Nijigen no Mori
 | |
| Location | Awaji, Hyogo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°34′33″N 135°00′25″E / 34.575972°N 135.006861°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 15 July 2017 |
| Owner | The Pasona Group |
| Operated by | Nijigen no Mori Co., Ltd. |
| Theme | Anime and manga |
| Website | Official website |
Nijigen no Mori (ニジゲンノモリ, lit. "two-dimensional forest") is a theme park in Awaji, Hyōgo, Japan. It opened on July 15, 2017, and features attractions and activities based on several Japanese manga, anime and game franchises, including Naruto and Dragon Quest.
History
[edit]Plans for a park to revitalize the area were first submitted to the Hyōgo prefectural government in 2013.[1] The Pasona Group's plans for an anime and manga amuseument park to be constructed in Hyogo Prefectural Awajishima Park were chosen from these submissions.
Upon launch, the park featured attractions based on Yoshito Usui's Crayon Shin-chan and Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix.[1] In 2018, the park added new attractions based on the Naruto and Boruto franchises.[2][3]
In 2019, the park further announced a Godzilla expansion, building a life-sized Godzilla replica statue on its grounds.[4] The statue's appearance is based on the version seen in Hideaki Anno's Shin Godzilla.[5] The attraction was officially opened in October 2020.[6]
In 2020, Dragon Quest-based attractions were further announced and officially opened in 2021.[7][8]
Areas and attractions
[edit]The park features a variety of attractions, including scene recreations, life-sized statues, mazes, and augmented reality (AR) photobooths.[3] The park is divided into permanent sections based on different franchises, with limited time collaborations being held from time to time.
Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park
[edit]The Crayon Shin-chan Adventure Park area features several zipline courses as well as displays of the series' characters and items. A total of 53 different Shin-chan statues are placed around the park. At night, this area becomes a night walk themed after Phoenix, using projection mapping technology to create a narrative for visitors to experience.[1][9]
Naruto & Boruto Shinobizato
[edit]The Naruto & Boruto Ninja Village features a recreation of the Hokage Rock as well as statues of characters from the series. Visitors can walk through a themed maze and undergo ninja missions as well as use AR technology to photograph themselves doing ninjutsu.[3]
Godzilla Interception Operation
[edit]In Godzilla Interception Operation, visitors can undergo various 'missions' to pacify Godzilla. These include various zipline courses into and around the Godzilla statue, shooting games, and AR mystery-solving games. A permanent Godzilla Museum is also on the premises.[6]
Dragon Quest Island
[edit]The Dragon Quest Island area features an open-air RPG style of gameplay, where visitors can choose to play as various character classes that appear in the original game such as mages, thieves, warriors, or martial artists. Players travel through the themed area solving puzzles and fighting monsters with the help of an IC tag.[8]
Limited time collaborations
[edit]The park has done limited time collaborations with attractions featuring characters and events from Demon Slayer,[10] Spy × Family,[11] Bleach,[12] and Monster Hunter.[13]
Access
[edit]Nijigen no Mori and Hyogo Prefectural Awajishima Park in general can be accessed via the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway by car. It is around an hour away from Shin-Kōbe Station via express bus.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Shirahaze, Shoichi (March 23, 2017). "Anime theme park to open on Awajishima island". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (November 6, 2018). "'Nijigen no Mori' Theme Park Launches Naruto/Boruto Attraction in April". Anime News Network. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Ijichi, Katsuyuki (April 19, 2019). "Believe it -- Naruto theme park opening in Hyogo Pref". The Mainichi. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Full-scale Godzilla themed area to open at western Japan park". Kyodo News. October 31, 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Amusement park builds gigantic 120-meter Godzilla structure". Japan Today. November 11, 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b Wakatsuki, Yoko; Wong, Maggie Hiufu (November 12, 2020). "New Japanese theme park attraction lets guests zipline into Godzilla's mouth". CNN. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Baseel, Casey (December 11, 2020). "Dragon Quest town and adventure RPG attraction coming to Japanese theme park". SoraNews24. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b Ikuta, Chihiro (October 15, 2022). "Hyogo: Adventurers wanted at Dragon Quest Island". The Japan News. Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "日本淡路島「蠟筆小新主題公園」，超過 50 隻小新雕像讓你拍到瘋掉！". Juksy. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Mori, Naoyuki (May 27, 2022). "'Demon Slayer' attraction opens on Awajishima island". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "ニジゲンノモリ、アニメ「ブリーチ」とコラボ 映像や照明で夜の園内演出、臨場感も 淡路". Kobe News Next. 神戸新聞社. September 22, 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "モンハンに没入して討伐挑め…淡路島「ニジゲンノモリ」". Yomiuri Shimbun. July 30, 2024. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Access - How to get to Nijigen no Mori". Nijigen no Mori. Retrieved 30 September 2024.