The operator of the Nagasaki Holland Village amusement park has filed a written complaint to the city alleging neglect and insufficient maintenance of the buildings. The park has been closed since May 2021.

In 2016, the current operator signed an agreement with Saikai City, the owner of the buildings and land, to lease a small part of the park and buildings for free for a 10-year term. The city spent 400 million Yen on exterior repairs, with the operator spending 150 million Yen on interior repairs and infrastructure work. In 2021, the operator found issues with the wooden deck built along the waterfront forcing them to temporarily close the park due to safety concerns. 

The Dutch-themed village first opened in 1983. It was developed by Yoshikuni Kamichika, who went on to open Huis Ten Bosch, another Dutch-themed park in 1992 (the park was recently acquired by Hong Kong-based PAG for approximately 100 billion Yen).

It was designed as a replica of Gouda and Hoorn in Holland. It soon achieved great success with Japan’s asset bubble economy seeing a boost in domestic travel and tourism spending. At its peak in 1990, it was attracting around 2 million visitors a year. By 2000, this number had dropped to just 219,000 visitors. The park eventually closed in 2001. In 2003, the property was purchased by Saikai City and re-opened as a restaurant destination called Cas Village in 2005. Approximately 1.5 billion Yen had been spent refurbishing the property. It closed six months later when the operator went bankrupt. Many of the buildings in the park had suffered from termite damage over the years and are not in a condition where they can be leased out.  

The grounds cover 16.5 hectares. One of the attractions was a replica of the 17th century Prins Willem ship, built in a Dutch shipyard in 1985 at a cost of 1.4 billion Yen at the time. After the park’s closure, it was sold to a Dutch company for around 130 million Yen and was moored in the Netherlands.

Source: KTN TV Nagasaki, November 7, 2022.

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