When One Isn't Enough

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The Second Happiest Place In Tokyo….

Tokyo Disney Sea is the located next door to Tokyo Disneyland and is connected by the Disney monorail. It is in this park that all the marine themed Disney adventures are housed as well as a few others to fill in the gaps. From The Little Mermaid to Finding Nemo, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea to Indiana Jones, Tokyo Disney Sea is not as grand as the original but certainly has enough to keep entertained.

After two days of thrills and spills, we took it a little easier on Thursday… or so we thought. Off to Odaiba to have a look at some architecture for the morning, we crossed the Rainbow Bridge at headed to the Fuji TV Building where most of Japan’s broadcasting is done. A quick trip to the observation deck for a different perspective of Tokyo and then down to the foreshore for the first of the three authentic statues of liberty I will encounter on this trip. Smaller but still impressive, the lady stands looking over the city peacefully. Palette Town is a shopping are close to the Fuji TV Building where it was worth a look just for the inside malls, decorated in a Mediterranean theme.

For the second time, we went to the Imperial Gardens, this time thankfully they were open. With expanses of manicured lawn, small lakes and hedges of flowers, it is an excellent example of Japanese horticulture. Located with the Imperial compound, the masonry of the palace walls is in stark contrast to the peaceful interior but lends a sense of permanence.

Ueno Park was the second last stop for the day with an amble through the open spaces, weaving in and out of the museums and zoological gardens. A peaceful place, though as night gets closer it becomes a shanty town for the homeless. Unlike other cities though, the homeless in Japan seem to be a much mellower bunch, happy to go about their business during the day and only becoming noticeable as they settle in for the night. I think it has something to do with the Japanese etiquette and tradition.

As darkness fell it was back to the Tokyo Tower to get some night shots of the city. At the second observatory, 250m above the ground, the tower could be felt swaying in the wind creating an almost drunk stumble as you exit the elevator. Classy…. I know.

Friday was another travel day but one that I was looking forward to as we were heading to Mt Fuji!!! Leaving the city behind, we headed up into the mountains with the temperature dropping another degree every minute or so. Kawaguchi, on Lake Kawaguchi, sits at the base of Fuji-san and while there, Japan turned it on for us again!!! The morning dawned so clear that Mt Fuji loomed over us with it’s perfect triangular shape and snow capped peak. With a ropeway up a mountain opposite, and clear blue skies, Fuji-san was in all her glory.

I had been told earlier of a brilliant amusement park just down the road from Kawaguchi, so we hired some bikes and decided to check it out. Fuji-Q has three main attractions…. all of them roller coasters. All three have been entered in the Guinness Book Of Records for different reasons. One has the highest single drop of a roller coaster ride, measuring in at 75m, and the other…. is just INSANE!!! It’s called “The 4th Dimension” and starts in the seated position going backwards. Soon enough the track is inverted and your hanging underneath going forwards. All the chairs are computer controlled and angle you in all sorts of directions from facing the sky to looking at the ground as it rushes up to meet you. It has the most inversions of any roller coaster in the world at 14, and I admit that I had no idea which way was up once it got going. It was the first time I’d heard Mel scream and I don’t think she opened her eyes for almost the entire ride. It was great!!!!

With Japan drawing to a close, we headed back to Tokyo for our last night and an early start off to the airport in the morning. Leaving Mel for the second time, we both have said that Japan is a country with so much to offer that we will have to go back and see again in the future. From the history to the scenery, the fashion to neon and all in between, Japan has shown us an awesome time. My only wish is to come back in all the other seasons…. Autumn for the maples, Winter for the snow and Spring for the cherry blossoms.

“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” - Dagobert D. Runes

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