Tourists explore Japan's abandoned 'Disneyland' rip-off

Before Japan had Tokyo Disneyland, there was Nara Dreamland. Once a popular tourist destination, the gates closed a decade ago, leaving the theme park to slowly fall into dereliction.    

Nara Dreamland, built in 1961, was clearly inspired by California’s Disneyland which had opened a few years earlier. 

They navigated any possible copyright infringements, with the theme park operating successfully up until the early 2000s when declining visitor numbers forced its closure.

These days the theme park is a playground for urban explorers who sneak past security to investigate and document the area. 

Nothing was disassembled after Nara Dreamland’s closure, leaving the area in a creepy state of suspension. As the video shows, rides are still standing and novelty statues have been left untouched.