Junglia Okinawa, a new nature-inspired theme park in Okinawa, Japan has set its opening date for 25 July.
Covering an area of around 60 hectares, the new park is being built on the site of a former golf course stretching from the village of Nakijin to the city of Nago.
It is developed by Katana, a marketing and entertainment firm working in the Japanese theme park industry.
Katana CEO Tsuyoshi Morioka is known for reversing declining attendance at Universal Studios Japan in 2010. Not long after joining the park, he started working on plans to introduce a Wizarding World of Harry Potter land.
“We’ve put our hearts into every idea to create the ultimate Okinawa travel experience,” said Morioka, per the Asahi Shimbun. “The theme park offers a unique blend of excitement, luxury and freedom.”
Via the Japan Times, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at an event in Tokyo: “Developing the northern part of Okinawa is very important for the Japanese government, and the opening of Junglia is of great significance.”
The ¥70 billion ($453 million) destination will feature 22 attractions, including a dinosaur safari, and a luxury spa surrounded by tropical plants. It will also boast a hot air balloon ride, zip lines, and more adventure experiences.
It is themed around the region’s subtropical rainforest, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, providing a nature-inspired experience unlike traditional theme parks.
Nature-inspired theme park opens in July
Last year, Osaka-based Katana opened a new theme park in Tokyo called Immersive Fort Tokyo. This unique attraction is rooted in immersive theatre, with visitors able to participate in various experiences across the site.
“A lot of the members of Katana come from theme park experiences,” T. Rick Hayashi, Immersive Fort Tokyo’s senior art director, told blooloop.
“Specifically, some of our key creative members and marketing members came from Universal Studios Japan. They introduced immersive theatre to Japanese audiences.”
Images courtesy of Katana
AloJapan.com