter in front of the food court on the first floor.

If you want to meet Hello Kitty, go to Lady Kitty House. After enjoying the world of Kawaii Kitty, you can take a picture with Kitty. If you aim for the time during the parade, you could get in within a short waiting time.

If you want to have lunch

The main options for dining inside Puroland are the Character Food Court on the 1st floor, the Yakata no Restaurant on the 4th floor, and the Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant.

The “Character Food Court” on the first floor tends to fill up early due to its easy access to the various attractions, with a few seats available at 10:00 a.m., full after the 11:00-11:30 a.m. parade, and empty by about 2:30 p.m. So if you want to eat here, be prepared for a very early/late lunch!

If you go to the 4th floor food court, Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant, the seating was relatively empty around 11:00. Although it is far from the Cara Gris, Parade, and Theater, it might be a good idea to come here once if the food court on the first floor is crowded.

If you want to dine calmly without a war to secure a seat, we recommend the Yakata no Restaurant on the 4th floor. Here, it is possible to obtain a reception number from one hour before the restaurant opens, so get one first. Even if your number has passed when you return to the restaurant, you will be given priority if you have obtained a number, so it is a good idea to get a number anyway.

The Yakata no Restaurant is a buffet-style meal with a 70-minute seating limit. Frankly speaking, the cuteness and quality of the menu is higher in the food court, but the charm of this place is that you can do character grilling! I was able to see 4 characters in 70 minutes.

How was it?

By following the tips introduced here, you can enjoy Puroland more efficiently.

We hope you have a great time and make some happy memories.