15/04 Tokyo Disneyland reopens after quake-triggered closure

English.news.cn 2011-04-15 14:45:45

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A visitor reacts as she hugs Disney character Mickey Mouse at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, east of Tokyo April 15, 2011. Tokyo Disneyland reopened its popular theme park on Friday after a closure of about one month since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The prolonged shutdown was in part due to an unstable supply of power to the region. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

TOKYO, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo Disneyland reopened Friday, more than a month after the March 11 great earthquake and tsunami forced its closure, bringing some positive relief to Japanese who are yet to recover from the woes of a nuclear crisis and the sorrow at the loss of lives.

Some 10,000 fans and visitors queued up before the amusement park opened at 8 a.m.. They are greeted by Mickey Mouse and other cartoon characters. To celebrate its reopening the park also put on a colorful musical parade of floats.

"I had planned to come to Disneyland before the earthquake but my plan has been spoiled," said Yukuko Ishii from Yokohama, who was waiting to get her photograph taken with Mickey Mouse. "I hope everyone can gain some happiness from Mickey Mouse, and Japan can regain its strength and vigor."

The reopening on Friday coincides with the 28th anniversary of its opening in 1983. It was also the first time in all these years that the theme park has been closed for such a long period due to a natural disaster.

The earthquake and ensuing tsunami created power supply shortages in the region surrounding Tokyo. Even after its reopening, the daily business hours has been shortened to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., closing four hours earlier than usual for the time being to save electricity.

"We are balancing maintaining our service quality and power conservation," said Hiroshi Suzuki, a spokesman for Oriental Land Co., Ltd, operator of Tokyo Disneyland. "And we will try to resume normal working hours as soon as the conditions are ripe."

The company plans to donate 300 yen per visitor from admission fees through May 14 to disaster relief and sell charity wrist bands reading "We are one" from next Friday, with proceeds also being donated.

The neighboring DisneySea park, also located on the outskirts of Tokyo at Urayasu in Chiba prefecture, is expected to reopen during Japan's May Day holidays.