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(#6) When Disneyland Arrived In Japan, It Was The Beginning Of The End For Dreamland
Disney expanded their cultural holdings throughout Japan, following up Tokyo Disney with Tokyo DisneySea in 2001, and Universal Studios Japan opened less than 30 miles from Nara Dreamland that same year. Tokyo Disney had already been impacting attendance at Nara Dreamland, causing it to drop over the years to one million; by 2004 it was just barely 400,000. The park shut its gates on August 31, 2006, never to open them again.
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(#5) The Park Was A Huge Success For Decades
The theme park was initially a success, and – unless they were willing to travel to the US – was the closest thing anyone in Japan could get to Disneyland. Nara Dreamland was soon doing so much business it was receiving nearly two million visitors a year.
It would continue to enjoy immense success for over two decades, but things began to shift when Tokyo Disney finally opened in 1983.
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(#2) It Tried To Be Disneyland But Money Got In The Way
It all started in the 1950s when Japanese businessman Kunizo Matsuo took a trip to the US. There he was so captivated by Disneyland that when he returned to his country he decided to build his own in Nara, the ancient capital of Japan. Unfortunately, preliminary talks with Walt Disney soon came to an end because of a disagreement over licensing fees, and Matsuo was left with a group of engineers with half-begun plans.
Alright, so it couldn’t be Disneyland exactly – but there was no reason they couldn’t build something inspired by Disneyland, and so they got to work. Only a few years later, Nara Dreamland opened its gates on July 1, 1961.
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(#3) It Was A Total Rip-Off Of Disneyland
Nara Dreamland wasn’t just “inspired” by Disneyland – it was a total rip-off. Huge sections of the park were nearly identical to the original: the park entrance was almost the exact same design, with a classic train depot, Main Street, and a castle that was a low-budget version of the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle. There was even a mountain that looked awfully similar to the Matterhorn – unsurprisingly this mountain also housed a bobsleigh ride, called – very originally – “Bobsleigh.”
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(#9) The Park Was Completely Demolished By The End Of 2017
It was only a matter of time before the property would be developed and that meant the remaining structures of the park would have to go. Demolition began in October of 2016 and finally came to an end in December of 2017, the last remnants of Nara Dreamland having been completely wiped away. As one of the last people to see Dreamland before its total destruction, Veillon felt a dual tinge of privilege and sadness:
"All good dreams must come to an end... But I am sad that nobody can still have an afternoon back in time like me; and that Nara Dreamland will now only stay in my memory."
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(#7) The Abandoned Park Became A Captivating Lure For Urban Explorers
Despite threats of security guards, trespassing fees, and barbed wire, the abandoned park proved to be a popular spot for urban explorers. The strange remains of the once flourishing park, made all the more poignant with their clear allusions to Disneyland, promised a strange adventure and even stranger – if not more beautiful – photographs.
When photographer and explorer Romain Vellon went to the park he was overwhelmed with the complex beauty if offered. He told CNN:
“I had seen earlier images of the theme park, but by the time I made it out there the vegetation had really consumed the rides and structures, which transformed the atmosphere… As I walked through the park I would think about all the good memories that had been made by visitors when it was still open… It makes you almost feel nostalgic. It makes you want to hear the sound of children screaming and families having fun. There was an incredible sense of wonder.”
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Nara Dreamland was almost entirely modeled on Disneyland and opened in July 1961. But with the popularity of Tokyo Disney and Universal Studios Osaka, this once the most popular theme park in Japan had to be closed in August 2006. The abandoned Nara Dreamland theme park is still very spectacular and creepy, the amusement rides are gradually covered by ivy and various vegetation. It has attracted countless photography enthusiasts every year.
After Nara Phantasialand was abandoned for 10 years, in October 2016, SK Housing Development Company began its demolition work, the demolition process lasted for 14 months. You could learn about 10 details about the abandoned dreamland with the generator.
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