Inside Japan’s abandoned Wild West theme park left to rot for 20 years

Summer is here, and for many of us the season wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a theme park, taking in the rides, rollercoasters and everything else your favourite has to offer.

But for every Alton Towers and Legoland that’s preparing to welcome its seasonal influx of visitors, there are many others which have closed their doors over the years – and been left to rot, with their rides and attractions still standing.

Unsurprisingly many of these have become a source of fascination, with one urban explorer coming across this park in Japan which still sits abandoned more than 20 years after it shut.

Western Village – located in Nikko, around two hours drive from Tokyo – was a once-popular arcade and entertainment park, but as explorer Luke Bradburn discovered when he visited, the bustling family destination has now descended into decay.

The park originally opened its doors in 1973 as a small attraction called Kinugawa Family Ranch, which focused on fishing, horse riding and other outdoor pursuits.

After being rebranded as Western Village in 1975 – and taking its inspiration from the American Wild West – it became a booming tourist destination, with crowds flocking from all over the world to visit.

Those who went had the chance to enjoy a recreation of a 19th Century frontier town, complete with bank, barber shop, sheriff’s office and general store, as well as arcades, animatronic displays and live stunt shows, in which actors playing cowboys and outlaws would re-enact gunfights.

There was even a train visitors could take round the park – which often was the subject of a staged robbery by actors playing outlaws.

And in 1995 the park added its biggest feature – a £20 million, one-third scale replica of America’s famous Mount Rushmore, which was carved into the landscape.

But despite its initial success Western Village – which it’s estimated cost its owners over £75m over the decades – gradually began to lose out to competitors such as Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disneyland.

In 2007 it shut its doors for the last time – and as Luke discovered when he visited in 2024, it has since become frozen in time.

‘When I was walking around, it felt so apocalyptic,’ the 28-year-old from Bury, Greater Manchester, explained. ‘It was completely silent but everything still remaining yet overgrown.’

Many of the park’s sections appear untouched since the day it was closed -with arcade machines gathering dust, abandoned bottles still sitting on tables and eerie animatronics scattered throughout the site.

Inside, entire sections appear untouched since the day it closed, with dusty arcade machines, eerie animatronics, and even abandoned bottles still sitting on tables.

Luke also discovered creaking saloon-style buildings which once played host to thousands of tourists – as well as testing out the long-forgotten arcade games.

He added that the site shut due to the increase in competition from other amusement parks – while its remote location didn’t help matters either.

‘It’s crazy to see how everything is still intact,’ he said. ‘It’s very different in Japan.

‘The crime rate is so low that abandoned buildings don’t get looted or destroyed as quickly, leaving them stood but derelict for years.’

The park has remained a source of fascination for those who visit the area – with other urban explorers staging walkthroughs on social media as they take in the disrepair and rotting attractions.

The website Offbeat Japan reported in January 2026 that the replica Rushmore was still attracting visitors – ‘who have to come back to check it isn’t a hallucination’ – but added that what remains of the park is ‘now being demolished little by little’.

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