Thomas And Friends Head East

HIT Entertainment - September 2009

Thomas Town Shinmisato launched in birthplace of the Japanese railway industry

HIT Entertainment, one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and rights owners, and Pleasurecast, the Attractions division of Bandai Namco Group, a leading attractions operator in Japan, celebrate the grand opening of ‘Thomas Town Shinmisato’, the first indoor Thomas-themed amusement facility in Japan.

Opening on September 17th 2009, Thomas Town Shinmisato covers 772m² within the brand new Lala Port Shin Misato shopping center, located on the site of the former Musashino Railway Shunting Yard - the birthplace of the Japanese railway industry. Approximately 45 minutes from Tokyo Station, Thomas Town has five themed zones including an English Market Place that serves as the heart of the attraction and is the main zone for themed events such a mini-live stage shows and carnival events. This fully immersive experience also offers children the special use of Thomas & Friends currency to pay for rides and games throughout Thomas Town. Up to 500,000 visitors are predicted in the first year of operation alone.

Thomas Town Shinmisato will also feature:

An attraction zone including a Thomas & Friends dark ride and a Cranky play structure.
An Educational and Craft Area with a library and activity area for boys and girls.
A café and museum that offers a quintessentially English setting for mothers to relax.
A Thomas Retail shop including exclusive Thomas Town merchandise and imported product.

Pleasurecast has partnered with the UK-based design company RMA Limited who were also commissioned by HIT Entertainment and Drayton Manor Theme Park in 2008 to design and project manage Thomas Land in the UK.

Frank Foley, General Manager Asia HIT Entertainment commented, "We are very excited about the official opening of Thomas Town. It adds a new dimension to our offering in the country, complimenting the already very successful Thomas Land at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park. The different zones within Thomas Land provide fantastic variety and excitement for visitors and we’re absolutely delighted to be working with Pleasurecast to deliver such a unique attraction for young Thomas fans in Japan."