Western Village - The Theme Park That Was

When it comes to Haikyo, I usually opt for the overnight option. I'm comfortable going at it in the dark, away from the eyes of those who would think me suspicious. But I admit there are sometimes when the place in question is too interesting, or unique not to see in the light of day. Let me take you through my first time exploring an abandoned theme park. This is Western Village.

Millo, myself, Nana, Basil.

 Coming along with me for the trip this time around are a few familiar faces. There's Basil, my guest here in Tokyo (who, by the time this has been posted has returned to Canada), but also Millo and Nana, who have each been to one of my previous raids (Kappa Hotel and Nichitsu Ghost Town respectively.) It's a fun team and one I'm glad was willing to trail along on this crazy adventure.
 Going in, I knew close to nothing about the Western Village theme park - but I did know where to find it. Geographically speaking, it's only one train station away from Kinugawa, where the Kappa Hotel was located, in the mountainous Tochigi prefecture. I had a picture of Google Maps to guide me.
 Getting into Western Village was not an issue. All it took was a little climbing and we were already in - and in a place so deep in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, there was no risk of any one seeing us. And once we were in, the fun was set to begin.

That's the old Georgia state flag! No racism intended!

They're kinda dorky looking.

 Western Village was a theme park that delivered on exactly what its name implied. Just as the nearby Edomura theme park (which is still running) is based on the Japan of the olden days, Western Village mirrored it in being based on America's Wild West.
 In its heyday, cowboys strolled around, interacting with the park's visitors. Animatronic puppets, powered by pistons and other sorts of clockwork, could be spotted inside practically every one of the park's numerous buildings. And they still can, though they haven't moved since 2007.

 The beautiful thing about Western Village in its state of abandonment is that everything that could've been taken away has been kept exactly where it was by the park's staff. Of course, this is nothing unusual when it comes to Haikyo, but this is a theme park. It was nothing short of amazing to open a door and find what could have easily been 30 to 40 different costumes strewn about the room, dusty, but otherwise completely undamaged by the elements or moth or rat. It was time to dress up.

Everything we needed to take these pictures were found on spot.

 A light reflecting screen here, a fire extinguisher there, and as many props as we wanted to use.
There were so many combinations possible and I felt like I could have spent hours dressing up with the team and taking zany pictures. The park was ours - where else would we have ever been able to shoot off fire extinguishers just for the sake of creating the haze we needed for a nice shot? Haikyo is a thing of beauty. Hell, I even dressed up as one of the park's mascots. That costume was intact too.
We found the largest building in Western Village to be a large hall full of two meter tall teddy bears, standing around and wearing all sorts of patriotic clothing. Stars and stripes in abundance, really. The second floor was filled with what was once fare games, and the third was somewhat of an Indian (as in, Native American) museum. But upon exiting the building through the other side, we came upon Western Village's defining feature: an enormous replica of Mount Rushmore. The entire thing was hollow rather than made of stone, and it's only truly dawning upon me as a write how much effort must have gone into the opening and maintenance of this park that would eventually just be abandoned and left to sit in silence.
 I resolved to do yet another thing that couldn't be done if the park were still running today, and stood upon the head of George Washington victoriously.

God I feel like I've lived.

 Western Village may not be as immense as Disney Land or FujiQ Highland, but it's no tiny little fairground either. Arcades, gigantic dining halls, a haunted house, watchtowers, a ranch, a kids' train line, and a mini-golf course are all included in the package, and that's really just the half of it. It's no wonder our day went by so fast.
 In the end, though, it doesn't take a genius to guess what did the park in - location, location, location. Take into consideration that the two aforementioned theme parks are both much closer to Tokyo than Western Village was. With such powerful competitors, how could this theme park ever hope to stay in business while operating from a tiny town in Tochigi prefecture? Kids will choose Disney over cowboys any day of the week, and this park used to count only on its theme to tide visitors over. Notice that there are no roller coasters or thrill rides in Western Village. The place probably ran into debt and stumbled into bankruptcy shortly after.
 Looking only at the facts, it may not be long until the neighboring Edomura park finds the same problems. And I may chance to climb upon its remains after the fall.