The building blocks are being put together in Nagoya, Japan, as construction work has started on the country’s first Legoland theme park.

Merlin Entertainments CEO Nick Varney and Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura were both on-hand at the groundbreaking ceremony for the US$315m (€292m, £210m) attraction, with the start of construction marked by the arrival via digger of 20,000 Lego bricks.

Set to open in Q2 of 2017, Legoland Japan will be the eighth Lego park to open worldwide (Legoland Dubai being the next to open in 2016) and will include a mix of rides and attractions unique to the location.

“We look forward to working closely with [the city of Nagoya] as the project progresses, and have no doubt that through their continued efforts this region and the City of Nagoya will become a major family leisure destination both for Japanese and international visitors,” said Varney. “Legoland Japan will play a key role in driving that strategy, adding a new and exciting dimension to the entertainment which is on offer.”

The Lego brand already has an attractions presence in Japan, with Merlin’s existing Legoland Discovery Centre in Tokyo and a planned Discovery Centre in Osaka, opening later this year.