Family-Friendly Fun at Shima Spain Village in the Ise-Shima Area of Mie Prefecture

The Ise-Shima Area of Mie Prefecture is a place packed with fun activities and attractions for families with children. One of the highlights is Shima Spain Village, a theme park that recreates the exotic atmosphere of a Spanish town with attractions, rides, parades, character shows, and restaurants that people of all ages can enjoy.

Written by John Asano

Shima Spain Village

Shima Spain Village, also known as “Parque España,” is a theme park full of Spanish flair. The park features multiple rollercoasters and various rides, making it an ideal day out for families. While the park can get quite crowded on weekends and holidays, during our visit on a lovely autumn Saturday in September, we only had to wait five to ten minutes for most rides.

Live Show at Cibeles Plaza

Soon after arriving, we caught a live street show near the Cibeles Plaza, close to the park entrance. The street musical, “Tesoro de Oro,” follows a group of treasure hunters searching for gold. It was an entertaining start to our day at Shima Spain Village.

La Tomatina

First, we started with some of the gentler rides near Fiesta Plaza. This attraction is based on La Tomatina, the famous tomato-throwing festival in Valencia, Spain. This ride is perfect for little ones, who can enjoy a thrilling, spinning tomato ride in a teacup that moves in a figure-eight motion.

Amigo Balloon

Soar through the air as if you were riding in a balloon. We enjoyed this relaxing ride that lets you take in the park’s scenery. It is a great way to get an overview of the whole park.

Gaudi Carrousel

This ride took me back to my childhood and reminded me of the rides at my local beachside carnival. Set in the whimsical world of the renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), designer of Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia, the wooden horses take you on a dreamlike ride filled with lights and music.

Splash Montserrat

For thrill seekers, the park offers big rollercoasters. Take the plunge with the exciting Splash Montserrat log ride, inspired by Montserrat, a beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat near Barcelona. We enjoyed the leisurely pace of the ride with the log boat slowly bobbing along the water, only to be followed by a thrilling dive from the summit into splashing water.

The Pyrenees Inverted Rollercoaster

The highlight for many at Shima Spain Village is this inverted rollercoaster, modeled after the famous Pyrenees Mountain range along the Spanish-French border. This ride is only for thrill seekers, reaching speeds of 100 km/h as it twists and winds along the 1,234-meter-long track.

Festive Atmosphere

At around 11:30 a.m., a parade called “Parque España Parade España Carnival” made its way down the main street. It is themed after famous Spanish festivals and Spanish culture, and is a fun chance to dance alongside the performers, who even invite children from the crowd to join in on the festivities.

Visitors can also enjoy a character musical show at the Colosseum called “Patio del Canto”, which introduces the various characters of the park.

Dining Options Galore

After watching the parade, we grabbed some lunch at the Chico Chico Character Café. There is something for everyone at Shima Spain Village, from traditional Spanish cuisine to steak, pizza, hamburgers, and Japanese dishes.

Obake Hunter The Great 360-degree Battle

After lunch, we headed straight to the most popular attraction and our favorite of the day- the Obake Hunter 360-degree virtual reality 3D shooting game. Ghosts have taken over a school, and it is your mission to blast them to smithereens. Players sit on a rotating stool, which allows a 360-degree battle with your blaster. This is one of the most popular attractions at the park, which usually means a longer wait time of around 30 minutes.

Santa Cruz Street

After the excitement of the ghost hunter activity, it was time for something a little more relaxing. We enjoyed a nice time checking out the shops, galleries and trick art inspired by Spain in this area.

Feliz Cruise

Just around the corner from Santa Cruz Street is the Feliz Cruise, where you can board a boat and enjoy a fun cruise while enjoying the beautiful scenery around you which includes multiple fountains and seasonal flowers. We really enjoyed the models located around the cruise which showed various Spanish festivals, offering a chance to soak up Spanish culture in the sunshine.

The Xavier Castle Museum

We wrapped up our day with a visit to the Xavier Castle Museum. This amazing castle is an actual full-scale reproduction of the birthplace of Francis Xavier (1506-1552), the first Christian missionary to visit Japan in the 16th century. The museum showcases 12,000 years of Spanish history and culture with interesting exhibits and videos.

Hotel Shima Spain Village

The onsite resort hotel and hot spring is a great place to stay and unwind after a fun day at the park. The atmosphere reminded me of southern Spain, with white-walled buildings, beautiful patios, and palm trees. Visitors can take their experience to the next level by booking one of the 19-character rooms available. These rooms were designed with the theme of a secret treehouse base created by Don Quixote and his friends. I loved the colors and playfulness of these rooms.

Other Places of Interest in the Ise-Shima Area

The Ise-Shima area is home to other friendly-family spots such as Toba Aquarium and Ago Bay Sea Kayaking. Toba Aquarium in nearby Toba Bay has the largest variety of fish and sea/river animals in Japan. It is also the only aquarium in Japan to house a dugong. Visitors can also explore the beautiful islands of Ago Bay in Ise-Shima National Park with a sea kayaking experience.

Wrap Up
Shima Spain Village is a miniature Spain in the heart of Japan, full of rides and attractions with Spanish flair. The best times to visit are summer for fireworks and during seasonal events such as Halloween and Christmas to enjoy the park’s festive atmosphere.

Shima Spain Village
Address: Sakazaki, Isobe-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture
Visit the following website for up-to-date park opening hours and fees:

How to Get There
Take the Kintetsu Limited Express from Nagoya Station to Ugata Station. From Kintetsu Ugata Station, take the Mie Kotsu bus to the Shima Spain Village bus stop.