{"id":1019,"date":"2020-12-30T18:40:58","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T18:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2025-05-06T16:31:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T16:31:35","slug":"japanesethemeparkbubble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/","title":{"rendered":"The Japanese Theme Park Bubble"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#During_this_time_land_was_also_traded_at_astronomical_levels\" title=\"During this time, land was also traded at astronomical levels.\u00a0\">During this time, land was also traded at astronomical levels.\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Case_Studies\" title=\"Case Studies\">Case Studies<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Nagasaki_Holland_Village\" title=\"Nagasaki Holland Village\">Nagasaki Holland Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Izu_Sports_World\" title=\"Izu Sports World\">Izu Sports World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Gluck_Kingdom\" title=\"Gluck Kingdom\">Gluck Kingdom<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Tomakomai_Fantasy_Dome\" title=\"Tomakomai Fantasy Dome\">Tomakomai Fantasy Dome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Canadian_World\" title=\"Canadian World\">Canadian World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Tokyo_Sesame_Place\" title=\"Tokyo Sesame Place\">Tokyo Sesame Place<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Space_World\" title=\"Space World\">Space World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Noboribetsu_Marine_Park\" title=\"Noboribetsu Marine Park\">Noboribetsu Marine Park<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Yamaguchi_New_Zealand_Village\" title=\"Yamaguchi New Zealand Village\">Yamaguchi New Zealand Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Rokko_Land_AOIA\" title=\"Rokko Land AOIA\">Rokko Land AOIA<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Reoma_World\" title=\"Reoma World\">Reoma World<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Wild_Blue_Yokohama\" title=\"Wild Blue Yokohama\">Wild Blue Yokohama<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Kure_Port_Pierland\" title=\"Kure Port Pierland\">Kure Port Pierland<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Tenkaen_China_Park_of_Heaven\" title=\"Tenkaen China Park of Heaven\">Tenkaen China Park of Heaven<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Huis_Ten_Bosch\" title=\"Huis Ten Bosch\">Huis Ten Bosch<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Niigata_Russian_Village\" title=\"Niigata Russian Village\">Niigata Russian Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Asia_Park\" title=\"Asia Park\">Asia Park<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Lalaport_Ski_Dome_Yokohama_SSAWS\" title=\"Lalaport Ski Dome Yokohama (SSAWS)\">Lalaport Ski Dome Yokohama (SSAWS)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Phoenix_Seagaia_Ocean_Dome\" title=\"Phoenix Seagaia Ocean Dome\">Phoenix Seagaia Ocean Dome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Joypolises\" title=\"Joypolis(es)\">Joypolis(es)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Rinku_Papara\" title=\"Rinku Papara\">Rinku Papara<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Nable_Land\" title=\"Nable Land\">Nable Land<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Kamakura_Cinema_Ward\" title=\"Kamakura Cinema Ward\">Kamakura Cinema Ward<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Kashiwazaki_Turkish_Village\" title=\"Kashiwazaki Turkish Village\">Kashiwazaki Turkish Village<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Tivoli_Gardens_Kurashiki\" title=\"Tivoli Gardens Kurashiki\">Tivoli Gardens Kurashiki<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Gullivers_Kingdom\" title=\"Gulliver\u2019s Kingdom\">Gulliver\u2019s Kingdom<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#The_Indoor_Odaiba_Park_Boom\" title=\"The Indoor Odaiba Park Boom\">The Indoor Odaiba Park Boom<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Neo_Geo_World\" title=\"Neo Geo World\">Neo Geo World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Sony_Mediage\" title=\"Sony Mediage\">Sony Mediage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#End_of_an_Era\" title=\"End of an Era\">End of an Era<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#Zombies\" title=\"Zombies\">Zombies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/japanesethemeparkbubble\/#In_Summary_Lessons_Learned\" title=\"In Summary &amp; Lessons Learned\">In Summary &amp; Lessons Learned<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\r\n<pre><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Japan in the 1980s was a legendary time. The country experienced a stock market and property boom the likes of which has never been duplicated.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/pre>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Nikkei stock index hit a peak of over 37,000 in 1989 and a trailing P\/E ratio of 60x.\u00a0 It was an explosive boom, followed by a long bust: 30 years later, the Nikkei is still trading at levels nearly a third lower than that peak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.seekingalpha.com\/uploads\/2016\/3\/30\/365592-14593952189687004_origin.png\" alt=\"The Greatest Lie About The Stock Market | Seeking Alpha\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=i&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fseekingalpha.com%2Farticle%2F3962317-greatest-lie-stock-market&amp;psig=AOvVaw08lyfSfMFs8x4_BYFZc240&amp;ust=1609345664751000&amp;source=images&amp;cd=vfe&amp;ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMjs7PjN8-0CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD\">Trading Economics<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"During_this_time_land_was_also_traded_at_astronomical_levels\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>During this time, land was also traded at astronomical levels.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">At its peak, land in Ginza was valued at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/SB112104131465881782\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>$200,000 a square foot<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (!!!), or more than $2 million a square meter.\u00a0 Compare this to the record-setting price of &#8220;only&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dezeen.com\/2018\/05\/31\/zaha-hadid-architects-iconic-office-hong-kong-architecture\/#:~:text=The%20developer%20purchased%20the%20plot,Island%2C%22%20said%20the%20firm.\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">$95,000 a square foot set by Henderson Land in its 2017 purchase of 2 Murray Road in Hong Kong<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, which stands as one of the most expensive land purchases in the world (at least in the past decade).<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30104\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beardedgentlemenmusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1980s-Tokyo.jpg?resize=620%2C388&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"1980s City Pop of Japan\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p><a style=\"font-family: Geologica; font-size: 10px;\" href=\"https:\/\/beardedgentlemenmusic.com\/2017\/08\/23\/japanese-city-pop-1980s\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Valuations were so high that in theory, all the land in the United States could have been purchased for the equivalent of the land under the city of Tokyo.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Foreign embassies in Tokyo began selling parts of their parcels to discharge foreign debt or raise cash. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-1987-11-01-mn-17704-story.html\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">unfortunate Uganda<\/span><\/strong><\/a> had to vacate its leased premises because it couldn&#8217;t afford the rent, Burma sold part of its embassy for $230 million, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">which was 3 times the level of its foreign reserves at the time<\/span>. Meanwhile, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1990\/01\/28\/world\/burmese-sell-off-part-of-embassy-in-tokyo.html\">Australia sold a garden for $400 million<\/a>. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dentoncorkermarshall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/AusEmbTokyo_03.jpg\" alt=\"Australian Embassy Tokyo Japan - Denton Corker Marshall - architecture +  urban design\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Australian Embassy in Tokyo. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dentoncorkermarshall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/AusEmbTokyo_03.jpg\">Source<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For the average person, land prices were increasing so astronomically <em><strong>that 100-year mortgages<\/strong> were introduced<\/em>, a way of spreading out the cost of a home over multiple generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>The property boom fed the stock market boom, and vice versa.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Publicly-listed corporations were trading on the value of their land banks, and banks loaned against the ballooning values of these \u2018hidden assets\u2019, rather than against cash flow, helping Japanese corporations subsidize purchases and developments both domestically and overseas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">High profile acquisitions in the United States included the $831 million purchase of Pebble Beach golf course, a $1.4 billion purchase of the Rockefeller Center by Mitsubishi, and the $3.4 billion purchase of Columbia Pictures by Sony.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>It was an era of excess, in both personal consumption and real estate development.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Within Tokyo, there was talk of building <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alice_City\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">subterranean arcologies and underground cities<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, with Taisei Corporation announcing a network of offices, malls, and residences comprised of &#8216;cylinders&#8217; 80 meters in diameter and 60 meters high, burrowed 110 meters underground for a cost of $1 billion &#8211; each. Simultaneously, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry announced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/mg12216623-400-technology-japan-invests-millions-in-life-underground\/\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">$100 million &#8216;Geofrontier Project&#8217;<\/span><\/strong><\/a> that would build a dome 80 meters underground and make it habitable.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.scoop.it\/g3eGbFMBLcgBenGJFhFIjDl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9\" alt=\"30 years ago: Japan invests millions in life un...\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.scoop.it\/g3eGbFMBLcgBenGJFhFIjDl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This would have been cheaper than continuing to erect skyscrapers in Tokyo.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Over a period of three years, between 1989 and 1991, more than 160 golf courses were built in Japan, with another 1,200 under construction or approval.\u00a0 In Hawaii, Japanese developers bought or financed all but two of Hawaii\u2019s main resorts in a six-year period between 1985 and 1991.\u00a0 One of these, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Archives\/1991\/12\/08\/Grand-Hyatt-Wailea-said-to-be-the-most-expensive\/3315692168400\/\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Grand Hyatt Wailea on Maui<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, was billed as the \u201cmost luxurious hotel ever built\u201d and cost $600 million to build, or $760,000 per room.\u00a0 Economists calculated<em> that in order to merely break even, the hotel needed to charge the equivalent of $1,400 per room in today\u2019s dollars and operate at a 75% occupancy<\/em>, figures that were \u201cimpossible in any tourist hotel on earth\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/grand-wailea-aerial-1680x1136-700x473-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>This frenzy extended to the world of theme parks and attractions, with a boom set off by the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, and a swirling milieu of overly optimistic projections and easy credit.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/themeparkreview.com\/forum\/uploads\/monthly_2009_10\/new-44.JPG.25936bd82bf3dfbdfef6f3086e62233b.JPG\" alt=\"new-44.JPG.25936bd82bf3dfbdfef6f3086e62233b.JPG\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/themeparkreview.com\/forum\/topic\/20310-shanes-amusement-attic\/page\/73\/?tab=comments#comment-786374\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In 1987, <strong>a Comprehensive Recreation Area Development Law (\u7dcf\u5408\u4fdd\u990a\u5730\u57df\u6574\u5099\u6cd5), or the \u2018revised Resort Law\u2019<\/strong> in short, catalyzed development of resort facilities by offering developers tax breaks and loans from the government, in return for local governments developing in alignment with national plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For the next decade, scores of theme parks (\u2018tema paku\u2019 or \u2018yuenchi\u2019), attraction-anchored resorts, and what were known as \u2018gaikoku mura\u2019 in Japanese, or foreign villages, were developed at a cost of billions of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Beginning in 1991, land and property values began to decline by precipitous amounts, plummeting at rates of more than 20% a year.\u00a0 However, theme park development continued apace, actually <em>increasing<\/em> in the 1990s<\/strong>, with much of the white elephants built during this decade.\u00a0 This surge in the face of an implosion in asset prices was often a last-ditch effort on the part of banks, investors, and developers to turn around their fortunes, the equivalent of putting it all on black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart1-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1098\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Click to expand<\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It seems to be the case that local authorities simply did not understand the economics of theme parks, or were hoping against hope that this <em>new thing<\/em>, the creation of an unprecedented park that didn\u2019t exist anywhere else in the world, would suddenly flood their boundaries with visitors and money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">By and large, it didn\u2019t happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Aside from Tokyo Disneyland, opened in 1983, and Universal Studios Japan, which opened safely after the crashing of this tidal wave in 2001, few of these projects remain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Those that do remain exist only in the memories of wistful blogs or physically abandoned states, as dilapidated, rusting skeletons of their former selves.\u00a0 Others, bought and liquidated several times across several owners, were either razed or passed off to unsuspecting owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Some have even managed to stick around.\u00a0 However, most of this latter class are true zombie operations, unable to eke out break-even margins even after 30 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">So join us in this bit of nostalgia and a trip down collective memory lane. We recommend listening to the classic <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mml46rXspXQ\">Japanese City Pop genre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SNcyCNes3JY\">of 1980s vintage<\/a><\/span><\/strong>) as a soundtrack while you scroll on down. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This post is sectioned as follows. Click on any name to jump:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:list --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#hollandvillage\">Nagasaki Holland Village<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#izusports\">Izu Sports World<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#gluck\">Kingdom of Gluck<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#fantasydome\">Tomakomai Fantasy Dome<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#canadian\">Canadian World<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#sesame\">Tokyo Sesame Place<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#spaceworld\">Spaceworld<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#marine\">Noboribetsu Marine Park<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#newzealand\">Yamaguchi New Zealand Park<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#rokko\">Rokko Land AOIA<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#reoma\">Reoma World<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=1019&amp;action=edit#wildblue\">Wild Blue Yokohama<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#kure\">Kure Port Pierland<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#tenkaen\">Tenkaen China Park of Heaven<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#huistenbosch\">Huis Ten Bosch<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#russian\">Niigata Russian Village<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#asiapark\">Asia Park<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#lalaport\">Lalaport Ski Dome (SSAWS)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#phoenix\">Phoenix Seagaia Ocean Dome<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#joypolis\">Joypolis<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#rinku\">Rinku Papara<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#nable\">Nable Land<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#kamakura\">Kamakura Cinema Ward<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#turkish\">Kashiwazaki Turkish Cultural Village<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#tivoli\">Tivoli Gardens<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#gulliver\">Gulliver&#8217;s Kingdom<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#odaiba\">The Indoor Odaiba Park Boom<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#endera\">End of an Era<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#zombies\">Sanrio Zombies<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:list -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:html --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"#summary\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Summary and Lessons Learned<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":52} --><!-- \/wp:spacer --><hr \/><!-- wp:heading {\"align\":\"center\",\"level\":1} -->\r\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Case_Studies\"><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: 50px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Case Studies<\/strong><\/span><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":63} --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"hollandvillage\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nagasaki_Holland_Village\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Nagasaki Holland Village<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Built over phases beginning in 1983, this was the first \u2018gaikoku mura\u2019, or foreign village-style of theme park to be built in Japan.\u00a0 It would be followed over the next two decades by Russian, German, Turkish, German, Danish, and Chinese-themed villages, but we\u2019re getting ahead of ourselves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park was developed by a consortium of local government and banks overlooking Omura Bay in Nagasaki, and achieved a peak of 2 million visitors in 1990.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This success, combined with the financial boom of the period, prompted developers to think much larger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">10 years later, a larger version of the same concept (Dutch village) opened in the form of Huis Ten Bosch, on the other side of the bay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately, the decision to open the much larger Huis Ten Bosch at a cost of over $2 billion meant that neither park could be operated profitably.\u00a0 Nagasaki Holland Village closed in 2001, but was revived by local authorities in 2016 as a retail entertainment center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"width\":419,\"height\":558} --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/7\/73\/Prins_Willem1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"419\" height=\"558\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E9%95%B7%E5%B4%8E%E3%82%AA%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80%E6%9D%91\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:group --><\/span>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.phn.jp\/\">http:\/\/www.phn.jp\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:group -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.radionetherlandsarchives.org\/huis-ten-bosch-in-japan\/\">http:\/\/www.radionetherlandsarchives.org\/huis-ten-bosch-in-japan\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:group -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer {\"height\":78} --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"izusports\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Izu_Sports_World\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Izu Sports World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The first of a wave of large scale resorts built during this time period, the Izu Sports World was a 480,000 sqm waterpark-anchored resort opened in 1988.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Construction costs were over $80 million.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Sports-World\" src=\"http:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/2010-sports-world\/Sports-World18.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/2010\/10\/sports-world-retrospective\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"nagaoka\" src=\"https:\/\/surfmedia.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/nagaoka.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/surfmedia.jp\/2018\/08\/09\/%E8%A9%B1%E9%A1%8C%E3%81%AE%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A4%E3%83%96%E3%83%97%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%B4%E5%8F%B2%E3%82%92%E7%B4%90%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%8F%E6%98%A0%E5%83%8F%E3%80%82%E7%B4%8430%E5%B9%B4\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With slides, a wave pool, what appears to be a lazy river, a dive pool, tennis courts, spa, and accommodations, the resort heralded the beginning of the build-it-and-they-will-come mentality in Japan, with a location in the resort destination of the Izu Peninsula.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately, the resort&#8217;s scale was larger than supportable for the market, especially after the financial bubble burst in 1990.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Three years later, the resort was abandoned, and lay in a state of ruin for the next decade until the grounds were razed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-700\" title=\"sports-world-2008\" src=\"http:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/sports-world-2008\/sports-world-200827.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"id\":1044,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1044\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/izu-haikyo-waterslides-distance.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mikesblender.com\/haikyo_sports_world.php\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"gluck\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gluck_Kingdom\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Gluck Kingdom<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Signaling the era\u2019s obsession with the wholesale importation of European villages and environments, the Glueck or Gluck Kingdom was a $200 million German village-themed park built in Hokkaido and opened in 1989 at the height of the property boom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">No expense was spared in its construction, as attested by pictures of the hauntingly beautiful structures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Aiming to faithfully recreate the half-timber houses, castles, towns, and palaces of various popular German destinations, the park\u2019s developer (Zenrin Leisure Land) imported real cobblestone from Dresden, flew over German craftsmen, and spent millions of dollars in importing real German half-timber houses reportedly from the early 1700s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29752\" src=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/haikyo-0213085651.jpg\" alt=\"abandoned, amusement-park, attraction-park, haikyo, hokkaido, japan, japanese, obihiro, ruin, snow, theme-park, urban exploration, urbex, winter\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29728\" src=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/haikyo-0213081624.jpg\" alt=\"abandoned, amusement-park, attraction-park, haikyo, hokkaido, japan, japanese, obihiro, ruin, snow, theme-park, urban exploration, urbex, winter\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/gluck-kingdom\/\">Haikyo.org<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.files.wordpress.com\/2017\/06\/glc3bcckskc3b6nigreich-obihiro.jpg?w=486&amp;h=\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.com\/2017\/07\/11\/glucks-konigreich\/\">Abandoned Kansai<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">All this contributed to over 700,000 visitors during its opening year, an attendance level that was sustained for the first few years, until plummeting by more than 50% to approximately 300,000 by 1997.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Financials never broke even during those first few years, however, and cumulative losses seven years after opening had reached $25 million, on revenues of about $6 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Zenrin had been overly ambitious. During the initial planning stages for the park, they forecasted hordes of daytrippers flying in from Tokyo into Obihiro Airport to visit the park, whose location was not exactly accessible <em>even for nearby residents<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Three hours from the city of Sapporo, the nearest train station to the park was 23 kilometers away in central Obihiro.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"fantasydome\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tomakomai_Fantasy_Dome\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Tomakomai Fantasy Dome<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Fantasy Dome was a $120 million indoor theme park built in Hokkaido at the height of the bubble, and it ushered in the era of indoor attraction domes.\u00a0 Advertising what at the time was the novel feature of \u2018all weather\u2019 operability, the 39,000 square meter building\u2019s construction cost included only $30 million on the attractions themselves \u2013 with the rest on construction of the building and assorted theming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1066\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Tomakomai.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1067\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Tomakomai2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hoping for 800,000 visitors a year, the park never achieved its targets and was closed 5 years later.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"canadian\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Canadian_World\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Canadian World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Despite its name, the park should perhaps have been named after the character it was actually based on \u2013 Anne, of Green Gables.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cdn.tripadvisor.com\/media\/photo-s\/17\/f1\/29\/4d\/photo2jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Canadian World Park (Ashibetsu) - 2020 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go  (with Photos) - Tripadvisor\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The $70 million park opened in 1992 was yet another one of the \u2018gaikoku mura\u2019 foreign village-style theme parks built in Japan during this era, but perhaps most representative of the style of government intervention that characterized many of the theme parks during this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hoping to promote the area as a center for tourism and revitalize the city\u2019s fortunes (as the coal industry was dying), the park was developed by a consortium including the Industrial Infrastructure Development Fund, the host city (Ashibetsu), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and Tokyu Agency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">While the mayor of Ashibetsu was appointed as president of the park, management was up to Tokyu \u2013 whose role in the park was outsize.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Originally, the 230 hectare area was designated a tourism and leisure facility (theme park) based on stars and celestial bodies, then changed to that of a waterpark theme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.4080598.1492807294!\/fileImage\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/original_780\/canadian-world-japan.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A Tokyu Agency employee named Mrs. Kimura intervened. As an Anne of Green Gables fan, she suggested that as the latitudes of Prince Edward Island in Canada and Hokkaido were similar, that the park should be so designed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.4080556.1492806895!\/fileImage\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/16x9_780\/canadian-world-japan-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/prince-edward-island\/pei-abandoned-avonlea-1.4080511\">CBC<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Subsequently the park was named Canadian World and scaled down to 156 hectares, but the first phase of the project had Anne of Green Gables as its theme, complete with lavender field and herb gardens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:core-embed\/youtube {\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZqA8-Vi-o44\",\"type\":\"video\",\"providerNameSlug\":\"youtube\",\"align\":\"center\",\"className\":\"wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"} --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube aligncenter wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZqA8-Vi-o44<\/span><\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:core-embed\/youtube -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In connection with the development were plans for additional ski resorts, golf courses, an astronomical museum, and other leisure facilities.\u00a0 Unfortunately these were not to be.\u00a0 The project closed in 1997, a mere 5 years after opening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"sesame\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tokyo_Sesame_Place\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Tokyo Sesame Place<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Japanese version of the Langhorne, Pennsylvania theme park opened in 1990, at the height of the bubble, and stayed open a respectable 16 years \u2013 remarkable for its longevity, by standards of that time and place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Located close to Tokyo Summerland (still operating), the park was designed for young children, with play structures, rope courses, and slides.\u00a0 It closed in 2016.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-OD7QWh9bqtQ\/XN7BTuKZpKI\/AAAAAAAAO4s\/n8kUQnjHd742fYacYk13x_Dr-6hGjuhXACLcBGAs\/s640\/127.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bigbirdbridge.blogspot.com\/2019\/05\/the-tokyo-sesame-place-escalators.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Built on a hilly plateau, the most remarkable feature seemed to have been the entrance, with the park accessible via a 140 foot long escalator that was at the time, the longest in Tokyo.\u00a0 The escalator deposited you in front of Big Bird\u2019s head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1036\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Sesamejapanparkmap.gif\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/muppet.fandom.com\/wiki\/Tokyo_Sesame_Place#:~:text=Tokyo%20Sesame%20Place%20(%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%82%BB%E3%82%B5%E3%83%9F%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9,theme%20park%20in%20Langhorne%2C%20Pennsylvania.&amp;text=The%20park%20was%20located%20near,as%20the%20park's%20golf%20club.\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/muppet.fandom.com\/wiki\/Tokyo_Sesame_Place\">https:\/\/muppet.fandom.com\/wiki\/Tokyo_Sesame_Place<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bigbirdbridge.blogspot.com\/2019\/05\/the-tokyo-sesame-place-escalators.html\">http:\/\/bigbirdbridge.blogspot.com\/2019\/05\/the-tokyo-sesame-place-escalators.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/bigbirdbridge.blogspot.com\/2019\/05\/tokyo-sesame-place-today.html\">http:\/\/bigbirdbridge.blogspot.com\/2019\/05\/tokyo-sesame-place-today.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"spaceworld\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Space_World\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Space World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Opened in 1990 by Japan Park &amp; Resort Co, and backed by Nippon Steel, the park opened almost at the precise peak of the bubble on unused Nippon Steel land.\u00a0 It was an attempt, common among many of the developers during this era, to diversify revenues.\u00a0 The feasibility study was conducted by Economics Research Associates (ERA).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">One wonders what might have been, as there are no other space exploration-themed parks in the world, and with the right developer and designs, the park could have fulfilled its potential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=425,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/768x768\/public\/images\/methode\/2017\/12\/31\/491ac514-edf5-11e7-8d3e-3515408466a8_1280x720_145516.jpg?itok=RprchVfE\" alt=\"Fans flock to the Space World amusement park for the last time. Photo: Kyodo\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/east-asia\/article\/2126292\/2017-year-japans-space-world-reached-its-final-frontier-and\">SCMP<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">But it was not to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Its attendance peaked in 1997 at 2.2 million, and declined steadily for the next 20 years.\u00a0 The park attempted various stunts in order to stay open, culminating the opening of an ice rink &#8211; with 5,000 fish embedded inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The stunt caused public outrage, and both the rink and park closed a year later, in 2017.\u00a0 The ice rink escapade was probably not the cause of the closure, however, as cumulative losses even by 2004, 14 years after opening, were more than $300 million, and attendance hovered between 1 and 2 million for the entirety of its lifetime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Space World steadfastly denied that its closure was caused by a lack of business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slashgear.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/nopers.jpg\" alt=\"5,000 Dead fish frozen in ice skating rink in Japan's &quot;Space World&quot; -  SlashGear\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>The ice rink. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slashgear.com\/5000-dead-fish-frozen-in-ice-skating-rink-in-japans-space-world-28465568\/\">SlashGear<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Space World lives on, however, beyond just the name of the JR Station serving the park.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Before closing, the theme park bought the naming rights to a star in the constellation Taurus, approximately 417 light-years from Earth.\u00a0 This star is named, appropriately, Space World.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2017\/12\/29\/national\/space-world-buys-naming-rights-star-ahead-closing-finale\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2017\/12\/29\/national\/space-world-buys-naming-rights-star-ahead-closing-finale\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_World\"><sup>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_World<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/east-asia\/article\/2126292\/2017-year-japans-space-world-reached-its-final-frontier-and\"><sup>https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/east-asia\/article\/2126292\/2017-year-japans-space-world-reached-its-final-frontier-and<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/spaceworld-defunct\/\"><sup>https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/spaceworld-defunct\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"marine\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Noboribetsu_Marine_Park\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Noboribetsu Marine Park<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This&#8230;was an aquarium inexplicably set inside a Scandinavian-themed castle.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Opened in 1990 for a cost of $50 million in Hokkaido &#8211; Noboribetsu, to be exact, the same city as the ill-fated Tenkaen (below), the park still survives today.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/79\/Noboribetsu_marine_park_nixe.jpg\/1920px-Noboribetsu_marine_park_nixe.jpg\" alt=\"Noboribetsu marine park nixe.jpg\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E7%99%BB%E5%88%A5%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8B%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9#cite_ref-hokkaido-np-1997-4-8_7-0\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This was at a cost of wiping out the investors and debt holders, of which the city of Noboribetsu was one.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Seeing peak annual attendance levels at over 600,000 in the first two years of the park, the attraction unfortunately fell victim to the prevailing economic forces of the time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Attendance levels plummeted, and in 2001 a major restructuring took place in which the last recorded capital level was approximately $4 million.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/svcstrg2.navitime.jp\/imgfile\/02301_1503563_01.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>The most enchanting aquarium in the world. <a href=\"https:\/\/japantravel.navitime.com\/en\/area\/jp\/spot\/02301-1503563\/\">Source<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">During the restructuring process, Noboribetsu City transferred its share ownership of the park entity (Hokkaido Marine Park Co., Ltd.) to its current majority shareholder (Kamori Kanko), along with the assumption of nearly $20 million in debt. The city added on to these subsidies by granting property tax abatements and depreciation breaks on the main building.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">However, these measures were enough to keep the attraction afloat &#8211; it still operates today.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"newzealand\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Yamaguchi_New_Zealand_Village\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Yamaguchi New Zealand Village<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.com\/2012\/04\/27\/yamaguchi-new-zealand-village\/\">New Zealand Village<\/a>, an agricultural\/farm attraction opened in 1990 at a cost of $12 million, is not to be confused with the three other New Zealand villages built during the 1990s and which are all closed today: <a href=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.com\/2012\/03\/30\/hiroshima-new-zealand-farm\/\">Hiroshima<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.com\/2013\/02\/19\/shikoku-new-zealand-village\/\">Shikoku<\/a>, and Tohoku.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Accounts are spotty, but it appears that all four villages may have been related, and opened by the magnificently named Farm Co., Ltd., which ran a series of agricultural and sheep-rearing operations, for which these farms were an outlet. These farms were not the only operations that Farm Co. ran &#8211; there were other European-themed farms, running into the dozens in terms of count.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Operated as a tourist farm, the Kiwi villages contained onsite factories for agricultural goods such as butter, milk, or baked sweets, offered restaurants, petting zoos, kiddy rides and go karts, as well as a commercial zone full of shops and restaurants.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"id\":16590} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16590\" title=\"New Zealand Entrance\" src=\"https:\/\/offbeatjapan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/violent-break-in-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"New Zealand Entrance\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Attendance peaked at 428,000 during the second year, and plummeted to less than 150,000 over the ensuing decade.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park was closed in 2005.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"id\":16614} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16614\" title=\"Abunai New Zealand Driver\" src=\"https:\/\/offbeatjapan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/abunai-new-zealand-driver-1200x800.jpg\" alt=\"Abunai New Zealand Driver\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/offbeatjapan.org\/abandoned-new-zealand-village\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"rokko\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rokko_Land_AOIA\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Rokko Land AOIA<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Many of the theme parks on this list have absolutely heartbreaking stories, and perhaps none more so than this one.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A record-breaking waterpark that opened in 1991 at the tail end of the property boom, pictures of the project show a waterpark that is unlike any other waterpark we\u2019ve ever seen or known.\u00a0 No less than 50 waterslides originated from the mountain at the center of the park.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><em>At the time, 50 slides made it the largest in the world, a record that has still not been broken 30 years later.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1068\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Rokko.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ameblo.jp\/sashikuse\/entry-11458951102.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1069\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Rokko2.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/aki794.blog45.fc2.com\/blog-entry-87.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Its swimming pool was 740 meters, which made it the longest in Japan at the time, and pictures of the adjacent hotel would not have been out of place in Dubai or Las Vegas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately, the park was levelled in the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995 (Kobe), and reconstruction of the park proved to be a prohibitive endeavor.\u00a0 Instead, it was permanently closed, with parts of it sold off for other uses over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reoma_World\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Reoma World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Reoma was a resort planned at the precise height of the property bubble, with the misfortune of opening in 1991 right when the economic malaise was starting.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It was the first of its breed, a theme park-anchored resort that would be emulated later by the Phoenix Seagaia. At the time of opening, the grounds included a theme park, hotel, golf course, retail entertainment center, and animal park.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/28\/Reoma_World_1.jpg\/1920px-Reoma_World_1.jpg\" alt=\"Reoma World 1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89#%E6%97%A7%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The total project budget was 75 billion yen, or an excess of $500 million.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With such a combination of attractions, the resort raced off to a great start, recording nearly 2.4 million visitors in its first year. Unfortunately, this feat would never be repeated. Just three years after opening, in 1995, visitation halved to 1.4 million, then dropped further to 1 million the year before its close.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"\u753b\u50cf\u3092\u7b49\u500d\u3067\u8868\u793a\u3057\u307e\u3059\" src=\"https:\/\/userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp\/001\/242\/96\/N000\/000\/001\/131573362142313428588_newreoma1.JPG\" alt=\"\u753b\u50cf\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yomibito.at.webry.info\/201109\/article_2.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The resort closed in 2000, to reopen in 2004 under a management system that saw the commercial area, theme park, hotel, and animal park all operated separately as different profit centers. This arrangement lasted until 2010, when operations were consolidated into one entity that consisted of the appropriately named Pain Capital as 65% shareholder.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1086\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.yakei-isan.jp\/spot\/detail.php?id=200\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The new operations started under the name <em>New Reoma World<\/em>, to be distinguished from the <em>Old Reoma World.<\/em> It is unknown what the transfer value of the assets were under the various reorganizations, but the operations are currently capitalized at a mere $4 million, less than 1% of the original construction cost.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"wildblue\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wild_Blue_Yokohama\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Wild Blue Yokohama<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Wild Blue Yokohama was an enormous indoor wave pool and beach constructed for $160 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alchetron.com\/cdn\/wild-blue-yokohama-160c9c4b-662c-4d25-b45b-1de0a85a110-resize-750.jpeg\" alt=\"Wild Blue Yokohama Wild Blue Yokohama Undergrowth\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alchetron.com\/Wild-Blue-Yokohama\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It was built in 1992 on land owned by NKK Corp, a major steelmaker with a shipbuilding division, who had hoped its experience with wavemaking machines would translate into waterpark success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The project never reached the hoped-for level of one million visitors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Instead, 800,000 was the peak in 1995; it is possible that one of the reasons why can be found in an article published during the time: \u201cWild Blue Yokohama has found that most people want to go to the indoor beach only in the summer, the same time as they could go to the outdoor beach\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The waterpark was closed in 2001.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreelibrary.com\/NKK+to+close+Wild+Blue+Yokohama+indoor+pool+complex%2B.-a073853210\"><sup>https:\/\/www.thefreelibrary.com\/NKK+to+close+Wild+Blue+Yokohama+indoor+pool+complex%2B.-a073853210<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/japan\/cat21\/sub143\/item786.html\"><sup>http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/japan\/cat21\/sub143\/item786.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/webcache.googleusercontent.com\/search?q=cache:IyrnWG-MjAMJ:https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/ct-xpm-1993-06-24-9306240203-story.html+&amp;cd=2&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us\"><sup>Chicago Tribune<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"kure\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kure_Port_Pierland\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Kure Port Pierland<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This Spanish, Costa del Sol-themed attraction was an outdoor theme park located halfway between Hiroshima and Kure City, which funded the development along with Hankyu Corporation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1284\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2560px-Ferris_wheel_of_Space_World.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"394\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E5%91%89%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%83%94%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Hankyu already operated the Kobe Portopia theme park, which had opened in 1981, and it aimed to duplicate the park&#8217;s success with attractions that included one of the world&#8217;s largest ferris wheels.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/park.org\/Japan\/Public\/Hiroshima\/html\/images\/photo\/portpia.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"435\" height=\"268\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/park.org\/Japan\/Public\/Hiroshima\/htmleng\/esight32.htm\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In 1992, the park opened to a respectable visitor count of 900,000, but attendance began plummeting soon thereafter. Within a few years, visitation had dropped to 300,000, and the park was closed in 1998.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Debts owed were approximately $100 million. The city took over the park and reopened it as the Kure Portopia Park. Admission is free, and while all attractions have been removed, the absurdly high level of theming provides a nice atmosphere for Kure citizens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tveLC4mlLig<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:core-embed\/youtube -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"tenkaen\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tenkaen_China_Park_of_Heaven\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Tenkaen China Park of Heaven<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In 1992, a singularly Chinese-style <em>gaikoku mura <\/em>opened in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido under the name of Tenkaen.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With Qing Dynasty court gardens and architecture, rockeries, and food and beverage facilities, the park sought to capture the grandeur of an imperial Chinese palace.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-09-at-7.48.17-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"389\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1241\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-09-at-7.48.56-AM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"590\" height=\"392\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It succeeded in attracting 270,000 visitors its first year, but the park&#8217;s scale and size (of 40,000 sqm) lacked repeatability. By the third year, attendance had dropped to under 140,000 visitors, a level from which it would never recover.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park closed in 1999, just seven years after opening.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"huistenbosch\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Huis_Ten_Bosch\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Huis Ten Bosch<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">We started this post with Nagasaki Holland Village, and will come full circle with Huis Ten Bosch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Huis Ten Bosch, meaning House in the Woods in Dutch, deserves special mention in this post.\u00a0 Not only is the original Huis Ten Bosch one of the royal palaces in the Netherlands, the Huis Ten Bosch in Japan was the largest \u2018foreign village\u2019 theme park built during this period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Inaugurated in 1993 at a construction cost of over $2.5 billion, the \u2018village\u2019 had truly grand ambitions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Huis Ten Bosch was not only supposed to be a visitor attraction, but an actual residential village whose overall management, over time, would be returned to the residents.\u00a0 It was already its own recognized administrative unit, its own <em>cho<\/em>.\u00a0 Over 3,500 homes were planned, along with apartments housing up to 10,000 residents.\u00a0 The first estate was approximately 40% presold by the opening year, of 130 houses and 120 apartments.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">To preserve authenticity, no back-of-house facilities were planned in the park \u2013 instead, service cars and vans drove right up to their respective buildings to make deliveries.\u00a0 Dedication to authenticity was such that during construction, it was discovered that the left wing of the park\u2019s namesake, the Huis Ten Bosch palace, was 2 centimeters off from the original measurements.\u00a0 It was subsequently torn down and rebuilt, along with a garden that had been planned by Queen Beatrix in the original Huis Ten Bosch, but never built in the Netherlands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Authenticity pervaded the park in other ways.\u00a0 Dutch city planners were imported to create real dikes with stone, not concrete, in order to prevent the build-up of unsightly mold, and to provide crevices for sea creatures like crawfish and other fish to habitate.\u00a0 Experts in canal-building were likewise engaged, classic taxis from the 1930s were imported to serve as transportation around the park, and a purpose-built natural gas energy plant served the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kosublog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/blog3-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\u30cf\u30a6\u30b9\u30c6\u30f3\u30dc\u30b9 \u30a4\u30eb\u30df\u30cd\u30fc\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3 \u30a2\u30a4\u30ad\u30e3\u30c3\u30c1\u753b\u50cf\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Huis Ten Bosch illumination Kingdom of light Tulip garden1\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/By3QPIe16rUGy0vK3PVLO7Db1sQ_vhlLKMZ_gio9kgr6p0zHg3LXVpyviEPUCez_0KT_IJ5PGvp2Fa0AmVMbj8m88quZG_YSkNhqJFa2HXAGCY_wQZD84BVDboGW9QtvXXSSDW9DzN3Yo2UMXBsrjRblZ5nB1L2K86Eqpg-9WuwlD3vNv6H80eqB0YZP7OxVicHIPZJQpdCKPZGCcmUhh8nstmBdfvNketxxE_WSf-rqOuszVUasCNlpkzTIz1ocu2FdKyon6CZ-FXC4-1VYyViix1qiTwWR8O88jnS1JxeNRFiVj93n7ay7d1jHmXhPhwVo1vLMVeFdiZ6LnFvA5jUhqYG_zkrTvH5v-QzpUKiBGIq40VEN9yFTqICkR9svOXaRU6uJzjNyVCamxRgh8Zl050AeFKSJE_ooatt51zv6FEd3dJxNiaB5eEjvDAEP_hbqeggJM3CtxCQBgZMyCGdTDdHe7nWbvYOxtJMB9rhaOMLmiPtkYYbPHhSRyFPI-O48vAR9Ou_LHduW-caEBRJ62cPhZBwDv9xW3S5YQli8tnvEqWhn7MQd09ey-Y0OVP8jWA=w2048-h1365-no\" alt=\"Huis Ten Bosch illumination Kingdom of light Tulip garden1\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kosublog.com\/en\/nagasaki-day1-part3-1602\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The dedication to a light footprint and self-sufficiency was such that a water plant was also built to filter seawater and provide an exclusive source of fresh water to residents, and all flowers displayed in the park were grown on-site, in greenhouses.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A centerpiece of the park experience was a water show that reenacted Dutch ships sailing to Japan, over which fireworks exploded with musical accompaniment.\u00a0 On this same body of water, a marina was built for sailing yachts, in anticipation for Japan\u2019s burgeoning middle class to become fully rich.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":1037,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shimz.co.jp\/en\/works\/jp_lei_199203_huistenbosch.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In its opening year, Huis Ten Bosch achieved a visitation level of 4 million.\u00a0 And for the first few years, despite mounting cancellations of the homes, the theme park sustained these attendance levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The problem was that even this wasn\u2019t enough to sustain a debt load of over $2 billion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Ten years later (2003), the park went bankrupt, owing more than 220 billion yen in debt.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Japanese travel company H.I.S. (previously an acronym for Highest International Standards) purchased the park in 2011.\u00a0 By this time attendance had declined to 1.5 million.\u00a0 Revenues were at a respectable level for any other park, 10 billion JPY ($100 million USD), but the park was losing more than $10 million a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park entered H.I.S. books at a carrying cost of approximately $90 million.\u00a0 You might need to read those numbers again.\u00a0 The park\u2019s initial cost was more than $2.5 billion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Twenty years after opening, Huis Ten Bosch was losing $10 million a year, and the eventual owners purchased the park for 3.6% of the original construction cost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">However, in its latest full operating year (2019), the park reported attendance of 2.9 million and drastically improved revenue levels of 32 billion JPY ($300m USD).\u00a0 Profits were 7.4 billion, or $70 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A spectacular turnaround and success story for H.I.S., although not so much for Huis Ten Bosch\u2019s original founders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/japanpropertycentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Huis-Ten-Bosch-House-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Huis Ten Bosch Canal Estate\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/japanpropertycentral.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Huis-Ten-Bosch-Canal-Estate.jpg?w=705&amp;h=471&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Huis Ten Bosch Canal Estate\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/japanpropertycentral.com\/2014\/07\/want-to-live-in-nagasakis-huis-ten-bosch\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"russian\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Niigata_Russian_Village\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Niigata Russian Village<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Russian Village was the first of three theme parks funded by the Niigata Chuo Bank and its visionary president, Ryutaro Omori.\u00a0 Envisioned as a village of cultural exchange with Russia, the village opened in 1993 as the economic malaise was beginning.\u00a0 Its development cost was $150 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/7\/76\/The_Niigata_Chuo_Bank%2CLimited_Logo.JPG\" alt=\"File:The Niigata Chuo Bank,Limited Logo.JPG\" width=\"152\" height=\"62\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Including the now-lost-to-history \u2018forest of beer\u2019, folk dance demonstrations, bone specimen exhibitions, a full-scale woolly mammoth, and breeding exhibition of Baikal lizards, the park never achieved repeat visitation nor sustainability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24246\" src=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/abandoned-mammoth.jpg\" alt=\"abandoned, amusement-park, attraction-park, haikyo, japan, japanese, niigata, ruin, theme-park, tohoku, urban exploration, urbex\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\",\"id\":24225} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24225\" src=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/russian-village.jpg\" alt=\"abandoned, amusement-park, attraction-park, haikyo, japan, japanese, niigata, ruin, theme-park, tohoku, urban exploration, urbex\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/haikyo.org\/russian-village\/\">Haikyo.org<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Its operations were completely dependent on its ability to continue to roll over loans with Niigata Chuo Bank.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">When the bank itself went under in 1999, the park was supported by Russian funds until those, too, ran dry in 2003.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park was closed permanently; unable to find a new buyer, its buildings left to deteriorate.\u00a0 Vandalism and fires took its toll, and the last structure left remaining was the Suzdal Church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"asiapark\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Asia_Park\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Asia Park<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Yet another one of the gaikoku mura themed villages built during this time, the Asia Park was in fact a $50 million ride masquerading as an entire theme park.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It was opened in 1993 by a syndicate consisting of Kumamoto Prefecture and Mitsui Mine, on the grounds of a former&#8230;mine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Conceived of as a park that displayed the splendors of Southeast Asia, complete with a replica of the Taj Mahal and miniature Himalayas, Asia Park charged 600 yen admission for entry into its sole ride, a 15 minute leisurely boat tour of the region\u2019s sights and sounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/d22acb615f56e3000f7c2e50996878c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/asiapark-defunct\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">After these 15 minutes, visitors were then deposited back to the main gates, presumably to exit the park.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img01.sagafan.jp\/usr\/c\/h\/a\/cha46\/DSC_1298.JPG\" alt=\"\u6bce\u65e5\u304c\u6b63\u6708\u65e5\u548c:\u8352\u5c3e\u306b\u884c\u3051\u3070\u601d\u3044\u51fa\u3059\u3001\u3044\u307e\u3084\u5e7b\u306e\u5ec3\u589f\u30c6\u30fc\u30de\u30d1\u30fc\u30af\u300e\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u30d1\u30fc\u30af\u300f\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cha46.sagafan.jp\/e861259.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With such poor planning, it\u2019s a miracle to us the park even survived the 3 years that it did.\u00a0 Unfortunately, pictures of the actual ride are not with us today, and the map is the only artifact that attests to the immersiveness of the experience.\u00a0 Although, judging by pictures of some of the ruins, the replicas may have been miniatures, rather than full-scale models.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">After the park\u2019s closure, a go kart track was laid over the original waterways, and the entire experience rebranded as a Sega World complete with arcades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Unfortunately, go karts speeding blindly through the intricately detailed miniature worlds<\/span> were not as much of an attraction as hoped, and this project, too, was closed and demolished for good in 2000.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"lalaport\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lalaport_Ski_Dome_Yokohama_SSAWS\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Lalaport Ski Dome Yokohama (SSAWS)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Continuing the sport trend, we introduce here the Lalaport Ski Dome Yokohama, another forgotten megalith in the history of Japanese real estate development.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Built for $400 million back in 1993, it was the largest indoor ski dome in the world at the time, with a slope length of 1,600 meters \u2013 a figure that would still put the project in the ranks of the top 4 indoor ski slopes today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.weserv.nl\/?url=https:\/\/www.guggenheim.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/1998\/01\/2005.5_web-1.jpg&amp;w=870\" alt=\"Armin Linke, Ski Dome, Tokyo, Japan, 1998. Chromogenic print, face-mounted to acrylic, 40 x 86 5\/16 inches (101.6 x 219.2 cm)\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guggenheim.org\/artwork\/14638\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Its massive construction cost was equaled by Ski Dubai (also $400 million) nearly 22 years later, in 2005, but with a slope length that did not measure up to Lalaport\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Ski Dome was built by Mitsui, and used as much energy per day as the Empire State Building.\u00a0 It broke records on several counts, including an unprecedented snowmaking system, but wasn\u2019t able to escape its own excessive expectations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1031\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/image.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seilbahnen.org\/de\/index.php?section=downloads&amp;cmd=266&amp;download=12191\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The project achieved a breakeven visitation level of 1 million guests the first year, but the second saw a 30% drop in attendance.\u00a0 Saddled by interest and taxes of over $30 million a year, and operating costs of $40 million, annual losses were $15 million a year, and forced the project to close just 9 years after opening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A feasibility study had indicated that it would take the project 11 years to reach profitability at a visitation level of 1.3 million annually, and repay debts after 18 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/18\/20030927_27_September_2003_SSAWS_Spring_Summer_Autumn_Winter_Snow_1_Funabashi_Chiba_Tokyo_Japan.jpg\/1920px-20030927_27_September_2003_SSAWS_Spring_Summer_Autumn_Winter_Snow_1_Funabashi_Chiba_Tokyo_Japan.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SSAWS\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The site is now used by Japan\u2019s first large-format IKEA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seilbahnen.org\/de\/index.php?section=downloads&amp;cmd=266&amp;download=12191\">Source 1<\/a>,<\/sup> <sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seilbahnen.org\/de\/index.php?section=downloads&amp;cmd=266&amp;download=12191\">Source 2<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SSAWS\">Source 3<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/japan\/cat21\/sub143\/item786.html\">Source 4<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowjapan.com\/community\/index.php?\/topic\/2999-ssaws-to-close-official\/\">Source 5<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"phoenix\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phoenix_Seagaia_Ocean_Dome\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Phoenix Seagaia Ocean Dome<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This resort, located 5 minutes from the ocean in Miyazaki, is often used as one of the poster children for the Japanese real estate bubble.\u00a0 Although relative to this entire list, it seems almost\u2026average.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Opened in 1993, the Ocean Dome was the centerpiece waterpark of the Phoenix Seagaia resort, comprised of hotels, a golf course, convention center, among other leisure facilities.\u00a0 It was an indoor waterpark set underneath a 33,000 sqm retractable roof that opened to the elements during temperate days, and closed back up when the weather became more inclement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ocean-dome-1\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-VwgRXWzQMVE\/TxKIhkWWsaI\/AAAAAAAATxg\/6iCC-pHy-b8\/ocean-dome-1%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800\" alt=\"ocean-dome-1\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.ggpht.com\/-mJ3aTyXSfCY\/TxKIjh8r9RI\/AAAAAAAATxo\/lavWn6-Tvq4\/ocean-dome-2%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800\" alt=\"Seagaia Ocean Dome: An Artificial Beach in Japan | Amusing Planet\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amusingplanet.com\/2012\/01\/seagaia-ocean-dome-artificial-beach-in.html\">AmusingPlanet<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The underbelly of the retractable pool, when closed, featured an artificial sky that simulated sunny skies and at night, a starry galaxy.\u00a0 Unfortunately we weren\u2019t able to find photo evidence of the latter, whose appeal is left to the imagination.\u00a0 One can only imagine the sight of a starry sky set above the erupting volcano that served as a backdrop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3VaTuBIV_SI<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:core-embed\/youtube --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A wave pool was the central attraction, fronting a white sand beach that was reportedly the longest artificial beach in the world. \u00a0The sand was not actually sand, but <em>glistening mounds of crushed marble<\/em> whose attraction was that it didn\u2019t stick to skin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Two years after opening, in 1995, the Ocean Dome attracted a little over 1 million visitors.\u00a0 That was the peak.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately for the financiers and investors of the project, of which the local authorities were a major group, the $2 billion resort accumulated losses of over $1.5 billion by 2000, a mere 7 years after it was opened, prompting a sale the next year to Ripplewood Holdings, a US private equity firm.\u00a0 The golf course was sold separately 3 years later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Ripplewood \u2018saved\u2019 the resort by buying it for $120 million, or at a 95% discount from its original cost, and proceeded to invest another $70 million into it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Several years of operations even under a Starwood brand name weren\u2019t able to turn it around, however.\u00a0 Annual reports from 2005 show the resort recording losses of $25 million annually.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">10 years later, Ripplewood sold the holdings to Sega Sammy at another 50% haircut relative to capital invested: for $70 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In its latest annual report, it appears the Phoenix Resort is continuing its ways, however, with losses during the Fiscal Year ended March 2020 of\u2026$25 million.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/pr\/business\/resort\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/pr\/business\/resort\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/ir\/library\/printing_annual\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/ir\/library\/printing_annual\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bib.kuleuven.be\/files\/ebib\/jaarverslagen\/RHJInternational_200405eng.pdf\"><sup>https:\/\/bib.kuleuven.be\/files\/ebib\/jaarverslagen\/RHJInternational_200405eng.pdf<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amusingplanet.com\/2012\/01\/seagaia-ocean-dome-artificial-beach-in.html\"><sup>https:\/\/www.amusingplanet.com\/2012\/01\/seagaia-ocean-dome-artificial-beach-in.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2004\/12\/17\/business\/phoenix-resort-to-sell-golf-course\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2004\/12\/17\/business\/phoenix-resort-to-sell-golf-course\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/sega-ripplewood\/refile-sega-sammy-to-buy-72-mln-ripplewood-resort-in-japan-idUSL4E8DN3T520120223\"><sup>https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/sega-ripplewood\/refile-sega-sammy-to-buy-72-mln-ripplewood-resort-in-japan-idUSL4E8DN3T520120223<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/ir\/library\/pdf\/printing_annual\/2019\/al2019_all_e__.pdf\"><sup>https:\/\/www.segasammy.co.jp\/english\/ir\/library\/pdf\/printing_annual\/2019\/al2019_all_e__.pdf<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.orangesmile.com\/extreme\/en\/greatest-aquaparks\/seagaia-ocean-dome.htm#object-gallery\"><sup>http:\/\/www.orangesmile.com\/extreme\/en\/greatest-aquaparks\/seagaia-ocean-dome.htm#object-gallery<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/web-japan.org\/atlas\/architecture\/arc27.html\"><sup>https:\/\/web-japan.org\/atlas\/architecture\/arc27.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2000\/jul\/12\/jonathanwatts\"><sup>https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2000\/jul\/12\/jonathanwatts<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/ripplewood-to-invest-another-dollar23m-in-seagaia-kqjm5dhwp0x\"><sup>https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/ripplewood-to-invest-another-dollar23m-in-seagaia-kqjm5dhwp0x<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/sega-ripplewood\/refile-sega-sammy-to-buy-72-mln-ripplewood-resort-in-japan-idUSL4E8DN3T520120223\"><sup>https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/sega-ripplewood\/refile-sega-sammy-to-buy-72-mln-ripplewood-resort-in-japan-idUSL4E8DN3T520120223<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"joypolis\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Joypolises\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Joypolis<\/strong>(es)<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Locked in a death match with Nintendo on the videogame console front (Game Gear vs. Game Boy, Genesis vs. Super NES), Sega in the 1990s sought to diversify its revenue streams by turning to location-based entertainment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">You might be familiar with the Joypolis Tokyo indoor theme park (still extant), but it\u2019s likely you\u2019ve never heard of Joypolis Yokohama, opened in 1994 before Tokyo or Joypolis Niigata (ah, yes, Niigata) in 1995.\u00a0 You probably also haven\u2019t heard of Joypolis Fukuoka, Shinjuku, Okayama, Kyoto, or Osaka, which were all opened in a three year frenzy between 1995 and 1998.\u00a0 All were closed, folded into arcades, or downsized within a decade of opening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/segaretro.org\/images\/thumb\/c\/ca\/JoypolisHFactoryYokohama_Outside.jpg\/320px-JoypolisHFactoryYokohama_Outside.jpg\" alt=\"JoypolisHFactoryYokohama Outside.jpg\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/segaretro.org\/images\/thumb\/3\/32\/NiigataJoypolis_Outside.jpg\/320px-NiigataJoypolis_Outside.jpg\" alt=\"NiigataJoypolis Outside.jpg\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/segaretro.org\/Niigata_Joypolis\">Sega Retro<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Not content to stay within Japan, Sega expanded its reach overseas, with a Sydney Sega Works, which was a freestanding satellite to a sprawling franchise of Sega-themed indoor theme parks worldwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In the UK alone, no less than <em>26 different Sega Parks, Sega Worlds, and Sega Megaworlds<\/em> included the latest high tech Sega videogames, bowling lanes, and merchandise.\u00a0 These were a cousin to the Sega-Dreamworks joint venture Gameworks in the United States, which operated on a similar arcade and F&amp;B concept, as an early predecessor to Dave &amp; Buster\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Currently 27 locations are closed to the 7 still operating, having gone through two bankruptcies and changes of ownership.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitiser2000.com\/uploads\/4\/0\/6\/6\/40667199\/published\/r9n0pk.jpg?1562664157\" alt=\"Picture\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitiser2000.com\/main-page\/segaworld-london-remembered\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joypolis\"><sup>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joypolis<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcworld.idg.com.au\/article\/429025\/remembering_sydney_sega_world_little_theme_park_couldn_t\/?pp=4\"><sup>https:\/\/www.pcworld.idg.com.au\/article\/429025\/remembering_sydney_sega_world_little_theme_park_couldn_t\/?pp=4<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/segaretro.org\/SegaWorld_London\"><sup>https:\/\/segaretro.org\/SegaWorld_London<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SegaWorld\"><sup>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SegaWorld<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GameWorks\"><sup>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/GameWorks<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"rinku\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rinku_Papara\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Rinku Papara<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This Osaka-based park met the unfortunate fate of not only being located in the same city as the eventual Universal Studios Japan, but developed in a further-flung location than the megapark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">But when Rinku Papara opened in 1994, the park soared to an auspicious start. Recording more than 1 million visitors within the first two months of opening, the park appeared to have tapped into a pent-up demand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:image -->\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/2\/2b\/%E3%82%8A%E3%82%93%E3%81%8F%E3%81%86%E3%83%91%E3%83%91%E3%83%A9.JPG\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E3%82%8A%E3%82%93%E3%81%8F%E3%81%86%E3%83%91%E3%83%91%E3%83%A9\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately, visitation was not sustained. We suspect the small size (just over 20,000 sqm) and lack of reinvestment were to blame, but whatever the reason, attendance dropped by more than 30% to the 600,000-700,000 range just a few years later.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With the opening of Universal Studios Japan in 2001, the Osaka government began to turn its attention &#8211; and priorities &#8211; elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In 2004, Osaka requested a rent bump in the land lease that the park could not accommodate, forcing its closure just a decade after opening.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6u9iVOBhiFE<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:core-embed\/youtube --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"nable\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Nable_Land\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Nable Land<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The spectacularly named Nable Land, so-called for its location at the center of Kyushu (\u201cnavel\u201d), was opened in 1995 for more than $60 million.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><s>Navel<\/s>, no, Nable Land was constructed in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture, on the grounds of the former Mitsui Miike Coal Mine: with the loss of the industry, Mitsui Chemicals, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Omuta City signed up for the underlying trend of the era, which was to convert previously industrial land into amusement parks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It was a sentiment that we can only interpret as being somewhat of a desire to prettify previously dreary surroundings to the extreme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.files.wordpress.com\/2011\/08\/the-whale-in-front-of-the-entrance.jpg?w=486&amp;h=\" alt=\"\" \/>\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/abandonedkansai.com\/2011\/08\/19\/navelland\/\">Abandoned Kansai<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Nable Land hosted a variety of amusement park rides, including the respectable Zierer-built Super Dragon, an aquarium, as well as a sub-tropical botanical garden and a suspiciously gaikoku mura-style entry fa\u00e7ade.\u00a0 In a throwback to its roots, it included a coal mining museum.\u00a0 Alas, there were no belly buttons or oranges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">We feel the whale trapped in the entryway could have been taken a lot further, but the statue is all we get.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/dc72d7f06fc586cfe1aa73a55e51bcef.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/navelland-defunct\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Nable Land opened with an auspicious 440,000 visitors, a great base to build attendance from.\u00a0 However, the small size of the park discouraged repeat visitation, and attendance dropped steadily.\u00a0 Three years after opening, the park closed with a $60 million debt load.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Subsequently the park was dismantled and repurposed, with Omuta City transferring 4 hectares of the land free of charge, and deciding to continue operating the coal museum free of charge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/navelland-defunct\/\"><sup>https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/navelland-defunct\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"kamakura\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kamakura_Cinema_Ward\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Kamakura Cinema Ward<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Conceived of during the late stages of the boom, the Kamakura Cinema Ward\u2019s concept was of a \u2018world that will never be completed\u2019.\u00a0 It was a $150 million project built on the premises of a former film studio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1039\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/cinema.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kana-chiri.org\/chiiki\/kawariyuku\/Ofuna2.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">A three story indoor park that opened in 1995, the park hosted a variety of movie sets and stages, props, and rides in a 28,000 square meter space.\u00a0 Over three floors, the park introduced sets and attractions related to Japanese and American cinema, and on the third, an inexplicable space station with alien robots.\u00a0 A playground meant for kids was hosted on the roof.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blogimg.goo.ne.jp\/user_image\/0a\/79\/d2225bdc16b6db9b0b8dd5317951be86.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.goo.ne.jp\/ska-me-crazy2006\/e\/29207b5fd6959c113402f1085e4d6475\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately, mounting losses culminated in the project closing just three years after opening, posting a $16 million loss that year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.goo.ne.jp\/ska-me-crazy2006\/e\/29207b5fd6959c113402f1085e4d6475\"><sup>https:\/\/blog.goo.ne.jp\/ska-me-crazy2006\/e\/29207b5fd6959c113402f1085e4d6475<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kana-chiri.org\/chiiki\/kawariyuku\/Ofuna2.html\"><sup>http:\/\/www.kana-chiri.org\/chiiki\/kawariyuku\/Ofuna2.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E9%8E%8C%E5%80%89%E3%82%B7%E3%83%8D%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89\"><sup>https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E9%8E%8C%E5%80%89%E3%82%B7%E3%83%8D%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"turkish\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kashiwazaki_Turkish_Village\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Kashiwazaki Turkish Village<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The second theme park venture funded by the famous Niigata Chuo Bank (after the Niigata Russian Village), the Turkish Village was funded for a more modest $60 million (first phase) and was a recreation of Istanbul, complete with product sales, statue of Ataturk, a Trojan horse, Noah\u2019s Ark, belly dancers, mosques, and amphitheaters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Opened in 1996, this village also failed to attract visitors.\u00a0 In response, just two years after opening, the village doubled down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">But borrowing an additional $40 million to build a second phase to the park did not help its fortunes, and the park closed just two years after that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1027\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/j_Kemaru__Noah.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/j_Trojan_horse.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/home.k07.itscom.net\/jf1dcu\/Trip_around_the_globe_Folder\/Turky\/turkish_village.html\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Kashiwazaki City purchased the park for $2 million (98% discount in case you\u2019re keeping track) and leased the park to tour operators, while lowering the ticket price to the bargain-basement level of free.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Two years later, however, the park was closed <em>yet again<\/em> over the appeals of the Turkish Embassy, who proposed a rebuilding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It was liquidated with cumulative losses of another $2 million and sold for little over $1 million in 2006 to Wastec Energy, a local industrial waste recycler, who opened a wedding resort adjacent to the village.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The statue of Ataturk was moved to a politically appropriate location.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/home.k07.itscom.net\/jf1dcu\/Trip_around_the_globe_Folder\/Turky\/turkish_village.html\"><sup>http:\/\/home.k07.itscom.net\/jf1dcu\/Trip_around_the_globe_Folder\/Turky\/turkish_village.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/spikejapan.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/13\/kashiwazaki-turkish-culture-village-and-the-psychology-of-nuclear-power\/\">https:\/\/spikejapan.wordpress.com\/2012\/08\/13\/kashiwazaki-turkish-culture-village-and-the-psychology-of-nuclear-power\/<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"tivoli\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tivoli_Gardens_Kurashiki\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Tivoli Gardens Kurashiki<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As we enter the late stage of the boom, there were several more spectacular flameouts waiting in the works.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Licensing the Tivoli Gardens brand from the Danish park of the same name, Tivoli Gardens Kurashiki was financed by the local government of Kurashiki City and opened in 1997.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/4\/49\/Kurashiki_Tivori_Park01n4592.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E5%80%89%E6%95%B7%E3%83%81%E3%83%9C%E3%83%AA%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92\">Wikipedia<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Construction costs were in excess of $150 million, but the park struck a chord with visitors, with nearly 3 million the first year, easily outpacing most other parks in Japan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bannister.org\/coasters\/trips\/2007\/0528tiv.jpg\" alt=\"Kurashiki Tivoli Park\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bannister.org\/coasters\/trips\/2007\/0528.htm\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">However, like every other park on this list, attendance went in the other direction than hoped for, with <a href=\"https:\/\/ja.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E5%80%89%E6%95%B7%E3%83%81%E3%83%9C%E3%83%AA%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92\">less than 800,000 during each of the last two operating years of 2007 and 2008<\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The relationship with Tivoli Gardens International was terminated, and the park closed down, with $150 million in debts that would not be repaid.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/japan\/cat21\/sub143\/item782.html\"><sup>http:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/japan\/cat21\/sub143\/item782.html<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/usmodernist.org\/AL\/AL-1997-10-11.pdf\"><sup>https:\/\/usmodernist.org\/AL\/AL-1997-10-11.pdf<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www1.econ.hit-u.ac.jp\/glp\/2014\/eu2014.pdf\"><sup>http:\/\/www1.econ.hit-u.ac.jp\/glp\/2014\/eu2014.pdf<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wenku.baidu.com\/view\/19ccd8cc0508763231121278\"><sup>https:\/\/wenku.baidu.com\/view\/19ccd8cc0508763231121278<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"gulliver\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gullivers_Kingdom\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Gulliver\u2019s Kingdom<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This theme park based on the book by Jonathan Swift was opened in 1997, at the tail end of the theme park boom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-649\" title=\"Gulliver Haikyo\" src=\"http:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/2009%202feb%20Gulliver%20Haikyo\/Gulliver%20Haikyo%207001.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-649\" title=\"Gulliver Haikyo\" src=\"http:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/2009%202feb%20Gulliver%20Haikyo\/Gulliver%20Haikyo%207007.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-649\" title=\"Gulliver Haikyo\" src=\"http:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/2009%202feb%20Gulliver%20Haikyo\/Gulliver%20Haikyo%2070011.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/2009\/04\/gullivers-kingdom-haikyo-rip\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Developed by the Fuji Chuo Group for a cost that exceeded $350 million, the park collapsed a mere 4 years later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Niigata Chuo Bank, the main lender to the park, held loans related to Gulliver\u2019s Kingdom on its books for over $350 million, and took a loss on the entire amount.\u00a0 The Kofu District Court, overseeing the region, auctioned off the park and what was left of its assets for a massively shrunk, Lilliputian amount of $20 million in 2002.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Although there might be various reasons why the project closed \u2013 exorbitant costs, for one \u2013 the surroundings of the park did it no justice.\u00a0 Bordered on one side by Japan\u2019s suicide forest, and on another by the location of the sarin gas attacks, the park was unfortunately surrounded by negative aura.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2002\/11\/22\/national\/gullivers-kingdom-finally-finds-a-buyer\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2002\/11\/22\/national\/gullivers-kingdom-finally-finds-a-buyer\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2001\/11\/13\/national\/kamikuishikis-gulliver-park-falls\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2001\/11\/13\/national\/kamikuishikis-gulliver-park-falls\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/2009\/04\/gullivers-kingdom-haikyo-rip\/\"><sup>https:\/\/www.michaeljohngrist.com\/2009\/04\/gullivers-kingdom-haikyo-rip\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"odaiba\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Indoor_Odaiba_Park_Boom\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>The Indoor Odaiba Park Boom<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Joypolis opening in Tokyo lit another short lived, late-stage boom.\u00a0 Or fizzle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">At the end of the 1990s, as we reach the expiration date for most of the parks on this list, attention turned to novel ways of delivering theme park experiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Such as moving indoors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It might be the case that companies, mistaking Sega\u2019s Mega moves both domestically and overseas in the LBE realm for success, were quick to attach themselves to the trend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Perhaps the opening of location-based attractions held an appeal for companies whose core competencies were nothing close to it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Over the short period of 1996 to 2000, all in Odaiba, the Tokyo Joypolis opened, followed by a Toyota amusement facility in the form of the still-extant Megaweb.\u00a0 <\/strong>The same year, SNK opened Neo Geo World, with a theme based on videogames of its eponymous console, followed shortly thereafter by Sony\u2019s indoor park Mediage.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\r\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Neo_Geo_World\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Neo Geo World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Seeking to expand beyond just the game consoles and arcade games that made its name, SNK opened the first of its two LBE centers in Tsukuba, north of Tokyo, in what would be a test pilot for Neo Geo World in Odaiba<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Neo Geo Tsukuba featured off-the-shelf attractions such as IMAX rides and neon bowling alleys.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20000130102107im_\/http:\/\/www.neogeo.co.jp\/ngw\/hiru.gif\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In Odaiba, SNK sought to capitalize on the success of its videogames in Neo Geo World&#8230;by building a park almost devoid of its hit videogame content.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Images of the park during its heyday are almost nonexistent (except for grainy late 90s-era pics like the one below), but the landmark attractions in the park included such gems as a New York-cab themed roller coaster, haunted house, motion theater- and simulator rides, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.date-navi.com\/odaiba\/neogeo.html\">and a fortune-telling themed attraction<\/a>(?).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20000106184801im_\/http:\/\/www.neogeo.co.jp\/ngw\/tennai.gif\" alt=\"NGW image image 2\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20000106184801\/http:\/\/www.neogeo.co.jp\/ngw\/ngw-tokyo.htm\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/297489788af51284cd7176761e382847.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/neogeoworld-defunct\/2\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The attraction was operated on a pay-as-you-go basis, although passport\/POP pricing of 3,400 JPY was available.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Other highlights in the chambers included a 44-lane bowling alley, 19 karaoke rooms, and a cafe with billiard tables.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The park was closed 2 years later, in 2001.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/neogeoworld-defunct\/2\/\"><sup>https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/neogeoworld-defunct\/2\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/neogeoworld-defunct\/\"><sup>https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/neogeoworld-defunct\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph --><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":4} -->\r\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sony_Mediage\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Sony Mediage<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Mediage was a truly <em>original<\/em> \u2013 and based on the theme parks we\u2019ve seen over the years, we don&#8217;t use that word lightly \u2013 indoor theme park concept.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The originality, however, stretched the limits of good attraction operating practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For example, the attraction had only 5 rides or experiences, and three of them were based on the well-known themes of\u2026Coca-Cola, Maurice Sendak\u2019s Where the Wild Things Are, and the Beatles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/e8dee162ab08a66721c71947360bb0e3.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/defunct-mediage\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">These five were upcharge attractions that charged between 300-800 yen, but it appears at least one of the experiences was a game that allowed <em>unlimited access<\/em> (measured in time) for just 800 yen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Which meant that with only 5 attractions total, guests were left waiting for uncomfortably long amounts of time as prior guests entered the capacity-constrained experiences and never left.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">The Coca-Cola themed attraction was a modified bumper car that saw visitors try to maneuver their car into certain positions \u2013 <em>but in the queueing area, visitors also had the option of drinking as much Coca-Cola products as desired<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">We can only assume that the resulting tension between these two \u2018experiences\u2019 was part of the experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/av.watch.impress.co.jp\/docs\/20020701\/sony01.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/av.watch.impress.co.jp\/docs\/20020701\/sony.htm\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Where the Wild Things Are was a multi-level playroom for young children themed after the book by Maurice Sendak, the Yellow Submarine adventure was a simulator based on the Beatles song of the same name, and the Airtight Garage was a series of 3 experiences consisting of a shooter, a bowling alley, and spaceship-like ride.\u00a0 It was based on the French comic strip of the same name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Unfortunately the attraction closed after 2 years, in 2002. It reopened the same year as a free showroom displaying Sony products.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Additional Reading:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/defunct-mediage\/\"><sup>https:\/\/ricebag.net\/travelreport\/defunct-mediage\/<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"endera\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"End_of_an_Era\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>End of an Era<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In 2001, both Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan opened, marking the end of a 15 year boom in homegrown theme park development.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">With the entry of the two majors (Disney &amp; Universal), it was as of developers began to realize what a theme park actually was. Even though Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983, the park&#8217;s success seemed to have been dismissed as a fluke until the two others opened.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Their success also began encroaching on the business of other parks, and Universal Studios in particular appears to have been singularly responsible for a number of fatalities, including the previous Rinku Papara, as well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2002\/04\/13\/national\/hankyu-to-pull-plug-on-its-parks\/\">pair of parks operated by Hankyu Corporation<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Although both parks were opened far earlier than the beginning of the theme park or real estate boom (earlier than even Tokyo Disneyland), the Takarazuka Familyland and Kobe PortopiaLand parks were both facing declining attendance throughout the 1980s and 1990s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Takarazuka Familyland opened in 1911, and saw steady attendance of over 2.5 million a year during the 1970s, and 2.8 million even in 1983, a few years after the opening of Tokyo Disneyland.\u00a0 By 2001, however, that figure had fallen to 1.1 million, victim of what was possibly a lack of reinvestment to keep up with the times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'EB Garamond'; font-size: 20px;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WfVa4PRdv1s<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:core-embed\/youtube --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Kobe Portopia opened in 1981 and by the mid-1980s, was generating attendance of slightly over 1 million visitors annually.\u00a0 In 1991, at the peak of the bubble era, this park too hit a peak of 1.6 million visitors until dropping to less than 500,000 by the end of the decade.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themeparkreview.com\/parks\/pimages\/Kobe_Portopialand\/1997_Park_Map\/kobe5x900.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themeparkreview.com\/parks\/p_417_10001_kobe_portopialand_1997_park_map\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><br \/><br \/><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\r\n<h3 id=\"zombies\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Zombies\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Zombies<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">And so it goes with much of the era\u2019s existing parks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">This in summary encapsulates much of the fate of the Japanese theme park industry: a park built extravagantly, and with a mix of incentives and bubble-era optimism that turns it into a zombie.\u00a0 When the zombie economics of the theme parks become too much to bear, it closes. Permanently.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">If it doesn&#8217;t, the park continues on at levels far below the peak, rarely thriving. See: Phoenix Seagaia.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As another example, the Sanrio company built two parks at the exact height of the property bubble.\u00a0 The 20,000 square meter Puroland was built for a cost of $500 million in the outskirts of Tokyo and opened in 1990.\u00a0 A year later, the much smaller Harmonyland opened for $200 million in Oita.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/farm9.staticflickr.com\/8033\/7999773036_42bf87cdbc_b.jpg\" alt=\"sanrio puroland\" \/><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lifetoreset.wordpress.com\/2012\/09\/26\/visiting-hello-kitty-at-sanrio-puroland-tokyo\/\"><sup>Source<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Both were designed by Landmark Entertainment, who received $50 million for its efforts. Puroland, in particular, consists of a show extravaganza &amp; boat ride intermixed with stores, characters, and upcharge attractions, calling to mind the ill-fated Asia Park.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Both parks have generated operating losses of between $2 and $7 million for at least the past decade, if not longer, with a last recorded operating loss of 200 million JPY (~$2 million) in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Effectively, these parks are 30-year old zombies.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">In theme park industry lore, the Sanrio parks were supposed to be have been built as a gift from the Sanrio chairman to the people, although at nearly $700 million in combined development budget, the parks were quite an extravagant gift indeed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<!-- wp:separator --><hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/><!-- \/wp:separator -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:spacer --><!-- \/wp:spacer -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:heading {\"align\":\"center\",\"level\":1} -->\r\n<h1 id=\"summary\" class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_Summary_Lessons_Learned\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 40px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>In Summary &amp; Lessons Learned<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\r\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>The majority of the parks that were built in the 1980s and 1990s were quick to enter the industry, then leave.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/top10-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1103\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/top10-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">If you had prepared a Top 10 list of theme parks by attendance in 1985,<a href=\"https:\/\/stars.library.ucf.edu\/buzzprice\/113\/\"> <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">as Harrison Price Associates so helpfully did<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, and compared it to now, the list would hardly contain any parks from the 1990s, except for a park that was rescued out of bankruptcy, one that&#8217;s a zombie, and at least one surviving <em>gaikoku mura<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It&#8217;s hardly what you would expect for a country that saw a theme park boom erupt for the subsequent 15 years. Tokyo Disneyland remains at the top spot in the list, joined by its second gate, DisneySea. Universal Studios Japan and Legoland are new entrants, and Nagashima Superland (now Spaland) has moved up a few notches, there are hardly any other entrants. <\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As we&#8217;ve noted before, the persistence of cumulative advantage in this industry is great, and the power of well-capitalized, visionary major brands is undisputed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>What were the causes of this boom? While it&#8217;s all too easy to say &#8216;easy availability of credit&#8217;, the fact that more than half the parks on this list were built after the property bubble had popped in 1991, bears some deeper examination. <br \/><\/strong><\/span><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">At least some of the cause is attributable to legislative inducements; specifically, the 1987 Resort Law.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Under this legislation, local governments eagerly offered up unused plots of land to developers, who received tax breaks and favorable loans in return for revitalizing previously abandoned coal mines and dilapidated land.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As an unintended consequence of this law, however, local governments <em>began to enter these transactions as principal parties (as investors) without clearly understanding the economics of the parks<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">As development proceeded under this law, the mania grew to unmanageable levels as governments and developers alike began to rely on hope, rather than reality. This became especially pronounced after the financial and larger property bubble popped in 1991.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart2-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1101\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart2-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"506\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Click to expand<\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">It almost appears as if banks, governments, and developers alike began to think &#8211; or believe &#8211; that theme parks and attractions would be the salvation of the nationwide malaise or their companies misfortunes. Banks, such as Niigata Chuo, began to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into projects while relying on the most optimistic scenarios.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Excessive optimism as a cause is almost certainly a factor, but unlike the others, it&#8217;s difficult to quantify or support. <\/strong>We can only see evidence of this sentiment in the sheer number of white elephant projects built after the property bubble began deflating in 1991, and in anecdotes such as Gluck Kingdom built with no means of public transportation nearby.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Magical thinking pervaded the nation and infected all sorts of parties, like Mitsui hoping that a 15-minute ride would suffice as a theme park, or its forays into the world&#8217;s largest ski slope.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Or videogame companies like Sega and Neo Geo expanding into the highly non-scalable, heterogeneous business of Location-Based Entertainment, believing there was some sort of magic pill that would aid their business expansion.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">And the government can&#8217;t be excluded as a culprit either; both local and federal agencies like the Ministry of International Trade and Industry were behind plans for underground cities as well as theme parks such as Canadian World.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>Theme park success or failure is often a function of longevity. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Universal Studios Japan <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/the-business-of-theme-parks-part-ii-how-much-do-they-cost-and-earn\/\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">was barely break even for the first few years after opening<\/span><\/strong>.<\/a> Yet a large portion of Japanese theme parks opened in the 1990s did not care to see losses for more than 2-3 years before shuttering their doors. <\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">One can only wonder what would have happened if the vast majority of these parks had solid business plans, visionary founders, or patient sources of capital behind them. <\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Yet most did not, and this point harkens back to a previous one, which is that many of these developments were clearly undertaken by parties such as local governments, who were either not committed to, or not in, the theme park business. This led to a fetishization of the theme park land use type, especially in the form of <em>gaikoku mura<\/em>, or foreign villages, with corresponding lofty hopes for what such a project could do for their municipality.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart3-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1102\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Chart3-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\">\r\n<figcaption><span style=\"font-size: 10px; font-family: Geologica;\"><sup>Click to expand<\/sup><\/span><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\r\n\r\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Theme parks often need a belief to help sustain them, and in the case of most of these parks, their founders had a misplaced one.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>On a more general note, what some of these parks seem to indicate is that a bad business plan&#8230;is simply a bad business plan. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Even after wholesale value destruction, many of the parks that were salvaged out of bankruptcy at prices that were less than 5% of their original construction cost, still managed to fail. <\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Goldman Sachs-backed Ripplewood Holdings was unable to salvage the Seagaia Ocean Dome, and it continues generating losses under a third owner. The Asia Park was salvaged out of bankruptcy by Sega, only to closed shortly afterwards. And the Kashiwazaki Turkish Cultural Village shut its doors no less than three different times, in what became a biennial tradition for the city.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><strong>No one who builds a theme park or an attraction is a pessimist.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Those who bring these fantasy worlds of the imagination to life are necessarily visionaries and dreamers, and even in the rusting, dilapidated ruins, in the zombie operations, and huge empty land plots where structures have been removed or repurposed, you can catch glimpses of a particular time and era.\u00a0 These ghosts remain with us today as emissaries of a time of unbridled optimism and hope for the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">Even while documenting the particular madness of this era, we celebrate the risk-takers and visionaries who at least tried spectacularly. Their efforts left behind relics of a time of unbridled optimism, a real estate and stock market bubble whose likes had never been seen before, a place and era that is unique in the history of the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\">For anyone in Japan, we encourage you to go check them out, abandoned or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:separator --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- \/wp:separator --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 20px; font-family: 'EB Garamond';\"><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-family: EB Garamond;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Interested in this topic?\u00a0 Be sure to check out our founder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Never-Before-Seen-History-World\/dp\/B0DS5QBV5D\/\">Won&#8217;s authoritative book on the subject<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japan in the 1980s was a legendary time. The country experienced a stock market and property boom the likes of which has never been duplicated.\u00a0 The Nikkei stock index hit a peak of over 37,000 in 1989 and a trailing P\/E ratio of 60x.\u00a0 It was an explosive boom, followed by a long bust: 30 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[139,9,44],"tags":[107,108,109,110,18],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-theme-parks","category-waterparks","tag-bubble","tag-history","tag-japan","tag-real-estate-boom","tag-theme-parks"],"acf":{"":"","bfi_title":"","bfi_title_2":"","bfi_description":"","chart_image":"","chart_title":"","chart_description":"","bc_title":"","bc_sub_title":"","bc_content":"","bc_right_side_content":"","highlighted_image":"","highlighted_sub_title":"","highlighted_title":"","highlighted_bottom_text":"","highlighted_button_text":"","highlighted_button_link":"","below_highlighted_title":"","below_highlighted_sub_title":"","below_highlighted_content":"","below_highlighted_right_side_title":"","below_highlighted_list":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theparkdb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}