“We weren’t expecting this many views, but we sure are happy,” said Michitaka Kubota, a spokesman from Beppu’s tourist department.
Kubota said the video was shown at Beppu Onsen Academia, a two-day symposium from Monday that debated the charms of hot springs, with the “spamusement” project being proposed as one new possibility.
The video was directed by Shinya Kiyokawa, known for his work on TV ads. Filmed at the Beppu Rakutenchi amusement park, riders are shown enjoying roller coasters, cable cars and Ferris wheels filled with hot water.
Rollercoaster hot tub?
‘Spamusement’ in Beppu City opens this summer!
Does this match up with your wellness plan any time soon?
Beppu City is a spa resort town on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu (Oita Prefecture) and is home to more than 2,000 onsen (hot springs). It boasts the world’s largest source of natural hot springs that are just the right temperature for a bath. They have a flow of 83,058 liters of water per minute!
Japan expects 40 million annual foreign tourists by 2020 and so Beppu City is reaching out to an international market of hot tubbers to come an enjoy their offerings.
“Spamusement” will be a mixture of Beppu’s City’s famous natural hot spring spas and fun amusement attractions.
According to The Japan Times…
The world’s first spa-themed amusement park is expected to open this summer, in Japan’s Beppu City (about an hour-and-a-half flight from Tokyo).
Beppu City first teased audiences with [a promotional] video last year, showcasing a concept of what the hot tub theme park would look like. In it, towel-clad visitors jump into cable cars and carousels filled with water, splash around in bathing pools, and lounge in steam-room gaming areas.
Beppu Mayor Yasuhiro Nagano had promised viewers that construction would begin on the park, dubbed Yuenchi, should the video reach one million views—which it quickly surpassed.
The video, of course, only provided an image or concept of what the park hoped to be and not actual rides. Safety concerns and reality are still involved!
Sources: The Japan Times, Wikipedia
Image Sources: All images from video
