uot; she said. Takashi Fujisawa, 31, came all the way from Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido with his wife and three-year-old son. It was his second visit after the first trip 16 years ago with his parents.
"I feel strange coming back here as a father bringing a son myself," he said, carefully adjusting the position of a baby stroller to take pictures of the sleeping boy with Cinderella Castle in the background.
The number of visitors to Disneyland and DisneySea, the water park opened in 2001, has stood at record levels of around 25 million in recent years, up from 9.9 million people in Disneyland's first year.
Since 1983 a total of 436 million people have visited the two parks that sit next to the megalopolis.
Visits have become such a rite of passage that Disneyland even holds a traditional coming-of-age ceremony for 20-year-olds each year with Mickey and Minnie.
Oriental Land puts annual revenue from theme parks at 285 billion yen (US$2.8 billion) -- a far cry from the performances of other overseas Disneylands.
Hong Kong government figures showed in December that visitor numbers at Hong Kong Disneyland fell up to 23 percent in its second year of operation.
Visitors to the 15-year-old Euro Disney hit a record of 14.5 million in 2007 but the operation was still in the red for a sixth straight year.
Tokyo Disneyland benefits from being in a nation that widely embraces US pop culture and commonly accepts grown-ups, particularly women, pursuing the same hobbies and fashions as children.
Hideki Nakagawa, a sociology professor at Nihon University, said going to Disneyland has turned into a "fashion in itself" in Japan, with frequent visitors collecting Disney items.
"You feel superior if you go there many times, while it makes others feel they must go as well," he said.
As it looks ahead, Disneyland is hoping to become more of a true "resort," persuading adults not only to come and visit but to stay for a few days as well.
Tokyo Disney Resort's latest on-line promotion offers "romantic night views" at DisneySea, with pictures showing a couple who turn 60 this year strolling and dining at the park.
"It's been a long time since I last talked with my husband this much. Next time I come, I want a package to stay," the woman in the advertisement says as she clings to her husband's arm.
