A universally respected and loved theme park in Japan is set to close its doors forever this summer. The Toshimaen amusement park first opened in 1926, and is one of the largest amusement parks in Tokyo, with over 30 rides and attractions, including a wooden carousel made in Germany in 1907 and arriving in Japan in 1971. It is also famous for its various swimming pools, including a 350-metre doughnut-shaped pool, said to be the world’s first ‘Lazy River’.
Sadly, the park is set to close for good at the end of August this year. The owners of the park, Seibu Railway Co. have signed a deal to sell a large chunk of the 22-hectare site to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, with plans to build a municipal park there to be used as an emergency shelter for disasters.
That, however, isn’t the most exciting news to come from the closure of the Toshimaen amusement park. The owners of the park have also confirmed that the land is set to be turned into a Harry Potter theme park, with a view to being open to the public in the first half of 2023. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. will run the Harry Potter attraction, while the land will be leased by Itochu Corp.
The new attraction will be similar to Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London, in which guests can explore the behind-the-scenes of the popular movie franchise. As of yet, there has been no official announcement, detailing more information about the park.
As for the 94-year-old amusement park’s reopening, following forced closure due to the coronavirus, the park is set to reopen to guests as of next week, allowing fans of the park to enjoy it for the next couple of months before closing forever.
