Halloween @ Universal Studios Japan

I'm always surprised by how many people ask me whether I've been to Tokyo Disneyland when I mention I've been to Japan. I haven't been before and it's never really been something I would prioritise to go and visit. My kiddy theme park days were over, I thought, so I was rather surprised at myself for going to Universal Studios Japan AND having a really good time. It kind of reminded me of Vegas, minus the seediness, because you're transported into a completely different world . Everywhere you look it's gimmickey or whizz!bang! or bright, happy & animated! You just can't help get excited and your inner child just springs out to surprise you.

From the moment I looked at the train... oh there was excitement from that point on! Yippee Sesame Streeeeet!

It was Halloween season and USJ was the place to be for ghosts and ghouls.

A Japanese staple, more commonplace than rice... Hello Kitty and Daniel-san!

Cirque du Soliel-esque Halloween Parade

The parade was full of brightly coloured and outlandish characters walking in the parade and prancing around the stage. From fabulous to ghastly - all very cool but I loved the guy in the pumpkin with a baby pumpkin puppet on his hand and also the candies walking around on legs.

Before you enter any ride it tells you the approximate wait time so to be able to get through several rides you pretty much have to stay at USJ for the entire day. For Jaws it was 35 minutes, T2 it was 30 minutes but for Spiderman it was 50 minutes! Geez. You seriously end up spending up to seventy percent of your time in the line. That Spiderman line was a crazy LOONNG line that extended around then left then right and through various rooms and sets. It's very cleverly designed in that the whole time you're waiting you're making your way through the publishing house set where Clark Kent worked. There is constantly something interesting to look at as you make your journey to the ride's starting point. The Spiderman ride was probably the best ride and I think I got too excited about the ride and buying the merchandise I just completely forgot to snap a photo of the complex. The ride made me "WOOAHHH!!", "acckk!!" and "Coooool!" my head off it was soo awesome! Worth that 50 minute wait.

Arnie in Japanese

Back to the Future!!

Jaws

Water World

The very last ride we decided to hop on was the Jurassic Park ride. You can't miss the roars that eminate from the "jungle" and it makes you curious as to how freaked out you could get! Just as you enter the ride there are a line of vending machines dispensing plastic ponchos (at a hefty price mind you of 500 yen = $7 aussie). We hesistated because it didn't seem like anyone else got one but thinking that they must be there for some good reason we decided to don the dorky ponchos.

Another 40 minute wait and in we went into a carraige and sat right at the front... where ALL the action is. We floated off and we immediately felt freaked out... well I did because I was right at the edge. There's nothing to shield me! When the dinosour comes out to get the carraige I'll be the first to go! We sailed through the calm areas with the peaceful herbivors and then we hear sirens and approach the DANGER ZONE. Carnivore territory! Woohoo! Rebecca & I were soo scared we went mental laughing at ourselves! So along we went through the DANGER ZONE and into pitch black. All you could hear were the sirens, our laughing cries and the occasional roar! At the end of the darkness was a massive T-Rex that extended out to us and as that is making you scream your lungs out you free fall down a slide, skid wildly into the water and out of danger! Phew! I had a good long scream down that slide it was great! Like letting off lots of steam. Again! Again!

In most of the rides, snap shots are taken of you while you're on the ride, usually during the really scary or exciting bits. I kind of feels like you're getting flashed by a speed camera. When you're exiting the ride you can take a look at your shot and buy it but it was enough for us to take a quick look and laugh at ourselves!