KEJONUMA LEISURE LAND [JP]
Exploration #274 Kejonuma Leisure Land (化女沼レジャーランド). Hidden in Japan’s remote Tohoku region, Kejonuma Leisure Land is an abandoned amusement park built in 1979 along the shores of the Kejonuma Dam, a place whose name translates evocatively as “Pond of the Ghost Woman.” Once envisioned as a symbol of postwar recreation and regional revival, the park attracted up to 200,000 visitors a year despite its isolated location. It operated as a pay-as-you-go park and featured a surprising variety of attractions: a Ferris wheel, carousel, tea cups, go-kart track, miniature train, jungle gym, trampolines, and even a small golf course and driving range. At its peak, the site also included accommodations such as campsites, huts, and a hotel, as well as an amphitheater for events.
Like many small Japanese amusement parks, Kejonuma Leisure Land could not survive the economic downturn of the late 1990s and increasing competition from large theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland. It closed in 2000, though it was never fully abandoned. The owner continued to maintain the land and later explored redevelopment plans centered on hot springs. Today, the park is largely reclaimed by nature. Rusting rides emerge from tall grass, with the Ferris wheel still standing proudly as a haunting landmark and a favorite destination for urban explorers.
