It ceased to exist allegedly due to financial problems, however, there is a version - due to non-payment of taxes, which, in my opinion, is strange, considering that it was not in poverty and that we are talking about the Japanese... In general, it is an abandoned park.. However, Japanese abandonment differs from the usual - in fact, it is ideal in order and cleanliness, judging by the materials - http://tourister.ru/world/asia/japan/photoreps/429 (Turmalinka)
The photos below are taken from here - http://wiki-turizm.ru/blogs/entry/sdam-park-v-khor...abotaet-nara-drimlend-yaponiya
No matter how hard you try, you will hardly be able to understand the Land of the Rising Sun. It would seem that something that has been built and works great, and even makes a profit, cannot be discounted. However, this happens, and one of the places in Japan that has been closed since 2003 is an amusement park under the wonderful name “Nara Dreamland”.
But let's take things in order. This park was built and put into operation in the sixty-first year of the last century. Then we had to look for something better and more modern. Thousands of visitors poured into the park and profits flowed like a river.
The park has been constantly updated and improved, and its main attraction is the classic roller coaster made of wood. In 2003 the park was closed and for some time it still made sluggish attempts to resume its viability.
But in 2006, Nara Dreamland was finally closed and the verdict in the documents was disappointing - non-payment of taxes. In Japan they are strict about this, so there was nothing to count on and the park fell into disrepair. Today you can meet only rare tourists and those interested in exotic extreme entertainment.
What fundamentally distinguishes this place from most other countries? It's simple: after almost seven years of abandonment and desolation, absolutely everything in this park remains exactly the same as it was in its best times. All equipment, automation, mechanisms, even slot machines and external surveillance cameras are completely safe.
Wandering among these attractions lost in time, one gets the impression that a person has simply disappeared from these pedestrian paths, suddenly disappeared from the carousels and cafes. This amazing place has its own water park and even a statue of the famous French Emperor Napoleon. There is definitely something to see.
And you can stay in the city where the capital of Japan used to be located; it bears the ancient and proud name of Nara. There is no airport here, so it is better to fly to Osaka, and then take a train or bus to the city. You can rent a room in a hotel or guest house, depending on what you like best.
However, you should hardly count on a tour with a guide and translator. If you decide to visit the park, get there yourself. Locals, of course, will help, for an additional fee, but most likely they will not wander around here with you. The Japanese are extremely superstitious, and the place is still abandoned. So what next - on your own...
Other photos from the albums can be viewed here
Year of appearance: 1961.
In Japan there is an abandoned amusement park called Nara Dreamland, the neglected appearance of which can also scare many tourists. This park opened in 1961, it operated for a little over 30 years and was closed due to lack of funding. While walking through the park, you may get the impression that it was empty overnight; all of its attractions have been perfectly preserved decades later, and in old abandoned buildings you can find slot machines with toys and a lot of other equipment.
The design of the amusement park is very reminiscent of Californian Disneyland; some of its decorations today look especially intimidating. Over the years of neglect, the park slowly collapsed; today, trees have sprouted in many of its buildings, and the attractions are covered with weaving plants and grass. The park has a huge area; since its closure, entry into its territory has been completely prohibited.
The park area is fenced with a high fence with barbed wire and is guarded by police around the clock. Those of the few enthusiasts who managed to visit the abandoned park note that they guard it with special care. The police are not limited to simply issuing a fine for those who entered prohibited territory, but can use firearms without warning. The reason for this behavior of the police is unknown. People with weak mental health are not recommended to walk around the park in windy weather; the old rides make a truly frightening grinding noise when exposed to the wind.
Nara Dreamland Amusement Park and attractions around
Interesting places nearby Nara Dreamland: We also recommend stopping by to enjoy the Dreamland fairy tale park. Among the closest places for shopping, we can suggest the Osaka Tennōji shopping area located. Perhaps in Kyoto you would be interested in exploring the wonderful Yodo Castle complex next door ().
Next there is also something interesting. Be sure to stop by and visit the famous Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Tamatsukuri Church) nearby. Be sure to visit Nara's top art gallery, the Nara National Museum, which is an iconic art destination in Japan. In addition to this, the famous natural monument Kasagi yama in Japan opens its doors to visitors. Consider an excursion to the nearby entertainment center - the huge Hirakata Park water park. In addition, the Heijo Palace palace ensemble nearby will reveal for you the secrets of Japanese history.
Nara Dreamland Amusement Park - interactive map
Nearby airports:
» Itami Airport ITM - in 36 km
- Location: Nara Prefecture, Japan
- Owner: Daiei
- Telephone: +81 742 23 1111
- Working hours: closed forever
Just 50 years ago, life in the Nara Dreamland amusement park was in full swing. However, over time, the number of visitors became less and less, and in 2006 the management made the difficult decision to close this entertainment complex. Let's find out why this happened and what the future fate of this place is.
Why did the amusement park in Japan end up abandoned?
Nara Dreamland was originally conceived as a clone of the American Disney theme park in California. However, during the implementation of the idea, Walt Disney refused to further participate in the project, and therefore Disney characters only partially began to represent the amusement park. To fill the gap, other characters were invented and taken from the national epic, but not nearly as popular as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
The architects calculated the technical part down to the smallest detail, but no one thought about the right atmosphere of the amusement park. The chaotic interweaving of unknown characters with famous ones and failure to follow the chronology of events became one of the main reasons why the Nara Dreamland amusement park in Japan eventually ceased to be liked by guests and turned into an abandoned corner of the country.
Visitors felt that the scenery looked cheap compared to the American prototype. But the greatest blow to the amusement park came when two more similar entertainment centers appeared in Japan - and.
The amusement park required a lot of money to maintain appropriate conditions for receiving guests, but income fell from year to year, and the owner closed the unprofitable facility. It was not sold under the hammer - it was surrounded with barbed wire and simply forgotten about it. But, despite the fact that the park has officially ceased operation, thrill-seekers strive to get here every year. For what? Let's find out!
What attracts people to abandoned parks in Japan?
Nara Dreamland is somewhat similar to Chernobyl - it seems that just yesterday children’s laughter and loud music were playing here, but today desolation and oppressive silence reign here. After the park was closed, guards were posted there to protect the place from vandalism. For many years this was indeed the case, but recently, apparently due to lack of funding, the guards have relaxed and are no longer so zealous in fulfilling their duties. Therefore, in the morning or at night, having plucked up courage, visitors come here, jumping over the high fence.
Some engage in petty theft, but the majority of uninvited guests are simply looking for a thrill. The scenery of the empty park really looks creepy, especially at night. Mostly young people prefer to tickle their nerves in this way. This ghost park is on the list of favorites among extreme sports enthusiasts in Japan.
A common misconception about Japan is that it is such a densely populated country that every city like Tokyo is jam-packed with people, land for sale is measured not in hectares but in tatami mats, and there are almost no empty spaces to be found. But Japan also has vast rural areas, and there are also abandoned places, places that were simply abandoned. The Japanese call these places haikyo (haikyo 廃墟はいきょ).
Some of the creepiest of all haikyo in Japan are abandoned amusement parks. Places where people gathered together to have fun are now rusting and fading into oblivion. And although not all of Japan's abandoned parks look as creepy as the clown in the main photo, some of them really give you goosebumps.
Why are so many parks in Japan abandoned? It seems strange that so many amusement parks were closed as simply as small shops.
There are a bunch of different reasons why some of the grand amusement parks in Japan have ceased to be a profitable business:
- Too many famous parks. Places like Universal Studios and Disneyland, created by large corporations and famous all over the world, are always crowded. Why go to some unknown amusement park when you can go see damn Mickey Mouse for the hundredth time?!
- Problems with banks. Many small parks were financed by banks that issued non-performing loans or offered other harsh conditions. In the long term, the entertainment business could turn out to be unprofitable, amusement parks would close, and their owners would go bankrupt.
- Other Asian parks. Many new amusement parks are opening all over Asia, diverting the attention of Japanese amusement park tourists. Countries such as China and South Korea are experiencing a boom in amusement parks, while amusement parks in Japan have long since reached their peak in popularity. Many of these failed amusement parks were either abandoned or demolished entirely.
And now many people have taken it upon themselves to explore these abandoned parks and provide us with nightmares. Let's take a look at some of the creepiest abandoned theme parks in Japan.
Abandoned amusement park Takakanonuma Greenland
Takakanonuma Greenland is an amusement park that opened in Japan in the mid-70s but quickly closed. In 1986, they tried to open the park again after re-opening it, which lasted about 10 years, but the idea again failed. Since its final closure, the park and its enormous roller coaster have been overgrown with native plants, the metal structures almost completely rusted. However, this does not stop intrepid explorers who are not afraid of the prospect of having to climb over all these dangerous structures.
For some reason, many of the photos from the abandoned Takakanonuma Greenland appear to be in thick fog. Some might chalk this up to the local climate or the time of year these photos were taken, but there is so much fog here that the place really does look eerie.
Abandoned amusement park Nara Dreamland
It's hard to imagine now, but when the first Disneyland opened in 1955, it became a very popular destination. There were almost no other amusement parks that could match it in scale or have a similar approach to business.
Some people visited Disneyland hoping to experience real magic.
Nara Dreamland, which was built in 1961, was in many ways a replica of the original Disneyland, featuring a jungle cruise, a monorail, and a main street. If you compare the maps of these two parks, it turns out that they are almost identical.
In 1983, Tokyo Disneyland finally opened. After Disney's official presence in Japan, Nara Dreamland began a long, slow decline. The coup de grace came when Universal opened its own park in nearby Osaka in 2001. Nara Dreamland was closed shortly thereafter in 2006.
The park itself still stands largely intact, so many unofficial photo tours and photographs of the site exist.
Abandoned amusement park Gulliver's Kingdom
Gulliver's Kingdom was an amusement park based on the British author's classic work of fiction, Gulliver's Travels, which tells the story of a British sailor who travels the world discovering strange and interesting civilizations. You might recognize this book from one of its most famous scenes - when the main character, Gulliver, is tied to the ground by an army of tiny people.
Unfortunately, Gulliver's Kingdom has its own set of unique problems. The park did not have the best neighbors in the world. Among them is the notorious "suicide forest" in Japan, located near Kamikuishiki, a city that was the headquarters of Aum Shinrikyo, the sect that began a series of terrorist attacks in Japan in 1995.
Needless to say, the area near the park has not become a major tourist attraction. Not many people wanted to be where terrorism had settled.
The park was opened in 1998. Very few people came on opening day; later the number of visitors was modest, so the park was forced to close in 2001. The park wasn't going to be demolished until 2007, which meant it spent six years being overgrown, destroyed, and vandalized until it reached a state of complete creepiness.
Abandoned amusement park Koga Family Land
Koga Family Land (sometimes referred to as Koga Family Rand) was another small, independent amusement park that did not survive the mid-90s. It sat abandoned for almost 20 years before it was finally demolished in 2008.
The park was demolished gradually. Many different buildings and attractions remained, including a restaurant, a Ferris wheel, and the wind blowing through them provoked scary sounds.