NIIGATA -- Niigata Russian Village at the foot of the Gozu mountain range will make a new start at the end of this month with additional attractions, including a record-large hot air balloon and a theater featuring the latest technology to lure more tourists to the theme park.
"We hope to build the park so that visitors will be able to participate more, instead of just looking at exhibits," said Shiho Yamamoto, an official at the park.
One such feature of the renovated park, which initially opened in 1993 to boost cultural exchanges between Russia and Japan, is the state-of-the-art theater. Its opening attraction will be a Russian folktale, "The Story of the Fire Horse," shown in 3-D with the latest sound effects.