Huis Ten Bosch

Huis Ten Bosch is a theme park and resort in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, laid out as a Dutch town on the shore of Omura Bay. The grounds cover about 152 hectares. The name is Dutch for "house in the woods" and comes from Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, the home of the Dutch king.

History

The site was unused reclaimed land. Environmental works began in October 1988 and building work in February 1990, and the park opened on 25 March 1992. The total investment was 220.4 billion yen. Nihon Sekkei designed the town and supervised the work, with the cooperation of the Dutch government.

Restoring the land came first. About 400,000 trees of species suited to the local climate were planted, and the old concrete seawalls were rebuilt as natural stone banks. Since opening, the park has treated its own wastewater on site and reused it for toilets and watering.

Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands visited in April 2000. At the park's 30th anniversary ceremony in March 2022, the Dutch city of Utrecht presented an ornament marking 700 years of its Dom Tower. In September 2022, PAG HTB Holdings acquired all shares of Huis Ten Bosch Co., Ltd.

The park

The resort is split into two zones. The Theme Park Zone holds the attractions and shows, spread over areas such as Flower Road, Attraction Town, Art Garden and Amsterdam City. The Harbour Zone to the south covers the marine terminal, Hotel Europe, the Forest Villa area and Palace Huis Ten Bosch.

About 6 kilometers of canals run through the grounds, crossed by 23 bridges, and eight windmills stand in the park. The tallest building is the Domtoren, a 105-meter tower modelled on the cathedral tower of Utrecht. An elevator runs to its observation room, 80 meters above the ground, which looks out over the park and Omura Bay.

Palace Huis Ten Bosch reproduces the Dutch palace and was built with the approval of the Dutch royal family. Temporary exhibitions are held inside.

Miffy Wonder Square, an area themed on Miffy, the rabbit from the picture books of Dutch artist Dick Bruna, opened on 21 June 2025. Five official hotels stand inside the resort, among them Hotel Europe, Hotel Amsterdam, Hotel Den Haag and Hotel Rotterdam.

Flowers, lights and fireworks

Flower Road is planted with tulips in spring, and the flower displays change with the seasons through the year. After dark the town is lit with illuminations.

The park stages the Kyushu Biggest Fireworks Festival (Kyushuichi Dai Hanabi Matsuri, 九州一大花火まつり), which it describes as one of the largest fireworks events in western Japan. Seasonal events through the year include Halloween and Christmas.