Is the humid Japanese summer keeping you cooped up indoors, or just making you sweat buckets all day? Well, urban Tokyo isn’t the place to look for beaches, so we recommend you keep cool at the water park! Yomiuriland is known around Tokyo for its seasonal fun, and summer means waterslides and lazy rivers! It’s a great chance to keep cool all day… and a little bit of the night, thanks to the ~night pool~!

Summer Heat Got You Down?

Let a Float in the Pool Lift Your Spirits!

A trip to Japan in the spring = cherry blossoms galore (which Yomiuriland does fabulously, by the way), but a trip during the summer…?

Well, it's summer, the obvious choice is to splash around in a pool all day, isn't it!? And a trip to Yomiuriland's water park will mean having a blast alongside the rest of Tokyo, just like a local. The city's weather might not be as bad as some parts of the world, but when the thermometer starts to blow past 30°C/86°F every day, a dip in the pool looks pretty good. So grab your swimsuit, or pick up a frilly new Japanese number from the nearest mall, it's time to jump in!

Yomiuriland has been around for more than 50 years now, earning it a special place in many Japanese hearts. It's Tokyo's biggest amusement park, with both fantastic seasonal celebrations, and 44 rides and attractions. In winter 6 million holiday lights blanket the park, in spring the trees burst to life covered in pink cherry blossoms, and in summer the fantastic Pool Wai (プールWAI) water park opens to the public! With five different pools, three types of water slides, and frequent pool events, you'll be having so much fun all day, you might just want to come back the next day too. Let us show you around!

Pool Wai at Yomiuriland Amusement Park (よみうりランド・プールWAI)
Address: 4015-1 Yanokuchi, Inagi, Tokyo
Access: Keio Yomiuriland Station (京王よみうりランド駅)
Pool Wai Calendar & Hours
Pool Wai Entry Fees
Official Yomiuriland Website / Pool Wai Official Page
 

① First Stop: The Wave Pool! (波のプール)

Yomiuriland's wave pool (波のプール) is designed to really feel like a beach! It's got a grainy sand-textured floor, and all throughout the day small waves lap up against a beach-like sloped entry. It's not just a wading pool though, the gentle slant leads to a depth of 1.4 meters (4'7"). Hang around for a bit and you'll see some variation, with waves cresting at 60 cm (2')!

Pool Wai's special events also happen at the wave pool. June to July, and then again in September, you can "Catch the Wave" every day, when staff stir up big waves and play summer tunes to rock your body and your soul. Come August, though, it's time for Splash Stage! A different take on the music and water theme.

The dancers are throwing it to you, Catch the Wave!

② Chill With a Friend: The Lazy River (流れるプール)

Ah, the lazy river! A beloved favorite of the exhausted park-goer, the diehard splash-lover, and parent chaperones everywhere. Then again, don't we all love a relaxed go around the pool on a pool float? At Yomiuriland, you have the option of going around on pool rings made for two. Relax and lay back, or have a gentle splash war with a friend or special someone!

The pool's circumference is 250 meters (820 ft), which is probably why it's one of the most popular attractions at Pool Wai! How long does it take to get all the way around? Well, that depends on how much paddling you want to do!

(Large pool ring rental: 600 yen/2 hours.)

③ Feeling Brave? How High Will You Go? : The Diving Pool (ダイビングプール)

With the summer Olympics coming to Tokyo next year, we've been starting to think about what event we wish we could participate in. Diving seems doable, right? Just look at that jump!

Well… while pro diving doesn't seem to be in the cards for the JAPANKURU team, anyone can do a little diving practice at Yomiuriland! (Of course the pool is 5 m, 16 ft, deep, and it can be a little dangerous, so we don't recommend it for pregnant visitors, visitors with heart disease or high blood pressure, or anyone who isn't a strong swimmer!) If you're ready to jump in, you can choose between three different diving heights: .5 m, 1 m, or 2 m (1' 8", 3' 3", or 6' 7").

④ Tempting Thrills: The Giant Sky River (ジャイアントスカイリバー), and the Other Slides

⑤ Dry Off for a Minute: Bandit (バンデット), the Rollercoaster

Not only does the arrival of summer mean the opening of Pool Wai at Yomiuriland, but other rides go into hot weather mode as well! The rollercoaster "Bandit" runs 1,560 m (5118 ft) through the air and the trees all year round (and in spring the cherry blossoms are a little magical), but a special jet of water during the ride will really keep you cool during the summer months!

Cut a path through the steamy summer sky.

[Intermission – Take a Break, Grab a Bite]

Something about spending time in and around pools really takes it out of you, doesn't it? One of the most exhausting things about water parks is that so often, there's no good places to take a break. Fortunately, there are some places around Pool Wai where you can grab a spot and take a break before going back in for the next round!

Spend the day out with your friends! (And definitely don't forget the sunscreen!)

⑥ Romantic Summer Nights at: The Night Pool (ナイトプール)

In recent years, nighttime trips to the swimming pool have been a rising trend in Japan, for some pretty Japanese reasons. First, you don't have to worry as much about sunscreen! Your skin is safe from skin cancer. Secondly, the colorful nighttime lighting makes for some pretty sweet pictures.

During Pool Wai's Night Pool time, the park's atmosphere changes to become a little more ~sophisticated~. If you're not quite up for a whole day of water park fun, you and some friends might have a nice time just going over for this nighttime event. There's different music to change the vibe, syncronized swimming shows, and even a special bubble experience (しゃぼんパーティー) where scented bubbles float by as you swim.

You're going to want to take lots of pictures, but make sure you don't drop your phone right into the pool!

Night Pool (ナイトプール)
Dates: 7/13 ~ 8/4 (only open on weekends and public holidays), plus 8/8~9/1, 9/7~9/8
Hours: 18:00 – 21:00
Tickets: adults 2,000 yen / children 1,500 yen (customers already in the park can also stay until closing)
Official Night Pool Page

⑦ Are You Afraid of the Dark? : The Haunted House (お化け屋敷「ひゅ〜どろ」)

This gives another meaning to the phrase "stay cool at Yomiuriland." For a limited time this summer, you can also enjoy Yomiuriland's special haunted house. You'll certainly make some summertime memories there, although they might be half-terrified! This haunted house's name is Yonagidake (夜泣竹) which translates to something along the lines of "a baby's nighttime wails among the bamboo." The event's official page has a trailer for the event, setting up the premise.

Yonagidake Haunted House (お化け屋敷ひゅ～どろ「夜泣竹」)
Dates: 7/13 ~ 9/8
Price: 300 yen
Official Event Page