KidZania Tokyo was "founded" in 2006 as a place where children play the leading roles. Built at a scale two-thirds as large as a real town, this kid-sized pretend city features some 50 pavilions sponsored by real-world corporations, including a fire department, bakery, newspaper office, and television station. Children don realistic uniforms to try one of about 70 occupations to see what the work is like for themselves. As payment, they earn "Kidzos", the local currency, which can be spent on goods and services here. In this way, KidZania offers children early social and occupational experiences.

People's attitudes toward work and social systems are changing tremendously. Early exposure to situations on the job and in society, even if simulated, can be deeply significant for children growing up in Japanese society today. The fact that KidZania is constantly booked for several months in advance attests to the popularity of this wonderful opportunity for children to have fun while noticing all kinds of things about this world. It is far more than a one-way educational experience. This is probably due to the careful design of this "edutainment" (educational entertainment), down to the actual activities kids do here. It is also unique as a new business model in these fields, a model supported by more than 50 real-world sponsors. Meticulously designed pavilions and tools, reproduced at two-thirds scale just for children, also help make this a realistic and immersive experience for them. [Kazufumi Nagai, C01 unit leader]