Possible sale of Nagasaki theme park adds to uncertainty around casino project

Reports that Nagasaki Prefecture’s Dutch theme park Huis Ten Bosch may be sold have created uncertainty about the fate of a planned casino resort at the site.

The theme park, which opened in 1992 in the port city of Sasebo and recreates the atmosphere of a traditional Dutch village, has a history of financial problems, with it going into bankruptcy in 2003 due to low attendance. Currently, the largest shareholder is the H.I.S. travel agency, which has a 67% stake in the park, with smaller shares owned by Kyushu Electric Power, Saibu Gas Holdings, Kyudenko and Kyushu Railway.