Gaia Series 107: Creating a New Market in Okinawa! - Three Years with Jangria

A massive new theme park opens in northern Okinawa, bringing jobs, and controversy, as it aims to reshape tourism.

In mid-July, a roar echoes through the jungles of northern Okinawa. Not from the wild, but from a new theme park where animatronic dinosaurs roam and visitors scream in delight. Junglia Okinawa, a sprawling 60-hectare park built on a former golf course, is the brainchild of entertainment entrepreneur Tsuyoshi Morioka, best known for reviving Universal Studios Japan. With a price tag of 70 billion yen (about S$650 million) and 22 attractions, the park promises nature, excitement, and a fresh start for a region long left behind.

Set in Nakijin, a quiet village of 9,000 residents, Junglia stands as a bold bet. “It could become Asia's most powerful tourism brand,” Morioka declares. His goal is clear: to transform northern Okinawa from a mere stopover into a destination in its own right. While the island’s south draws visitors to Naha and the famous Kokusai Street, most tourists still bypass the north entirely. Fewer than 30 per cent of them stay overnight in Nago or beyond.

The park’s centrepiece is the Dinosaur Safari, an armoured car ride through mock jungle landscapes, ending in a dramatic T. rex encounter. “We're being eaten!” one visitor shouts, as another laughs, “This is wild!” Nearby, children hunt for lost baby dinosaurs on a guided adventure, cheered on by young local guides like 22-year-old Raimu Uema.

Ms Uema grew up in Nakijin village but left Okinawa to study in the United States, aiming for a career in aviation. When she heard about Junglia’s construction back in her hometown, she made a decision. “When I say I'm from Nakijin village, people ask, ‘Where's that?’” she says. “That made me determined to put Nakijin on the map.”

She is one of 1,300 employees hired by Junglia operator Japan Entertainment, a company spun out of Morioka’s firm, Katana. “Our goal is for Junglia to be Japan and the world's number one,” she says. “And for me, every day, to give my biggest smile to all our guests and visitors.”

In many ways, the park is already delivering on its economic promises. It’s expected to bring an impact of around 650 billion yen in its first year. Local entrepreneurs are capitalising on the momentum. In Motobu, between Junglia and the popular Churaumi Aquarium, acerola farmer Yasujiro Namisato has opened a new roadside shop. The storefront serves up frozen acerola drinks, beer cocktails and ginger-infused juices, all under the family brand his mother, Tetsuko, founded with her late husband in the 1980s.

It’s an emotional moment for the 67-year-old matriarch, who recently survived a stroke. Seeing the shop open at last, she fights back tears. “My husband’s love for acerola has come back,” she says, moved by a surprise tribute wall her sons prepared to honour the family’s journey.

But not everyone shares the excitement.

In nearby Nakayama ward, long-time residents are raising concerns. “The entrance is blocked, we can’t get out,” says one. “All we want is for our peaceful lives not to be disturbed.” Chief among their worries: traffic congestion, environmental degradation, and a sharp drop in river water levels that farmers depend on for irrigation.

“We noticed it late last year,” says one farmer. “The river was always the same, but now it’s visibly low.” Another local shows a stream that’s dropped 15 centimetres, less than half its normal depth. “I cannot think of any other cause,” he adds, pointing to the five wells drilled by Junglia, each 150 metres deep, to draw 1,500 tons of water daily.

At a tense community meeting, Japan Entertainment’s vice president, Daisuke Sato, listens to concerns. A seasoned tourism professional who previously worked at Mitsui and Hoshino Resorts, he is tasked with local outreach. “We are not opposed,” one resident tells him. “We want it to succeed. But to do that, we must face the community.”

Sato agrees to arrange a series of measures: ferry connections from Naha to reduce car traffic, shuttle buses from satellite car parks and a new cooperation deal with local landowners. “We must build a relationship of trust between both sides,” he says. “If problems arise, we cannot say, ‘It’s not our concern.’ We must face them together.”

One month before the grand opening, Sato invites all 55 ward chiefs in Nago to tour the park. Among them is Mr Kawano of Nakayama ward, who has been critical of Junglia’s lack of communication. As he stands atop an observation deck, the size and ambition of the project impress him. “I never imagined such a facility,” he admits.

Still, questions remain. Inside a new hot spring facility that draws water from 1,600 metres underground, Kawano asks pointedly, “Is it always filled?” A staff member assures him the water circulates and is fully replaced according to strict regulations. “That also relates to water use in Nakayama,” Kawano replies. “I’ll bring the figures next time.”

Soon after, Junglia begins conducting monthly water flow surveys. The gesture, while small, is meaningful. “We must keep addressing issues with speed and commitment,” says Kawano.

For Morioka, this is just the beginning. At the park’s pre-opening, he watches staff test a dual bungee-zipline hybrid that sends riders freefalling before soaring across the jungle. “It’s like going from ‘I’m dead!’ to ‘I survived!’” one staff member shouts. “That contrast is fun.”

This kind of adrenaline, Morioka hopes, will become Okinawa’s new signature. “It is a big park,” he says, “but meant to start small and grow large. In the big picture, this is just the beginning.”

Back at the dinosaur adventure zone, Raimu Uema guides her first group of children through the attraction. As they guess what dinosaur might appear next, she plays along with enthusiasm. “That’s scary, we should run,” she laughs, when one child mentions a T. rex.

For Uema, it’s not just a summer job. “Bringing joy and smiles to people... that is one of my dreams and goals at this theme park,” she says. “A park loved by locals. And a person who shares local charms. That is who I want to be.”