A wonderland belonging to adults and children – The Gold Tower

Rainy days are the most horrible things when you are traveling abroad with children who do not have the patience to go shopping all day. However if you encounter this problem in Takamatsu, you can try to go to the Play Park Gold Tower located at 10-minute walk from JR Utazu station, where children can release their energy all their heart’s content.

Utazu is located at the west Kagawa. It takes 40 minutes from Takamatsu station by Yosan line or, if you are lucky, only 25 minutes by the rapid train named Sunport Nanpu Relay. It is also not far from Kotohira and takes 25 minutes by normal train.

The 158 meters high Gold Tower was built as a golden landmark in 1988 when the Great Seto Bridge, connecting Kagawa and Okayama, was operational. At first, people expected the Great Seto Bridge to bring a lots of visitors to Utazu, but the bridge once closed because of the Japanese Economy Bubble. This was a turning point, afterward the operators focused on local families instead of foreign tourists, and built an amusement park not only focusing on children but also for adults.

The ticket for the Gold Tower is a one–day ticket that does not allow reentry. There are four buildings in the park and the three-floor main building serves reasonable priced foods including udon and curry rice. Additionally, there are souvenir shops, ball pool that baby will love, and karaoke.

The other three buildings have in different kind of activities. Kid’s Land is for toys and play house. Play Ground is an inflated amusement park. Play Town has a lot of facilities including slot machines, bowling, billiards and darts. Play Land is a game center where all the arcade games can be played for free. In weekday the entrance fee is only a mere 1,000 yen to enjoy all the facilities. It is really cheap!

The observation deck, from where you can enjoy the panoramic of Seto Inland Sea, is located on the roof top of the main building. From the third floor to the top one there are only iron frames. The building will light up at night with color accordingly to the weather forecast of the next day: blue for rain, green for sun. The tower illumination is said to be one of the most charming landmark by night in Shikoku.

Have you ever traveled with children to a city but could not enjoy the trip because of the crowd and long queue? You will not get this problem at the Gold Tower which is not so far from Takamatsu city and offers many kinds of facilities on a wide site. Regardless if you are an adult or child, please come to visit and have a full day of fun !

INFORMATION

Access: 10-minute walk from JR Utazu station

• Address: 〒769-0201 香川県綾歌郡宇多津町濱一番丁8-1
• Business hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (Mon. to Fri.)
  09:00 – 18:00 (Sat., Sun. and holiday)
  
• Closed on: Thursday
• Ticket prices (tax included):
  Park Pass）
  7 yrs ~ Adult : JPY1058 (weekday), JPY1382 (Sat., Sun. and holiday)
  3 yrs ~ 6 yrs: JPY529 (weekday), JPY691 (Sat., Sun. and holiday)
  0 yrs ~ 2 yrs: Free
  Tower Pass
  7 yrs ~ Adult : JPY756
  3 yrs ~ 6 yrs: JPY378
  0 yrs ~ 2 yrs: Free
  Golden pass (One time entrance for the observation deck) :
  7 yrs ~ Adult : JPY1382 (weekday), JPY1706 (Sat., Sun. and holiday)
  3 yrs ~ 6 yrs: JPY691 (weekday), JPY853 (Sat., Sun. and holiday)
  0 yrs ~ 2 yrs: Free
• TEL：+81-87-749-7070
• Web：http://goldtower.co.jp/wordpress/?page_id=7530
• Wifi：N/A
• Language：Japanese
• Credit Card：N/A
• For futher information:
  十歲以下孩童禁止單獨進場，未成年者需家長陪同、
  Child under 10 yrs can not enter alone. Minors should enter with parent.
  Re-entry is forbidden.
  No pets admitted
  DO not bring your own food or drink (food stand and vending machine available)
  Bowling, food, game with prize and souvenirs are not free.