Western Village

Western Village was a theme park in Nikko, Japan, recreating a 19th-century American frontier town. The facility included replicas of buildings such as a sheriff's office, bank, hotel, and several saloons, along with outdoor areas for shows and activities.

The site began in the early 1970s as Kinugawa Family Ranch, a simple horse ranch for families. Over the following decades it expanded into a full western theme park and closed in 2006.

Staff members performed daily shows dressed in period cowboy costumes, demonstrating frontier activities and entertainment for visitors. The attraction aimed to recreate the American frontier era for an audience familiar with that culture mainly through movies and television.

The park was located in Tochigi prefecture, about two hours from Tokyo, accessible through the Kinugawa transportation network. Since closing in 2006, the site has remained abandoned and is not open to the public.

During the 1990s, the park built a large reproduction of Mount Rushmore with the faces of American presidents. This unexpected addition brought a piece of South Dakota to the Japanese mountains and remains partially visible today.

Official opening: October 1973

GPS coordinates: 36.77297,139.71008

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:24