A memorable stop at Fujiyama Tower offers spectacular views of Mount Fuji, where one of Japan's most iconic peaks rises above vast forests and the surrounding Fuji Five Lakes region beneath bright summer skies.
So, I am starting to write this on the way to Fuji-Q highlands which is a 2-hour journey. The Aircon and free Wi-Fi on the bus is awesome.
Update - Managed to sort out the photos on the Shinkansen Wi-Fi and had to reset the web server.
Day 0
28th July
Today was my first day in Japan and after landing at Tokyo Narita International airport, grabbing my rail pass and the limited express train into Tokyo I had to kinda pinch myself as I can’t believe I am finally here.
A compact themed hotel room in Japan pairs modern design with anime-inspired décor, offering a comfortable and memorable stay for travellers looking to combine sightseeing with a touch of popular culture.
The hotel I am staying at (Hotel Tavinos Asakusa) is right next to a metro station (Tsukuba Express) and is right near a local temple and loads of stores. I even have a Lawson corner store right next to the hotel. I went out to eat, came back and just rested the day, but the meal I had only cost me about 1500 yen (£8.20-8.30). It was nice and a challenge for most people is to try getting a meal for that price in the UK or even other parts of the world!!
A freshly prepared monja mix awaits the teppan grill, combining sliced pork, cabbage, crispy tempura flakes and savoury batter in a popular Tokyo speciality that offers a fun and interactive dining experience.
First stop today was getting the Tsubasa Express to Akihabara Station and then going on a 2 hour Go-karting tour round Tokyo that I found on Klook. Side note: most of my bookings are on Klook including my Green Class JR Rail Pass.
A group of travellers explores Tokyo from a unique perspective aboard street go-karts, following city roads in convoy and enjoying an unforgettable sightseeing experience through some of Japan's most vibrant urban neighbourhoods.
It was a load of fun, and we got a lot of locals and tourists taking photos of us, plus saying Konichiwa (hello) and waving a lot. Most of the time we were going on roads where the sun was shining and there was no shade, so the wind and limited times that we had shade was awesome as the sun was quite strong.
A memorable street go-kart tour through Tokyo offers a unique way to experience the city, combining sightseeing, urban landscapes and plenty of fun while travelling along some of the capital's busiest roads.
After go karting (which I needed a International Driving Permit for) I am heading back into Akihabara and got a little lost trying to find the local metro line which was about 500m from the actual station. I started on my journey down to Teamlab Planets Tokyo. This museum cost me £21 and I spent over 1 hour in there and if I could, I would do it again as it was awesome.
The entrance to Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba welcomes visitors to the heart of Akihabara, Tokyo's famous electronics and pop culture district, where cutting-edge technology, gaming, anime and shopping attract travellers from around the world.
This museum has a bunch of different exhibits which all are uniquely different, and it was defiantly a first going round a museum barefooted. Tokyo Planets is dedicated to making you immersed in the art. Also the most weird one was not wearing shoes or socks, but then again, wouldn't want to get them wet.
TeamLab Planets Tokyo immerses visitors in a world of digital art and interactive installations, where light, colour and technology combine to create one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary art experiences.
1 - Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline
This exhibit was pretty much what it sounds like. Running water down an incline and a waterfall at the top.
Visitors wade through one of TeamLab Planets Tokyo's immersive water-based installations, where light, reflections and digital artistry transform a shallow pool into an interactive experience that blurs the boundary between art and audience.
2 - Soft Black Hole - Your Body Becomes a Space that Influences Another Body
This one was an interesting one, as we are all used to flat and hard surfaces in our everyday life, but what happens when flat and hard surfaces become soft and influenceable? Well, I might have fallen over once or twice in this exhibit, take from what you will.
Visitors navigate one of TeamLab Planets Tokyo's most immersive installations, where a darkened space filled with soft, shifting forms encourages exploration and interaction, transforming movement into part of the artwork itself.
3 - The Infinite Crystal Universe
Thousands of suspended lights create an endless galaxy of colour inside TeamLab Planets Tokyo, where mirrors, reflections and digital art combine to immerse visitors in one of Japan's most captivating interactive installations.
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Making my way around the endless galaxy of colour inside TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
A visitor stands within TeamLab Planets Tokyo's mesmerising infinite light installation, where countless suspended lights, mirrored surfaces and ever-changing reflections create the sensation of being surrounded by an endless universe of stars.
4 - Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People - Infinity
This Exhibit was very weird, you are up to knee height in water and there are projectors up above projecting Koi fish on the surface of the water, but the twist is these move all the times and if you walk over them, they transform into flowers. This exhibit changed constantly due to the program running it and people in the exhibit.
Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People, Infinity invites visitors into a mesmerising digital pond where luminous koi swim across the water, transforming into flowers as they collide with people and one another in a constantly evolving work of art at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.Glowing digital koi drift beneath the water's surface in TeamLab Planets Tokyo's Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People, Infinity, where the luminous fish transform into flowers as they interact with visitors, creating an ever-changing immersive artwork.
5 - Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space - Flattening 3 Colours and 9 Blurred Colours
Visitors weave through one of TeamLab Planets Tokyo's immersive installations, where soft sculptural forms, mirrored surfaces and deep blue light create a surreal environment that encourages exploration and interaction with the artwork.Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space, Flattening 3 Colours and 9 Blurred Colours surrounds visitors with enormous floating spheres that continuously shift in colour and form, creating an immersive environment where light, space and movement become part of the artwork at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
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Walking through the TeamLab Planets Tokyo's Floating in the expanding three-dimensional existence in transforming space exhibit.
6 - Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers
This was another weird exhibit as it said the best way to experience this exhibit was to lie down in the middle of the room and look up. The room was a big dome where images were being projected on the walls and roof making it like you was in one big room with all your visual space taken up. It was amazing to look at.
Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers envelops visitors in a constantly changing digital ecosystem, where seasonal flowers bloom, drift and fade around the viewer, creating a breathtaking immersive artwork that transforms with every moment at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers surrounds visitors with a breathtaking digital garden where flowers bloom, scatter and transform in real time, creating an ever-changing immersive artwork that reacts to presence and movement at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
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Viewpoint from laying down in the floating in the falling universe of flowers exhibit.
7 - Moss Garden of Resonation Microcosms - Solidified Light Colour, Sunrise and Sunset
This one was a bit of a weird one for me, but I get the idea of the concept, the garden is influenced by everything: wind, rain, sun, moon, summer, winter, etc…
Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms, Solidified Light Colour, Sunrise and Sunset transforms a living garden into an interactive artwork, where reflective sculptural forms respond to their surroundings and gradually shift through colours inspired by the changing light of dawn and dusk at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms, Solidified Light Colour, Sunrise and Sunset blends nature, sculpture and reflection into a living artwork, where polished forms emerge from a moss-covered landscape and interact with changing light to create a continuously evolving environment at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
8 - Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, The Farden and I are One
The last one was probably one of my favourite Exhibits apart from the falling universe of flowers one where I could have stayed in there for about 3 days (ok maybe not quite that long, but probably not far off).
This last Exhibit had living breathing flowers hanging from the ceiling which would almost touch the floor until someone went near them and then they would start rising up the ceiling creating a path for people.
Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One immerses visitors within a living landscape of suspended orchids and seasonal blooms, where thousands of flowers rise and fall around the viewer, dissolving the boundary between person and artwork at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One surrounds visitors with thousands of living orchids suspended in mid-air, creating an immersive floral landscape where flowers rise and descend in response to human presence, blurring the boundary between nature, artwork and observer at TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
Fuji Q Highlands Theme Park
30th July
Today was an early dart for me, had to be up to catch a bus at 7:20 from Akihabara station which was bound for Fuji Q highland. I feel knackered now as I am on the road again. Although I am now stuck in a traffic jam on the bus.
A visit to Fuji-Q Highland marks an unforgettable stop in the Fuji Five Lakes region, where world-famous roller coasters, thrilling attractions and spectacular views of Mount Fuji combine to create one of Japan's premier amusement park experiences.
Fuji-Q Highland was an awesome day out. I am very sad that 2 of the rides there weren’t open, but I got to still have loads of fun on a brand-new coaster called Zukkon which opened only 9 days ago. There was also Fujiyama king of coasters which put Blackpool’s The big one to shame and it also had a great view of Mt Fuji until I was suddenly facing the floor and dropping 79 meters down very rapidly. There were a few others including Fujiyama Skydeck which has a skywalk and slide 55 meters in the air. I only did the slide which seemed to last a lifetime, but I saw some people doing the skywalk and quickly said no thanks!!
The futuristic ZOKKON ride at Fuji-Q Highland combines high-speed thrills with immersive technology, inviting riders to navigate a motorcycle-style coaster experience that blends sharp turns, dynamic launches and cutting-edge design in the shadow of Mount Fuji.A statue of Naruto Uzumaki welcomes fans to Fuji-Q Highland's Naruto-themed area, where one of Japan's most beloved anime characters brings the world of ninjas to life through immersive attractions, themed experiences and vibrant pop culture displays.A breathtaking view from Fujiyama Tower showcases Mount Fuji rising above an expansive forest canopy, where swirling clouds drift around Japan's highest peak and create a dramatic landscape across the Fuji Five Lakes region.A breathtaking view from Fujiyama Tower showcases Mount Fuji rising above an endless sea of forest, where dramatic cloud formations swirl around Japan's most iconic peak to create a stunning landscape across the Fuji Five Lakes region.
It has been a great first few days in Japan, land of the rising sun. The people are quite friendly and food is cheap, especially when you compare it to the UK. E.g. I got for my lunch today, pork ramen, orange juice and a chocolate Churro.
Tomorrow should be fun as well, but a bit less intense/not as much to do with no early start or extremely late finish. Until then!!!
