Moden depiction of ninja with ninjato (ninja sword)

is a Japanese cultural theme park in the Kinugawa Onsen area of Nikkō, Tochigi. The park resurrects and showcases the life and culture of the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

Wonderland spans a site area of 122.3 acres (49.5 hectares). The park's design is based on the Edo period's golden era known as Genroku. Edo Wonderland hosts a wide variety of Edo period architecture from rural lodgings to urban

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

residences and government buildings. It is populated by staff in Edo period attire, reenacting the speech and behaviour of Edo era citizens from lower, middle and upper classes. The park has seven theatres featuring traditionally themed shows including plays,

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

action and oiran shows combined with outdoor live shows, street performances, parades, seasonal festivals and special events. Edo Wonderland also has a range of visitor experiences for adults and children including ninja workshops, Japanese traditional archery and shuriken throwing. You can dress up as an Edo Period character at Henshin Costume House then walk around in the costume and watch how the actors treat you as what you are dressed up as.

History

Edo Wonderland was established on April 23, 1986, in Fujiwara-cho, Shioya-gun,

Tochigi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...

, in what is now known as the Nikko Kinugawa district. Three more parks were constructed in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Overview Cityscape File:もてな ...

and Mie prefectures, but they were sold in the 2000s.

Edo Wonderland Studio

Edo Wonderland contains film studios and a large open set often used for jidaigeki historical films and TV drama series, both domestic and international. The theme park itself, due to its unique atmosphere, is featured on domestic and international travel, culture and variety shows.

Mascot

The mascot of Edo Wonderland is Nyanmage, a samurai cat. Its name is derived from "nyan" (the sound a cat makes in Japanese, equivalent to "meow" English) and "

mage Mage most commonly refers to: * Mage (paranormal) or magician, a practitioner of magic derived from supernatural or occult sources * Mage (fantasy) or magician, a type of character in mythology, folklore, and fiction *Mage, a character class in s ...

", the topknot hairstyle.

Language support

As of 2014, printed park and timetable information is available in English, French, German, Thai, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. English speaking staff are available. Restaurant menus are available in English and Japanese.

Location

470-2 Karakura, Nikko, Tochigi, 321-2524 JAPAN

Use in Media

The park was used extensively during

Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! , often abbreviated or just , is a Japanese variety show hosted by popular Japanese owarai duo Downtown, with comedian Hōsei Tsukitei (formerly known as Hōsei Yamasaki) and owarai duo Cocorico co-hosting. The program has been broadcast on ...

's 2013 New Year's Eve special. On February 20, 2013- Visual Kei band 己龍(Kiryu) released their music video for 悦ト鬱(Etsu to Utsu). The music video was filmed in Nikko Edomura. (In the reference link provided below, their guitarist 九条武政 (Takemasa Kujou) states that this is where the music video was filmed.) Edo Wonderland's Studio 2's Castle Interior was used for the part of the music video that was filmed indoors. The film ''

Pure Japanese ''Pure Japanese'' is a 2022 Japanese action film directed by Daishi Matsunaga and starring Dean Fujioka. This is also Fujioka's first created and produced film. Daisuke Tateishi (Fujioka), an eccentric man with no social skills and a devotion to Ja ...

'', starring Dean Fujioka, was released on January 28, 2022. The film stars an action actor who works at the theme park Nikko Oedomura and was shot in Nikko Edomura in September 2020.

References

External links

{{Commons cat, Edo Wonderland
Edo Wonderland website

Edo Wonderland Studio website

Edo Wonderland Youtube Channel

Amusement parks in Japan 1986 establishments in Japan Museums established in 1986