OSAKA -- If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then for the past two decades Tokyo Disneyland has been the focus of much admiration. The stunning success of the theme park -- average annual visitors for the past 10 years is 17 million -- has spawned countless imitators across Japan. Apparently, envious local governments were looking to create a little Disney magic in their own backyards.
Most of these Disney wannabes, however, proved to be slipshod, ill-conceived efforts. Plans seemed to based not on what the public would want from a theme park but what a theme park might bring public officials, namely a quick buck and extra votes. So uneasy liaisons were entered with shady designers and construction companies, resulting in parks with such boneheaded concepts as Gulliver's Travels or the Canadian Wilderness. And the list of failed, and failing, local theme parks throughout Japan grows longer each day.
For years, Tokyo Disneyland officials could afford to chuckle quietly at these ridiculous attempts to copy their success. But now, for the first time, it has been met with a truly serious competitor -- Universal Studios Japan, which opened in Osaka last April. While USJ officials downplay the competition, saying there is ample room in Japan for both parks, they are no doubt aiming to reach TDL's record figures, even outdo them.