An urban explorer Lukka Bradburn visited the remains of two abandoned theme parks in Japan after visiting nearby ghost towns deserted in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster
An urban explorer got more than he bargained for when he wondered into the eerie remnants of two deserted Japanese theme parks.
While investigating the nearby ghost towns left in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, 28-year-old Lukka Bradburn stumbled upon a completely abandoned colonial American town area, complete with makeshift hotels, churches and restaurants.
The Western Village theme park, located near Nikkō, Tochigi, shut its doors in 2007, leaving behind a vast, desolate landscape echoing 1800s America. The park, which opened in 1973, drew inspiration from classic American and Italian Western films but was forced to close due to competition from Tokyo Disneyland.
Among the relics Lukka discovered were a replica of Mount Rushmore, saloon bars and a stadium where spectators once gathered to watch jousting and other sports. The site is strewn with mannequins depicting life in the ‘Wild West’ era of America.
Although the gift shop was boarded up and heavily damaged, Lukka managed to find a prop gun on the floor and an arcade filled with original machines. He also explored the remains of Kejonuma Leisure Land, a former attraction in the remote Tohoku region that once drew 200,000 visitors but closed in 2001.
Here, he found a decaying ornate ferris wheel, carousels and children’s train rides. The park had to close due to dwindling demand and Japan’s struggling economy.
Lukka, a printer and father of two, was visiting Japan with fellow explorers when he discovered the parks after researching the areas on Google Maps. He reported that both sites were easily accessible.
“The Western one had a bit of a fence but you could pretty much just walk in,” he explained. “There was no security or anyone watching over it; it was just left to rot.”
Amidst rural settings, mountains, and quaint towns lie the picturesque snowy vistas captured in his photographs. Lukka, hailing from Manchester, described their arrival: “As we got to one park it was heavily snowing and we were having to get through all these bushes. It was quite overgrown.”
During their exploration, they bumped into another urban adventurer – a Japanese man who reminisced about visiting the park as a youngster. The chap, speaking some English, told the group that he had come back to photograph the derelict amusement park.
Looking ahead, Lukka is eager for next year’s return to Japan, keen on delving into more ‘red zones’ and forsaken isles. It comes as time is running out for two killer whales who have been left abandoned in a rotting marine zoo – and they could die without urgent intervention. Wikie, who is 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo spend their long days mindlessly swimming around the same crumbling enclosure as their fate hangs in the balance.
The orcas, who were both born in captivity so could never survive in the wild, were left in their decaying tanks when Marineland Antibes in southern France closed permanently in January 2025. Now left without any mental stimulation, the orcas are forced to fill their days searching for enrichment in their enclosure as green algae slowly covers the abandoned park.