Canadian World (current full name: Canadian World Park) was the third location I visited with my haikyo buddy Michael Gakuran on the first day of our *haikyo trip to Hokkaido*. It was an unsual exploration for many reasons… One could even say it’s a zombie park!
First of all: Unlike most of the locations I visit Canadian World wasn’t really abandoned. Not because it was guarded by security, but because it was more like on a winter hiatus. Located in a beautiful mountain landscape in the center of Hokkaido the Canadian themed park was snowed in completely in late November already, hence the rather short season from early April to mid October and the equally short opening hours from 10 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. – not much time to make some money. And not the best location either since bigger cities are about an hour away and even the closest train station requires a 20 minute long car ride… To make things even worse: Unlike the already closed or abandoned *Tenkaen*, *Hiroshima New Zealand Farm* and *Yamaguchi New Zealand Village* Canadian World actually doesn’t charge an entrance fee!
So how does the Canadian zombie park survive? And why do I keep calling it a zombie park? Well, because Canadian World Park originally was a privately run themed park called Canadian World. It was (and still is…) based on the book Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery and in private hand until its bankruptcy in 1997, including typical themed park attractions like restaurants, an art museum, BBQ areas and a mini train; there even is a “Anne in Canadian World” logo… When Canadian World went bust the city of Ashibetsu took over and gave new life to the dead park, basically making it a zombie park. Or a Frankenstein park. Just without zombies or Frankenstein monsters. Still kind of spooky though, especially in winter. But this explains the lack of an entrance fee and the rather short service time – Canadian World Park is publicly funded and run! (With the co-operation of locals, supporting the park on volunteer days once or twice a year…) Luckily the staff there is really polite, even when you show up at a time when you shouldn’t be there…
Michael and I arrived at Canadian World Park rather late in the day. The sun was already going down, so we stopped for a quick couple of shots at the parking lot and entrance area before we followed a mostly snow free road down the valley and deep into the park – most likely not for public use, but the gate was open and Michael was in an adventurous mood… so down the hill we went. Just to find two park employees at some kind of green house at the end of the road. Michael talked to them for a while and they seemed to be fine with us taking a couple of photos, so we drove back up halfway to get as close to the central plaza as possible. We parked the car in a small lay-by and waded through the shin-deep snow deep into the Canadian World Park, only to find all the buildings boarded up. We didn’t intend to enter any of them anyway, but we wondered if it was a winter closing security measure or if it was permanently, because let’s be honest – it’s only a matter of time till Canadian World will be closed again and this time there will be nobody in line to step in! For the time being the atmosphere there is magical though, especially when covered by snow and no chatterboxes there. The sunset was beautiful and the air was ice cold and crisp. After dark it was the coldest I have ever been in Japan and I don’t feel cold easily. First Michael mentioned that his fingers felt tingly, then my ears felt like popsicles – which reduced the usual old “just one more photo” banter from about 30 minutes to an estimated 5 minutes; plus another 5 for the way back cross country to the car. Not all shortcuts are a good idea, but in the end we made it back to warmth without suffering permanent damage, though a change of our soaked socks was in order…
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Great find. Cool shots.
Thanks a lot!
I find it fascinating that there would be a theme park for Anne of Green Gables in Japan…so bizarre!
There are some very rich and very enthusiastic people in Japan…
Reading “zombie park” and “based on Anne of Green Gables” in the same entry is kind of hilarious, but fascinating! (I love Anne of Green Gables.) I’d love to go there someday!
When I was summing up the sparse information I was able to gather from Japanese pages I instantly thought zombies. Or Frankstein. It hardly ever happens that a private theme park is taken over by the state after it went bankrupt, so that makes this location quite unique. And the fact that it is based on Anne of Green Gables…
Thanks for the lesson- beautiful photos as well!
My pleasure. The place is hardly known to the internet, so it was great to find out more about the place myself!
It was awesome- thanks!
Wonderful photography…frozen in time.
Thanks a lot – we were really lucky! I’ve seen spring photos… Not nearly as interesting!
Thought you might be interested in this….
http://interesting-thingz.blogspot.com/2012/11/an-abandoned-island-in-japan-hashima.html#more
Thanks, but I’ve been there myself… 🙂
Beautiful pictures.
Thanks a lot!
Very interesting post. Your blog is the most unique one I follow ~ the subject matter is compelling and at times a bit disturbing.
Thanks a lot! Believe me, sometimes it’s really disturbing going to those places and taking pictures there… I am glad to hear that I am able to convey that feeling!
looks beautiful 🙂
Would have loved to stay longer, but it was soooooooo cold!
Fantastic videos and pics! 🙂
Thanks!
I hate to think that it went bankrupt!
It really is off the beaten tracks and kinda hard to reach. Luckily the city jumped in and made it a zombie park… for now.
Thanks for visiting my blog ! I hope to keep in touch !
Nothing like good recipe. Might leave out the mayonnaise though. In Japan they put mayo on everything (even pizza!) and I am getting sick of it…
That sounds gross !!! I don’t really like mayo either. I use it every once in awhile 🙂
Great atmospheric photos! As a Canadian, I must say that the architecture looks more like Switzerland than Prince Edward Island, but no less cool because of that! 🙂
I am actually not very familiar with the book, though I remember seeing an (animated?) series when I was a child. The atmosphere there was great, but it was soooooo cold!