Seibuen Amusement Park, in Saitama Prefecture next to Tokyo, will be reopening on May 19 after some major changes.

Seibuen Amusement Park has been open for over 70 years, so it’s no surprise that the park decided to close its doors temporarily and renovate on a bigger scale over the past year and a half. But those renovations are finally coming to a close, and the park’s grand reopening will be on May 19, 2021, full of “new but nostalgic” (新しいのに懐かしい) entertainment in a “heart-warming world of good feelings” (心あたたまる幸福感に包まれる世界).

Much of the focus is on the park’s new entertainment shopping area, designed to look like a nostalgically retro memory of Japan’s Showa era (1926-1989). Thirty old-fashioned stores are clustered in the area, all of them looking like something out of ’60s Japan, and actors will be putting on live performances to further add to the atmosphere. Seibuen also plans to implement their own in-park “Seibuen Currency” at the stores, so you’ll be shopping with some extra-cute cash.

The main attraction of this new renovation is undoubtedly the new Godzilla ride, the world’s first official Godzilla-themed amusement park ride. Aptly named “Godzilla: The Ride,” the ride’s story features Godzilla facing off against King Ghidorah, as guests (part of a special defense force saving Tokyo!) will have to find their way out of the thick of things while in a special armored vehicle.

Another new area drawing attention is “Let’s Go! Leoland,” populated by retro characters from some of Japan’s most beloved cartoons. Spend some time with heroes originally drawn by the famous Osamu Tezuka, like Astro Boy or Kimba the White Lion (called Leo in Japan), with a collection of simple, old-fashioned rides.

Some of Seibuen’s classic rides have been touched up without any major changes, so these symbols of the park will still be there to welcome back generations of visitors.

Source: JAPANKURU