
The staff and characters of Puroland want you to know that they’re waiting for your visit from the bottom of their hearts.
With most family-friendly theme parks and museums closed in Japan at the moment due to the spread of coronavirus, Sanrio Puroland in Tama-Center, Tokyo is no exception. The fan-favorite park has also extended their closure until an unspecified time in early April due to a new governmental ordinance.
However, Puroland wants you to know that despite the closure, its staff are doing everything in their power to prepare to greet visitors with a smile again soon. The park even released a touching video message on their official YouTube channel on March 22 with the poignant message “Even though we’re closed…we’re here for you” and featuring a rare behind-the-scenes compilation of scenes at the park.
The video begins with a somber spattering of rain on deserted streets that are usually bustling with laughing families. We see dark entry gates and catch a glimpse of maintenance staff taking advantage of the lack of guests to change all of the LED lightbulbs. We’re then privy to a Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant chef dreaming up new nutritious and cute menus to offer patrons, as well as a glimpse of Hello Kitty perfecting her step work on an empty stage. The video ends with shots of staff cleaning every square inch of the facilities.
Net reactions to the video were beyond touched and many longtime fans of Sanrio fans unabashedly shed tears:
“The sight of the staff carefully cleaning everything is heartbreaking and made me tear up.”
“To all the staff and characters: Thank you so much. I was supposed to visit Puroland for the first time for Purin-kun’s birthday event on April 5 but it got cancelled. While it’s too bad, your feelings have reached us. I will be sure to visit Purin-kun another time.”
“I want to go but I can’t…I promise I’ll visit as soon as things are better. I’ll always support you!”
“I wept uncontrollably. Puroland is a special and important place for me. Seeing all of the maintenance being done now, as well as the characters sending their greetings, I feel better knowing that I’ll see everyone again.”
“I’m sad I can’t see all of my favorite characters for now, but everyone’s hearts are like rainbows connecting each other forever.”
We’ll have to wait a little bit longer to see all of their hard work in person, but in the meantime it’s comforting to know that Hello Kitty and all of her pals are with us in their hearts.
Source: Byokan Sunday via My Game News Flash
Images: YouTube/purolandJP
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