Akira Toriyama’s former editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, has directed criticism towards an amusement park being built in Saudi Arabia that is centered around the crown jewel of anime,Dragon Ball. As a respected and reputable veteran, Torishima’s words carry a lot of weight, and he’s not held back inrecent statements made against modern manga and anime.
Back in March 2025, Toei Animation revealed a new plan to build aDragon BallTheme Park; however, the location surprised many fans when contruction was revealed to be starting in Saudi Arabia. Given that the anime originated from Japan, fans were a bit baffled that the first-ever theme park celebrating Goku was in a different country.
Dragon Ball’s Former Editor, Torishima, States He Wouldn’t Approve Of The Park Taking Place in Saudi Arabia
In aninterview conducted with Diamond Life, Kazuhiko Torishima stated that the first theme park forDragon Ballshouldn’t have been approved to start construction in Saudi Arabia. It does seem rather odd that an amusement park entirely dedicated toDragon Ballwon’t be built in Japan, where the manga, anime, and franchise built the framework of its success.
“I had absolutely no involvement in it. If I were still at Shueisha, I would never have approved the project. The reason is simple; it’s a place that Japanese children can’t go to.”
- Torishima
As one of the most popular IPs in Japan, it’s no surprise that the main reason behind Torishima’s reasoning is that theDragon Balltheme park may not be easily accessible. He clarifies that Saudi Arabia is a place for wealthy adults and suggests that the decision was made due to companies being motivated by short-term profits.
Torishima credits the success ofWeekly ShōnenandDragon Ballto the children of Japan, since it was their money that built the foundation of the franchise’s success. He went on to state that if there were a clause or program that allowed for Japanese children to attend the park for free, he would find the project more justified.
Coverage Of Torishima’s Comments Earns a Rebuke From The Venerated Editor
With Torishima’s comments to Diamond being widely circulated, it was only inevitable that he would respond. In a post onTorishima’s personal X account, he argues that his comments were taken out of context and exaggerated. Torishima does maintain his criticism of the park, but feels the coverage has made him appear more critical than he intended.
To everyone,
Regarding the article ”A Dragon Ball Theme Park Shouldn’t Be Built’: Why the Legendary Jump Editor-in-Chief Strongly Opposes the Saudi Arabian Plan,’ which was published on Diamond Online (Diamond Life Editorial Department) on Friday, July 09, 2025 at 6:00 AM, and on Yahoo! News (Diamond Life Editorial Department) on Thursday, July 08, 2025 at 7:01 AM, I deeply regret that the article has been spread in a way that portrays me as actively speaking in a strong tone and ‘barking,’ which is different from the actual circumstances and facts of the interview, and that it contains content that is far removed from my intention.
The current article portrays me as making a strong and forceful statement, and has been inaccurately spread across multiple media outlets, YouTube channels, and personal social media accounts, with manipulated and exaggerated interpretations.
There is no doubt that I wanted to strongly convey my sense of discomfort about not constructing first here in Japan, but instead overseas (here it’s not my intention to name a specific country; it just so happens that the proposed construction site here is Saudi Arabia)—despite more consideration ought to have been given to Japanese children and readers.
But as I feel that what I wanted to convey accurately has, in the current situation, ended up lacking accuracy, I have decided to release a statement about the contents of the article on the radio program ‘TOKYO M.A.A.D SPIN,’ which will be broadcast from 1:00 am on Saturday, August 23rd, and on the August 27 (Wednesday) scheduled distribution on the ‘Yubou & Mashirito’s Koso Koso Broadcasting Station’ YouTube channel, outlining my exact thoughts and feelings regarding the content of this article.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kazuhiko Torishima
While Torishima’s full comments on the controversy won’t be known until he speaks on the 27th, it’s understandable why he would want to release a statement. It appears as though Torishima wasn’t criticizing Saudi Arabia specifically, but more that he just wished the firstDragon Balltheme park was built in Japan.
Dragon Ball’s First Theme Park Should Have Been In Japan
While Torishima made some valid points in his argument against the theme park’s construction in Saudi Arabia, he was wrong in believing thatDragon Ballis only for kids and can only be geared or marketed to a younger audience.Anime has long since branched out to include teens, young adults, and older generations.
Dragon Ballitself is a franchise that has been in operation since 1984, and fans of it then are still fans of it now.Theme parks and amusement parks operate not on children’s money, but adults’, signifying that Saudi Arabia’sDragon Balltheme park will be marketed towards a wider audience that includes all ages and nationalities.
However,Dragon Ballhas become so interconnected with Japan’s infrastructure that it’s rumored that if it were to ever stop, the country itself would collapse. ForJapan not to host the first-ever dedicatedDragon BallTheme Parkis by far one of the strangest decisions by Toei Animation, as that honor should have been bequeathed to the franchise’s birthplace.
