Creating enjoyment from employment at KidZania
Creating enjoyment from employment at KidZania
What do you want to be when you grow up?

Young petrol station attendants learn about work while they play
Japan is home to a plethora of theme parks. But most of these sites, beloved by Japanese, concentrate on creating enjoyment rather than creating employment. KidZania could be an exception. This unique new theme park offers children between the ages of three and 15 the opportunity to experience working in real-life professions in a safe, interactive and educational environment.
There are two KidZania "career parks" in Japan, one in Tokyo and one in Koshien, not far from Kobe in Hyogo prefecture. Both are basically towns that have been constructed especially for children. Kids are paid for their "work" in KidZania currency, KidZos, and can open bank accounts or go shopping and spend their KidZos. The aim is to teach children the importance of work and money but KidZania also gives children the opportunity to understand how society functions, and enables them to develop a sense of independence and the skills for conducting social interactions. The children thus learn how to be mature and take responsibility for making their own decisions.

Learning the art of sushi in Koshien
The first KidZania was established in Mexico City in 1999, based on the idea that children represent the future of society. Following its phenomenal popularity and the enthusiastic public response, a second KidZania park was built in Monterrey in northern Mexico in May 2006, followed by a third park that opened in Tokyo in October 2006, the first KidZania in Japan. The park in Koshien, which opened in March 2009, became the world's fifth KidZania park; there are now mini-cities in Korea, India, Jakarta, Dubai and Lisbon.

KidZos, KidZania's own currency
Children visiting KidZania can choose from over 80 activities associated with different occupations, including medical staff at a hospital, fire fighters, and workers at a beauty salon, a bank, radio and television stations, a pizzeria, and a theatre. After choosing a job, the children attend sessions to study their role and are then assigned a specific task while wearing authentic uniforms. The tasks may include navigating an aeroplane, hosting a TV quiz show, patrolling the city as a police officer and preparing tasty treats as a chef. Most KidZania staff members are fully qualified professionals who have undergone training with the relevant sponsor company. A new pavilion at KidZania Koshien features an additional array of exciting occupations children can try. They can now prepare sushi in a sushi restaurant, for example, or provide the voice to an animated character (Voice actors can take home a copy of their animation). They can also try driving a train or working behind the busy reception desk of a hotel.

KidZania Tokyo's town, life in miniature












