Spring 2020 The world's largest indoor miniature park "SMALL WORLDS" opens

SMALL WORLDS, a company specializing in the planning and operation of leisure facilities, held a press conference in Tokyo on August 7th. They announced the opening of "SMALL WORLDS TOKYO," the world's largest indoor miniature theme park facility, in Ariake, Koto Ward, Tokyo, in spring 2020. (Photo = ⓒSMALL WORLD.Inc)

The facility's total area is 8,000 square meters. It will be the "world's smallest country" at a scale of 1/80, comprising seven areas: the "Kansai International Airport Area," "Space Center Area," "World Cities Area," and areas recreating cities from popular works: the "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Area," "Evangelion Third New Tokyo City Area," "Evangelion Hangar Area," and "Tokyo Area (tentative name)."

Miniature theme parks have gained significant attention in Europe and America, with Germany's "Miniatur Wunderland," opened in 2001, surpassing 16 million visitors, alongside the thriving "Mini World Lyon" in France and "Gulliver's Gate" in the US.

 The project features participation from professional modeler Tatsuya Kaneko and Masaharu Kawamori, known as the director of the "Macross" anime series, aiming to realize a "moving miniature world" that blends intricate craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. Exhibited cars, trains, and planes move like the real thing, and the Evangelion hangar is said to be movable just like in the anime. Utilizing LED lights and projection mapping, it aims to provide an "overwhelming sense of immersion," making visitors feel as if they've wandered into another world.

The standout feature is the "Resident Figure Program," where visitors can have their own 1/80 scale figure 3D scanned and placed in their favorite area. Registration for the "Evangelion" area opened on August 9 via a dedicated website ( https://smallworlds-eva.jp/ ). Purchasers can tour the construction site starting August 19. After selecting their preferred placement spot, their figure will be displayed as a resident when the facility opens.

　　　From left: President Kondo, Vice President Fukuda, CMO Shuntaro Yamada

 Regarding the background for the facility's opening, Vice President Taichi Fukuda cited the growth of Japan's leisure market driven by work-style reforms and the thriving popularity of miniature theme parks overseas, stating, "There is high demand for urban theme parks that are easy to visit." President Masahiro Kondo said, "We plan to open one location per year after 2020, aiming to become one of the world's leading theme park operators with 15 locations. Today, we held this press conference with that grand vision in mind."
Admission fees for the facility are undecided, but the target is 2 million visitors annually.
Official website: http://www.smallworlds.jp/

Spring 2020 The world's largest indoor miniature park "SMALL WORLDS" opens

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