KYODO NEWS - Jun 30, 2017 - 13:41 | Arts, All

A ground-breaking ceremony was held Friday for the construction of Japan's first Moomin-themed amusement park near Tokyo, scheduled to open in the spring of 2019.

Finnish Ambassador to Japan Jukka Siukosaari was among about 80 attendees at the ceremony in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, where the construction is scheduled to begin in July for the park named "Metsa" located in a 23.6-hectare forest area surrounding a man-made lake.

The park will consist of an area featuring structures from Moomin stories, where attractions are also planned to be held, and another that will contain restaurants and other facilities offering glimpses into Northern European lifestyles, according to investment firm FinTech Global Inc., a major stakeholder.

The Tokyo-based company had earlier aimed to open the amusement park in 2015 and then this year, but had to delay the plans citing difficulties finding a proper site and longer-than-expected time required for infrastructural work.

The Moomin characters, created by Finnish author-illustrator Tove Jansson, became popular in Japan through a TV animation series that started in 1969. "Metsa" means forest in Finnish, according to FinTech Global.