"Yuuenchi"

When you were child, maybe your parents sometimes took you to an amusment park such as Expo land, Kobe portopia land, Ayameike amusement park and so on. However all amusement parks, I stated before, were closed now because of depression, huge effect of USJ or an accident happened there. For me, most memorable amusement park is "Takarazuka Familyland". Takarazuka Familyland was opened in 1911 by Hankyu corporation near from Takarazuka station that is aimed to attracting customers to use Hankyu railway.

But this amusement park was also closed on August 31st, 2003. I remember that some TV channel broadcasted special TV programs about the history of Takarazuka Familyland and they also broadcast a last closing time of Takarazuka Familyland. I was maybe 12 years old, I watched one of these and cried. I had never realized it but I loved there so much. The memories of there were always so fun and so happy(Of cours I'm happy now!). Even now, I often use Hankyu Takarazuka line, and when I saw the site of Takarazuka Family land, I feel so sad. I know it's little odd, but I think if you had been to there, you may feel something for this place.

Anyway, what I wanted to talk about is one feature program in TV news"Cast" on January 16th. They focused on "the second life of play equipments". These days, many Japanese amusement parks are gradually closed. Then a Japanese company "Okamoto MFG" repairing play equipments in these closed amusement park, and import to other amusement park mostly in developing country such as China, Vietnam, Thailand etc...  Why developing country? It is because that these recycled play equipments are cheaper than new one, and "made in Japan" is well trusted.

I was so surprised that a ferris wheel in Takarazuka Familyland was also repaired and imported to other country. This ferris wheel was called "Flower Wheel".

It was very unique ferris wheel. Takarazuka familyland was only place that this kind of ferris wheel existed, and this was a symbol of Takarazuka Familyland. After Familyland closed, this Flower wheel devided to two parts, and one of them went to other Japanese amusement park "Beppu-Rakutenchi", and rest of them went to Myanmar(!).

This is "Beppu" one. I can't found the Myanmar one. I felt...very proud to hear that. I rode this some time when I was a child, and this time, this "Flower Wheel" amuse children in Myanmar! It's very wonderful thing. This ferris wheel made me to feel connect with children in Myanmar.

Wow It's very long blog. Anyway, I hope this movement will continue, and I really want to go to Myanmar to see this Flower Wheel someday.