Tokyo Dome City Attractions is an urban amusement park in Bunkyo, Tokyo, built right alongside the Tokyo Dome baseball stadium. It traces its roots to July 9, 1955, when it opened as Korakuen Amusement Park, Japan’s first amusement park with a full-fledged roller coaster, and it took its current name in April 2003 when it was rebuilt as part of the larger Tokyo Dome City entertainment complex.
The park has no general admission fee; visitors pay per ride or buy a pass, wandering freely between zones like LaQua, Splash Garden, and Tower Zone. Its signature draw is Thunder Dolphin, a steel coaster that threads through a hole in the LaQua shopping building and straight through the hub of the neighboring Big O ferris wheel, giving the compact city-center park an outsized thrill profile for its footprint.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Operator: Tokyo Dome Corporation
- Opened: July 9, 1955 (as Korakuen Amusement Park; renamed 2003)
- Admission: Free entry; pay-per-ride or ride passes
- Signature coaster: Thunder Dolphin (Intamin, opened May 2003, 80 m tall, 130 km/h)
- Signature wheel: Big O, the world’s first hubless Ferris wheel (opened 2003)
Thunder Dolphin and the Hubless Big O
Thunder Dolphin, built by Intamin and opened on May 1, 2003, stands about 80 meters (262 feet) tall and reaches roughly 130 km/h (81 mph) across a course of about 1,066 meters (3,497 feet), with no inversions. It is regularly cited among the tallest continuous-circuit coasters in the world, and its most famous stretch sends riders diving through the center of the Big O, a Ferris wheel with no central hub, recognized as the first of its kind.
Because the two rides share the same structure, watching Thunder Dolphin’s trains loop through the open center of the Big O wheel is one of the most photographed sights in this part of Tokyo, and it gives the park a skyline presence well beyond its actual acreage.
From Korakuen to Tokyo Dome City
The site opened in 1955 as Korakuen Amusement Park, named for the neighboring Korakuen Stadium, and was Japan’s first amusement park to feature a real roller coaster. After decades as a standalone park, it was rebuilt and rebranded as Tokyo Dome City Attractions in 2003, switching to free admission with per-ride payment and folding in zones like LaQua, Splash Garden, Viking Zone, Tower Zone, and Geopolis.
The park’s setting next to the Tokyo Dome stadium and Korakuen Hall means it regularly draws a mixed crowd of thrill-seekers, baseball fans, and shoppers passing through the connected LaQua complex.
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Tokyo Dome City Attractions FAQs
Is Tokyo Dome City Attractions free to enter?
Yes, there is no general admission fee. Guests pay per ride or purchase a ride pass once inside.
When did the park first open?
It opened on July 9, 1955 as Korakuen Amusement Park, then was rebuilt and renamed Tokyo Dome City Attractions in April 2003.
How tall and fast is Thunder Dolphin?
Thunder Dolphin stands about 80 meters (262 feet) tall and reaches speeds of roughly 130 km/h (81 mph) along a course of about 1,066 meters, with no inversions.
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Photo: Lucas Garron / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.