29 Oct 2014
Edo period theme park to explore 250 years of history at Osaka Castle
BY Tom Anstey
Osaka Castle in Japan will soon be home to a historical theme park after the Osaka city government confirmed plans for an Edo period attraction situated within the grounds of the 16th century building.
Attractions in the theme park will include a photo studio where visitors will dress in traditional samurai outfits and a series of restaurants designed to feel as though guests are dining in Osaka during the Edo period. The guesthouse inside the castle grounds will be converted into a party venue, while actors will pretend to be from the time period around the grounds.
The plans have been confirmed by the Osaka city government
The theme park, scheduled to open within the next year, will be managed by a consortium made up of Dentsu and Daiwa House Industry, which will take charge of park management on a 20-year contract starting 1 April 2015. As part of the management contract, the Osaka city government will receive seven per cent of profits made through the attraction, in addition to an annual fee of ¥226m (US$2.1m, €1.7m, £1.3m).
The Edo period took place between 1603 and 1868, and during that period Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 Daimyo (regional leaders). The time period is noted in Japanese history as being characterised by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies and popular enjoyment of arts and culture.
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