Entrance to Tokyo Joypolis in September 2014, located in Odaiba
Location
Various
Status
Operating
Operated by
CA Sega Joypolis (Tokyo and Sendai) China Animations Character Co. (Shanghai and Guangzhou)
Theme
Future, video games, anime
Operating season
Year-round (indoor)
Attractions
Total
22 (Tokyo)
Roller coasters
One (Tokyo only, formerly Shanghai)
Joypolis (Japanese: ジョイポリス, Hepburn: Joiporisu) is a chain of indoor amusement parks created by Sega and run by CA Sega Joypolis. Beginning on July 20, 1994 with the original location sited in Yokohama, Japan,[1] Joypolis centers have since opened in several cities in Japan and later China. The parks feature arcade games and amusement rides based on Sega's intellectual properties, original themes, and licensed franchises. Alongside the predecessor Galbo venues and the overseas spin-offs SegaWorld London and Sega World Sydney, they were officially referred to under the "Amusement Theme Park" or "ATP" concept by Sega in the 1990s.[2]
Overall, eleven Joypolis theme parks have been opened, but as of 2024, four parks remain operational; two in Japan (Tokyo and a Sports Center in Sendai) and two in China (Shanghai and Guangzhou); the failure of many of the parks has largely been attributed to poor visitor numbers, managerial problems, and cost-cutting measures, with the closures and downsizing of several occurring in the midst of Sega's companywide losses during the early 2000s.
After its formation the previous year to operate the parks, Sega announced in 2016 that China Animations would acquire a majority stake in Sega Live Creation (now CA Sega Joypolis) for 600 million yen, effective January 2017.[3] The two currently operating Joypolis branches are no longer fully controlled by Sega, although their attractions, branding, and intellectual properties continue to be used under license from them for the foreseeable future.
Original entrance to Tokyo JoypolisSecond entrance to Tokyo Joypolis
The flagship Joypolis park is located in Odaiba area of Tokyo, and originally opened on 12 July 1996. Currently, it is the only Japanese Joypolis park to remain in operation and has been refurbished twice - in December 2000 and early 2012.
In January 2022, a new format under the Joypolis name was officially announced. Joypolis Sports is a sports center located in Izumi-ku, Sendai on the Sendai Nakayama complex and will heavily focus on sports-related activities, as well as a few minor non-Sports facilities like a Comic Book section, and a small arcade. The venue was originally planned to open on March 18,[4] but this opening window was put on hold a day before opening following the 2022 Fukushima earthquake. On April 13, the venue announced a new opening date of April 29.[5]
The first Joypolis park in China opened in the Changning DistrictofShanghai, and opened in two phases: the first in December 2014, and the second in February 2016.
In January 2021, it was announced that a Joypolis park would open in Guangzhou on the Junming Happy World complex later in the year which will contain 40 attractions. It will be the first Joypolis venue to open in South China.[6]
It was originally planned to open in September 2021,[7] but after a delay,[8] the venue opened on May 9, 2022.[9]
The first flagship Joypolis theme park was located in Yokohama, opening on July 20, 1994. It was the second park to launch under Sega's "Amusement Theme Park" concept after the Osaka ATC Galbo venue in Osaka, which had opened three months previously. Initially exceeding its expected revenue and visitor number targets, it lagged behind after its flagship status was superseded by the larger Tokyo branch.
The venue reopened as Joypolis H. Factory on July 25, 1999 as part of a partnership with media personality and comedian Hiromi. Due to restructurings at Sega, the venue closed permanently on 28 February 2001. Nearby facilities, including on-site McDonald's outlets, initially continued to operate.
The building formerly housing the park was subsequently used as a warehouse, before being demolished to make way for an apartment block.
On 9 December 1995, the second Joypolis venue opened in Chūō-ku, Niigata City. Sega transitioned the operating rights of the park to an outside company, Magic City Co, Ltd. in April 1998, due to poor performance after its first year.
The park was rebranded by the new operators as Magic City @ Niigata Joypolis, featuring an electronic card payment system, and having most of its virtual attractions replaced with standard arcade rides. It closed permanently after further management issues on January 16, 2001.
The building that formerly housed the park later became part of the Bandai City Billboard Place entertainment complex and was renamed the BP2, consisting of retail stores on the first and second floors (including a branch of the Niigata City Manga / Anime Information Center) and a cinema on the third floor.
On April 20, 1996, a Joypolis opened in Fukuoka as one of the opening tenants of the Canal City Hakata complex. The venue closed on 24 September 2001 due to restructuring at Sega. The venue was split into two, one half became home to a Ramen Stadium restaurant and the other half was retained by Sega, who reopened the downsized arcade as a Club Sega venue, and operated it until the late-2000s when it was replaced with a Taito Station.
A Joypolis in Shinjuku opened on October 4, 1996. Located on the tenth and eleventh floors of the Shinjuku Takashimaya branch on its opening day, it was one of the venue's major entertainment tenants alongside an IMAX theatre. The park became the first Joypolis to close permanently on August 22, 2000, with competition from Tokyo Joypolis elsewhere in the capital officially cited. The floors formerly housing the park are used as an art gallery (10) and an exhibition hall (11).
A Joypolis opened in Kyoto on September 11, 1997, located on the tenth floor of the local branch of Isetan. Though still containing a number of newly-developed attractions, it took up a significantly smaller floor space compared to most other Joypolis venues, and no entry fees were charged. The venue closed on August 22, 2002, due to unprofitability, which by its final years only two attractions (Sega Touring Car Championship Special and Wild River) operated. The floor where the park once existed now houses sections selling souvenirs.
A Joypolis opened in Yokohama on July 18, 1998. It was part of the Joyful Town complex operated by Ito Yokado, consisting of other unrelated venues. A Sonic-themed bowling was located on the third floor of the property, alongside karaoke rooms.
On March 23, 2008, all the remaining attractions were removed from the complex, followed up with the bowling alley and karaoke facilities on July 17. Unlike the other venues, the operations were transferred to Sega Entertainment Co, Ltd. in October 2012 due to its arcade status.
The venue closed on 2 September 2018 after all tenants of the Joyful Town complex were notified to leave their premises due to redevelopment. The building was demolished in November that year.
On November 28, 1998, a Joypolis opened in Umeda, Osaka as part of the Hep Five shopping centre complex, located on the 8th and 9th floors. It was the last Joypolis venue to be opened by Sega in the 1990s. The venue closed on May 6, 2018, after its lease expired.
ANamco VR Zone later opened up in the space in September of that year, trading until 25 October 2020. The space is now home to the Bandai Namco Cross Store.
Around October 2018, a Joypolis-branded venue opened in Shibuya. This venue specifically focused on VR attractions, similar to a Namco VR Zone and other VR arcades. The venue closed on 30 June 2020.
In July 2015, a Joypolis venue opened in Qingdao. This is the only one of the Chinese venues to be directly owned by CA Sega Joypolis and not licensed to their owner China Animations.
On April 26, 2023, Qingdao Joypolis decided to shut down on May 31, 2023.[10]
Gekion Live Coaster: A roller-coaster that is combined with a music game. It was built by Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH. When Gekion first opened in 2012, it was the world's first spinning coaster with an inversion and launch. The attraction formerly traded as Veil of Dark, until 2016, which featured a different form of gameplay that starts off as a shooting dark ride using controllers mounted to the restraints. There are two shooting sections separated by a short chain lift prior to the tire launch.
Halfpipe Tokyo: A snowboarding ride and is set to music.
The Joypolis Explorer: A mystery attraction where Joypolis attendees need to uncover the treasure warehouse.
Pirate's Plunder: A pirate-themed shooting attraction.
Spicy Taxi: A driving simulator that has 360-degree cars. The attraction formerly traded as one based on the game Initial D Arcade Stage 4 when it first opened in 2007.
Spin Bullet: A spinning coaster built by Masago Industrial. The attraction first opened in 1996 as Rail Chase: The Ride, but then, it was renamed to Speed Boarder in 1999. The cars could seat two riders side-by-side. The ride was renamed to its final name in 2006 with a change in cars, and was removed in 2011 during Joypolis' 2012 refurbishment, which was replaced with a new coaster.
D-Lounge: An interactive lounge that serves Joypolis attendees snacks and drinks. This is the only area of the park that serves Joypolis attendees alcohol.
Dippin' Dots Ice Cream: A Dippin' Dots-selling store.
Frame Cafe: A café that provides the views of Tokyo.
Animal Treasure Box: An attraction where Joypolis attendees need to look for animals in a 3D environment.
Beautiful Test: A picture-showcase attraction.
Chuang Jurassic: A 3D simulator.
Deadly Blitz: A VR shooting game.
Fortune Forest: is a virtual forest that tells Joypolis attendees what their futures will be like.
GO GO Jockey!: An arcade-game that is powered with a plastic horse that Joypolis attendees need to ride on.
Horror House: A haunted house-themed attraction.
Initial D Arcade Stage 4 Limited: A driving simulator that is based on the manga series of the same name. Joypolis attendees sit in real cars for this game.
Search Impossible: A haunted house-themed attraction.
Sega Lightning Knight: A roller-coaster that has an interactive shooting element.
On April 20, 2005, Sega Corp. closed its Tokyo Joypolis (Odaiba area) theme park temporarily, pending a police investigation and an internal investigation into park safety procedures. The action came in the wake of an accident on the previous Monday in which a 30-year-old man died after he fell out of a ride. The ride, called "Viva! Skydiving," is a simulator ride that is designed to give passengers an experience of virtualskydiving. Apparently, the ride's operators allowed the overweight man to board the ride, even though the safety belt was not long enough to fit around his body. The man was secured only by an over-the-shoulder restraint, but Sega president Hisao Oguchi says that the restraint was locked in a "more loose position," causing the man to fall out. [citation needed]
Reports indicate that, while Sega's official park operations manual forbids riders from riding without seat belts, Tokyo Joypolis had given its employees an unofficial manual that allowed ride operators to use their own discretion as to whether a person could board a ride. Sega says it was unaware that the park had its own manual.[12]
SegaWorld, An arcade that refers to a chain of game centres/arcades in numerous countries (primarily Japan) that are operated by Sega since 1989, as well as defunct indoor theme-park installations in the United Kingdom and Australia.
GameWorks, An arcade that refers to mixed-use entertainment venues which were formerly operated by Sega in the United States.
