Dragon Quest Island Review: Our Family Adventure at Nijigen no Mori

Have you ever dreamed of stepping into the world of Dragon Quest? If you’re a fan of the legendary Japanese RPG series, there’s a place in Japan where you can actually become an adventurer!

I visited Nijigen no Mori, an anime and video game theme park located on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.

Our main destination was Dragon Quest Island: The Great Demon Lord Zoma and the Island of Beginnings, an outdoor RPG attraction where visitors can explore a fantasy town, battle monsters, and embark on a quest to defeat the Demon Lord Zoma.

My wife and I grew up playing Dragon Quest, so we were just as excited as our daughter!

And the result? Our whole family had an amazing time!

In this article, I’ll share our experience with plenty of photos, along with useful information about ticket prices, transportation, food, souvenirs, and other attractions.

​Don’t worry! This review contains no major story spoilers or information about the locations of hidden treasures and Mini Medals.

Even if you’ve never played Dragon Quest before, the atmosphere and interactive adventure can still be enjoyable!

What Is Nijigen no Mori?

Nijigen no Mori is an anime and video game theme park located inside Hyogo Prefectural Awajishima Park on Awaji Island.

The name “Nijigen no Mori” roughly translates to “Two-Dimensional Forest.” As its name suggests, it’s a place where visitors can experience the worlds of Japanese anime, manga, and video games in real life. Unlike a typical indoor theme park, Nijigen no Mori makes use of the natural landscape of Awaji Island.

Visitors can explore outdoor attractions, participate in interactive adventures, and enjoy the surrounding nature.

Some of its major attractions include:

• Dragon Quest Island
• NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato
• Godzilla Interception Operation
• Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park

The park also hosts limited-time attractions based on other popular anime and video games. When we visited, there were special events featuring Monster Hunter and Demon Slayer!

For the latest information about attractions, special events, and opening hours, please check the official Nijigen no Mori website.
https://nijigennomori.com/en/

Can You Enjoy Dragon Quest Island Without Speaking Japanese?

If you’re visiting Japan from overseas, you might be wondering whether you can enjoy Dragon Quest Island without understanding Japanese.

Dragon Quest is a Japanese RPG series, and the attraction involves collecting information, completing quests, and following instructions. Therefore, understanding the available language options is important.

The park has an English-language official website, making it relatively easy for international visitors to research attractions and purchase tickets.

Dragon Quest Island offers multiple language options, including English. According to the official website, visitors can select their preferred language when registering their characters. This makes the attraction more accessible to international visitors who don’t speak Japanese.

​However, I recommend checking the latest language support before your visit, as the attraction’s storyline and systems may change.

How to Get to Nijigen no Mori

Nijigen no Mori is located on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, near Kobe and Osaka. Although Awaji Island might sound like a remote destination, Nijigen no Mori is actually quite accessible from the Kansai region.

The park is located in the northern part of the island, not far from the famous Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

① By Car

If you’re traveling by car, the approximate driving times are:

• From Kobe: About 30 minutes
• From Osaka: About 1 hour
• From Awaji Interchange: About 3 minutes

Travel times depend on traffic conditions.

One of the highlights of driving to Awaji Island is crossing the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, which offers spectacular views of the sea. The drive itself is part of the fun!

There are both free and paid parking areas around the park. Since Nijigen no Mori covers a large area, I recommend checking which parking lot is closest to the attraction you want to visit.

If you don’t mind walking, using one of the free parking areas can be a good way to save money.

② By Public Transportation

Awaji Island does not have a railway network, so visitors generally need to use a highway bus or other transportation services.

Highway buses are available from major transportation hubs such as:

• Sannomiya Station in Kobe
• Osaka (Umeda)

Depending on the route, you may be able to take a direct bus to Nijigen no Mori or transfer to a shuttle bus near Awaji Interchange.

​Since bus routes and schedules may change, I recommend checking the latest transportation information before your trip.
Official access information: https://nijigennomori.com/en/access/

Dragon Quest Island Tickets and Prices

Admission to Nijigen no Mori itself is free. However, each attraction requires a separate paid ticket.

①Types of Tickets

Dragon Quest Island offers several ticket options. Here are the three main ticket types. All ticket prices listed below include tax.

1. Light Ticket

• Adults (12 and older): ¥3,400–¥4,500
• Children (5–11): ¥1,800–¥2,500

The Light Ticket includes admission and the main quest.
It’s a good choice for visitors who want to experience Dragon Quest Island without spending too much time or money.

2. Gold Ticket

• Adults (12 and older): ¥5,400–¥6,500
• Children (5–11): ¥3,100–¥3,800

The Gold Ticket includes everything in the Light Ticket, plus an additional subquest.
If you’re a big Dragon Quest fan and want to experience more of the attraction, this may be the best option.

3. Premium Ticket

• Adults (12 and older): ¥12,400–¥13,500
• Children (5–11): ¥10,800–¥11,500

The Premium Ticket includes the Gold Ticket experience plus exclusive premium merchandise.
The available items may include special Dragon Quest-themed backpacks and other collectible goods. Some of these items are incredibly cute!

I was particularly tempted by the shield-shaped backpacks and the Onion King plush backpack.

Awaji Island is famous for its onions, so Nijigen no Mori has its own adorable onion-themed Slime characters!

Just look at these little guys!

For our family adventure, we chose the Light Ticket. And as I’ll explain later, even the main quest alone was more than enough to keep us entertained!

​Note: Ticket prices vary depending on the date and season. The prices above are indicative and should be checked against the official booking page before visiting. Ticket inclusions and merchandise may also change.

②How to Book Tickets

You can purchase Dragon Quest Island tickets online in advance.

Same-day tickets may also be available at the attraction, depending on availability. However, I strongly recommend booking ahead.

Imagine traveling all the way to Awaji Island, only to discover that tickets are sold out! That would be a terrible way to start your adventure.

Tickets have designated entry times, so make sure you choose a time that fits your travel schedule.Official information and ticket booking:
https://nijigennomori.com/en/dragonquestisland/

Our Dragon Quest Island Adventure: The Zoma Storyline

Now, it’s finally time for our adventure!

As we approached the entrance to Dragon Quest Island, we were welcomed by a giant Slime.

Isn’t it adorable? Seeing such a familiar Dragon Quest monster in real life immediately got us excited!

① Creating Our Characters

After entering the attraction, we registered our characters. We could choose our characters’ appearance, names, and classes.

The available classes included:

• Warrior
• Martial Artist
• Mage
• Thief
• Gadabout

Just like in the Dragon Quest games!

Each adventuring party consists of four characters. If your group has fewer than four people, support characters will fill the remaining positions. This means you can even enjoy the adventure alone. However, I think exploring with family or friends is especially fun because you can discuss clues and work together.

Once our characters were ready, we received an explanation of our mission.
Our objective was simple. Defeat the Demon Lord Zoma!

②Exploring the Town of Onokogard

The adventure takes place in a fantasy town called Onokogard and its surrounding areas. To defeat Zoma, we needed to gather information, earn gold, obtain equipment, and battle monsters.

Each adventurer receives a special item called the Adventurer’s Mark.

This item is essential for progressing through the attraction, so make sure you keep it with you! It comes with a strap, making it easy to carry around.
We were also able to take ours home as a souvenir after completing the adventure.

And once we entered the town, I immediately felt like I had stepped into a Dragon Quest game.

The buildings, decorations, and overall atmosphere were wonderful. For longtime fans of the series, simply walking around the town is exciting.

But the best part is that you can actually interact with the world! You can talk to townspeople, search for clues, complete tasks, and investigate various objects.

And of course, there are pots, wardrobes, and treasure chests!

If you’ve played Dragon Quest before, you know exactly what this means. In the games, heroes casually enter people’s houses and search through their belongings.

And here, you can experience that same strange tradition in real life! It’s perfectly normal behavior for a Dragon Quest hero, apparently. I couldn’t stop smiling.

③Battling Monsters

Outside the town, there are areas where you can battle monsters. We also encountered impressive life-sized monster figures!

For a Dragon Quest fan, seeing these familiar monsters right in front of you is an incredible experience. The battle sequences also feature impressive visuals.

I won’t reveal too much because I don’t want to spoil the adventure. You’ll have to experience the battles for yourself!

④Be Prepared to Walk!

One thing that surprised me was how physically demanding the attraction could be. Dragon Quest Island is quite spacious, and there are plenty of slopes and areas to explore. We walked much more than I expected!

I recommend wearing comfortable shoes and bringing drinks, especially during the warmer months. Sun protection is also important because much of the experience takes place outdoors.

After spending so much time exploring, I realized something.
Being a hero is harder work than I thought!
At least now I understand why RPG characters need to rest at an inn.

⑤How Long Does Dragon Quest Island Take?

We purchased Light Tickets and completed the main quest in approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. Even without the additional subquest, we were completely satisfied with the experience.

In fact, I felt that completing the subquest as well might have left us with little time or energy to explore the other attractions!

For planning purposes, however, the official website has recommended allowing at least two hours for the Light Ticket and three hours for the Gold Ticket.

During busy periods, the experience may take considerably longer. If you’re visiting with children or planning to explore multiple attractions, I recommend leaving plenty of time in your schedule.

Luida’s Bar: Dragon Quest-Themed Food

Every adventurer needs a break. And where better to rest than Luida’s Bar, a Dragon Quest-themed restaurant?

During our quest to defeat Zoma, we started getting tired and hungry. So we decided to take a lunch break. Or perhaps I should say we went to recruit some new party members!

If you’re a Dragon Quest fan, the name “Luida’s Bar” probably sounds very familiar. In the games, it’s the place where adventurers gather and form parties.
Naturally, we couldn’t resist visiting!

The restaurant offers a variety of Dragon Quest-themed dishes. Here’s what the menu looked like during our visit.

Interestingly, the menu used the in-game currency “G” (Gold). 1G = ¥1!

I ordered the “Hero’s Adventure Lunch Box,” a local specialty of Onokogard. It cost 1,800G (¥1,800) at the time of our visit.

The food was a fun part of the overall Dragon Quest experience.

Luida’s Bar also has a souvenir shop offering a wide variety of merchandise. There were T-shirts, plush toys, glasses, snacks, and many other items. I especially loved the Nijigen no Mori-exclusive merchandise.

Everything looked so tempting that I almost ended up buying far more than I had planned!

Dragon Quest Merchandise and Souvenirs

After defeating Zoma and completing the adventure, we had the opportunity to take a commemorative photo. During our visit, the photo cost ¥1,500.

We decided to buy one as a souvenir of our family adventure. We also purchased a plush toy of Homilot, an original character who appears in Dragon Quest Island.

Isn’t he cute? He reminds me of Healie from Dragon Quest IV!

The merchandise was one of the highlights of our visit, and I think Dragon Quest fans will have a difficult time leaving the shop empty-handed.

Shingo

After visiting Dragon Quest Island, my love for the Dragon Quest series was completely reignited. I even ended up buying Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake!

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created by Rinker

¥6,910 (2026/10/19 19:22:27時点 楽天市場調べ-詳細)

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Other Areas to Explore at Nijigen no Mori

Dragon Quest Island isn’t the only attraction at Nijigen no Mori. There are several other areas based on popular Japanese anime and entertainment franchises.

Even if you don’t purchase tickets for every attraction, walking around the park and looking at the displays can be enjoyable.

①Godzilla Interception Operation

One of the most impressive attractions is Godzilla Interception Operation. This area features an enormous Godzilla figure.

And there’s even a zipline attraction where you can glide toward Godzilla’s open mouth!

It looked incredibly exciting.

I really wanted to try it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t on this visit! One important thing to remember is that some attractions have height and weight restrictions. If you’re traveling with children, make sure to check these requirements in advance.

② NARUTO & BORUTO Shinobi-Zato

Another major attraction is the NARUTO & BORUTO area. Fans of the famous ninja anime series can enjoy a world inspired by Naruto.

We also spotted a figure of Jiraiya, one of the most popular characters from the series.

I didn’t have time to fully explore this area during our visit. But next time, I’d love to see the famous Hokage Rock!

③ Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park

Crayon Shin-chan is another popular Japanese anime series represented at Nijigen no Mori. There are character figures scattered throughout the park.

And I even found one of my favorite characters, Buriburizaemon! He’s adorable!

If you’re traveling with children, this area is definitely worth checking out.

There are also plenty of playgrounds and open spaces around Nijigen no Mori. Some areas are suitable for relaxing, having a picnic, or simply enjoying the natural surroundings.

You don’t necessarily have to spend the entire day moving from one paid attraction to another.

Final Thoughts: Is Dragon Quest Island Worth Visiting?

Absolutely! Our family had a wonderful time at Dragon Quest Island.

The attraction successfully recreates many of the things that make Dragon Quest so enjoyable: exploring towns, talking to characters, searching for treasures, collecting equipment, and battling monsters.

For longtime fans like my wife and me, it was a nostalgic and exciting experience. And our daughter enjoyed it too!

I also loved the fact that Nijigen no Mori is surrounded by nature. It’s a refreshing change from the crowded streets of Osaka and Kobe.

If you’re visiting Japan and love Dragon Quest, I highly recommend considering a trip to Awaji Island.

Even if you’re not familiar with the series, Nijigen no Mori offers plenty of other attractions that may interest you.

Next time, I’d love to explore the NARUTO area more thoroughly!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy your own adventure in Japan!

Fin

鳴山シンゴ / Shingo Naruyama

化学メーカー社員／ブロガー | Chemical Manufacturer Employee / Blogger

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世界を旅するブロガーを目指す30代化学メーカー社員。趣味（読書、カメラ、サウナ、旅行、バドミントン）やお金・ライフハック関連の記事を投稿しています！ ｜ English ｜ Japan-based blogger working for a chemical manufacturer. I share real experiences and practical tips about travel, saunas, activities, and everyday life in Japan.