Tobu World Square

What to know

Tobu World Square is a theme park in Kinugawa Onsen that displays 1/25th scale replicas of famous buildings from around the globe. The models include ancient monuments, cultural treasures, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, reproduced with incredible detail down to cars, trains, and people populating the scenes, all set in gardens that change with the seasons.

The park is divided into zones based on world regions. Starting in the Japan Zone, visitors can see scenes of Japan along with culturally significant sights from across the country, such as Himeji Castle, Dogo Onsen, and temples around Kyoto. The Asia Zone takes visitors to Korea and India, as well as large sites from China like the Forbidden City.

Next is the Europe Zone, the park's largest and most diverse area. Here ancient wonders like the Parthenon and the Colosseum sit alongside more recent structures such as the Eiffel Tower. Moving on, the Egypt Zone features the Pyramids and the Sphinx, and beyond that is the America Zone, home to the White House and a section of downtown New York City.

Tobu World Square concludes with a Modern Japan Zone featuring contemporary structures like the Diet Building, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Tower, and Tokyo Skytree. This zone also includes a partial replica of Narita Airport.

The park offers other facilities including restaurants and shops selling food and goods from around the world. Free guided tours, one through the Modern Japan and America Zones and another through the Europe Zone, are held once daily in Japanese. English pamphlets are available, and all site descriptions around the park are in both Japanese and English.

Tobu World Square Station is just across the street from the park entrance and is served by most trains on the Tobu Kinugawa Line, including those to/from Tokyo (Asakusa and Shinjuku stations). It is one station south of Kinugawa Onsen Station (3 minutes, 160 yen one way by local trains; limited express trains require a supplement fee).