On-Site Report from Junglia Okinawa, One Year After Opening… Visitor Numbers Halved, Limits of Heat Countermeasures, and the Harsh Reality of Midsummer: “Can’t Ride”

I only got to ride three attractions, and the heat problem remained just as bad.

Psshhhhh…

Lukewarm water splashed onto my face. In scorching Okinawa, under the blazing sun, FRIDAY reporter Iwata was surrounded by two “Water Rangers” wielding water guns as huge as rifles.

Apparently, it was a service designed to combat the sweltering heat. It felt nice at first, but as time went on, my clothes became sticky and uncomfortable. “Something’s off…” said a bewildered Iwata, as the smiling Rangers led him deeper into the park—

“Junglia Okinawa” has marked its first anniversary since opening. While visitor numbers have surpassed 1 million, the park has faced criticism for long lines at attractions due to poor crowd management, high ticket prices, and inadequate heat countermeasures.To see the “current state” of this controversial new theme park, I—Iwata, in my early 20s and representing the younger generation’s perspective—headed out to the park.

I arrived at Junglia one day in late July around noon. Although summer vacation was supposedly in full swing, the parking lot was less than 40 percent full.When the park first opened, reservations were mandatory, and the parking fee on-site was a flat rate of 2,000 yen, but now it’s free for Okinawa residents. Visitors from outside the prefecture still have to pay, but they can park without a reservation. However, I was told that even this “40 percent” occupancy rate represents a level of activity not seen in quite some time.

“When we first opened, we had about 5,000 visitors a day, but now it’s just under 2,000—less than half that number. Still, today is actually one of the better days. During the rainy season, sudden weather changes left the place completely empty,” said a male employee.

I immediately bought a 6,930-yen “1-Day Ticket” for unlimited rides and entered the park.Since it’s summer vacation, visitors with children are particularly noticeable. However, everyone seems to be worn out by the heat, and there were many children throwing tantrums because they wanted something to drink. Both the parents trying to calm them down and the elderly people resting on benches in the shade were all drenched in sweat.

Although thin fabric sunshades had been set up over the heads of the lines for the attractions, intense sunlight still streamed through the gaps, making it essential to carry a sun umbrella.

“We’re stepping up our heat countermeasures, such as lending out parasols, adding more rest areas, and installing mist fans. However, it’s not easy to build indoor facilities with air conditioning. Since the premise is that visitors will be walking around the vast grounds, we feel there are limits to how much shade we can actually provide,” said another male employee.

In this vast park—equivalent to 13 Tokyo Domes—there are only three air-conditioned rest areas. Two of them are makeshift, with few signs, making them a challenge to locate.As a result, visitors flock to the park’s only indoor restaurant, “Panorama Dining,” but due to the crowds, only guests with reservations are allowed inside. “Water… water…” I searched for a vending machine but couldn’t find one; in the end, I was saved by a 300-yen bottle of water sold at a food truck.

While wait times have improved, click here for the second part of the article, which addresses new challenges such as service suspensions, lottery system issues, and ongoing friction with the local community that shows no signs of resolution.

From the September 4, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*