Why Huis Ten Bosch is worth a day
The Dutch connection is not random. For more than two hundred years the Dutch were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japan, through Dejima in Nagasaki, and Nagasaki Prefecture has kept that link alive. Huis Ten Bosch, opened in 1992, was built as a full-scale Dutch town, with canals dug through the site and brick buildings modelled on real ones in the Netherlands.
The result is part theme park and part resort town. You can walk for hours along the canals, take a canal boat, climb the tower for the view over Ōmura Bay, and visit the replica palace and its formal garden. Around that sit rides, shows, character attractions, restaurants and hotels, which change more often than the buildings do.
For a Japanese learner, the park is a comfortable place to practise. Signs are clear and mostly bilingual, but staff speak Japanese first, and you will use the same few questions all day: where is it, how long is the wait, can I come back in.
Getting there: JR Huis Ten Bosch Station
The easiest route from Fukuoka is the Limited Express Huis Ten Bosch from Hakata Station, which runs directly to Huis Ten Bosch Station on the JR Ōmura Line in just under two hours. Some services run coupled with the Limited Express Midori for Sasebo, and the train splits on the way, so check that you are in the right cars. From the station, walk across the bridge to the entrance in a few minutes.
From Nagasaki, take a JR train north and change once; the trip takes a little over an hour and a half. Buses connect Nagasaki Airport with the park, and highway buses run from Fukuoka. Hotels on site make it easy to stay the night and see the illuminations.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ハウステンボス行きの特急は何番線ですか。 | Hausutenbosu-yuki no tokkyū wa nanbansen desu ka. | Which platform is the limited express for Huis Ten Bosch? |
| この車両はハウステンボスまで行きますか。 | Kono sharyō wa Hausutenbosu made ikimasu ka. | Does this carriage go all the way to Huis Ten Bosch? |
| 指定席を一枚お願いします。 | Shiteiseki o ichimai onegai shimasu. | One reserved seat, please. |
| 入場口はどちらですか。 | Nyūjōguchi wa dochira desu ka. | Which way is the entrance? |
| コインロッカーはありますか。 | Koin rokkā wa arimasu ka. | Are there coin lockers? |
Canals, flowers and lights: what you will see
The park is large and walking between areas takes time, so pick up a map at the entrance and choose a few highlights. Attractions and shows change regularly, but the townscape and the seasons stay the same.
The biggest seasonal events are the tulip festival in spring, when the fields around the windmills are covered in flowers, and the winter illuminations, when millions of lights cover the buildings and canals after dark. Early summer brings roses and hydrangeas, and summer evenings often have fireworks.
- The canals: walk along them or take a canal cruise, unga kurūzu, through the town.
- Domtoren: the tall brick tower copied from Utrecht, with an observation floor.
- Palace Huis Ten Bosch: the replica of the royal palace, with its formal baroque garden.
- Windmills and flower fields near the entrance, best in tulip season.
- Rides and character attractions, including a Miffy area and a three-storey carousel.
- The winter illuminations, which make the park busiest after dark.
Words on the park signs
Most signs have English, but the Japanese is often bigger and the waiting times on the boards are in Japanese. These are the words you will see at gates, attractions and ticket counters.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 入場口 | nyūjōguchi | Entrance gate |
| 出口 | deguchi | Exit |
| 運河 | unga | Canal |
| 待ち時間 | machi jikan | Waiting time |
| 再入場 | sainyūjō | Re-entry |
| 案内所 | annaijo | Information desk |
| 入場券 | nyūjōken | Admission ticket |
| 最後尾 | saikōbi | End of the queue |
| 整理券 | seiriken | Numbered ticket for a timed entry |
Japanese for tickets, queues and re-entry
Ticket counters and attraction staff use polite, fixed language. The words you hear most are chiketto, ticket, machi jikan, waiting time, and sainyūjō, re-entry. Rules on re-entry and which attractions are included change, so ask rather than assume.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| チケット売り場はどこですか。 | Chiketto uriba wa doko desu ka. | Where is the ticket office? |
| 一日券を大人二枚お願いします。 | Ichinichiken o otona nimai onegai shimasu. | Two adult one-day tickets, please. |
| この乗り物の待ち時間はどのくらいですか。 | Kono norimono no machi jikan wa dono kurai desu ka. | How long is the wait for this ride? |
| 再入場はできますか。 | Sainyūjō wa dekimasu ka. | Can I leave and come back in? |
| このチケットで乗れますか。 | Kono chiketto de noremasu ka. | Can I ride with this ticket? |
| ここが最後尾ですか。 | Koko ga saikōbi desu ka. | Is this the end of the queue? |
| イルミネーションは何時からですか。 | Iruminēshon wa nanji kara desu ka. | What time do the illuminations start? |
Practical tips for the day
Huis Ten Bosch is spread out, and a little planning makes the day easier, especially if you want to stay for the lights.
- Check the official site for ticket types, seasonal events and any attractions closed for maintenance.
- Wear comfortable shoes; the park is large and mostly explored on foot.
- Use the coin lockers at the station or entrance for luggage if you are travelling on.
- Plan meals around the crowds: restaurants fill quickly at noon and just before the illuminations.
- Check the time of the last train back towards Hakata or Nagasaki before you settle in for the evening.
- Bring a warm layer in winter; the illuminations are by the sea and the wind can be cold.
Practise the park before you go
Most conversations in the park are short: a question, a pointing hand and a number. Practise the four lines below until you can say them smoothly, and listen for the number and the word kurai, about, in the answer.
Then practise with a partner who answers back. In Unihongo, choose the Sightseeing topic and ask your AI Sensei to play a staff member at a theme park, giving different waiting times each time. For the train there, the Catch the Right Train mission helps with platforms and split trains.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| チケット売り場はどこですか。 | Chiketto uriba wa doko desu ka. | Where is the ticket office? |
| あちらの建物の中にあります。 | Achira no tatemono no naka ni arimasu. | It is inside that building over there. |
| この乗り物の待ち時間はどのくらいですか。 | Kono norimono no machi jikan wa dono kurai desu ka. | How long is the wait for this ride? |
| 今は三十分くらいです。 | Ima wa sanjippun kurai desu. | About thirty minutes at the moment. |
Official information
Tickets, opening hours, seasonal events and attraction closures are published on the park's English site. Check them before you go, especially for the illumination season and holidays.