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Back to Tama

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Voykit pocket guide · Japan

Tama

Spend half a day at Sanrio Puroland and Tama Zoo; add an extra hour for the hot‑spring Gokurakuyu if you like.

Tama is a western suburb of Tokyo with a dedicated Hello Kitty theme park, a municipal zoo and a public onsen. It is reachable in 40 min from Shinjuku by private rail, making it a quick side‑trip from central Tokyo.

KyotoOsakaAbashiriAchiAgeoAioiAizuwakamatsuAkajimaAkashiAkiAkitaAkitakataAkoAmagasakiTama500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Japan
Best months
check
Avoid
check
Stay
0 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
JPY
Money
Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
Daily spend
Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ¥12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
Emergency
Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
Plugs
Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
Tipping
Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
Water
Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
Toilets
Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.

Get in

By air

HND · Haneda Airport
≈30 km (19 mi), express bus or train to Tama
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Keio Rapid (¥330) or Odakyu Express (¥360) from Shinjuku to Tama Center every 10 min; the Tama Monorail links to JR Chuo at Tachikawa; walk or local bus for nearby sites.

See and do

Known for

  • Sanrio Puroland
  • Tama Zoological Park
  • Gokurakuyu public hot spring
  • Tama Chuo Koen park

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Sanrio PurolandKeio Rapid to Tama Center, 5 min walk≈30 min total
Tama Zoological ParkWalk from Tama Center (≈10 min) or local bus≈20 min total
Gokurakuyu hot springWalk from Tama Center (≈5 min)≈15 min total

Sleep

Hotel near Tama Center
check

Language

Japanese everywhere; English on rail signs, ticket machines and in large hotels, thin elsewhere. Menus with photos and translation apps close most gaps.

  • Write addresses in Japanese for taxi drivers; the hotel card works.
  • A camera translation app reads menus and machine labels.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
  • Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
  • Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
  • Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
  • Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
  • Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
  • Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
  • Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope

Scams and watch-outs

  • Ticket price for Sanrio Puroland is ¥4,000 adults, ¥3,700 youth; check for discounts.
  • Tama Zoo entry is free but may have crowd peaks on weekends.

Tama is safe; typical urban precautions apply. Keep an eye on personal belongings on trains.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Tama yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Sanrio Puroland
  • Tama Zoological Park
  • Gokurakuyu public hot spring
  • Tama Chuo Koen park

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Tama

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/tama). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.