Back in the early 60s, some people in Japan decided that they wanted to match the excitement of the amazingly popular U.S. Disneyland with a theme park of their own. Nara Dreamland, located in Nara, Japan, was their answer to this problem. And while it was quite successful for a time, it didn’t quite make it. Now, this empty amusement park is a popular destination for urban explorers and photographers.
Nara Dreamland first opened 1961, inspired by Disneyland (a fact made obvious by the many copycat attractions). It fared well until Universal Studios Japan opened up in nearby Osaka and stole away all the customers. After a time, it was no longer financially viable to keep Dreamland open and so it was closed in 2006.
The park is a fairly large site, albeit not close to the level of massiveness that is the original Disneyland. There are many Disney-like structures and attractions at Dreamland, including a fairy-tale castle, a giant mountain bobsled ride, the main street thoroughfare, a monorail system and even a jungle cruise. In addition, there are giant roller coasters, smaller carnival-like rides and attractions for kids. The main street bisects the park and is filled with buildings that would have once been shops and restaurants. Everything in the park is pretty much as it was when Dreamland closed, with cars still sitting on roller coaster tracks and restaurants still stocked with furniture and cooking appliances. This “evacuated” feeling further heightens the spookiness of Dreamland.
Getting into Nara Dreamland to do some exploring is said to be no easy task. In addition to two layers of barbed-wire fencing, security is supposed to be pretty tight. Those caught risk a fine of around $1300 US, so if you plan on going for a look, be sure to avoid the guards. Or you can play it safe and just check out the photos of another urban explorer on this site.
Nara Dreamland courtesy of weheartit.com
