Visitors enter the newly opened Junglia Okinawa — Morning of July 25, Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture. (©Sankei by Naoki Otake)
Japan's newest theme park, Junglia Okinawa, officially opened to the public on July 25 amid tropical rain and high expectations. Located in the forested hills of northern Okinawa, the park is the latest project from Tsuyoshi Morioka, a renowned marketing strategist known for revitalizing Universal Studios Japan and for his branding work through his company, Katana Inc.
The project is a ¥70 billion JPY (around $472 million USD) initiative that presents Junglia as a "nature-immersive theme park of overwhelming scale." It combines fantasy storytelling with Okinawa's natural beauty to offer a completely new kind of theme park experience. Despite its bold vision, the park's debut has received mixed reviews.
A New Kind of Theme Park
Junglia promotes itself as a next-generation attraction where visitors can escape modern life and reconnect with nature. It spans 60 hectares of a former golf course in Nago City and Nakijin Village, near the World Natural Heritage-listed Yanbaru forest.
Attractions include Sky Phoenix, a roughly 280‑m zipline soaring through the Yanbaru forest canopy, and Horizon Balloon, a gas balloon offering 360° panoramic views above the sea and treetops. Dinosaur Safari, an off-road vehicle adventure, features life-sized animatronic dinosaurs. These experiences are part of a broader lineup of 22 attractions.
Mixed Early Impressions
Despite its ambitious concept and cinematic setting, sources suggest that early visitor feedback has been underwhelming. According to a survey by Ryukyu Shimpo, a local Okinawan newspaper, 74% of guests on the first two days said they were only able to experience two or fewer attractions during a full-day visit. The highest reported number was just four.
When asked to rate their experience on a five-point scale, half of the respondents gave the park a 1 or 2 — the lowest scores. While many praised the visual design and overall concept, they also criticized long wait times, a lack of shelter from the rain and wind, and difficulty navigating the park.
Others questioned whether the experience was worth the ticket price — ¥6,930 (about $45 USD) for Japanese residents and ¥8,800 for overseas visitors, under a two-tier pricing system.
Furthermore, on July 28, Junglia's Google Maps reviews temporarily disappeared, causing confusion as well as speculation. The park addressed the issue on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, explaining that it was in contact with Google to resolve any technical delays.
Financial Controversies
In late June and early July, NewsPicks published a series of investigative reports questioning Katana's financial health and governance practices.
According to the reports, Katana posted a net loss of ¥2.4 billion (about $15 million) for fiscal 2024. They also added that recent projects, including Seibu-en Amusement Park and the immersive venue Fort Tokyo in Odaiba, have underperformed.
More controversially, Katana was found to have made multi-million-yen annual payments to a separate consulting firm, Morioka Marketing Laboratory, reportedly run by Morioka's family members. Critics raised concerns that some of the ¥8 billion invested by the government-backed Cool Japan Fund may have been funneled to the related private entity.
Katana issued two public statements in response. The second, dated July 3, denied any misuse of public money. It stated, "There is absolutely no fact that any portion of the ¥8 billion invested by the Cool Japan Fund was paid to Morioka's personal corporation."
The company explained that the entire investment — along with additional private capital — had been injected into the operating company that manages Junglia. The Cool Japan Fund echoed this explanation in a separate press release.
However, Katana has declined to provide details about the payments to Morioka Marketing Laboratory, citing confidentiality.
Local Hopes, Long-Term Stakes
Unlike many large-scale tourism developments in Okinawa, Junglia is backed by a majority of local capital. Around 70% of the operating company's shareholders are Okinawan firms, including Orion Beer and Ryubo Holdings. These companies are also involved in food and retail operations within the park.
The goal is to counter the so-called "zaru keizai" (strainer economy), where tourism revenues leak off the island without benefiting local residents.
Economic studies by Kansai University estimate that Junglia could generate ¥6.8 trillion (about $42 billion) in economic impact over the next 15 years. This would come through job creation, regional branding, and increased tourism.
As the busy summer travel season unfolds, Junglia's team must now demonstrate that this immersive nature park can offer a pleasant experience even through fickle weather and live up to its promise.
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Author: JAPAN Forward
