Aichi Expo Memorial Park — commonly known as Moricoro Park — is home to Ghibli Park (a theme park based on Studio Ghibli’s animated films). But beyond the ticketed Ghibli Park zones, there’s a huge free-admission area too.
Ghibli Park gets most of the attention, but honestly, this park is so massive you can spend a full day here for free (or almost free). It’s genuinely “worth going for on its own.” So today I’m sharing the free areas of Moricoro Park — a great pick even if you’re not going to Ghibli Park!
- Parking crowd status & how to share a multi-ticket pass
- Massive free-play areas you can enjoy without paying admission
- Aichi Children’s Center — adults ¥300 (~$2), free for kids under 15
- One of the largest Ferris wheels in the Tokai region (with discount info!)
- Recommended ways to spend your day
- What Is Aichi Expo Memorial Park (Moricoro Park)?
- Moricoro Park Parking Info
- The Free-Play Areas Are Way More Impressive Than Expected!!
- The Aichi Children’s Center Is Such a Hidden Gem!
- Lunch (Reasonable & Delicious Farm-to-Table)
- The Ferris Wheel Is a Great Deal Too (Paid)
- Who This Is Perfect For
- Nearby Hotels & Where to Stay
- Final Thoughts
What Is Aichi Expo Memorial Park (Moricoro Park)?
Aichi Expo Memorial Park (nickname: Moricoro Park) is a massive prefectural park built on the site of Expo 2005 Aichi Japan (the 2005 World Expo held in central Japan). It covers about 194 hectares (~480 acres) — roughly 41 times the size of Tokyo Dome (a common Japanese size reference).
When Ghibli Park opened here in November 2022, the park became nationally famous, but most of the park is still free to enter. Vast grass fields, huge playgrounds, a children’s center, cycling courses — even just the free areas offer plenty for a full day out!
Moricoro Park Parking Info
- Regular days (weekdays): ¥500 (~$3.20) for standard cars
- Peak days (weekends, holidays, Golden Week, Obon): ¥1,000 (~$6.50) for standard cars
- Multi-ticket pass (standard cars): ¥5,000 (~$32) for 11 uses
Parking fees may change. If you’re planning ahead, check the official site for the latest info!
↑Since we don’t have a multilingual site yet, please try using Google Translate!
Morning Parking Crowd Status
We used North Parking Lot 1 (marked ③) on a Saturday.
- 8:00 AM: Just one other car. Ghibli Park–side lots already had lines.
- 9:00 AM: About 10 cars. Ghibli Park side was filling up fast.
- 9:30 AM: Still plenty of space.
Ghibli Park–side lots fill up early in the morning, but the north-side lots had plenty of room even on a Saturday.
If you’re aiming for the free areas or the children’s center, I recommend heading here!
Note: if ① is full, you can move ① → ② → ③, but the park roads are one-way, so you can’t go ③ → ② back. Lot ① is closest to the convenience store, souvenir shop, and Ghibli Park entrance, but ② isn’t much farther. Lot ③ is closest to the free-play zones and the Ferris wheel that I’ll cover below.
Lot ③ is a 10–15 minute walk from Ghibli Park, but the paths are flat and stroller-friendly.
There’s also a shuttle bus that loops around the park!
The ¥5,000 Multi-Ticket Pass Has No Expiration!
The ¥5,000 (~$32) multi-ticket pass with 11 uses is a great deal.
That’s about ¥455 (~$3) per use — less than half the peak-day rate of ¥1,000.
When we bought it, the staff said there’s no expiration date — so if you live nearby or plan to stay in the area for a while, it’s a great deal. You can buy it at the park administration office (located behind the Lawson convenience store).
The Free-Play Areas Are Way More Impressive Than Expected!!
Moricoro Park’s biggest draw is honestly the size and quality of the free-play areas.
Blue areas = parking lots
Yellow areas = free-admission zones (playgrounds, the Ferris wheel, shallow water-play area, Aichi Children’s Center, etc.)
Pink areas = Ghibli Park — ticket required.
Just the free areas alone are large enough for a full day! Especially the “Aichi Children’s Center” I’ll introduce next — it’s an indoor facility, so kids can burn off energy regardless of weather!
The park as seen from the Ferris wheel — covered in grass and forest, beautifully maintained.
It was a Saturday during a long weekend, but relatively uncrowded — parents were playing catch with their kids in a wide-open, relaxed atmosphere.
Near the Aichi Children’s Center, there are cute — and a little realistic — animal statues.
A little further in, there’s a guide map for the nature-play area.
The shallow water-play area (jabu-jabu ike) is farther in, but there’s a long uphill slope on the way — if water play is your main goal, I recommend parking at the “West Parking Lot” instead!
An interesting rest area shaped like a giant wooden barrel used for making soy sauce.
Wooden walkways stretch through the area — just walking around is fun!
On top of a small hill was a very steep slide.
You climb up using a net, but there’s no risk of falling through — surprisingly safe.
The steepness was intimidating at first, but the actual sliding speed was gentle — even our 2.5-year-old could do it!
In peak summer, the playground equipment probably gets too hot to use.
The Aichi Children’s Center Is Such a Hidden Gem!
This is “Aichi Children’s Center” inside Moricoro Park.
Aichi Children’s Center Basic Info
- Admission: Adults ¥300 (~$2), free for kids under 15!
- Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Closed: Tuesdays (next weekday if a holiday), New Year holidays
Kids Get In Free — And It’s Way Better Than “Free” Would Suggest
The 1st and 2nd floors have large play structures, studios, and a 360-degree panoramic observation floor.
There was even a wavy floor.
The yellow areas are soft and cushioned.
Towers like this connect up through the floors! This one even goes down to the basement level.
Kids can explore through tubes,
play on unique creative equipment,
and watch projection mapping originally used during Expo 2005 Aichi — the facility is full of interactive surprises.
The projection mapping still holds up beautifully — the kids were completely mesmerized.
At the center of the facility is a white tower reaching the ceiling — and inside, it’s completely red!
And you can climb all the way up.
This is the inside view. The outside is a white spiral — you can climb from there too.
At the top is an observation deck with sweeping views of the entire park!
Compared to the Ferris wheel, you can see how high up you actually are.
There’s also an elevator, by the way!
The 1st floor opens to the outdoors, giving it a really airy, open feel!
A dragonfly flew in and everyone chased after it — we got to enjoy a little bit of nature too.
Quiet Even on Saturdays — A Real Hidden Gem
We went on a Saturday, but it was much quieter than expected and we could take our time.
Since all the attention goes to Ghibli Park, the children’s center has become a real hidden gem.
This is honestly “worth going for on its own” quality! Because it’s indoors, weather isn’t a factor — a fantastic place for kids to move freely.
Lunch (Reasonable & Delicious Farm-to-Table)
Moricoro Park has plenty of dining options too.
The restaurant we tried was directly connected to the Aichi Children’s Center. It was reasonably priced, delicious, and focused on locally-sourced (farm-to-table) ingredients.
They had kid-friendly dishes AND Nagoya’s signature miso-katsu (deep-fried pork cutlet with sweet miso sauce)!
We definitely ordered too much (as always), but everything was delicious — especially the udon noodles and miso-katsu, both outstanding.
You can even see the Linimo (Japan’s first commercial magnetic levitation train) from the restaurant.
The Ferris Wheel Is a Great Deal Too (Paid)
Moricoro Park’s landmark Ferris wheel.
At 88m (~289ft), it’s one of the largest in the Tokai region (central Japan), and you can see the entire Moricoro Park from the top.
- Fare: ¥600 (~$4) per person (free for kids under 3)
- Whole-gondola ticket (great deal!): 5 people ¥2,800 (~$18) / 6 people ¥3,000 (~$19)
- Hours: Weekends/holidays/spring/summer/winter breaks/Golden Week (Japan’s major spring holiday, late April to early May) 9:00 AM–5:00 PM; weekdays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Closed: Mondays (next weekday if a holiday)
- Ride time: About 20 minutes per loop
- Other: Wheelchair-accessible (stay in your chair), pets allowed, heated/air-conditioned gondolas
Amazingly, kids under 3 don’t count toward the passenger count.
We went with a friend’s family, so we fit 4 adults, 2 four-year-olds, 2 two-year-olds, and 1 baby in one gondola (lol).
Who This Is Perfect For
- Combining with a Ghibli Park visit
- Looking for a backup plan on rainy days
- Looking for less crowded play areas
Nearby Hotels & Where to Stay
There aren’t many hotels right around Moricoro Park — if you’re using public transport, you’ll likely need to stay near Nagoya Station (Nagoya is Japan’s fourth-largest city, in central Japan).
However, there are a few vacation rental homes in the area. We went with three families, so we booked a vacation rental called SETO MORI LODGE.
The green circle marks Moricoro Park.
Nagoya Station is about 40 minutes by car or train (1 transfer required) — blue line.
SETO MORI LODGE is about 15 minutes away by car — red line.
Since we were heading to Ghibli Park the next day, we wanted to minimize travel and stay all together, so this location worked perfectly.
SETO MORI LODGE is divided into 1st floor and 2nd&3rd floor units. Depending on the booking site, you can also reserve both together and rent the whole house. This time we chose the 2nd&3rd floor unit.
The 1st floor unit has parking for 1 car; the 2nd&3rd floor unit has space for about 3 cars.
The entrance is on the 1st floor, and stairs lead up to the 2nd floor.
The living room is spacious like this, and you can see it through the 3rd-floor bedroom windows.
Three families — 6 adults and 6 kids — all had plenty of space, so this is a great pick for larger groups.
The kitchen is fully equipped — pans and all the basics. The large refrigerator was really convenient too.
There’s a large supermarket about a 10-minute walk away, so grocery shopping wasn’t a problem.
Four bedrooms in total.
※And there’s even a loft!
Spacious bathroom, a washing machine, and bath towels for the whole group!
There was a drying rack too, but we went to a nearby coin laundromat to dry things faster.
They even had a projector and Ghibli DVDs — the kids were glued to it!
※The image is edited. In reality, the picture is sharp and clear.
Check availability at Seto Mori Lodge!
Whole-house vacation rentals have a maximum guest count, but usually no minimum — so even one family can book. It felt like a spacious modern Japanese home, so experiencing something other than a hotel could be a fun change too!
Final Thoughts
Ghibli Park gets all the attention, but Moricoro Park’s free and low-cost areas are genuinely impressive. It really feels like “worth going for on its own.”
The outdoor free areas are huge, but the indoor Aichi Children’s Center is also massive — a fantastic place for kids to enjoy themselves regardless of the weather.
Great as a pair with Ghibli Park, or as a rainy-day backup plan.
Thanks so much for reading all the way through!
