Shakespeare lovers in Japan can now indulge their Elizabethan passions at a theme park dedicated to the Bard and his times.

The Maruyama Shakespeare Country Park, located in the town of Maruyama, 40 miles east of Tokyo, recreates a small part of 16th-century Britain.The $12 million facility boasts a replica village, including re-creations of Shakespeare's home, his mother's house and a village square.

Facing a danger that Shakespeare didn't have to worry about, the Japanese, who are passionate about the poet, constructed the buildings to withstand the force of an earthquake.

Selections from his plays are performed at the park by Japanese actors in Japanese.

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A ceremony marking the park's opening was held on April 23, Shakespeare's birthday.

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