Toei Kyoto Studio Park

History

A film studio has stood on this site since 1926, when actor Tsumasaburō Bandō established his own production facility there. Ownership changed multiple times until Toei acquired the property in 1951, naming it Toei Kyoto Studio. The studio’s decision to open its doors to the public came from a place of financial urgency. As the popularity of yakuza films and period dramas waned, the Kyoto studio faced severe economic trouble.

Tan Takaiwa, the studio head at the time, conceived the idea as a last-ditch effort. The site debuted as a theme park on 1 November 1975, attracting more than 70,000 visitors within its first three days, which effectively rescued the studio from collapse. In 2020, the park introduced Evangelion Kyoto Base, an attraction based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. Its centerpiece is a 15-meter-tall upper-body statue of EVA-01, where guests can pose for photos inside the Entry Plug and on the Evangelion’s right hand.

In 2023, Toei announced a major renovation aimed at drawing more adult visitors and international tourists. The first phase, originally slated for completion in 2025 to coincide with the park’s 50th anniversary, involved a brief closure from 24 February 2026 to prepare, with a reopening on 28 March 2026. The second phase is expected to finish in 2027, and a third phase is planned for an unspecified later date. The park was rebranded as Usumasa Kyoto Village, and its closing time was pushed back from 17:00 to 21:00.

New adult-focused features include an area where guests can play chō-han, a traditional dice gambling game, and an exhibit offering a simulated historical interrogation. Both attractions are restricted to visitors aged 18 and older.