Western Village / Wild West Theme Park, Japan

Western Village is an abandoned Wild West theme park in Japan. The shops and arcades feature animatronic cowboys. The whole feel is reminiscent of the Westworld movie/series.

Rumours circulated online in the mid-2010s of its demolition. Clearly, this was not entirely accurate, as we visited in the spring of 2019. During this time heavy machinery was moved onto the site. However, they were only here to remove the locomotive. You can read about the other exiting locations we visited in my blog.

History of Japan’s abandoned wild west theme park

Every story has a humble beginning; the attraction opened in the early 1970s. The beginnings were modest; a small family-owned guest ranch alongside an existing hot spring attraction. Initially, this was a simple place where people could stay and enjoy cowboy-themed activities. These would include lasso practising, horse riding and fishing. Over time the attraction grew in popularity and enjoyed hard-earned success. After just two years the ranch had evolved into a real theme park. Consequently, it was time for a name change; welcome, to Western Village.

The owner had a motto “the purpose in life is not to earn money but to make dreams come true”. Ultimately, this is what he set out to achieve with this, his life’s work. Over the years the park expanded, and new zones and attractions were added. In more recent year visitors were able to rent segways, and zip around Western Village in style. From time to time the park was also used as a film set for promotional videos and even movies. Nearly 1 million visitors enjoyed the park every year at the peak.

The Western Village began to lose popularity in the mid-2000s. As a result ticket prices were reduced to attempt to attract more people. Unfortunately, this was not enough to save the park. Perhaps newly opened Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan offered a more powerful draw for the crowds. After years of costly expansion, the park was also heavily in debt. Eventually, it was announced the park would temporarily shut for maintenance. In fact, the park did not re-opened and has stood derelict for nearly 15 years.

The themed zones of Western Village Theme Park

Wild West Frontier Town

Near the park entrance is the wild western town area. These wooden buildings and streets re-create a rather convincing American frontier town. These buildings are more than just 2D facades; each building was real and could be entered. There was a Sheriff, bank, jail, shop, barbers and saloon. Also, there is a covered seating area with benches. The western town streets were also used as a backdrop for Wild West shows. The shows included choreographed gunfights and played four times a day.

There is also a church, which stands out as being in fact…a real church. Indeed, one of the few “real” parts of Western Village. This wooden building was brought to the park all the way from California! In front of the church is a giant plastic buffalo. There is a rectangular opening in its side. This was once the “Sheriff Spirits” drink and snack stall.

Included in this area is also a large indoor games arcade. This is still filled with many machines, including toy capsule machines (called “gashapon”). Inside there are many arcade games, including; Crazy Taxi, Space Harrier, Alpine Racer 2 and Final Furlong. The main attraction here is the “Western Gun Shooting” game that featured animatronic human targets in a saloon setting. There are also basketball games and a Can Alley game. In front of the arcade is an outdoors shooting game, with some very steampunk looking blasters!

Mexico Land

The rear of the Western Village park lies on the other side of a river, named the Rio Grande. It is accessed via a precarious wood and rope bridge. This area had a locomotive ride, as well as an American car museum and horse-riding area. This was the Mexico Land region of the park.

Replica Mount Rushmore

In the mid-1990s a new zone was added to Western Village; the famous reproduction Mount Rushmore. This new area cost approximately $25 million. The Mount Rushmore is a 1/3 scale replica and features a stage and open-air auditorium.