Walt Disney Attractions Japan

Walt Disney Attractions Japan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, one of four sectors of the American entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company.

Founded in 1982, a year before the opening of the Tokyo Disneyland theme park in Chiba, Japan, its purpose was to liaise with The Oriental Land Company - the financial owners of Tokyo Disneyland - in all aspects of running and maintaining the theme park.

Activities

* Developing ideas for theme park attractions and expansions with Walt Disney Imagineering
* Regularly assessing whether the Tokyo Disney Resort is being maintained to Disney-set specifications
* Acting as the receiver of finances through licensing from the Oriental Land Company
* Approving decisions by the Oriental Land Company involving artistic properties owned by Disney
* Advertising the Tokyo Disney Resort in the United States

Walt Disney Attractions Japan played a major part in the expansion of 2001 from the Tokyo Disneyland theme park to the Tokyo Disney Resort which included an extra theme park, Tokyo DisneySea, two Disney-branded hotels and a vast shopping, eating and entertainment district, Ikspiari. The Walt Disney Company employs a separate company to liaise with the Oriental Land Co. over the licenses of the Disney Store in Japan.

Management

Walt Disney Attractions Japan took its name from the former name of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney Attractions. It is headed by Nick Franklin, who also heads International Development at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, for example scouting for further locations for Disney resorts. Nick Franklin reports to James A. Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and to a certain extent, Toshio Kagami, president of the Oriental Land Company and by default the Tokyo Disney Resort.