After road-testing a temporary version of its waxworks attraction in Tokyo, Merlin Entertainments has announced that it will open a permanent Madame Tussauds in the Japanese capital.
The full size Madame Tussauds will open at Decks Tokyo Beach Mall, Odaiba, in Spring 2013, where it will join Merlin’s Legoland Discovery Centre which opens later this year. Described as, “the ultimate celebrity experience,” the attraction will feature more than 60 of the most popular Japanese and international celebrities in exciting interactive themed areas. The temporary Madame Tussauds opened at the same venue for three months beginning October 2011.
“Our daily customer feedback survey has shown that visitors to the Tokyo attraction, both local and tourists, have loved the experience and been fascinated by the wax figures of their heroes,” notes Russell Barnes, Merlin Entertainments’ divisional director for ‘Midway’ developments. “They were not prepared for the quality of the figures or just how lifelike they are – and have really taken the opportunity to ‘meet’ and be photographed with them. The new exhibition will take this experience to another level.”
Madame Tussauds Tokyo will be one of the largest worldwide, and the fourth to open in the Asia Pacific region, alongside the successful Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok attractions. The company is also looking to open an outlet in South Korea and Sydney, Australia.
