Huis Ten Bosch: Exploring Little European Town in Nagasaki, Japan
Traveling to Japan for the first time is something that will forever be engraved in my heart. Having ticked “Autumn Trip in Japan” off my bucket list is really a personal milestone for me, travel-wise. Boasting a rich culture, Japan is one of the popular East Asian countries that would lure people to come back and it’s not really hard to see why. Speaking of coming back to Japan, it would now be easier ‘coz I just got a 10-year Multiple Entry Tourist Visa for stay(s) of 90 days in Japan! Yey!
Among the ten (10) prefectures in Japan that I’ve been to during our one week autumn trip, I must say Nagasaki captivated my soul the most. A thriving tranquil prefecture? Yep. A fascinating and deep historical significance? You got it. Lush and picturesque scenery? Big time. That’s not even mentioning the chance to transport you to Europe and experience anything “Dutch” without leaving Nagasaki, Japan. That would equate to hitting two birds with one stone.
Since our exit point of our first Japan trip last November 2019 is Fukuoka, it prompted me to do a research on some list of top attractions near Fukuoka that should be included in our itinerary. Google search lead me to a wonderful discovery ~ Huis Ten Bosch.
Huis Ten Bosch (Hausu Ten Bosu) is a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture in the island of Kyushu, Japan’s third largest island. Translated into “House in the Woods”, Huis Ten Bosch recreates the Hague village in the Netherlands (originated from one of the palatial residences of the Dutch Royal Family). The massive resort is infused with a European atmosphere with complete replicas of Dutch buildings, picturesque streets and canals, lovely gardens and iconic windmills.
Even before entry to Huis Ten Bosch, you’ll pass by an iconic bridge made of bricks in Dutch style over Sasebo River with a European-inspired building (actually Hotel Okura JR) in the backdrop.
In order to enter Huis Ten Bosch, one needs to have an admission ticket. Once you’ve secured a 1-day passport (physical park ticket), have the best day in your life as you step into Japan’s largest resort theme park ~ Huis Ten Bosch! See Huis Ten Bosch Opening Hours and Admission Ticket Fees at the end of this article. For the best price guaranteed, book this activity via Klook!
Welcome Gate
Cross the gate and enter a different world reminiscent of a little European town. Suggest to visit Huis Ten Bosch as early as 9 AM to fully enjoy what’s in store for you in this 152-hectare property. For guidance, don’t forget to secure a map (in English) at the welcome gate.
Teddy Bear Kingdom
What looks like a castle is actually a house full of cute stuffed toys popularly known as teddy bear. Many teddy bears made by producers and artists from all over the world are exhibited in this museum.
Flower Road
See seasonal flowers and a triad of windmills. I felt like I was transported to Europe in an instant.
At night, Flower Road will illuminate into a magical spectacle with blooms turning into a sea of lights awaiting to stage your selfies.
Attraction Town
Attraction Town features many experience-based attractions. Visit this area for action, entertainment and gastronomy. Choose from a lot of fun attractions such as the Super Trick Art, Theater, Muse Hall, Kingdom of Robots and House of VR, the largest VR experience facility in Japan .
Art Garden
Art garden is a natural garden in Huis Ten Bosch with abundant flowers and greenery. There’s a flower shop called Bloemwinkel nearby wherein hot deals in seedlings, bulbs and gardening goods await guests.
The White Ferris Wheel is actually functional. Look out from a height of nearly 50m at the cityscape during the day and city lights after dark. We tried riding the White Ferris Wheel (free admission) and to our surprise, the view from above is even more stunning.
From the vantage point of Art Garden, a popular landmark can be notably seen ~ Domotren, the symbol of Tower City.
Tower City
Enjoy a variety of culinary treats at the foot of the symbol tower! You’ll encounter a cute steam train passing around the area and it’s hard not to stop and take a photo.
Enjoy the scenery on a pleasant ride through the canals thru a gondola or cruiser. Canal Station “Tower City” is the landing place for the cruiser cruising to or from Welcome (entrance).
The towering Domotren may be the main landmark in Tower City but the surroundings is enveloped with stunning illumination below.
The symbol tower is 105 meters high. You can enjoy the full view of Huis Ten Bosch from the 80-meter-high observation platform. Just go inside Domotren and ride the elevator going to the observatory deck. You’ll be amazed with what’s in store for you on top!
Harbor Town and Forest Villa
Harbor Town is the marine gateway of Huis Ten Bosch. It is a seaport area that offers various forms of entertainment from the latest game attractions to a museum. You can go bayside canao, eat Japanese beef loin by the lake at Forest Villa or take a photo with Palace Huis Ten Bosch Palace in the backdrop.
Amsterdam City and Amsterdam Square
My love for The Netherlands grew even more upon entering this surreal life-sized copy of the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It’s like you’ve been transported to a little Europen town without leaving Nagasaki, Japan. While in Amsterdam, shop for rare imported foods and wines as if you were a resident of Huis Ten Bosch!
Amsterdam Square is in the heart of Amsterdam City and features a garden restaurant replete with music and flowers. A live show or masquerade ball is thrown here everyday so don’t miss this activity when in Huis Ten Bosch.
Thriller City
Thriller City is a world-class “horror” zone, ideal for lovers of anything scary! We tried the Hospital Prison, an abandoned medical facility in which the director contacted the world only through medical examination. You may be robbed of your body parts to create humanoids. It’s really fun screaming around the hospital prison!
Enjoyable also for timid persons! Thriller City is one of the world’s most dreadful areas that will send chills down your spine and make your heart pump like crazy. In addition, a dramatic contrast of the landscape between daytime and nighttime exists as the city square heats up with the help of 3D mapping. It’s totally one of a kind in the world.
Thriller City is not all about horror. You can play too! Try Space Invaders Gigamax, a top-notch game wherein up to 20 people can play on a huge screen at the same time.
Adventure Park
The big stage is set for an adventure in which you are the hero! You can choose among the following adrenaline-pumping activities: Shooting Star, The Maze, Sky Castle, Sky Rail Coaster Windstorm, Softy land and my personal fave Dinosaur Woods. Since there are natural forest areas in the park, the ground has not been completely leveled and there are some differences in grade.
At night, continue roaming around the theme park and marvel at its beautiful sights, cool music and out-of-this-world illumination.
WHERE TO EAT IN HUIS TEN BOSCH
Having unlimited photo ops, fun rides and doing cool activities the entire day, my travel buddy and I didn’t even notice that it’s already time for dinner. We completely lost track of time but alarmed when we heard our tummies grumbling. LOL! So we visited Ringer Hut Premium, a nearby restaurant outside the park before heading back to the train station.
We ordered their best seller, Champon Noodles with lots of Japanese vegetables (JPY 750) and Sara-udon Noodles “crispy-type” (JPY 780), two of the famous dishes not just in Sasebo, but the whole of Nagasaki. Nagasaki Noodle dish is really a must-try!
HOW TO GET TO HUIS TEN BOSCH
Huis Ten Bosch Station and Hakata Station (Fukuoka) are connected by hourly JR limited trains (110 minutes, JPY 2,170 to JPY 3,300, fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass). Of these trains, five per day travel directly between the stations; others require a transit to a local train at Haiki Station, which is six minutes from Huis Ten Bosch Station.
Since we spent a night at Toyoko Inn Sasebo Ekimae (near Sasebo Station in Nagasaki), we traveled from Hakata Station to Sasebo Station (via Limited Express Midori) and from Sasebo Station to Huis Ten Bosch via JR Seaside Liner back and forth for less than 20 minutes (JPY 280, also covered by JR Pass). Use hyperdia to check the train schedules, fare, types of trains and routes available.
Once you reach Huis Ten Bosch Station, you’ll be greeted with a unique railway station layout. The station consists of an island platform on which the station building is built of brick in a Dutch style to blend with the theme park and is a hashigami structure that houses a ticket counter, a waiting area and a shop.
HUIS TEN BOSCH OPENING HOURS AND RATES
Huis Ten Bosch opens from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, these are the rates of the admission tickets.
- 7,000 yen (park admission and unlimited entry to most attractions)
- 4,500 yen (park admission only)
- Paid attractions typically costs 300 to 1000 yen each.
To get a discounted Huis Ten Bosch admission ticket, book ahead your ticket (1-day passport) via Klook.
Book Huis Ten Bosch here
Once your Klook booking is confirmed, you can present either a printed or a mobile voucher for this activity during your visit date. Redeem ticket with voucher at the 3rd or 4th window of the “Welcome Gate” or “Harbor Gate” of Huis Ten Bosch.
More activities in Japan: Mount Fuji Classic Tour, Universal Studios Japan
