Offbeat Japan An Alternative Guide to Japan
Offbeat Japan An Alternative Guide to Japan
Exploring abandoned Western Village ruins in Tochigi, Japan: urban adventure with three women.
Exploring the abandoned Western Village ruins with three women in Tochigi, Japan.
TochigiUrbex

The Abandoned Western Village in Japan

April 14, 2017
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2 minutes de lecture

Exploration of the abandoned Western Village in Japan with three girls who enjoyed pretending to be part of a western movie.

The Western Village (ウエスタン村) is a relatively quite famous abandoned theme park in Japan. I had the chance to visit it many times, but I would like to share with you the photos taken during my very last visit.

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My friend Satomi has three daughters: Kaoru, Marin and Naomi. They were very keen to cosplay in a haikyo so I took them there, and indeed, we had lot of fun. Here are the result in photos, you can make up your own story. Meanwhile, I will tell you a bit more about the Western Village.

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Once known as the Kinugawa Ranch, this village was built around 1973.

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At the time it was a very simple place where visitors could enjoy cowboy-style activities.

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The owner, a local man called Ominami-san, said that the purpose in life is not to earn money but to make dreams come true and that is basically what he did.

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The ranch became a proper theme park in 1975 and was renamed Western Village.

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This haikyo, near Nikko in Tochigi prefecture, is easily accessible on a one-day trip from Tokyo, so I had plenty of chances to visit.

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The entrance is practically unprotected and has many openings that make access easy for anyone. The owner perhaps stopped caring about trying to keep the new breed of tourists out.

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A stream divides Western Village into two – the actual village, extremely Far West ambiance with barber, bank, prison, saloons… everything is here, just like a movie set (which is where we are, in this article) – and the “Mexican” side.

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Ominami-san extended his theme park each year, to the detriment of his profit margin.

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In 1995, he even added a replica of the famous Mount Rushmore, seemingly on an impulse.

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The park closed in 2007 and is now virtually forgotten.

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But from time to time, tourists driving around the Nikko area are taken aback by this Japanese version of Mount Rushmore that looms up for a second…

Kaoru, abandoned, amusement-park, asia, attraction-park, haikyo, japan, japanese, kanto, people, ruin, theme-park, tochigi, urban exploration, urbex

…and they have to come back to check it isn’t a hallucination!

Kaoru, Marin, abandoned, amusement-park, asia, attraction-park, haikyo, japan, japanese, kanto, people, ruin, theme-park, tochigi, urban exploration, urbex

The Western Village is now being demolished, little by little.

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And it is sad, as it was a fabulous haikyo, especially for those girls who really enjoy it 🙂

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They also visited an abandoned school, so if you are interested in seeing that, please kick me in the comments to post about it 🙂

More Photos

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And for more awesome content about Japan, follow Jordy Meow on Instagram ! 🎵

commentaires

  • Hi there!

    Do you know if Western Village has already been demolished? I’m intending to explore this place (staying in Shinjuku. Oh dear) in December 2017.

    Do let me know please?

    If you could, do drop me an email at [email protected] and I’d love to have a haikyo meet-up with you too!

    Thanks a lot 🙂

    Cheers,
    Steff

    • Hi Steff! Not sure but I think it’s still there. Sorry, but I don’t do haikyo meet-up generally, I go with the same friends nowadays and it became a rare thing since I am very busy with new projects. But I wish you the best and to enjoy Japan a lot 🙂

      • Thanks so much for letting me know, Jordy! Hmm. I think I’ll take a risk and make a trip to WV 🙂 Haha.

À lire aussi...

Who Am I

Jordy Meow
This is me!

I am Jordy Meow, a French photographer based in Tokyo. I explore offbeat places in Japan.

Instagram

Red gates mark the path,
Snow whispers secrets below,
Sky`s blue breath of peace.

赤門の道、
雪が囁く秘密を、
青空の安らぎ。

#offbeatjapan #japan #torii #winterwonderland #shinto #shrine #culturalsights

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Red gates mark the path, Snow whispers secrets below, Sky's blue breath of peace. 赤門の道、 雪が囁く秘密を、 青空の安らぎ。 #offbeatjapan #japan #torii #winterwonderland #shinto #shrine #culturalsights
View on Instagram

Emerald whispers,
Scarlet gate guards timeless paths—
Lanterns light the soul.

エメラルドのささやき、
緋の門が時を守る—
灯籠が魂を照らす。

#offbeatjapan #japan #shinto #torii #forestpath #japaneseculture #serenespace #mossystairs

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Emerald whispers, Scarlet gate guards timeless paths— Lanterns light the soul. エメラルドのささやき、 緋の門が時を守る— 灯籠が魂を照らす。 #offbeatjapan #japan #shinto #torii #forestpath #japaneseculture #serenespace #mossystairs
View on Instagram

Golden light cascades,
Whispers through the rocky arch,
Mystic river dreams.

黄金の光、
岩の門をささやく、
神秘の川夢。

#offbeatjapan #japan #serenity #naturelovers #mysticalplaces #tranquility #countryside

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Golden light cascades, Whispers through the rocky arch, Mystic river dreams. 黄金の光、 岩の門をささやく、 神秘の川夢。#offbeatjapan #japan #serenity #naturelovers #mysticalplaces #tranquility #countryside
View on Instagram

Emerald embrace,
In the circle of bygone—
Nature`s quiet reign.

エメラルドの抱擁、
過ぎ去りし円の中で—
自然が静かに統治する。

#haikyo #urbexjapan #offbeatjapan #forgottenplaces #ancientvibes #naturetakeover #japan

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Emerald embrace, In the circle of bygone— Nature's quiet reign. エメラルドの抱擁、 過ぎ去りし円の中で— 自然が静かに統治する。 #haikyo #urbexjapan #offbeatjapan #forgottenplaces #ancientvibes #naturetakeover #japan
View on Instagram

Dusky bottles sigh
In the silence of lost time,
Light whispers secrets.

光が囁く、
失われた時の中、
くすんだ瓶のため息。

#offbeatjapan #japan #haikyo #urbexjapan #hiddenhistories #forgottenplaces #mysteriouslight #vintagevibes

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Dusky bottles sigh In the silence of lost time, Light whispers secrets. 光が囁く、 失われた時の中、 くすんだ瓶のため息。 #offbeatjapan #japan #haikyo #urbexjapan #hiddenhistories #forgottenplaces #mysteriouslight #vintagevibes
View on Instagram

Winding path of dreams,
Terracotta whispers soft,
Lanterns guide the heart.

夢の小道、
素焼きの囁き、
灯籠が心を導く。

#offbeatjapan #japan #historicvillage #traditionaltown #serenesettings #culturalheritage #lanternlight

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Winding path of dreams, Terracotta whispers soft, Lanterns guide the heart. 夢の小道、 素焼きの囁き、 灯籠が心を導く。 #offbeatjapan #japan #historicvillage #traditionaltown #serenesettings #culturalheritage #lanternlight
View on Instagram

Emerald circle,
Teal whispers `round stories told—
History afloat.

エメラルドの輪、
話を語る青の囁き、
歴史が浮かぶ。

#offbeatjapan #japan #mysticalisland #naturelovers #hiddenjapan #historicaltreasures #uniquepaths

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Emerald circle, Teal whispers 'round stories told— History afloat. エメラルドの輪、 話を語る青の囁き、 歴史が浮かぶ。 #offbeatjapan #japan #mysticalisland #naturelovers #hiddenjapan #historicaltreasures #uniquepaths
View on Instagram

A magical night at an abandoned onsen, where milky blue waters blend with glowing lights in a peaceful forest. Tradition and nature meet in this perfect spot for relaxation and serenity.

幻想的な夜、廃墟の温泉で。乳白色の水と光が森の中で静かに調和しています。伝統と自然が融合し、リラックスと穏やかさがここにあります。

#onsen #japantravel #serenescape #traditionmeetsnature #abandonedplaces #offbeatjapan #japan

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A magical night at an abandoned onsen, where milky blue waters blend with glowing lights in a peaceful forest. Tradition and nature meet in this perfect spot for relaxation and serenity.幻想的な夜、廃墟の温泉で。乳白色の水と光が森の中で静かに調和しています。伝統と自然が融合し、リラックスと穏やかさがここにあります。#onsen #japantravel #serenescape #traditionmeetsnature #abandonedplaces #offbeatjapan #japan
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