Japanese and Asian tourists no longer need to go to Europe now that 80 theme parks are open in Japan. The town of Ten Bosch has a network of canals and bridges. It has a shop selling large round cheeses and windmills with sails that turn gently in the wind. It could only be in Holland, but it is not. This town is in Japan, and it’s the country’s most successful theme parks.
Last year, four million tourists visited the town to experience this near perfect recreation of Dutch life. It is also growing in popularity with visitors from the rest of Asia. The reason for its appeal is simple — it gives visitors the opportunity to experience Europe without the difficulties of long-distance travelling.
This town is a development of the traditional theme park concept which visitors leave the real world behind as they explore a fantasy environment. Real Dutch people are employed to mingle with the crowds, dressed in traditional Dutch costumes. Visitors can take a relaxed boat drive along the canals or stay overnight in one of the hotels.
Other theme parks in Japan offer a similar fantasy experience of countries like Russia, Canada, Turkey and Spain. Also, a medieval German town, Gluck’s kingdom, has been created in the north of Japan, while in the mountainous western region of Akita, visitors can explore a complete Swiss village where the mountains, at least, are real.
But the cost of creating these near-perfect towns is high, and park operators need to make a profit. There is also plenty of competition among parks in Japan to attract visitors, and they need to continually update their displays and add new sights and sounds.
Creators of Tech Bosch have come up with their own scheme to remain profitable. They are now offering a chance to live in the town permanently. A complex of apartment buildings at the edge of the park has been built, and lots of new flats have been sold. The complex is also served by its own hi-tech ecological power station, and all cables have been carefully hidden underground. Even the water in canals is constantly recycled. Creators of Tech Bosch hope it will soon be a real community.
Слова:
theme park — тематический парк
network — сеть
windmill — ветряная мельница
watermill — водная мельница
sail — парус, плавать под парусом
gently — зд. мягко
to experience — испытывать
recreation — зд. воссоздание
appeal — привлекательность
concept — концепция
to explore — исследовать
explorer — исследователь
to mingle — смешиваться
mediaval — средневековый
profit — прибыль,нажива
to make a profit — получать прибыль
competition — конкуренция
to update — модернизировать, доводить до современного уровня, обновлять
creator — создатель
profitable — прибыльный,выгодный
power station — электростанция
