Hello Kitty Smile on Awaji Island has reinvented itself as the magical underwater world of Otohime Hello Kitty; the princess of Dragon Palace. This mysterious world is full of all the Hello Kitty glam you could ever want; projection mappings, Swarovski Hello Kitty statues, mirror mazes, a dome theater, restaurants, cafes, gift shops and more.
This was my third visit to this attraction/restaurant complex and the first time I have walked away feeling completely satisfied with the experience. My first two visits were met with a few hiccups, which I think all stemmed from the fact that I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do there and it wasn’t clearly explained. What was the attraction? Is it just a fancy gift shop? Is it just a restaurant? The lack of signage and a reception point made it confusing. Since my last visit however, a lot has changed, and for the better.
Hello Kitty Smile has turned three and found a theme and clear concept to entertain guests and showcase the world of Hello Kitty. Lessons have been learned and now when you arrive there is a clear entrance and reception out the front which shows the prices and guides you into main attraction; the magical underwater world of Hello Kitty.
Once you have paid for your entrance you are now free to explore the whole building. You make your way through 6 or so different rooms of the Otohime Dragon Palace with lots of projection mappings, kaleidoscopes, exploring the Dragon Palace until you arrive at the dome theatre room for a sound and light performance. Let you kids dance and be free as they enjoy the show. Although each room is not so big there are plenty of little windows to peer through, echo chambers and visuals to engage your senses. So take your time to look around.
There are two gift shops, one for upmarket Hello Kitty goods and one for everyday goods. 3 restaurants serve a variety of food and a cafe with latte art you can choose for those perfect insta pics. The event hall has some craft activities for kids and some live performances on certain days/times. You also have a chance to meet Hello Kitty as she makes an appearance in the restaurant and in her room at certain times of the day. You have to pay to enter the main attraction before you can access any of theses shops.
It was definitely three times are charm for me at Hello Kitty Smile and I’ll be back with my daughter in the future. The only critique I have of it now would have to be the price. For first time/one off visitors the experience is well worth it but for repeat customers I would like to see some other entry options like a yearly pass or free entry if you buy lunch. In saying this there are some discounts available such as 10% off if you register with LINE app or special evening prices. You can check out the details on the Hello Kitty Smile official website (Japanese).
