I started the day with a run around my host family's neighborhood, just in time to see people waking up, dog walkers making their rounds, and the sun rising high above the city. After breakfast, Ruki walked me to the bus stop and I headed off to our destination for the day: Disneyland Tokyo.
Disneyland probably wouldn't have been my first choice if I had been asked what I wanted to do for the day, but I was grateful for the free tickets and good weather, and ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.
Conveniently located next to a subway stop, the park was about 30 minutes by train from Tokyo Station. We were given the whole day to wander about freely, which was a nice break from the heavily structured schedule we've had for the last few days.
When I was five years old, my grandparents took me to Disney World in Orlando. I have fond memories of that trip, but my recollection of the actual theme park is a bit fuzzy. Our trip today jogged my memory, because the Tokyo version was designed to match the one in Florida closely. Many of its rides are similar to the ones in Disney World, and the park is broken up into areas with themes such as the Wild West, Star Wars, and Cinderella.
The park was crowded, and most rides had waits of at least 45 minutes. The overcrowding was eased by the park's "fast pass" system, which allows visitors to get tickets for a ride a few hours in advance and come back to wait in a shorter line during the window when the ticket can be used.
I'm not a big fan of roller coasters, but at the urging of my trip mates, I tried a few. Luckily none of the ones at this Disneyland were too crazy, and most of the rides were a bit more mellow than the roller coasters I have seen in the U.S. My favorite was Splash Mountain, which gently floated down an indoor "river" before a long, steep drop into a pool of water.
Visiting Disneyland also underscored just how much people in Japan are obsessed with trying to be like America. Whether it be following American movies and music, clothing, or just English language text on t-shirts, there is a huge demand for things identified as American.
Our group has a running joke that we can't bring any souvenirs home because all the merchandise here has labels written in English, not Japanese. Also, most of the restaurants and stores we've visited play American music (with an emphasis on classics from the eighties), not Japanese songs.
Anyway, visiting Disneyland Tokyo, a replica of an American institution, reminded me that for the most part what's popular in Japan depends on what's popular in the U.S. That's not to say that Japanese culture has lost its hold - the Japanese still take pride in their national identity and take their culture seriously. It is interesting, though, to see their fascination with Western culture.
I got back home around 7 p.m. Two commutes during rush hour on the train in one day really takes it out of you! I am ready to get some rest before a full weekend of fun with my host family.
A few more pictures from today:
Ruki was kind enough to walk me to the bus stop on his way to school!
Crowded ride this morning
Disneyland probably wouldn't have been my first choice if I had been asked what I wanted to do for the day, but I was grateful for the free tickets and good weather, and ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.
Conveniently located next to a subway stop, the park was about 30 minutes by train from Tokyo Station. We were given the whole day to wander about freely, which was a nice break from the heavily structured schedule we've had for the last few days.
Just like in the U.S., no?
When I was five years old, my grandparents took me to Disney World in Orlando. I have fond memories of that trip, but my recollection of the actual theme park is a bit fuzzy. Our trip today jogged my memory, because the Tokyo version was designed to match the one in Florida closely. Many of its rides are similar to the ones in Disney World, and the park is broken up into areas with themes such as the Wild West, Star Wars, and Cinderella.
Might as well be in Durango . . .
. . . or Hawaii
Hey, C3P0!
The park was crowded, and most rides had waits of at least 45 minutes. The overcrowding was eased by the park's "fast pass" system, which allows visitors to get tickets for a ride a few hours in advance and come back to wait in a shorter line during the window when the ticket can be used.
I'm not a big fan of roller coasters, but at the urging of my trip mates, I tried a few. Luckily none of the ones at this Disneyland were too crazy, and most of the rides were a bit more mellow than the roller coasters I have seen in the U.S. My favorite was Splash Mountain, which gently floated down an indoor "river" before a long, steep drop into a pool of water.
I'm on the right, second from the bottom in the blue shirt
Part of the splash mountain ride
Visiting Disneyland also underscored just how much people in Japan are obsessed with trying to be like America. Whether it be following American movies and music, clothing, or just English language text on t-shirts, there is a huge demand for things identified as American.
"American Waffle Co." was located next to a replica of Bourbon Street
This was the first place in Japan where I could not find
any sushi. I settled on a roasted turkey thigh for lunch.
Our group has a running joke that we can't bring any souvenirs home because all the merchandise here has labels written in English, not Japanese. Also, most of the restaurants and stores we've visited play American music (with an emphasis on classics from the eighties), not Japanese songs.
Anyway, visiting Disneyland Tokyo, a replica of an American institution, reminded me that for the most part what's popular in Japan depends on what's popular in the U.S. That's not to say that Japanese culture has lost its hold - the Japanese still take pride in their national identity and take their culture seriously. It is interesting, though, to see their fascination with Western culture.
I got back home around 7 p.m. Two commutes during rush hour on the train in one day really takes it out of you! I am ready to get some rest before a full weekend of fun with my host family.
A few more pictures from today:
wow, that looks a lot like Disney!
ReplyDeleteoh yeah! did they did not skimp on size
DeleteLooks exhausting - just like the American version of Disneyworld!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed.
DeleteHi Kell, that turkey drumstick sure beats a Domino seafood pizza!
ReplyDeleteYou got that right, Pa! I learned my lesson...
Delete