Festivalgate

Festivalgate (Japanese: フェスティバルゲート) was an entertainment complex containing a theme park that was located in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

History

The complex opened in July 1997 and was housed on the site of a former train depot.^[1] In its first year, 8.31 million people visited the complex.^[2]

The complex's attendance dropped significantly to three million visitors yearly by 2002, with most tenants dropping out. This was due to the opening of Universal Studios Japan the prior year and the aftermath of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Festivalgate's operators filed for bankruptcy at the beginning of 2004 after engaging in over ¥38 billion worth of debt.^[3] A majority of the rides at the park ceased operations at the end of September.^[4]

After many failures to convert the complex for other usage, the City of Osaka put the site up for sale at the beginning of 2007. The rest of the park's facilities were entirely closed at the end of July 2007. In January 2009, the Maruhan Corporation bought the site for ¥1.4 billion with plans to build a bowling alley and karaoke parlor.^[5] The park's demolition began in 2010 and was slowly completed by 2012.^[6] The site was originally intended to become a Korean-themed amusement park^[7] but by May 2014, it was announced that the site would be used for a pachinko parlor and Mega Donki outlet.^[8]^[9]

Format

Festivalgate was set on eight floors.

Miracle Gate (ミラクル・ゲート) - The entrance to the complex which contains restaurants, stores, and convenience stores ^[10]
Piazza Festa (ピアッツア・フェスタ) - An Italy-inspired area. Contained restaurants, stores and some amusement rides.^[11]
Peer Festa (ピアー・フェスタ) - An American-inspired area. Contained many shops and a small selection of food parlors.^[12]
Oriental Festa (オリエンタル・フェスタ) An Asian-inspired area with many Chinese and Japanese delicacies.^[13]
Mosque Festa (モスク・フェスタ) An Turkish-inspired area. The main amusement park area was housed on this floor.^[14]
Lab Festa (ラボ・フェスタ) - Housed a Sega World Game Center with a "futuristic" theme inspired by the works of Jules Verne.^[15]
Cine Festa (シネ・フェスタ) - Housed a small four-screen movie theater.^[16]
View Festa (ビユー・フェスタ) - Housed the Pajan restaurant, which provided a view of the nearby areas.^[17]

Amusement rides were scattered throughout the second-sixth floors.^[18]

Former Roller Coasters

Name	Manufacturer	Type	Opened	Closed	Fate
Delphis the Coaster	Senyo Kogyo	Steel	July 18, 1997	July 31, 2007	Scrapped
Dragon	Zamperla	Family	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Scrapped

Former Attractions

Name	Designer	Type	Opened	Closed	Fate
Aeroprio	Zamperla	Balloon Race	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Chinese Ghost	Unknown	Walk-Through	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Removed
Chronos	Senyo Kogyo	Ranger	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Cosmo Fighter	Zamperla	Simulator	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Current Danger	Senyo Kogyo	Unknown	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Cycle Monorail	Senyo Kogyo	Cycle Monorail	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Dinojet	Zamperla	Jets	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Dodgem Attack	Unknown	Dodgems	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Echidna's Cave	Senyo Kogyo	Interactive Tracked Dark Ride	July 18, 1997	2007 or earlier	Unknown
Fortune Telling Labyrinth	Senyo Kogyo	Tracked Dark Ride	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Ghost Prison	Senyo Kogyo	Walk-Through	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
The Last Adventure	Mitsubishi Precision	VR Simulator	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Mermaid Carousel	Unknown	Carousel	July 18, 1997	July 31, 2007	Unknown
Moebius Loop	Larson International	High Roller	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown
Tower of Theos	Senyo Kogyo	Paratower	July 18, 1997	September 30, 2004	Unknown

References

External links

Festivalgate on the Roller Coaster DataBase.

[to_open-1] "Indoor fun park to open in downtown Osaka". The Japan Times. 15 July 1997.

[2] ttps://megalodon.jp/2009-0226-1444-12/mainichi.jp/kansai/news/20090130ddf041040021000c.html

[3] ttps://megalodon.jp/2009-0226-1444-12/mainichi.jp/kansai/news/20090130ddf041040021000c.html

[4] ttps://tw.silk.to/am/festival/festival__20041031/index.php?no=0

[5] "破綻した大阪の都市型遊園地「フェスティバルゲート」をマルハンに売却。 | Narinari.com". www.narinari.com (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-01-08.

[6] "Festivalgate". Abandoned Kansai. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2025-01-08.

[7] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20141230063351/http://www.sankei.com/west/news/140804/wst1408040043-n1.html

[8] Takahashi, Amy (2014-05-29). "Questions emerge over Osaka amusement site set to become pachinko parlor". TokyoReporter. Retrieved 2025-01-08.

[9] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20141230063351/http://www.sankei.com/west/news/140804/wst1408040043-n1.html

[10] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20010221161534/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/1f/1f_index.html

[11] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/2f/2f_index.html

[12] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/3f/3f_index.html

[13] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/4f/4f_index.html

[14] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/5f/5f_index.html

[15] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/6f/6f_index.html

[16] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/7f/7f_index.html

[17] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20001006043334/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/floor/8f/8f_index.html

[18] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20010215123944/http://www.festivalgate.co.jp/amuse/index.html

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]