Anyone remember this place? (Japanese Deer Park)

[UncleTheodore]

I recall going once in 1970,they had dolphin shows,bears,koi ponds,karate shows(featuring a young Steven Segall) ,I remember the Geisha girls too.and of course the deer petting area.

[Olympicnut]

I remember this place! I never went though but I always wanted to as a kid. And dont you think the Fuji Folk look VERY similar to Shrek? Hmmmmm...

[Spidergrrrl]

I don't remember going there, but my mom and dad have told me I've been. Of course I was under a year old at the time...

[Olympicnut]

I was trying to think of why my parents never took me here and I think I figured it out, it was my dad. He had major issues with everything Japanese because he fought in the Pacific in WW2, and I KNOW I asked him to take me there many times because it looked like a fun place. But now that I think about it I know he didn't because of his deep rooted issues with the Japanese. Sad to think 30 years after the end of WW2 he still couldn't get over it but then again I didn't see what he saw.

Not to make this thread all political and emotional, just wanted to share why I wasn't taken there.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Interesting. I remember going to a japanese village/deer park in Orlando, FL when my family went in 1976. The pictures look identical to the place I remember going, and yet, they are from Buena Park. How strange.

[RobotMirror]

YES. I remember going here, although I was really young. They also had pearl divers, and that was interesting to watch.

[UncleTheodore]

Originally Posted by Frogberto

YES. I remember going here, although I was really young. They also had pearl divers, and that was interesting to watch.

Seaworld used to have pearl divers too,where the forbiden reef is now.I bought a oyster,they valued the pearl at $21.

[aimster]

Originally Posted by UncleTheodore

Seaworld used to have pearl divers too,where the forbiden reef is now.I bought a oyster,they valued the pearl at $21.

I remember getting an oyster at Sea World too. I think they valued my pearl at $14. Had them set it in a ring... I still have it too.

[Dustysage]

I posted this a while back in another thread:

Why am I punishing myself? OC history is too sad.
http://www.ocalmanac.com/History/hi01i.htm

From 1975:

The owners of Japanese Deer Park, facing mounting red ink, begin giving lethal injections to their deer, claiming the animals have tuberculosis. Almost 200 of the deer are killed before the authorities stop them, ruling that the massacre was obviously for economic reasons.

They killed 200 deer! I'm so sad. But here is the really horrible part:

The surviving deer are donated to UC Davis for use in experiments.

So once they figured out that the deer were being killed for economic reasons, they stopped the killing only to turn the animals over to be experimented on???? Don't you just love history? Crazy.

[FrumiousBoojum]

Sad story in the end, but that looked like a nice place. I would've wanted to go.

Oh well.

Maybe someday I'll go to the world famous deer park in the real Japan.

[pancakesaregood]

It was before my time, but somebody told me about it. And how they nicknamed one of their friends after the mascots. But for a map and pictures, http://www.synthetrix.com/ (which is a classic photo gallery of Los Angeles in the 1950s-1980s (most specifically Googie styles and touristy places). Click Photos of the Forgotten and Japanese Deer Park is on the menu (bonus some Disneyland brochures of the 60s are up too)

[Not Afraid]

I loved this place and, somewhere amongst the loads of paraphernalia in my garage is a little plastic deer - the ubiquitous park souvenir. I think it resides with some zoo animals from Farrell's.

[UncleTheodore]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I loved this place and, somewhere amongst the loads of paraphernalia in my garage is a little plastic deer - the ubiquitous park souvenir. I think it resides with some zoo animals from Farrell's.

Farrell's now there was a interesting place to get ice cream.I remember they had this super size sundae maybe 20 scoops of all flavors.they carried out on a wooden litter by 2 people.Sirens would go off.quite a spectical.

[Olympicnut]

There's a Farrells in Santa Clarita at Mountasia if you're jonesing for a fix.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by UncleTheodore

Farrell's now there was a interesting place to get ice cream.I remember they had this super size sundae maybe 20 scoops of all flavors.they carried out on a wooden litter by 2 people.Sirens would go off.quite a spectical.

That's The Zoo (and where my little plastic animals came from).