Japanese discount retailer Don Quijote has unveiled a renovated Ferris wheel at its location in Osaka’s Dotonbori shopping district.
The Ferris wheel suffered a technical fault 10 years ago and had been out of operation since. Don Quijote has repaired and refurbished the ride’s mechanical components and redecorated the 32 compartments, each of which hold four passengers.
The attraction now sits on the outer wall of the Don Quijote store and features a giant image of the god of business prosperity, Ebisu. The highest point is 77 metres above street level and gives views of the river and Japan’s tallest skyscraper.
Rides takes 15 minutes and cost ¥600. The company hopes that the wheel will bring in tourists.
“By entertaining both foreign tourists and locals, we hope to contribute to the revitalisation of the community,” Yasuyuki Sakamoto, chief of Don Quijote’s western Japan sales promotion, told the Japan Times.
Japanese discount store unveils renovated Ferris wheel to lure in tourists