Cast members of Junglia Okinawa welcome visitors with smiles in Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture, on the morning of July 25.
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Junglia Okinawa, the first full-scale theme park in Okinawa Prefecture, marked its first anniversary on July 25. The park opened with much fanfare in a mountainous area spanning Nakijin Village and Nago City in northern Okinawa.
It was expected to become a new catalyst for the prefecture's tourism industry, but visitor numbers have fallen short of expectations.
"Unfortunately, the results have not reached the numbers we had hoped for," Takeshi Kato, CEO of park operator Japan Entertainment, said at a press conference marking the anniversary.
Mixed Reviews
Although the company has not disclosed its official target, Junglia said before opening that it could become profitable with more than 1.5 million visitors a year. That figure was roughly half the annual attendance of the popular Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.
However, actual attendance reached only 1 million visitors in its first year, including users of the adjacent spa facility. That was just two-thirds of the level the park indicated was needed to achieve profitability. Revenue is expected to exceed ¥10 billion (about $61 million).
The park attracted nationwide attention through promotional videos featuring computer-generated imagery, but some visitors said the actual experience did not match the image portrayed in the advertisements.
Developed on the site of a former golf course, many said Junglia failed to deliver the dense jungle atmosphere they had expected. Disappointed reactions have spread across social media.
While many visitors have praised the staff's hospitality and restaurant offerings, online reviews have also criticized long wait times and other issues. Attendance has also remained uneven, with the park increasingly seeing relatively quiet weekdays.
With many outdoor attractions, Junglia is highly dependent on weather and seasonal conditions, and a range of issues emerged soon after its opening. To address challenges posed by heat and sudden rain, the operator added more benches with parasols and air-conditioned rest areas throughout the park.
Improvements and Expected Impact
After reviewing visitor guidance procedures and other operations, the company managed to reduce wait times for popular attractions to one-fifth of their previous length. Kato said the improvements had helped raise visitor satisfaction to 90%.
Northern Okinawa has long relied heavily on day-trip tourism, with many visitors passing through the region without staying overnight. Junglia, which covers 60 hectares, a larger area than Tokyo Disneyland's 51 hectares, was expected to create new demand and encourage longer stays.
The Ryugin Research Institute, a local think tank, estimated that the park would generate an economic impact of ¥49.4 billion (about $300 million) during its first year.
However, a woman in her 50s who runs a restaurant in Nago City said, "The number of customers increased during the construction period before Junglia opened, but after its opening, the increase has been only slight."
Stronger Management and Repeat Visits
Increasing visitor numbers and strengthening management have become urgent priorities. Travel and aviation analyst Kotaro Toriumi said, "At present, many people visit Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium but do not go to Junglia. The challenge is creating an attraction that offers experiences unique to Okinawa."
Encouraging repeat visits will also be crucial. The operator has begun selling discounted tickets priced at ¥2,970 (about $18), less than half the regular one-day ticket price of ¥6,930. The tickets allow visitors to use one designated attraction, targeting those who want a shorter visit.
However, Toriumi said the park needs to give people a reason to return, such as by developing memorable characters and stronger branding. "The key going forward will be whether Junglia can overcome the negative image it gained during the difficult period after opening," he said.
Okinawa has long been described as having a "sieve economy," with tourism revenue flowing out of the prefecture to mainland Japan and overseas rather than remaining locally. Overcoming that longstanding challenge will require Junglia to prove it can become a sustainable driver of regional growth.
(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Naoki Otake, The Sankei Shimbun
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