Venerable amusement park slates return to nature

OSAKA -- An amusement park that opened 90 years ago and is said to be the oldest in western Japan is scheduled to close at the end of May and reopen as a nature park.

The then-private Konan Railway Co. opened the Tamateyama Amusement Park in 1908 to attract passengers. The park is Japan's second-oldest after Asakusa Hanayashiki, which opened in Tokyo in 1853.

Tamateyama owner Kintetsu Kogyo Co. decided to close the park due to increasing financial losses. The park has been attracting fewer visitors partly because it does not have a parking lot and is not located near a train station.

Some frequent visitors are upset about the closure, saying the park is convenient and has inexpensive entry fees and ride tickets. Manager Sumio Iwamoto, however, said his company has been plagued with ballooning deficits because only about 200 people visit the park each day.