Part of a theme park based on the Moomin series of children's books is to open near Tokyo next month.

The park is under construction in a 240,000-square-meter forest by a lake in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture.

The park is to fully open next March as the first facility of its kind outside Finland, the home country of the books' author Tove Jansson.

On Wednesday, local and Finnish officials gathered for a ceremony to mark the completion of the section opening on November 9th. It includes restaurants where visitors can enjoy Scandinavian cuisine with a view of the lake and forest. Shops selling Scandinavian souvenirs and food are also set to open at that time.

Hanno Mayor Masaru Okubo said the city will fully support the park, as he expects it will draw tourists from around the world.

A Finnish government official said Moomin characters have long connected Japan and Finland. The official expressed hope that the park will further strengthen their ties.