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Toshimaen

Coordinates: 35°44′42″N 139°38′43″E / 35.74500°N 139.64528°E / 35.74500; 139.64528
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the railway station, see Toshimaen Station.
Toshimaen
Park entrance
LocationNerima, Tokyo, Japan
Coordinates35°44′42″N 139°38′43″E / 35.74500°N 139.64528°E / 35.74500; 139.64528
StatusDefunct
Opened15 September 1926 (1926-09-15)
Closed31 August 2020 (2020-08-31)
OwnerSeibu Group
Area22 hectares

Toshimaen (としまえん) was an amusement park in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan, owned by the Seibu Group. It had a variety of rides, including three roller coasters, and a water park with 25 slides and six pools. It closed permanently on August 31, 2020[1] and was redeveloped into Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter which opened on June 16, 2023.

Attractions

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The carousel "El Dorado" is Japan's oldest play machine and is a merry-go-round with a long history in the world.[2]

Produced by Hugo Haase in Munich, Germany in 1907, it premiered publicly at the Oktoberfest. After that, it was operated at carnivals held in various parts of Europe.[3] Due to the deterioration of social conditions, it was transferred to the amusement park Steeplechase Park in Coney Island, New York, in 1911, and was named "El Dorado". Celebrities such as former US President Theodore Roosevelt, Marilyn Monroe, and Al Capone also boarded and were loved by New Yorkers.[4][5]

The amusement park that operated this vehicle was closed in 1964 due to financial difficulties, so it was planned to be disposed of, but Toshimaen bought it for about 100 million yen in 1969 just before it was disposed of. It was loaded into 6 containers in 1970 and sent to Japan.[4] Since the parts were disjointed and the paint had peeled off, the operation started on April 3, 1971 after two years of restoration work under the guidance of experts at the time, such as Japanese carpenters specialized in wooden structures known as miyadaiku, art teachers, and electrical engineers.[6] The restoration cost 200 million yen. A Steeplechase Park admission ticket was found in the vehicle during work.[5]

In 1983, through the Embassy of the United States in Japan and the Consulate-General of Japan in New York, a purchase request came from Coney Island, but Toshimaen replied, "Now, Japanese children are enjoying it," and refused.[5][7]

Models such as horses are installed on the rotating floor. However, it does not move up and down. The rotating floor is divided into three stages. The outermost floor is the slowest, the middle floor is normal, and the innermost floor rotates the fastest.

The sculpture and decoration are in the Art Nouveau style, and are now a valuable cultural property, and were certified as "Mechanical Engineering Heritage" by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers on August 7, 2010.[3][2]

The Nerima Ward Assembly (練馬ねりま区く議会ぎかい) submitted a written opinion to the Governor of Tokyo stating that Carousel El Dorado should be left in the "Nerima Castle Ruins Park" that will be built on the site of Toshimaen.[8] After the park is closed, it will be dismantled and stored in the Seibu Group warehouse.[9]

River pool

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Toshimaen was the first in the world to have a river pool (350-meter, doughnut-shaped pool) in 1965. The water park had other facilities as well, such as a children's pool where toddlers could swim in as well, a wave pool, and the Hydropolis with water slides.[10]

Renewal

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The park closed on 31 August 2020 and reopened as Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter on June 16, 2023. It is the second Harry Potter-themed attraction in Japan after The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, and the second Studio Tour dedicated to the Wizarding World (after the Warner Bros. Studio Tour located at Leavesden Studios, London). Not all of the former park's 22 hectares were used for the new theme park; the majority of the former Toshimaen site was purchased by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government after its closure, and is planned to be developed as a large park that serves as a base for use in event of a disaster.[11]

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  • Toshimaen main gate
    Toshimaen main gate
  • The "Eldorado" carousel. This carousel was formerly located at Steeplechase Park on Coney Island, New York City
    The "Eldorado" carousel. This carousel was formerly located at Steeplechase Park on Coney Island, New York City
  • "Hydropolis" water slides
    "Hydropolis" water slides
  • The "Flying Pirates" and the "Troika"
    The "Flying Pirates" and the "Troika"
  • An attached hot spring facility called "Niwa-no-yu (庭の湯). It will continue to operate even after the park is closed. A hot spring was discovered during an underground measurement conducted to build a subway called the Toei Ōedo Line.
    An attached hot spring facility called "Niwa-no-yu (庭にわの湯ゆ). It will continue to operate even after the park is closed. A hot spring was discovered during an underground measurement conducted to build a subway called the Toei Ōedo Line.
  • Toshimaen five days before closing
    Toshimaen five days before closing
  • Toshimaen five days before closing
    Toshimaen five days before closing
  • Toshimaen five days before closing
    Toshimaen five days before closing
  • Platform at Toshimaen Station on the Toei Ōedo Line
    Platform at Toshimaen Station on the Toei Ōedo Line
  • Toshimaen Station on the Seibu Toshima Line
    Toshimaen Station on the Seibu Toshima Line
  • United Cinema Toshimaen is near Toshimaen
    United Cinema Toshimaen is near Toshimaen

Access

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It is located near Toshimaen Station on the Seibu Toshima Line and Toei Ōedo Line.

References

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  1. ^ "水すいと緑みどりの遊ゆう園地えんち としまえん｜プール、冬ふゆは屋外おくがいアイススケート、釣つり堀ぼりも楽たのしめる遊ゆう園地えんち。豊島園としまえん駅えき下車げしゃすぐ。". Toshimaen.co.jp. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b としまえん「カルーセル エルドラド」 - 日本にっぽん機械きかい学会がっかい
  3. ^ a b 佐々木ささき隆たかし (30 July 2020). "としまえんはいつまで？最後さいごの夏休なつやすみに乗のりたいおすすめベスト5&遊ゆう園地えんち王おうの思おもい出で". るるぶKids. JTBパブリッシング. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b 榎並えなみ秀しげる嗣 (31 July 2020). "世界せかい最古さいこ級きゅうの回転かいてん木馬もくばはどこへ？". 47NEWS. Kyodo News. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "としまえん運営うんえい部長ぶちょう「世界せかいの宝たから」回転かいてん木馬もくばの稼働かどう願ねがう". 日刊にっかんスポーツ. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  6. ^ おだしんいちろう. カルーセル・エルドラド. 株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ豊島園としまえん. p. 巻末かんまつ「カルーセル・エルドラド生誕せいたん110年ねんを迎むかえるにあたり」（株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ豊島園としまえん、2017年ねん9月がつ15日にち）で言及げんきゅう.
  7. ^ "カルーセルエルドラドの歴史れきしについて" (PDF). 共同通信きょうどうつうしんPRWire. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  8. ^ "都市とし計画けいかく練馬ねりま城址じょうし公園こうえんの事業じぎょう化かに関かんする意見いけん書しょ". 練馬ねりま区く議会ぎかい. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  9. ^ "としまえん、94年ねんの歴史れきしに幕まく 世界せかい最古さいこ級きゅうの回転かいてん木馬もくば「エルドラド」復活ふっかつの日ひを待まつ". Sponichi Annex. 31 August 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Toshimaen - Tokyo Travel Guide | Planetyze". Planetyze. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  11. ^ "【速報そくほう】としまえんが8/31に閉園へいえん＆ハリーポッターのテーマパークへリニューアル計画けいかく！オープンはいつ？". Castel.jp. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
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