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.
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 second theme park, Tokyo DisneySea, two Disney-branded hotels and a shopping, eating and entertainment district, Ikspiari.
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 Thomas O. Staggs, 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.