For hundreds of years, the only Western country with which Japan had contact was the Netherlands, and even then only on a small artificial island in Nagasaki prefecture.  Huis Ten Bosch (meaning “House in the Forest” in Dutch, taking its name from one of the palatial residences of the Dutch royal family), a theme park located in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki, near the port from whence the Dutch first entered Japan, gives homage to this key piece of Japanese history.  Far from a typical theme park, Huis Ten Bosch is a magnificent and meticulous recreation of a traditional Dutch city, with a scale the size of the entire microstate of Monaco.  With typically Japanese precision, the streets and buildings are not just in the style of Dutch architecture, they virtually are Dutch architecture.  Dutch visitors themselves have been amazed by Wandering these glorious streets, one may be able to forget that one is in Japan, until one recalls that masterfully and believably recreating foreign cultures is in fact one of Japan’s specialties.

The Netherlands is known for its tulip gardens, and Huis Ten Bosch doesn’t disappoint in this department.  You may not be able to believe your eyes as the multi-colored rows of seemingly never-ending tulips continue onto a bucolically churning windmills, the mountains of Sasebo gently rising in the background.  Restricted not only to tulips, many other types of flowers offer magnificent vistas as you stroll throughout the park. The park’s Rose Festival alone is said to boast over one million blooms of over a thousand varieties. This would be one of the Netherland’s most lovely spots if it weren’t in Japan!

Once night rolls around, Huis Ten Bosch shows another one of its surprises: what is considered by many nothing but the greatest illumination display in the world. With waterfalls, streets, parades, and canals of glittering multi-color light, even seasonal Snow Sliders and Bungee Jumps of light, there’s simply too much to take in in one trip.  The grand, sophisticated beauty of the park at day becomes an overflowing, unreal dream land at night.

However, the park goes beyond this theme to offer much more. In fact, there are sub-parks such as Adventure Park, Thriller City, Art Garden, Attraction Town, and many more that offer themed attractions ranging from terrifying haunted houses and thrilling rides to games, shows, a “5D” virtual reality experience, and much more.  Anime fans will rejoice to ride on a One Piece cruise that lets them experience the story of the anime for themselves.

Add a number of themed resort hotels, including the world famous robot hotel Henn-na Hotel to the mix, and Huis Ten Bosch can offer a somewhat unexpected, but magnificent leg to your trip to Japan!

Visit Nagasaki