| "Amazing,
just amazing," said Tsuyoshi Ito. The retired
postal worker had strolled through a Turkish bazaar, eaten exotic food, drunk
Turkish coffee and seen a belly dancer - all without leaving Japan. He
was at the Turkish Culture Village, a travel theme park on the north coast of
Japan. Without getting on a plane, you can now experience
Holland, Russia, Turkey or the American Wild West in the safety and comfort of
Japan. The Japanese are obsessed with travelling abroad
and more than 16.5 million will travel overseas this coming year, spending an
average of 319,000 yen each. However, visiting the
travel theme parks is easier and safer; the visitor does not need to be confused
by foreign languages or to be afraid of crime. Last
year, 8 million people visited the Dutch Village and the Spanish Village, even
though they are in out-of-the-way places. One of the
main attractions says the manager of the Turkish Culture Village is that people
can meet and chat to foreigners, something that they rarely have the opportunity
to do. | 
