NAHA - Junglia Okinawa will mark its first anniversary on July 25 after generating an estimated 32.2 billion yen in economic activity during its first six months, drawing more tourists to northern Okinawa and expanding business with local companies, although the benefits have varied widely across the region.
The theme park opened in July 2025 in the forests of Yanbaru, offering large-scale attractions, a spa surrounded by nature and restaurants serving ingredients from Okinawa.
The development was promoted as a catalyst for tourism and economic growth in northern Okinawa, an area that has long struggled to persuade visitors to stay overnight rather than pass through on day trips.
Junglia has made cooperation with the surrounding community a central part of its operations. About 70% of the food, merchandise and other products used or sold at the park are procured from companies within Okinawa Prefecture, according to the operator.
By expanding transactions with local suppliers, the company aims to ensure that spending generated by the park circulates through the wider prefectural economy.
A report released in June by the Ryugin Research Institute estimated that Junglia generated 32.2 billion yen in economic effects during the first six months after opening.
That was about twice the 16.1 billion yen in economic activity attributed to cruise tourism in Okinawa during the whole of 2025.
Accommodation accounted for a particularly large share of the impact. Researchers attributed the result to an increase in visitors staying at hotels and other lodging facilities in northern Okinawa because a trip to Junglia can be difficult to complete as a day excursion.
The strongest change was recorded in Nakijin Village, where the park is located. A joint study based on human-movement data estimated that the number of people visiting the village after Junglia opened rose by about 61% from the previous year.
Residents have noticed heavier traffic at local supermarkets, particularly around lunchtime and in the evening, while some believe the number of traditional-house rentals, private lodgings and other accommodation facilities has increased.
The impact has been more limited in neighboring Motobu Town, home to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which attracts about 3.6 million visitors annually.
Local officials initially expected a strong increase in visitors through cooperation between Junglia and the aquarium. Motobu was extremely crowded during the park's first three days, but human-movement data showed that visitor traffic increased by only 0.7% over the year.
A combined admission ticket for Junglia and the Churaumi Aquarium went on sale in March, and Motobu officials are taking a longer-term view of its potential to increase tourism throughout the town.
Local representatives have proposed creating several shuttle bus boarding points around Motobu so visitors will be encouraged to stay, shop and spend time in the town before traveling to Junglia and returning later.
The data also showed that some visitors stopped in central Nago, where many restaurants and stores are located, after leaving the park. The change suggests that Junglia is beginning to create new travel patterns in northern Okinawa, where drive-through tourism without overnight stays has long been a challenge.
Businesses in Nago have reported seeing more foreign visitors, including an apparent increase in travelers from Europe, as well as Junglia employees using local stores.
However, shop operators said they had not experienced an explosive rise in customers and were hoping visitor numbers would increase steadily rather than as a temporary opening-year surge.
Visitors have also taken notice of souvenirs and other products made with local foods, raising expectations that stronger sales of regional goods could spread Junglia's economic benefits more widely.
While the park's economic contribution has received a broadly positive assessment, improving visitor satisfaction remains a major task.
Soon after opening, waiting times for popular attractions exceeded four hours, making congestion one of the park's biggest problems.
Junglia has since revised its operating procedures and introduced afternoon admission tickets to spread attendance more evenly throughout the day. The changes have substantially shortened waiting times compared with the opening period.
The park has also strengthened measures against Okinawa's intense summer heat, including the construction of a large covered rest area. Visitors had previously complained about high temperatures and a shortage of places to shelter from rain.
As Junglia enters its second year, communities across northern Okinawa are seeking to extend its benefits beyond the immediate area surrounding the park.
Local tourism representatives have called for two-night, three-day travel packages linking destinations across the Motobu Peninsula and Yanbaru, encouraging visitors to experience local villages, culture and everyday life while moving through the region.
Such tours could help establish a sustainable, circuit-based tourism model rather than concentrating visitors at a single attraction.
Junglia operator Katoh said the company intends to promote tourism while protecting the culture and lifestyles of nearby communities. He said residents must come to see the facility as a park that belongs to Okinawa and that the company hopes to become easier for local people to use and support.
Junglia has established itself as a new reason for travelers to visit northern Okinawa, but it now faces the challenge of improving comfort during the summer, attracting repeat visitors and avoiding becoming a short-lived tourism boom.
Its second year will test whether the park can continue increasing attendance while developing into a destination that grows together with the wider region.
Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV
