Haikyo Gulliver’s Final Resting Place

One of the most interesting Haikyo (=abandoned places or ruins in Japanese) was the entertainment park “Gulliver’s Kingdom”

Just next to Mt. Fuji used to be an abandoned entertainment park called “Gullivers Kingdom” including a 45-metre model of Gulliver himself.

Close to Mt. Fuji is a small village called Kamikuishiki in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which used to be the main commune of the Aum sect and the place where the poisoned chemical Sarin for the gas attack on Tokyo’s subway in 1995 was produced.
After the attack the village tried to rescue its reputation and a entertainment park based on Gulliver, Jonathan Swift’s 18th Century literary creation was planned and opened in 1997. Unfortunately the park attracted more visitors who could not care less about Gulliver and his 45-metre model lying on his back in front of Mt. Fuji, but wanted to go where the evil started and the theme park staff regularly got asked where exactly the commune was located and where the Sarin gas produced.
The park was no success and after the bank which financed the park got bankrupt, the park had to be closed in October 2001 and became a slowly rotting ruin.
This map shows how huge the park used to be, it contained several restaurants, some smaller rides, cinemas and theaters, a bowling alley and a huge bob slide.

Beautifully placed next to Mt.Fuji and decorated with strange fantasy statues, related to Gullivers travels. Unfortunately the Gulliver story was not very well known in Japan.