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.

Obake Hunter The Great 360-degree Battle

After lunch, we headed straight to the most popular attraction and our favorite for 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 of around 30 minutes compared to the other attractions.

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.

The Spanish atmosphere of Santa Cruz Street

3D trick art at Santa Cruz Street

Feliz Cruise

Just around the corner from Santa Cruz Street is the Feliz Cruise. 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 the various Spanish festivals. This ride offers a chance to soak up Spanish culture in the sunshine.

About to start our cruise

The Galleon Aluna next to the Feliz Cruise

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.

The main hall of the Xavier Castle Museum

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 the white-walled buildings, beautiful patio, and palm trees. Visitors can take their experience to the next level with a stay at 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.

The view from one of the rooms

Spanish style architecture inside the hotel

One of the cool character 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 number of species of fish and sea/river animals in Japan. It is also the only aquarium in Japan to have a dugong. Visitors can also explore the beautiful islands of Ago Bay in the Ise Shima National Park with a sea kayaking experience.

Dugonng at Toba Aquarium

Sea kayaking experience at Shima Nature School

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 the fireworks and during seasonal events such as Halloween and Christman to enjoy the festive atmosphere of the park.

Halloween fun at Shima Spain Village

Information

Shima Spain Village

Address: Sakazaki, Isobe-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture

Open Hours: Typically, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (varies depending on the time of the year)

Note: The park is closed from 9 January 2024 until 9 February 2024 and will reopen on 10 February 2024.

Price: 1-day Passport ¥5,400 adults (including unlimited rides)

1-day Passport ¥4,400 junior (12-17)

1-day Passport ¥3,600 children (3-11)

Note: Current ticket prices at the time of my visit. Prices will be revised from 10 February 2024.

Website: https://www.parque-net.com/foreign/english/

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.