When you are visiting Tokyo these days, forget about those flashy super shopping malls and that huge theme park outside of Tokyo and follow my offers: I offer lovely old-school and by today’s standards, small, amusement park in Asakusa, you’ll actually find the oldest roller coaster in Japan!Besides a creepy haunted house, which will make you feel as if you slipped back into kind of simpler times-and lots of childhood nostalgia.
The park is called Hana Yashiki. When you walk through the gate of Hana Yashiki, the first thing that strikes you is an innocent-looking Melody-pet Panda Car. What? If you drop a coin into the slot, this peculiar machine starts playing music and moves with the melody. Hop on, it’s so cute!

The Swan is elegantly moving around in a pool of water and is extremely… well, cute, of course! And especially popular among small girls. The exciting part comes when it starts splashing water. But don’t worry, you won’t get wet. Just enjoy this relaxing ride.

What’s the essential ingredient of any amusement park? A merry-go-round! Of course, Hana Yashiki has one, with gorgeous and impressive decorations and sweet, nostalgic sounds that take both kids and adults off to a fairy tale world. Brings back sweet childhood memories!

Built in 1953, this roller coaster is the oldest in Japan and one of the most popular attractions at Hana Yashiki. The speed of 42 km/h is surely not that fast compared to more modern coasters – but its creaking wooden construction creates a strong feeling of fear during the ride…

After this refreshing break, let’s go back to the attractions! The next is called Disk O which spins you in one direction while plunging you in another. This huge attraction was the very first of its kind in Japan, launched during the Exposition of Global Harmony in 2005, where it was ranked the No.1 frightening ride! Oh my!

Next, we went to the Happy Bridge, surrounded by bright green foliage and the refreshing sounds of a waterfall. A cheerful one, indeed! There are some red and golden carps in the pond below. I’m convinced that there aren’t so many amusement parks that feature such a beautifully traditional Japanese style.

After we rested for a moment on the Happy Bridge, we went on to the Thriller Cars: a ride running through a western-style haunted house. My personal impression was the shaky and creaky cars we rode in were much scarier than the actual monsters in the haunted house…

After the Thriller Cars, we headed to the Japanese Haunted House. But, here it is “No Spoilers Allowed,” and we can’t tell you too many details. Suffice to say that it instils some true psychological terror…

To come to an end, this last image shows Hana Yashiki’s landmark, the Bee Tower, which is a floating candy house in the air. It gets elevated up to 45 meters from the ground and you can enjoy a panoramic view of Asakusa’s retro-flavoured town from the tower.
Enjoy