Mie · Kuwana / NagashimaNo.1209★★Open in map →
Nagashima Spa Land
— an amusement park built on a hot-spring island
An amusement park on Nagashima island in Kuwana, Mie, holding the largest roller-coaster line-up in the country. It grew out of a hot spring, and the bathhouse, an outlet mall and a flower garden still share the island with it.
- FromKuwana Station (Kintetsu Nagoya Line / JR Kansai Main Line)
- ~20 min by busbus ~20 min
- Nagashima Spa Land
The sweet spot
Nagashima is well known inside Japan and crowded on holidays, so it is no secret. What catches people out is the order things happened in: the hot spring came first, and the coasters were added afterwards to keep bathers on the island for longer.
Where it is
17 more notes in Mie · open the map →What to look for — in walking order
- Nagashima Onsen bus terminalthe terminus every bus route uses, a short walk from the park gate
- Steel Dragon 2000a steel coaster 2,479 metres long, falling 93.5 metres from a high point of 97 metres
- Hakugeia hybrid coaster with a timber structure carrying a steel track, the first of its kind in Japan
- Aurora Ferris wheelthe big wheel on the park's edge, looking back over the rides and the river mouth
- Yuami no Shimathe resort's day-use hot spring, with indoor and open-air baths, charged separately
How to actually get there
- Nagoya → Kuwana Station (Kintetsu Nagoya Line or JR Kansai Main Line).
- Kuwana Station east exit → Nagashima Onsen (Mie Kotsu bus, about 20 minutes).
- Walk from the terminal to the gate and buy the ticket combination that matches your day.
- Return from the same terminal — check the last departure on the board before you go in.
- Kintetsu or JR to Kuwana, then a bus
- From Nagoya, take the Kintetsu Nagoya Line or the JR Kansai Main Line to Kuwana Station. From the east exit, the Mie Kotsu bus bound for Nagashima Onsen takes about 20 minutes and needs no reservation. It runs through to the resort, so there is no change along the way.
- Back from the Nagashima Onsen terminal
- Every bus leaves from the same terminal inside the resort, which is the start and end of the route rather than a roadside stop. Services run to Kuwana Station and direct to Nagoya. Note the last departures on the board when you arrive, especially if you plan to use the hot spring after the park closes.
About the place
Nagashima Spa Land runs twelve roller coasters, more than any other park in the country. They range from a machine that combines a timber frame with steel track to one that hangs riders face-down, and they stand close enough together that the island's skyline is mostly lattice and rail. The park sits where the Kiso, Nagara and Ibi rivers meet the sea, so water shows up behind almost every ride. A huge seawater pool opens through the summer and changes the character of the place completely. Around the park, the same resort holds a hot spring, hotels, an outlet mall and a flower garden.
How to enjoy it
The rides split into a thrill side and a children's side, so a family can cover both without splitting up. Through the summer the giant seawater pool opens and tends to take over the day, which is worth planning for rather than discovering on arrival. Park hours change by season and the hot spring keeps its own, so check both before fixing a date.
Background & history
The resort began not with a ride but with a drill. In 1963 a bore sunk on the island struck natural gas and hot water, and a bathing complex opened on the strength of it. The amusement park followed in 1966, built to give onsen visitors a second reason to stay. Its headline coaster, Steel Dragon 2000, arrived in the year its name records, and machines have kept being added since.
Before you go
- Cash
- Entry and ride tickets are sold in several combinations, and the hot spring is charged on its own, so check current prices on the official site. The direct bus from Nagoya costs 1,400 yen one way for an adult and takes no reservation.
- Before you go
- Opening hours and closed days shift with the season, and the giant seawater pool runs only through the summer window. Individual attractions come off for maintenance, so read the day's operating notice on the official site before travelling.
- Another way
- A direct bus from the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya reaches the same terminal without a change, jointly run by Meitetsu Bus and Mie Kotsu. There is also a route from Central Japan International Airport, but it is suspended for the time being, so do not build a plan around it.
- After you get off
- Buses end at the Nagashima Onsen terminal inside the resort, a short walk from the park gate. Map apps sometimes point at a roadside stop named Nagashima Kaigan instead — the resort's own guidance is to use the Nagashima Onsen terminal.