The park was left abandoned until it was demolished between October 2016 and December 2017.[1]. It was a massive success and visitor numbers at Nara Dreamland collapsed. Now looking at this abandoned, empty space, it is hard to believe that just 10 years ago, there are fun people. By 2006, the theme park closed, it was all but a ghost town. The castle in Nara Dreamland was based on Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland. It was abandoned for ten years until it was demolished in 2017 Credit: Rex Features 16 Replicas of Disneyland including Sleeping Beauty's Castle featured at the park Credit: Rex Features As you may know, haikyo (wasteland, abandoned places or even urban exploration) is a sensitive subject. Built in 1961 in Japan’s Nara Prefecture, Nara Dreamland was an amusement park conceived in the hopes that it would match the success that Disneyland had enjoyed in California. Nara Dreamland joins a long list of abandoned theme parks in Asia including Wonderland in China and Okpo Land in South Korea. Japan’s abandoned Western Village theme park has a 1/3rd scale replica of Mount Rushmore. These are the latest images taken by Parisian photographer, Romain Veillon, on his journey to uncover the most fascinating abandoned locations from around the world. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The creators of the park were inspired by Disneyland in California and tried to replicate the same feel, copying some of the main landmarks including the Train depot, a Main Street, U.S.A. and the familiar Sleeping Beauty Castle. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. It featured its own version of Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Autopia, Matterhorn and Jungle Cruise however it closed permanently in 2006 and was left abandoned. After Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983, the number of visitors to Nara Dreamland slowly began to decrease, as more people were interested in going to the official Disney park. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Some of you may have heard that the Disney corporation is responsible for at least one real, "live" Ghost Town. This picture was taken BEFORE the park was abandoned and goes to show how bad it was before its closure. Nara Dreamland is known for being Japan’s ‘most famous’ abandoned theme park and is still home to many of its once beloved amusements. Hartwood Hospital – An Abandoned Psychiatric Asylum, Mosney Holiday Centre – An Abandoned Holiday Camp In Ireland, Montréal Mirabel Airport – How The World’s Largest Airport Was Abandoned, Caldwell House – An Abandoned Scottish Manor House. It was in an extreme state of disrepair by the end. Despite starting out as a carbon copy of Disneyland, other attractions were added over the years to take it in another direction. It featured its own version of Main Street USA, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Autopia, … However, towards the end of the construction phase, Matsuo and Disney had disagreements about the licensing fees for the Disney characters (they later settled when Matsuo paid for Disney's help), and MEC abandoned the idea of Nara Disneyland and created their own mascots and trademarks. It was built in 1961, closed in 2006, and was finally demolished on 2016.\r\rHope you enjoy it!\r\rYes Theory are four friends from four different countries who constantly seek discomfort in order to grow. [1] Demolition of the park started in October 2016 and was completed on December 21, 2017. The theme park was sold to SK Housing in 2016 and it was finally demolished in 2017 to make way for housing. It also had a Matterhorn-type mountain (with a Matterhorn Bobsleds-type ride, called Bobsleigh) with a Skyway running through it, as well as an Autopia-type ride and a monorail. Nara Dreamland in Nara, Japan was built in 1961 and was based on the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was not to be however, and in 2006 the park closed, following years of falling attendance numbers. This marked the beginning of the downfall for Dreamland, with attendance numbers dropping to around a million visitors a year. Nara Dreamland (Japanese: 奈良ドリームランド, Hepburn: Nara Dorīmurando) or just simply Dreamland, was a theme park near Nara, Japan, heavily inspired by Disneyland in California. You can see the influences in the large Matterhorn mountain, the fairytale castle, the monorail and the main street. The park also had its own mascots, Ran-chan and Dori-chan, two children dressed as bearskin guards. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Rather than abandon the project, JDSC paid WED Enterprises for the help they’d received in building the park to that point and created their own branding and characters for the newly renamed Nara Dreamland. At its peak, the park had 1.7 million visitors a year. Nara Dreamland in September 2005, less than a year before its … Nara Dreamland, a Japanese version of California's Disneyland, was left abandoned before being demolished in 2016. As part of his trip, he visited the then-new Disneyland in Anaheim and was quite impressed, inspiring him to bring Disneyland to Japan. So if Disneyland or USJ just won’t do, here are 7 abandoned theme parks in Japan for your next visit. Nara Dreamland, Japan. Nara Dreamland is the epitome of many haikyo dreams; an abandoned theme park with all its roller-coasters and rides still standing. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I had adventures in abandoned places in Japan with new friends, in a different style. Some speculate that it may have been caused by a running water pump or a type of bull frog. In 2001, Tokyo DisneySea opened next to Tokyo Disneyland, and Universal Studios Japan opened as well, the latter of which is about 40 kilometers away from Nara Dreamland. Built in Japan in 1961, it was meant to be the country’s version of Disneyland. Sam Howzit/Flickr/CC BY 2.0. When a friend talked to him about an abandoned theme park in Japan called Nara Dreamland, it was all it took for photographer Victor Habchy to book a flight from France to Japan. Kunizo Matsuo began construction of the Japanese version Disneyland in Nara under the company name Japanese Dream Sightseeing Company. Your email address will not be published. The park was almost a carbon copy of Disneyland. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. [4] On October 14, 2016, an urban explorer visited Nara Dreamland and reported seeing demolition vehicles tearing down the Main Street area. Attractions that were copied included Sleeping Beauty Castle, Autopia, Skyway, Tea Cup Ride, Submarine Voyage, the monorail, the pirate ship, double decker omnibusses, vintage cars and the train. Nara Dreamland Even now many thousands are still entranced by Dreamland abandoned, and a few have provided photos of this Disneyland homage in its heyday. Required fields are marked *. It was in continuous operation for 45 years, from 1961, closing permanently in 2006 as a result of falling attendance. 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