Tokyo Sesame Place

Tokyo Sesame Place (東京セサミプレイス) was a Japanese Sesame Street theme park located in Akiruno, Tokyo, Japan, which operated from 1990 to 2006. It was a Japanese version of the Sesame Place theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. However, despite the name, it was not affiliated with the American park, being owned and operated by Tokyotokeiba Co. Ltd., and was located on the Tokyo Summerland complex near the golf club (sharing the same car parking space as it), about 1.5 km from the Tokyo Summerland water park.
On September 27, 2006, it was announced that the park would close down on December 31, 2006, with its parent company citing changes in the business environment for its closure.http://ke.kabupro.jp/tsp/20060926/491a02b0_20060926.pdf
==Park==
To enter the theme park, visitors went on a long escalator ride through a steep hill to the top in front of a giant Big Bird head. (At 40.8 meters, it was the longest escalator in Japan at the time.Japan's longest escalator was near Mutsugoro Kingdom) 
Most of the attractions were the same as its American counterpart during its first years, with a few unique ones. Due to the small size of the park, the attractions were more or less like playground equipment. There were also two restaurants, some carnival games, kiddie rides (which were moved to Tokyo Summerland after the park's closure,) and a gift store named after Hooper's Store.
File:Tokyo Sesame Place parking lot.jpg|parking lot
File:Tokyo Sesame Place ticket booths.jpg|ticket booths
File:Tokyo Sesame Place escalators 1.jpg|escalators
File:Tokyo Sesame Place escalators 2.jpg|going up
File:Tokyo Sesame Place escalators 3.jpg|going down
File:Tokyo Sesame Place escalators 4.jpg|sign
===Attractions===
Sesame Square
* Big Bird's Gate
* Barkley's Walkway - A walkway similar to the Big Bird Bridge.
* Aqua Blasta Water Game
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Square.jpg|Sesame Square
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Big Bird Head.JPG|Big Bird's Gate
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Barkley's Walkway.jpg|Barkley's Gateway
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Aqua Blast.jpg|Aqua Blasta Water Game
Construction Area
* Monster Maze - Maze with large punching bags.
* Grover's Super Dig - Kids could sit on small mechanical excavators and dig up dirt.
* Cookie Mountain - Climbing equipment. This version doesn't include any net covering the attraction.
* Sesame Construction Railroad
* Twiddlebug's Perch - A terrace lounge.
* Count's Number Room
* Elmo's Nets and Climbs - An enclosed 2-story outdoor playground.
** Ball Pool - Located on the second floor.
** Slimey Slider - A enclosed slide that took attendees down to the first floor.
* Zoe's Court - A sand play area.
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Monster Maze.jpg|Monster Maze
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Super Dig sign.jpg|Grover's Super Dig
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Super Dig 1.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Super Dig 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Cookie Mountain.jpg|Cookie Mountain
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Construction Train.jpg|Sesame Construction Railroad
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Elmo's Nets & Climbs 1.jpg|Elmo's Nets & Climbs
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Elmo's Nets & Climbs 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Nets & Climbs.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place ball pool.jpg|ball pool
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Slimey Slider sign.jpg|Slimey Slider
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Slimey Slider 1.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Slimey Slider 2.jpeg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Zoe's Court.jpg|Zoe's Court
Sesame Food Factory
* sit-down restaurant
* takeout
File:Tokyo Sesame Place restaurant outside.jpg|restaurant, outside
File:Tokyo Sesame Place restaurant inside.jpg|restaurant, inside
Sunny Day Area
* Herry Monster's Net - Climbing net. It is placed over Sesame Beach.
* Big Bird's Pond - Bumper boats.
* Snuffy's Ball Pool - A deep ball pit.
* Oscar's Observation Tower
* Little Bird's Gate
* Ernie's Bed Bounce - Inflatable bed. This version was enclosed.
* Rainbow Pyramid - Attendees could put balls inside the pyramid and the air would push them up.
* Prairie Dawn's Playground - Rest area.
* Sesame Forest - Small playground and picnic area.
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Herry's Net sign.jpg|Herry Monster's Net
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Herry's Net.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place BB's Pond sign.jpg|Big Bird's Pond
File:Tokyo Sesame Place BB Pond 1.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place BB Pond 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place BB Pond 3.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Snuffy's Ball Pool.jpg|Snuffy's Ball Pool
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Bed Bounce.jpg|Ernie's Bed Bounce
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Rainbow Pyramid 1.jpg|Rainbow Pyramid
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Rainbow Pyramid 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Forest.jpg|Sesame Forest
Water Activities Area (summer season only)
* Rubber Duckie Pond
* Bert's Balancing Beam
* The Amazing Mumford's Water Maze - A water attraction.
* Sesame Beach - Small water pool.
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Mumford's Water Maze.jpg|The Amazing Mumford's Water Maze
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Beach 1.jpg|Sesame Beach
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Beach 2.jpg
Show Area
* Big Bird's Nest - A replica of Big Bird's nest for photos
* Sesame Studio - Indoor theater that had short live shows featuring the walk-around characters.
* Rubber Duckie Stage
* Guy Smiley's Tower - Staircase tower that could take attendees to the bottom and top floors.
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Big Bird's Nest.jpg|Big Bird's Nest
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Studio 1.jpg|Sesame Studio
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Studio 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Guy Smiley's Tower.jpg|Guy Smiley's Tower
1-2-3 Sesame Street Area
* Sesame Street - An indoor replica of Sesame Street, similar to Sesame Neighborhood.
* Hooper's Store - A gift shop.
* Big Bird's Nest - A replica of Big Bird's nest for photos
* Bert & Ernie's Play Room - An indoor playground for babies and toddlers.
* Coin rides
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Sesame Street.jpg|Sesame Street
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Hooper's Store 1.jpg|Hooper's Store
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Hooper's Store 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Hooper's Store 3.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Big Bird's Nest.jpg|Big Bird's Nest
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Playroom 1.jpg|Bert & Ernie's Play Room
File:Tokyo Sesame Place Playroom 2.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place kiddie rides.jpg|Coin rides
===Characters===
Walk-around characters included Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Ernie, Bert, The Count (first appeared in late 1990s), and Zoe (first appeared in early 2000s). In stage shows, the characters' voices were dubbed by the same voice actors from the NHK dub.
Walk-arounds of Mojabo and Teena from the Japanese co-production also appeared at the park during its last few years.
File:Mojabo Walk-Around SSTD.jpg|Mojabo Walk-Around
File:Teena Walk-Around SSTD.jpeg|Teena Walk-Around
File:Zoe, Elmo, Cookie SSTD.jpg|Zoe, Elmo and Cookie Monster
File:The Gang in White SSTD.jpg
File:Elmo Wave.png
==Merchandise==
Image:Na-puz09.jpg
Image:Na-puz10.jpg
Image:Sesameplacepostcard.jpg
Image:Bertlimbo.png
Image:TokyoSesamePlacepuzzle.png
Image:TSPcard.png
Image:Stampsofapproval.png
Image:Lookitup.png
File:Tokyo Sesame Place-tote bag.jpg
File:Tokyo Sesame Place-keychain.jpg
File:Tokyo SP postcard-front.jpg
File:Tokyo SP postcard-back.jpg
File:Sesame Place Japan letter set.jpg
==See also==
* Universal Studios Japan, which added the Sesame Street characters in 2003
==Sources==
__NOWYSIWYG__
Category:International Attractions
Category:Theme Parks
Category:Sesame Place