Western Village is undoubtedly the most beautiful abandoned place we’ve had the chance to explore, a major milestone of our Japanese road trip. Located in Nikko, a city in Tochigi Prefecture about 150 kilometers from Tokyo, this theme park has been abandoned since December 7, 2006.

Before reaching our destination, we had no idea how difficult it would be to access the park. Its heavy media exposure could have been a disadvantage for us; indeed, there is a multitude of reports and articles on the internet about this unique place. From afar, we could already spot George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. No, we aren’t crazy, and we haven’t been teleported to South Dakota; we are indeed standing in front of a Mount Rushmore replica.

We drove along the perimeter of the park to gauge the feasibility of getting in and noticed it was completely open. There is a timid sign forbidding entry, but even the sign itself doesn’t seem to believe what it says. It’s crazy to find such a place without a single fence or lock to protect it. It’s obvious that outside of Japan, a park of this scale with so much left inside would be vandalized and stripped bare in less than a day, yet here we are, arriving after ten years of abandonment.

God, Japan is a haven of peace and respect—pure science fiction for us, foreigners to this culture. Not a single scumbag looting the place, a total absence of little vandal shits; the Land of the Rising Sun manages to prove that humanity can actually be civilized, just so you know. Let’s quickly ditch France and ask for political asylum here.

Western Village opened in 1974 with an American Wild West theme. When it was created, the place mostly resembled a ranch with horses and a fishing pond; it was only later that the park evolved with the installation of several rides and attractions.

We wandered inside early that afternoon with quite a bit of accumulated fatigue—we already had a morning of exploring and several hours of driving under our belts, and now we had to tackle this massive location. Like a totally exhausted McDonald’s employee watching their clock-out time fast approaching, only to see a bus full of heavy-set tourists pull up ready to rob them of Big Macs, we pressed on, marveling at this Wild West scenery that plunged us into another universe. Fortunately, we still had two full batteries because our cameras were about to overheat.

The sheer joy of having an entire amusement park all to ourselves is priceless, and even if nothing works anymore, the magic still happens. We still had a hard time believing we got in with such disconcerting ease. We’re so used to climbing or squeezing through vandalized fences, tearing our clothes in the process, that it felt like we were walking into a trap, but that wasn’t the case at all.

We were able to take advantage of the setting for various photo shoots with the animatronics on-site, bringing the place back to life just a little bit. It’s simply fantastic. In one of the restaurants, the “Chuck Wagon”, we found a miniature replica of Mount Rushmore at the entrance overlooking a hundred tables, all supervised by a large American flag.

Next, we moved on to the Indian Theater, which used to be a 3D cinema. The folding seats are still there, allowing us to sit down and imagine what might have played out before our eyes. Opposite that is the arcade room with a multitude of games, enough to instantly make you feel like a kid again. There’s something for everyone, from horse lovers to motorcycle fans; there’s no room for boredom. We stood in awe of the Western Gun Shooting, a larger-than-life saloon replica featuring several animatronics engaged in various scenes.

A Quick Anecdote: In one of the claw machines, I placed my rabbit mask inside to trick Marie into thinking it was already there. With our heads in the clouds, we ended up leaving the park without it. Never pull a stupid prank when you’re exhausted. So, the next morning, we had to drive all the way back to retrieve the forgotten item—and luckily, it was still there.

We walked through deserted alleys lined with a bank, the sheriff’s office, the general store, a hotel, a bar, a visitor photo studio, a barbershop—basically an entire reconstructed Wild West town. Pure bliss. Marie and I arrived at the Buffalo Stadium, which back in the day hosted stunt shows with horses—one of the park’s main specialties. There is even a reconstructed church and various other shops.

We then headed towards Mount Rushmore, where the American Dome is also located. To get there, we had to cross a bridge overlooking a somewhat busy road, so we had to be quick to avoid being spotted. To photograph the four American presidents, we had to bushwhack our way through the overgrown vegetation that had taken over the outdoor amphitheater facing the monument.

Then, we walked toward the entrance of the dome, greeted by a magical world filled with bear animatronics. One of them is huge—according to my info, it’s 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) tall—but unfortunately, its spine snapped, leaving its head resting on its feet. The foam giant is slowly collapsing. On the upper floors of the building, we found another arcade and dining area, as well as a Mount Rushmore memorial featuring animatronics and exhibits on the monument’s history.

We left with nearly 400 photos to sort through, and despite hours of exploring, we didn’t even have time to see the entire park, which surely holds many more surprises.

I spent several hours digging up archives of Western Village; below, you can check out several old photos taken by guests, and even a video of the animatronics in action. I also managed to retrieve the last version of their website, including the park map and a brochure from the era—a highly interesting goldmine of information.

A video filmed back then by park visitors. You can see the animatronics in action—the same ones we found lifeless during our exploration: