Where Is Junglia Okinawa Going ?
– The Issue of “Symbolic Concepts” that demand forecasts simply cannot capture –
We visit Okinawa every year.
Speaking of Okinawa, there is a theme park called “Junglia Okinawa” that has been the subject of much discussion recently, particularly regarding its financial results for its first year of operation.
A marketer known for revitalizing Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and the company he founded, Katana Inc. (hereinafter “Katana”), are involved in the planning, development, and operation of Junglia Okinawa.
Before the park opened. News programs and business programs frequently featured special segments in the form of exclusive interviews with that marketer.
This media exposure itself served as major publicity, and it was clear that public expectations for Junglia Okinawa were rising significantly.
However, media reports on the financial results for its first year of operation highlighted results that stood in stark contrast to the inflated expectations that had built up prior to the opening.
In fact, reports about additional financing had already appeared several months earlier and had become a hot topic.
After that, we felt that media coverage of Junglia Okinawa had temporarily decreased, but regarding these latest financial results, many media outlets are reporting on them simultaneously.
And whenever the media covers a particular topic, the number of related posts on social media increases in response.
On social media, many of the posts are focusing on negative topics, such as the significant deficit, additional financing, and the injection of public funds.
However, that is not what we are truly concerned about.
What’s more concerning than the financial results
Since it is a privately held company, we believe it is possible to assess the financial health of Junglia Okinawa’s operating company and affiliated companies if accurate financial information is publicly available.
We also believe that companies related to Junglia, such as Japan Entertainment and Katana, have already been evaluated from a financial perspective, since they are companies with investors.
On the other hand, in the current social media discussions, there’s another topic that stands out alongside the financial results and fundraising discussions.
That topic is marketing.
In particular, the topic is “Why did they misjudge the demand forecast ?”
The media has dedicated special features about this topic, and many opinions have been expressed on social media as well.
The fact that the person involved is very famous marketer may play a role, and other marketers and marketing companies have also voiced various opinions about these results.
However, we feel a bit uncomfortable about this situation.
Demand forecasting in marketing involves predicting the future.
That is precisely why we would have preferred that they conduct a demand forecasting analysis for Junglia Okinawa before the ground opening, rather than simply discussing “why the demand forecasting was wrong” after the results were in.
“Even if we focus only on “demand forecasting,” we might not be able to identify the true cause.”
Regarding this situation, if we investigate the single question of “why the demand forecasting was wrong” only from a marketing perspective, we believe it might not identify the true cause.
There are various marketing techniques.
And it’s true that this marketer has a solid track record.
Of course, as the marketer himself points out, there may have been factors that couldn’t have been anticipated before opening this park.
However, can that simply explain the significant gap between “pre-opening expectations” and “results one year after opening” ?
We believe that when an issue occurs, it’s important to dig deep into the root cause through multiple layers of analysis.
For example, let’s consider a piece of equipment that has malfunctioned.
The direct cause is “the switch was damaged due to an overcurrent,” and simply replacing the switch will restore functionality temporarily.
However, if the cause of the overcurrent isn’t investigated and only the switch is replaced, the same issue is likely to occur again.
In other words, it’s necessary to investigate not just the superficial symptoms, but the underlying causes as well.
We believe the same principle can be applied to the case of Jungleia Okinawa.
“Symbolic Concept” presented before the grand opening
What brings us back to this is the explanation this marketer gave about Junglia Okinawa before the grand opening when representing “Katana.”
He said, “we wanted to design a theme park that would make a trip to Okinawa the best it could be—a place where visitors can fulfill their dreams and create the memories they’ve always wanted.”
He also said, “We actually created a luxurious space with the symbolic concept of a luxurious tropical resort nestled within a jungle.”
Also, he explained the essence of the concept as follows:
“The instincts we should appeal to are excitement, a sense of luxury, and a sense of openness. These are the three things people seek when they want to visit a tropical resort. We are designing a park where these three elements are fulfilled to the utmost.”
(Source: Toyo Keizai Online)
The important point here is that we are not rejecting the symbolic concept of “excitement, a sense of luxury, and a sense of openness” itself.
On the contrary, we feel this symbolic concept is very easy to understand and is an appealing symbolic concept well-suited to Okinawa.
Therefore, this is precisely what concerns us.
Can visitors actually experience that “symbolic concept” at the completed Junglia Okinawa?
Have “Excitement, a Sense of Luxury, and a Sense of Openness” truly been recreated ?
Based on what “Katana” had to say, let’s look at a few explanations about “excitement” and “a sense of openness.
For example, about “excitement,” there are explanations such as:
– “Numerous attractions await you, offering experiences where you can truly savor the most spectacular views.”
– “Experience slightly thrilling sensations as you travel over the vast spreading jungle.”
– “Encountering ferocious carnivorous dinosaurs and the excitement you feel while escaping from them is the genuine, raw thrill of a lifetime.”
Also, about “a sense of luxury,” there are explanations such as the following:
– “Simply walking through that environment gives you an incredible sense of luxury.”
– “Taking the Infinity Spa and gazing out at the vast jungle provides a profound sense of relaxation.”
– “We’ve designed numerous experiences within the park that allow visitors to enjoy a sense of luxury and spend elegant moments.”
(Source: Okinawa Times Official Video Channel)
What matters here is how many visitors will actually be able to experience these sensations.
In other words, when estimating the demand forecast, key factors include whether “a large number of visitors can truly feel connected to the symbolic concept being presented.
Therefore, we want to confirm not only the simple “demand forecast figures” but also the following points:
– Are marketers able to accurately evaluate the completed Junglia Okinawa ?
– Have the creators successfully translated the stated “symbolic concept” into an experience that a large number of visitors can genuinely appreciate ?
– Does the design have objective review and evaluation from outside the organization ?
Has it become a case of “self-praise” ? – Has it fallen into local optimization or tunnel vision ?
Regarding the point where we had concerns, the “Katana” team explained in the video mentioned above that one of “Katana’s” strengths is that “the creative team is in-house.”
They also mentioned that they worked in collaboration with that team to develop Jungria Okinawa.
In other words, it’s clear that “Katana” was heavily involved in everything from planning to design.
Therefore, this raises a key question.
Who reviewed and evaluated the design based on that “symbolic concept” ?
Of course, it’s possible that thorough internal reviews were conducted.
However, if everything from planning to design was handled within the same organization, and the evaluation was also completed entirely internally, then there remains a question from an external perspective about how objectivity was ensured.
Even with an excellent idea, it would be important to evaluate it from different perspectives, rather than simply relying on the creators’ own evaluation.
Was the “capacity” of the facilities and attractions sufficient as a theme park ?
Next, let’s consider the long wait times for attractions, which were an issue when the park ground opened.
We do not intend to evaluate the content of individual attractions here.
Rather, the focus is only on the point that “Was the park designed so that the majority of visitors could fully enjoy the experience as a theme park ?”
For example, how were the following figures analyzed prior to opening ?
– The number of daily visitors needed to ensure sufficient profits.
– The number of visitors each attraction could accommodate per day.
– The average number of attractions a single visitor can experience in a day.
– The difference in the experience between purchasing a Premium Pass and not purchasing one.
– How visitors who could not experience an attraction were expected to spend their time inside the park.
For a theme park of this scale, we believe it is important to plan in advance how many visitors can actually experience the attractions relative to the number of expected visitors.
If the number of attractions a visitor can experience in a single day is extremely limited without purchasing a Premium Pass, the facility must be designed to ensure visitor satisfaction even under that assumption.
It is also important to consider how visitors who cannot experience attractions spend their time within the park.
If the time spent unable to experience attractions simply becomes “time spent waiting,” it could potentially affect word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat visits.
In the case of Junglia Okinawa, it is important that the park be designed so that visitors can still feel a “sense of luxury” and “sense of openness” even during those times.
In other words, the issue is not only the theme park’s concept but also whether the design specifications intended to realize that concept were sufficient.
The question is whether the underlying capacity and operational design necessary to realize that concept were sufficiently considered in the first place.
Can continuous improvements based on “customer feedback” truly solve the problem ?
The company that operates Junglia Okinawa held a press conference to mark the park’s first anniversary.
To summarize part of the press conference, it seems that the following explanation was provided.
– While addressing the many comments received from customers, we have made incremental improvements one by one every day.
– About wait times that were a major issue at the time of ground opening: specifically, wait times for the safari, which were 200–300 minutes, have been reduced to about 60 minutes through improvements.
– The number of attraction experiences per day has improved from 2.3 at the time of ground opening to 4.5.
– Customer satisfaction rate has improved from 69% at the time of ground opening to 90% currently.
(Source: Okinawa Times Official Video Channel)
If these figures are accurate, the improvements themselves deserve recognition.
However, we believe that it is necessary to consider this issue more deeply.
Do these improvements really result from actual improvements to the theme park itself ?
For example, could it be that waiting times have decreased due to a decline in visitor numbers, leading to an increase in the number of attractions experienced per person, and resulting in higher satisfaction rate ?
Of course, it’s also possible that there are no such factors.
Therefore, when evaluating the effectiveness of these improvements, we believe it’s necessary to not only compare figures year-over-year but also to verify whether the park can maintain the same wait times, the same number of attractions experienced per person, and the same level of satisfaction even if visitor numbers reached the originally expected level.
If congestion is the root cause, it may be necessary not only to improve operations but also to reassess the attractions’ processing capacity itself or add new attractions.
Have these improvements caused the “Symbolic Concept” to be lost ?
There are reports that, addressing complaints about the lack of covered or shaded areas under the scorching sun, the park has expanded its facilities to include large rest areas, shaded seating, and misting areas.
However, this raises another question.
From just after the park ground opened, the lack of covered areas within the park had been pointed out.
On the other hand, in an interview conducted just after the park ground opened, they explained that in northern Okinawa, “days with rain all day long account for about 4% of the year, and there are about 14 to 15 days a year with occasional rain,” implying that a roof was not particularly important.
At that time, although we couldn’t confirm it, there was no mention of Okinawa’s intense sunlight.
So, when they added more roofs and shaded areas after ground opening, does that mean they changed the meaning of the symbolic concept of the “sense of openness” they had presented before ground opening ?
Or was the interpretation of that symbolic concept during the design phase simply inappropriate ?
More importantly, do the newly added large rest areas and shaded seating harmonize with the “sense of luxury” and “sense of openness” that Junglia Okinawa originally sought to create ?
If these facilities were simply added as basic functional structures, they may improve comfort while simultaneously moving the park away from the world it originally sought to create.
There is nothing inherently wrong with making improvements.
What matters is “what the improvements are intended to achieve.”
Where Is Junglia Okinawa heading ?
As we look at the current improvements, we feel that although individual problems are being addressed, it has become difficult to see where Junglia Okinawa itself is heading in terms of the concept it originally presented.
We believe the original symbolic concept of “excitement, a sense or luxury, and a sense of openness” is a very appealing one.Therefore, we feel it is important to re-examine the entire park with that concept as the central focus.
For example:
– If the pathways are intended to feel like walking through a park, create a space that feels more like a jungle.
– Set up a conservation area for the Yanbaru Rail along the pathways so that visitors are naturally drawn into Okinawa’s natural environment.
– Re-examine what visitors perceive as “luxury”.
– Reflect the results of that examination concretely in the facilities, services, and dining options
In other words, rather than simply addressing individual issues one by one, we believe it’s necessary to return to the fundamental question:
“What is Junglia Okinawa essentially trying to provide as a theme park ?”
Does “a sense of luxury” simply mean being expensive ?
We’d also like to consider the concept of “a sense of luxury” in relation to dining.
We sometimes feel that at Junglia Okinawa, the “sense of luxury” seems to be perceived as “serving expensive foods.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with expensive foods.
However, just because a food is expensive doesn’t make it luxurious.
Despite being expensive, when the dish is simple or feels like it doesn’t match the price, it may be perceived not as “luxurious” but simply as “expensive.”
If you want to enjoy an expensive dining experience, there are plenty of luxurious restaurants in urban areas. we believe one of the elements that makes a trip truly memorable is being able to enjoy a dining experience that exceeds your expectations at a reasonable price.
We also think it might be a good idea to have not just one large luxurious restaurant within the park, but several smaller and more affordable dining options scattered throughout.
Again, this ultimately comes back to the fundamental question of how “luxury” should be defined.
About the choice of “dinosaurs”
Previously, I heard a statement on a YouTube show to the effect that “Choosing dinosaurs was what led to the current outcome.”
We have felt this question for some time.
When we heard the phrase “the theme park that makes a trip to Okinawa the best it can be,” our immediate reaction was, “Why dinosaurs?”
Of course, dinosaurs themselves are not the bad choice.
The question is whether the dinosaurs theme was truly the best choice for realizing the concept of “a theme park that makes an Okinawa trip the best it can be,” along with the symbolic concepts of excitement, a sense of luxury, and a sense of openness.
And if the dinosaurs theme was chosen, it becomes important to consider how successfully it has been elevated into an experience that is uniquely connected to Okinawa.
We would like to see the original “symbolic concept” realized once again
When we look at the improvements explained at the press conference marking Junglia Okinawa’s first anniversary, we feel a little difficult to understand where Junglia Okinawa is heading.
Has the original symbolic concept of “excitement, a sense of luxury, and a sense of openness” already been lost ?
We believe this symbolic concept itself is wonderful.
Therefore, if this concept is still the goal, we would like Junglia Okinawa to consider a major renovation to realize it.
If necessary to achieve this, one option would be to recreate the business plan from scratch and secure the necessary funding.
On the other hand, if maintaining the original concept is no longer feasible, then the company may need to present fundamental measures for its survival, such as improving operational efficiency, including restructuring; significantly reducing costs, including executive compensation; and selling surplus assets.
In any case, what investors need is a clear message: “What are we trying to achieve from this point forward, and what are we going to do to achieve it ?”
Our concerns regarding public funds
Finally, we would like to note the issue of public funds.
According to media reports, public funds are involved in Janguria Okinawa through government-affiliated financial institutions and government-backed funds.
The following are reported as typical examples:
– Financial loans from the Okinawa Development Finance Corporation
– Investment in “Katana” by the Cool Japan Fund
– Subsidies from the Cabinet Office
* The specific amounts and current status should be confirmed against the latest information published by the relevant institutions.
Regarding investments by private companies, it is up to each investor and shareholder to make their own judgment.
However, the situation is different when it comes to public funds.
The funding sources for public funds include taxes paid by the public.
Therefore, when providing public funds, rather than simply relying on media reports or pre-opening expectations, it is essential to decide “on the basis of what criteria the investment, loan, or subsidy was approved” and must verify these decisions with objective evidence and track records.}
If sufficient evaluation and review have been conducted, we would like to disclose the evaluation criteria and decision-making standards used.
This would allow the public to understand the way in which public funds are allocated.
On the other hand, if the decision-making process remains hidden, it raises the question: “Why are public funds being invested in this project ?”
What we want to consider regarding Junglia Okinawa is not simply whether it is profitable or operating at a loss.
Nor are we saying that “the marketers who misjudged demand forecasts are to fault.
Whether the symbolic concept of “excitement, a sense of luxury, and a sense of openness,” which was presented before the ground opening, is truly being realized in the actual facilities, attractions, services, food and beverage offerings, and operations.
And how the business plan and facility design intended to realize that concept were examined before the ground opening.
And whether the “improvements” currently being implemented are not simply resolving immediate issues, but are moving in the direction of realizing the concept originally presented.
These are what we want to understand.
Rather than asking “Why was the demand forecast wrong?”, we should be asking “Why was Junglia Okinawa unable to fully realize the concept that was originally presented ?
Should this be considered in such depth ?
P.S.
We have our own idea that makes the most of Okinawa and the “jungle.”
However, whether people feel this idea is truly wonderful or not will likely vary from person to person.
Therefore, we’ve deliberately chosen not to describe the details here.
Someday, when I feel like it, I’ll share that idea.
Reference: YOMIURI SHINBUN ONLINE (2026/09/27)
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/kyushu/news/20260926-GYS1T00035
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Reference: JUNGLIA OKINAWA (2026/09/26)
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Thanks.
2026/10/03