Abandoned Westworld in Japan

The Japanese theme park called Western Village in Tochigi prefecture, filled with animatronic cowboys, came and went long before the TV series Westworld debuted, but could it have been inspired by the 1973 movie Westworld?

In 1975, Kenichi Ominami transformed his family ranch into a cowboy town called Western Village (鬼怒川 ウェスタン村).  He hired performers and hosted cowboy shows.

The Old West theme park continued to grow and add attractions in the 80's and 90's.  In 1995, construction began on a 1/3 scale replica of Mount Rushmore.  Ominami decided to build "Mexico Land" across a stream from Western Village.  A bridge was constructed to connect the two areas, and the stream was dubbed "The Rio Grande."

Years after the crowds faded away, Western Village officially closed in 2007.

Western Village has fallen into disrepair in the 12 years since. While the performers are gone, many of the animatronic characters still remain as if to haunt the place. Take a tour of the abandoned park through video. (via Laughing Squid)