New theme park to open in Japan's Okinawa this July offering scenic treks, hot air balloon rides and more, Lifestyle News
Soon, travellers to Japan will have a new attraction to add to their itineraries as Junglia — a new theme park on the southern island of Okinawa — is set to open on July 25.
The adventure park, spanning 600,000 sq m and built on an old golf course, is located in the forested area of Yambaru.
Here, visitors can expect to explore more than 20 attractions ranging from scenic outdoor treks to buggy rides, as well as relaxing onsen facilities.
According to its website, some highlights include the Dinosaur Safari; and Horizon Balloon, a hot air balloon ride offering a panoramic view of the area and surrounding greenery.
There's also a tree-top trekking experience featuring a suspension bridge and nine challenging points hovering over the treetops, among others.
The full list of attractions can be found on the theme park's official website.
Apart from the activities, Junglia Okinawa is also home to Spa Junglia, which features both indoor and outdoor areas with views of the surrounding nature.
Here, visitors can expect amenities such as an infinity bath, onsen, sauna, limestone bath and more.
Other things that visitors can look out for at Junglia Okinawa include Junglia Splash Fest, a music and water festival experience and Junglia Night Fest, a dance and music festival featuring a grand finale of fireworks.
The company behind the new park, which cost some 70 billion yen (S$627 million), is hoping Japan's tourism boom will get it off to a strong start, according to a Reuters article.
CEO Tsuyoshi Morioka told Reuters he expects several thousand visitors a day to Junglia, and if it is successful, developing smaller attractions could be replicated in other Asian markets such as Taiwan and Indonesia.
According to the website, a one-day ticket to the theme park costs 8,000 yen (around S$72) for adults and 5,400 yen for children. Spa tickets are 2,800 yen for adults and 1,700 yen for children.
More information can be found on Junglia's official site.
[[nid:685816]]
carol.ong@asiaone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Creative talents ready to raise the stakes in Women's Euro final
OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland - With Lauren James of England and Aitana Bonmati of Spain set to clash in Sunday's Women's Euro final, the match will showcase two of the modern game's premier creative dribblers vying for one of football's biggest prizes. Both sides boast a host of players who are more than comfortable with the ball at their feet and capable of bringing the crowd to theirs every time they take on an opponent, as well as defenders ready to stop them. "You have to try to read the situation -- what's the right thing to do? Can you go at two (players) or should you pass the ball? We just have to analyse where the space is and what's possible," Caroline Graham-Hansen, a teammate of Bonmati's at Barcelona, told Reuters. "Just believe in yourself. Like, if you have two (players marking you), somebody else has more space, so just try to exploit that advantage or disadvantage that they try to give you," she added. Graham-Hansen is one of many dribblers who have lit up the Women's Euros with her skills which she discovered and sharpened while playing with friends as a child. "I just enjoyed dribbling. Going out, playing with the ball made me happy, it was something fun to do every time. I guess the playfulness of just enjoying the ball alone is part of my game today too," Graham-Hansen explained. Both James and Bonmati love to run at defenders, using changes of pace and direction to wrong-foot opponents and open up space for themselves. But though the world's top dribblers are often given license to attack in unorthodox ways, they still have to fit into tactical systems. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Lung damage, poor brain development, addiction: What vaping does to the body Singapore Explore Singapore through its stories at Straits Times exhibition Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly With so many teams trying to win the ball and then play in transition, the dribblers have to weigh up when to back themselves and when to play it safe. "It's about trying to make the other team make mistakes, and the most difficult thing is obviously to dribble when there's a high risk of losing the ball, but you have to try. If you can beat your defender, it's always a big advantage," Graham-Hansen said. Sunday's final will be the most high-pressure game of the tournament, but Graham-Hansen said that dribbling specialists are well-used to performing in such circumstances. "Obviously you feel the pressure -- it's possible that you don't feel it, but it's still as much fun when you win, so it's worth it," she said, smiling. REUTERS
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
England's Agyemang leads youthful charge at Women's Euros
OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland - In a few short years, striker Michelle Agyemang has gone from being a ball girl at Wembley to scoring vital goals for England that will see them contest the Women's European Championship final on Sunday as she leads the charge for young players in Switzerland. The 19-year-old came off the bench to score two crucial equalisers in the knockout stage against Sweden and Italy that helped them into the decider against Spain, playing with a youthful freedom and swagger that has lit up the competition. "What a tournament from Michelle, especially coming in with the seniors just a couple of months ago ... what a great player, what a bright future she's got," England defender Lucy Bronze said. "She's a little bit of the unknown and she brings something different ... I think it gives her a lot of confidence and the team give her a lot of freedom," Bronze added. Unburdened by expectations, young players like Agyemang may be able to play freely but there is still pressure, with Norway's Signe Gaupset telling Reuters that playing with the likes of Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen took some getting used to. "They were like my idols when I was young, and it's really cool to play with them now in the national team and look up to them. What they are doing is so great, (showing us) how to be a professional athlete, everything they are doing to be as good as possible, it's great," Gaupset said. The 20-year-old Gaupset was one of the breakout stars in the group stage, scoring two goals and creating two more as her side beat Iceland in their final group game that catapulted her into the starting team for their quarter-final against Italy, which they lost by a last-minute goal. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Vapes: The silent killer hiding in the pocket Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers without facing penalties Singapore Fine for couple whose catering companies owed $432,000 in salaries to 103 employees Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly Despite being only 21, Switzerland's Smilla Vallotto has already amassed 27 caps for her country, most of them in the midfield engine room, where she has had plenty of support from more senior players. "Lia Waelti means a lot to me, she helps me both on and off the field, she is always there to discuss different situations, but also to just talk about life. She is 100% someone who has been important to me in this championship," she told Reuters. Vallotto, who is making a move from Swedish club Hammarby to German side VfL Wolfsburg, said she had learned a lot over the course of her first major tournament. "The international level of football is a bit different than playing in Hammarby, but I've had a very good season in Sweden and I've played in Europe, so I feel very comfortable there," she said. Whether she starts Sunday's final up front or on the bench, Agyemang will enjoy similar support in the England squad. "I think she's quality. I think what she brings, she's a nightmare to play against," England and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson said. "I'm glad she's my teammate at club and country. She deserves her flowers. I hope she gets them ... I hope she's ready to go at the weekend." REUTERS
Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump travels to Scotland for golf and bilateral talks amid Epstein furor
A police officer watches a golfer tee off on a hole on the Trump Turnberry golf course ahead of the expected arrival of Donald Trump later this week in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain, July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble EDINBURGH/LONDON - U.S. President Donald Trump, dogged by questions about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, heads to Scotland on Friday for a trip that will mix golf with politics mostly out of public view. Trump plans to visit his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's east coast, where he will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, before heading to his sprawling golf property 200 miles (320 km) away near Aberdeen in the west. As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honor of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt this week said the trip was intended as a "working visit that will include a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Starmer to refine the historic U.S.-U.K. trade deal." The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticized his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers, without facing penalties Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Sport Training sessions at World Aquatics Masters Championships cancelled due to Sentosa's water quality issues Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly DEEPEN TIES The trip, initially billed as a private visit, gives Trump and Starmer a chance to deepen their already warm relationship, with key issues on the agenda to include ending Russia's war in Ukraine, British and U.S. sources said. British officials have been heartened by what they see as a clear shift in Trump's rhetoric on Ukraine and Russia in recent weeks, a British source said. The deteriorating situation in Gaza is also likely to come up. Starmer on Thursday said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany over what he called the "unspeakable and indefensible" suffering and starvation being reported there, and called on Israel to allow aid to enter the Palestinian enclave. Gaza health authorities say more than 100 people have died from starvation, most of them in recent weeks. Human rights groups have said mass starvation is spreading even as tonnes of food and other supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. Since being elected last year, Starmer has prioritized good relations with Trump, stressing the importance of Britain's defense and security alliance with the U.S. and being careful to avoid openly criticizing Trump's tariff policies. That approach helped Britain seal the first tariff-reduction deal with the U.S. in May, which reaffirmed quotas and tariff rates on British automobiles and eliminated tariffs on the UK's aerospace sector, but left steel tariffs in place. Starmer is expected to press for lower steel tariffs, but sources close to the matter said it was unclear if any breakthrough was possible during Trump's visit. Trump also is expected to meet Scottish leader John Swinney, who publicly backed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, but no details have been released by either side. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70% of Scots have an unfavorable opinion of Trump, while 18% have a favorable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. Scottish police are girding for protests on Saturday in both Aberdeen and in Edinburgh, the country's capital. Trump will return to Britain from September 17-19 for a state visit hosted by King Charles. It will make Trump the first world leader in modern times to undertake two state visits to Britain. The late Queen Elizabeth hosted him at Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019. REUTERS
