Miffy area to open at Japan's Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch resort
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 08:54 | Japan, All
Huis Ten Bosch, a Dutch-themed seaside resort in southwestern Japan, will open in June a new area featuring the Miffy rabbit character made famous by author Dick Bruna.
The opening of Miffy Wonder Square on June 21 falls on the 70th anniversary of the character's inception. The area will give visitors the opportunity to take photos with Miffy and also access to an attraction that offers a view of the park, according to the resort operator.
"We want to create a one-of-a-kind place in the world by making the most of the character's charms," said Kotaro Takamura, the president of Huis Ten Bosch Co., at a press conference held recently in Tokyo.
Takamura said it is the largest project in terms of scale and investment since the resort's opening in 1992, and he hopes the project will inject life into the region's tourism industry.
The company also revealed that it plans to open another new facility in the square in the fall to allow visitors to enjoy the world of Miffy as if they are in its storybooks.
While the resort in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, has proven a draw to visitors in their 60s and over, it seeks to attract younger travelers with the introduction of the character.
Bruna created the Miffy character in 1955 as a story to entertain his young son. More than 85 million books about Miffy, known as Nijntje in the Netherlands, have been sold globally.
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Japan's Oita aims to lure tourists with renamed "Hello Kitty Airport"
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