is an amusement park in

Hirakata, Osaka file:Hirakata Park.jpg, 260px, Hirakata Park is a Cities of Japan, city in northeastern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 397,681 in 183075 households and a population density of 6100 persons per km2. The total ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, nicknamed "Hirapah". The park is managed by Keihan Leisure Service and is located on the Keihan line at . It takes advantage of its hilly landscape to site 43 attractions on .

History

Hirakata Park is the oldest amusement park in Osaka, Japan. It opened in 1910, when Kikuningyō-ten, the "Chrysanthemum Figure Exhibition," was held near Keihan Hirakata Station (later renamed Hirakata-kōen Station). In 1965, a public pool was built, which promoted swimming at Hirakata Park. Seven years later an ice rink was built to increase the park's attendance during the winter months. In 1988, the “Red Falcon" roller-coaster was built, followed by the construction of a

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...

in 1991. Around 2000, Hirakata Park's was touched by the general decline of the industry, resulting in the closure of many amusement parks in the Kinki region. This was caused by the ageing population, and also competition from

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operated by a whol ...

that was built in Osaka in 2001. Despite having debt, Hirakata Park managed to remain open. In April 2009, the park started using popular figures as promotion ambassadors under the name "Hirapā Nīsan". The following years, Hirakata Park grew in popularity and paid off its debt.

Current Directors

The first Hirapā Nīsan in April 2009 was Ryūichi Kosugi, a Japanese entertainer. He aimed to break the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for number of visitors. He retired in March 2013, and

Junichi Okada is an actor and a former member of Japanese boy band V6, which was under the management of Johnny & Associates. He joined Johnny & Associates at the age of 14. Music career In the summer of 1995, Okada participated in ''Johnny's Pre-School'' ...

, a Japanese TV performer, was elected as his successor in April 2013. Being born in Hirakata, he successfully boosted the popularity of the park, especially in Kantō and Kyūshū.

Facilities

Attractions

There are 45 attractions in the park. The main roller coasters are Elf, a wooden roller-coaster of in length and a maximum speed of , and the Red Falcon, a roller-coaster of approximately in length and a maximum speed of . On April 5, 2014, the park also started with blindfolded rides on its attractions the Giant Drop Meteor, the Mokusei Coaster Elf (木製コースター　エルフ) and Uncle Frodo no Korottorokko (アンクル･フロドのころっとろっこ). Other play areas include swimming pools in the summer, skating rinks and Snow Land.

List

*Mokusei Coaster Elf (木製コースター　エルフ) *Troll panic Pachanga *Yūreiza (幽霊座) *Octopus Panic *Legend of Luxor *Kite Flier *Wave Swinger *Giant Drop Meteor *Guruguruō (ぐるぐる王) *Red Falcon *Waterfall of Screaming Bash *Hairpin Coaster Crazy Mouse *Karakuri Yashiki Makafusigidō (からくりやしき摩訶不思議堂) *3-D Laser Battle Makai no Mori Densetu (3Dレーザーバトル　魔界の森伝説) *Merry-go-round *Fantasy Cruise *Gnome Train *Rowdy *Strawberry café (Teacup) *Honey Hacchi (ハニーハッチ)　 *Burning Fight *Kachinkochin (カチンコチン) *Itazura Mazyo no Labyrinth (いたずら魔女のラビリンス) *Putter Golf *Sky Walker *Cycle Monorail *Card Meiro Gurui Mori Daibōken 2 (カード迷路　ぐるり森の大冒険2) *Anpanman Happy Sky *Circuit 2000 *Dolphin Paradise *Fan Fan Journey *Adventure Safari *Fantasy Castle *World Derby *Panic Racer *Pipin to Poppy no Kurukuru Helicopter (ピピンとポピーのくるくるヘリコプター) *Uncle Frodo no Korottorokko (アンクル･フロドのころっとろっこ) *Wizard's Magical Jumping *Dowsing Mountain *Dōbutsu Haguhagu Town (どうぶつハグハグたうん) *Kids Square *Hushigi Kouzan (ふしぎ鉱山) *Arcade Game Festa *Game House Joy Box

References

External links

Official website
{{coord, 34, 48, 20.8, N, 135, 38, 17.27, E, type:landmark_region:JP-27, display=title Hirakata, Osaka Amusement parks in Japan Tourist attractions in Osaka Prefecture Buildings and structures in Osaka Prefecture