To celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2020, Saitama amusement park Seibuen decided to upgrade its historic grounds with a new – or rather, old – design based on the Tokyo cityscape of the 1960s.
Complete with restaurants serving old fashioned food, such as spaghetti napolitan and croquettes, a historic tram that once chugged along the streets of Nagasaki and live performances, the old-school shotengai (shopping street) setting will make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time.
The renovation is more than just a new theme, though. After exiting the bustling town, you’ll not only find the park’s Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and famous octopus ride, but also a large new attraction supervised by Japanese movie director and visual effects artist Takashi Yamazaki. The ride will be installed inside a building resembling a 1960s cinema, a nod to the go-to form of entertainment in post-war Japan.
Seibuen, which is popular for its large pool and fireworks in summer and its massive illuminations in winter, has been closed for renovation since November 2020, so we’ve only got artists’ impressions of the park for now. But it’s set to reopen sometime in spring 2021 and we can’t wait to check it out.
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