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Cowboys and Samurai: Theme Parks in Japan |
| Section: CULTURE / PEOPLES |
| Author: Stephen Osmond |
| Publication:
The World & I Online |
| Issue Date: 1/1/1997 |
| Size: 2,388 Words, 15,567 Characters |
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More than fifty major theme parks have subsequently opened in Japan, and they are now a significant factor in the entertainment plans of families and young singles. In past years, Japanese concepts of "free time" have been dominated by social pressures and conformity, even at the expense of family life. Salarymen (businessmen) are frequently obliged to indulge in serious drinking bouts several nights a week with their colleagues, group games such as mah-jongg, or relentless practice sessions at massive, multilevel golf-ball driving ranges.
As a release, many Japanese become absorbed by the more insular pursuits offered by pachinko (slot machine) palaces. Last summer, the story of a mother whose children tragically suffocated in a parked car while she obsessively gambled for several hours caused nationwide outrage. The advent of the theme park has given new impetus and credibility to the concept of family-centered leisure and recreation.
The parks' other significant contribution is as an inducement to keep Japanese vacationers at home. More than forty thousand Japanese leave Tokyo's Narita Airport each day during the summer. Indeed, the bulk of Japan Airlines (JAL) business consists of domestic travelers heading overseas.
Japanese vacationers desire something new, something different. Their escapism can be artificial or even based on fictitious or fantastic sources, but it must provide some sense of novelty. The theme parks offer a domestic alternative that is not necessarily bound by day-to-day realities or Japanese tradit...
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... appetites within Japan's domestic marketplace and generate desirable repeat business. Increasingly, urban Japanese define leisure time as an opportunity for personal rest or relaxation, as family time, and as a source of mental and even spiritual renewal. The growing popularity of the theme park reflects a quiet if revolutionary transformation of leisure expectations within Japanese society.
(1,575 of 15,567 characters)
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Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
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The World & I Online is a
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Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
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