CALGARY — A village built to look like old Canada is drawing attention online, but it is not in Canada at all — it is in Ashibetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.Known as Canadian World, the village was built in 1990 as a Canadian-themed attraction inspired by Prince Edward Island and Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Visitors walk through replicas of Green Gables, traditional churches, wooden homes, quiet streets and gardens designed to reflect rural Canada.The park recreates the fictional PEI village of Avonlea, with replicas of landmarks from Prince Edward Island.Although the attraction struggled financially and ceased operating as a commercial theme park in 1997, much of the village remains open today as a public park..Visitors can stroll through full-scale recreations of Green Gables, the fictional village of Avonlea, traditional churches, wooden homes, gardens and quiet streets lined with Canadian-style architecture. Maple trees, English gardens and carefully maintained landscapes were planted to resemble the Canadian Maritimes, while Canadian music and exhibits reinforce the experience.The project highlights Japan’s interest in Western literary and architectural traditions. Anne of Green Gables has long held a special place in Japanese popular culture, leading to this detailed recreation. Ashibetsu and Charlottetown, PEI, are sister cities, reflecting genuine cultural ties.More than three decades after it first opened, Canadian World remains one of the most unusual monuments to Canada ever built.
