This month in 1908, Anne of Green Gables was published.
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s series of novels about the misadventures of red-haired Anne Shirley and her friends and neighbors have won fans all over the world.
And quite a few of those fans have traveled across the world.
Many of them have headed to the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, where the books are set, while others have headed to Japan… which is, if I remember right, not where the books are set.
But you’d be forgiven if you thought they were, because a small town in Japan built a pretty believable version of Anne with an E’s universe at a Canadian-themed tourist park.
The place is known as Canadian World, and it’s in the community of Ashibetsu, Japan.
At its peak, Ashibetsu was home to more than 70,000 people, thanks to coal mining jobs.
But when the coal mines went away, the population fell to under 20,000.
In the 1990s, Ashibetsu bet big on tourism to bring back jobs and prosperity, including the construction of Canadian World.
While the park does feature other parts of Canada too, the centerpiece is the representation of Anne’s hometown of Avonlea, from the train station where Anne first shows up, to the school house, to the lake.
There were even actors playing Anne and her friend Diana.
And it brought in thousands of visitors a year… for a time.
But it didn’t quite turn Ashibetsu’s fortunes around.
Canadian World was a theme park built during a kind of theme park boom in Japan, other towns were also hoping to bring in tourists.
This park had kind of a specific niche, and it was built in a town that’s part of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, which means it’s both off the beaten path and the site of pretty wintry weather for much of the year.
Even people who love the Anne books aren’t necessarily looking to experience her world in the coldest part of the year.
So, as the CBC reported, the park scaled back and has been staffed by volunteers.
But according to the website, it’s still open, so if you want the Anne of Green Gables experience in all its glory but can’t or don’t want to visit actual Canada, you’ve got options.
Starting this Saturday in Washington State, it’s the Buckley Log Show.
It includes a parade and food and lots of family activities.
But the event is centered around a two-day logging competition, with events like “Ax Throw,” “Standing Block Chop” and, amazingly, “Hot Saw Unlimited.”
Abandoned Avonlea: Anne theme park in Japan now like a ghost town (CBC)
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