Photo TR: Bill & David's TPR Japan Tour (2013)

[gisco]

Rusutsu was a fun park. Loved the ultra twister. Interesting that it has so many rides for a ski resort.

[Nrthwnd]

Did I see a waterslide in the 13th photo???

 

Yes, there was also a waterpark on the other side of that building. Drained and not open, though. i think they were freshening it up, after winter, for the summer season. They were still painting it in spots, but it looked like a decent waterpark. Not huge and overwhelming with towers etc, like some of the American ones.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

And where it actually is in the park - go two photos back up and on THE MAP - the water park is below the hot air balloon painted in there.

[CreativeForce]

I took a look inside the circus tent and it was either being installed or dismantled, not sure which. There were a couple of boom lifts in there and some folded up bleachers. Nothing too noteworthy. The park was actually really nice and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Did you guys make it up the cable cars to see the "Mt Fuji" of the north?

[Nrthwnd]

^ Oh yes! Most everybody took advantage of doing just that.

It was awesome and several of us stayed up there for a good, long time too.

 

My photos ~ and a video of a PARAGLIDER ! ~ coming up on Wednesday.

[Nrthwnd]

On the Sky Wheel at Rusutsu Park

 

We continued on with riding other coasters, and then a few flats through-out the day. Resting (and eating AND drinking) when we should. And we worked our way up to the small upper area that the park's Sky Wheel and a few other flats, were.

 

And after a lunch at the main eating place in the park, we head over to the station where our cable car awaits, us. (so to speak)...

The Loop the Loop - a Meisho Shuttle Loop coaster. You are pulled up the hill, then released backwards through the station, loop, spike, loop, station. Easy!

David taking his artsy fartsy shot.

And here's the results. (DbM)

As a reward for a good shot, David is allowed a ride on the moving uphill sidewalk. Cool!

A view of the park's mouse, Mad Mouse. Very smooth, too.

On the Sky Wheel - and very interesting maze set out, down below. Looks like it would be very cool to see at night, with all the lights on it, on.

Looking at part of the park, below us.

The Mountain Coaster (jet coaster), through the sky wheel cage. It was noisy and needed an oil change - badly, lol!

David taking shots.

Better shot of the jet coaster.

The standing coaster, called what else? Standing Coaster!

After getting off the Wheel, we find this example of "Nature: Raw and Un-Censored!" (o;

And a mother and daughter enjoying the mouse.

After some rides, we went to the main eatery in the park. Gift shop right there in the back, too. Convenience!

Uh - not too sure about that.

David has a Japanese version of a corn dog; I settle for chicken nuggets - and both with Great Fries btw!

After that, we head to the cable cars. And on the way to the station, we check and see if anybody's struck gold here, lol.

[kailisun98]

Well, did anyone strike gold? A little bit?

[Nrthwnd]

^ Can't say, really. The only one we actually saw panning for gold there, was Kristen. So I guess you'd have to find out from Elissa if "Kidtums Struck It Rich!", lol. And we didn't stay around too long, anyway. We were on our way to the cable cars, about to climb up the West Mtn. for a supposed awesome view of the surrounding area.

[Loefet]

Lovely report Bill, can't wait to see more of Japan.

Didn't realize that Nagashima Spaland have moved around some coasters in such fashion until I saw it here, really strange to do that, but also really nice to see that they are using the space in a better way.

That spiral building was under construction when we went there in 2007, so you might have seen it at that time, but not completed. It's a vocational school, with educations in Fashion, Technology Design and Medical college in one, there is also the famous Cocoon building in Shinjuku which is the Tokyo branch of this school.

 

Can't wait to see more from you, I really enjoy your imagery, but it's a shame to hear that you have gone all digital

[gisco]

Wow, it looks like you guys were able to do so much more then when we were there. Makes me want to go back even more now.

[Nrthwnd]

^^ Thanks. I still have the film camera, but it rarely gets used. And I already had to change a battery, after hardly using it at all. But - who knows? And I am still taking my time with taking some shots with the digital, instead of just point-and-shoot. So that's some of my film camera experience sticking with me, heh heh.

 

^ We started out very early in the morning, and didn't leave till just after 4 pm, from Rusutsu. We had ERT on the Ultra Twister, and the Shuttle Loop. Then we were let off, on our own. Don't know if that was longer than your visit. But it seemed to be enough, for us.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *

 

Mt. Yotei ~ the "Mt.Fuji of The North"

 

The gondola cars took us up to the top of the (what's called) West Mtn. And from there at the top of it, we got this amazing view of a mountain that looked like Mt.Fuji, right down to the snow streaks down the sides from the top of it. But Mt. Yotei is literally half the height of Fuji (Yotei is 6227 ft/1898 mters high. Fuji is 12390 ft/3776 meters - whew!)

 

There was a bell to ring for good luck, wishes, love... or lotteries, I'm not sure which. Some beautiful viewpoints of the surrounding mountains, Mt.Yotei itself, and Rusutsu Park below.

 

And - to add to the awesomeness of the day there, a paraglider was preparing to take off, from a cliffside of the mountain, and gliding to the country side below. A very kool sight to catch! (video to follow).

Just a reminder of the little gondolas we went up West Mtn. in. Beeeee Happy!

A little higher up above the park, now.

The upper level of the park, with the Sky Wheel and a few flats. And the wire maze in front.

Me in a happy space. With a much needed park fan.

Everybody gathers at the prime photo spot....

For this.

With others, snapping away.

A bit of framing...

"Ready for my closeup, Mr. De Mille."

Of course we had to prove we were there, without photoshop, lol.

The bell in question, with me in mid-wish.

People still coming up. I think that's Ben on the right there. Recognize the shirt... (o;

Another view of the park below us.

And then - over there - was a paraglider, getting ready to take off!

Very cool to watch. Bonus Random Tour Credit!

And - he was off! (video to follow...)

Something interesting also found up there. Directional, apparently.

And one last look, before heading back down. Very beautiful to look at, it was.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Nrthwnd

[Nrthwnd]

And here's the video my partner David put together of the paraglider's flight.

 

It is composed of stills I took, and David took, and video I took of

most of the pilot in flight. The sound is terrible, and volume best

be kept down. I was using my digital camera and the wind

got picked up really loudly.

 

Enjoy. (Taken on Monday, July 1, 2013, West Mtn. Rusutsu Resort, Hokkaido, Japan.)

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Paragliding_Off_West_Mountain_qr67[/coastertube]

[805Andrew]

Couldn't see the video, nice pics though. Rusutsu looks like a really nice place. It's really cool that it's both a ski resort and amusement park. I wish some of our ski resorts in the US had an amusement park like this for the summer time.

[Nrthwnd]

^

Sorry you couldn't see the video, here. Have you tried viewing it in the

TPR Video Downloads/CoasterTube section, on the site? And yeah, I wish one or two

of our ski mountain areas had a nifty amusement park like this, too.

[Nrthwnd]

Before I get ijnto my next tour trip posting, I want to "borrow" from a well-known (to us musical theatre freeks) recently anointed Best Musical on Broadway - the musical in question...The Book of Mormon.

 

The title of one of it's songs is: You and Me (But Mostly Me).

An apt description of the next set of photos coming up. all taken

in Rusutsu Park....by him.....Of ME!!!

 

Coming up soon - and by the way - even if you absolutely HATE MUSICALS,

this one could change your mind, just a bit. The book is wild, it's put together by the

guys from "South Park" and the musical "Avenue Q", and there's a few

classic "history making lyrics" here and there in the score, lol.

Winner of 9 TONY Awards, including Best Musical, 2011. A historic gem in the musical theatre treasure trove.

[Nrthwnd]

And as it PAINS me to admit it

 

this is NOT an "Its All About BRYAN Day either.

 

Nope. Uh uh. Not happening, buddy. No way, today.

 

That said, here's the photo of Bryan doing "a request" in 2011

at Fuji-Q HIghland Park. Our day at Fuji turned into "Bryan's Day"

with a swoop of Robb's arm and Elissa's schedule folder...

 

Then Riovbbb suggecsted we allt ghink of things for Vryan to do,

to keep himself amused, while we wait for Fuji-Q's doors to......open.

 

 

And put it on record, too of course. So this is mine. The wuss couldn't bring himself

to actually touching the sign. I offered to use my TPR hand spray and a wet wipe.

But he declined. And a few inches between, is all I got.

Just a few inches more... Hi Bryan! Hope you are well, as well as your close friends, and family.

[Nrthwnd]

~ Rusutsu Park - Me & The Rides ~

 

So here we are, at this park, me going on all of the coasters available there, and getting on some fave flats,

and David is just hanging around.... with his Kobo (an e-reader) and on what we eventually find as a real

nice little park paradise. Lawn chairs, The recliner ones. A few of them just scattered in a wooded area

in the literal middle of all the rides and concessions.

 

But David did take a few photos, albeit most of them of me, on the coasters, and the flats. So I decided

to put them all out, in one posting and have my little ego stroking happen.

 

Also, you'll notice on a few of the rides, I am the - only - one riding. The park was very cool in doing this,

having the ride ops ready and waiting for us to ride. And since our group practically out numbered the

number of locals there at the time...it was pretty cool having the park practically all to ourself.

 

THANK YOU Rusutsu Park!

 

And I will not do this again, I promise.

(For this tour.)

On the Ultra Twister. I'm in the back row, on the left there. And for the life of me I cannot remember who was sitting beside me. But then, I did go on it a total of four times, woo hoo!

The park's SLC. Front row there, on the left.

On the Mad Mouse. Which was really a nice smooth ride. Surprise.

And this is one of my all-time favourite flats. Called a Paratrooper, I believe? I love this one.

Having fun. Didn't flip it over, even once, sadly. But it's still a great flat ride.

On the Jet Coaster. And who's that in front of me. omgomgomgomgomgomg.....

omg its Those People from The Travel Channel Show!!! Hi Lauren and Matt! How's fame?! In the back, you can see I am obviously excited about this, being sooooooo close to Them.

Another fave flat I forget the name of. And this one took ab - solutely - for - e - ver to slow down and come - to - a - s - t - op. Longer than the cycle, itself. But still fun.

The Stand Up coaster. And yes, I am The Only One on it, front row, at the left. Good ride, too.

I tried out the mine train, to see if David could ride it - and omg did it have rough dips and turns! It was a pretty intense little mine train! Nope, not for David.

And this photo I call..."In My Munsch Period". Definitely a screamer, ha ha. A bit off-centre, but then, what art isn't?

And finally - again - me being happy on West Mtn. gondola. Thanks for putting up with this posting. Tomorrow - dinner!

[Nrthwnd]

...and just to finish it all up...

 

Here's the video David took of me Ringing The Bell

(and wishin' - and hopin' - and dreamin' - lottery winsss...)

 

The sound isn't great, cause there was wind up on

West Mountain, but at least the bell can be heard, lol!

 

And Big Hugs and Thank Yous to my partner David, for taking all these

shots of me on the rides, etc. xoxox me

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_2530_veo9[/coastertube]

[Hilltopper39]

"I can do most anything, and I can stand next to you and watch! "

 

Nice report, looks like a nice little resort. I've also often wondered why more ski resorts in America didn't offer more in the summer months but seems like there are a lot of mountain coasters being built here recently so maybe that will change in the future.

 

Speaking if Book of Mormon, it's coming to Orlando in November and tickets go in sale inn2 weeks. I'm getting tickets for a group of 12 and its going to be awesome! Such a great show.

[Nrthwnd]

^

 

Lucky you on seeing "Book of Mormon" in Orlando.

The closest the show came to us was Seattle, and that was this

past January - the first *(^# week, in fact. Wrong timing for us, unfort.

 

We'll be patient till it shows up, eventually, lol. It took over 7 years for

"Avenue Q" and "Wicked" tours to show up here. And they were both great!

[Nrthwnd]

Leaving Rusutsu Park - Yakitori Dinner!

 

After all the excitement of seeing Mt.Yotei, riding a lot of coasters,

and a fair number of flats, eventually we had to all re-gather and

head back to the hotel.

 

And at the hotel, David and I decided, that yes - we wanted to go back

and find that yakitori restaurant and have a true Meat-on-Stix meal, heh.

 

We found it, no problemm and although there was very little english

spoken in there, if any, we did okay, from appetizers to ice cream!

 

And it was actually well under half what we spent at the

Sapporo Beer garden! But again, both meals were awesome in

their own way. Would defintely do these two places again.

Not sure why exactly I took this photo. Maybe because of the sad state of that "family portrait" there... No faces. Oh the humanity!

Goodbye nice and comfy plastic lawn recliner chairs. We will miss you. A lot.

Bye bye Be Happy! We were! We were!

Some kind of "meal box" in the mall shops. I have no clue what is what.

And of course, no mall of any kind or type isn't complete, without it's Christmas Shop!

After playing the Desperados game/ride (in the mall) - I made a new buddy!

Yep. Same freeky looking animatronic tree, still there in the entrance area.

Look! The sky's clear now (and several hours earlier).

And now.... YAKITORI TIME! (o: This is the set up we started with.

The main menu - of three, I believe. This one had english 'explains' here and there, but usually never opposite the photos of the foods. We did what we could, with what we could read and match, lol

Most of it kept coming to us in groups. This is an example of such a grouping. And BACON-wrapped EVERYTHING, too! And it was all awesome, with beer.

Mushrooms, believe it! With a radish spicy 'mush' (good mush!) over it all.

Sesame and chestnut ice cream. We thought the sesame (light) was "woody" tasting, if that's possible. We both liked the chestnut (darker) better.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel through the train station. And look! Coaster track! (Is there a rumor somewhere....?)

And I am pretty sure I have seen these people before. In this group. At an airport waiting lounge. Hmmm... (this was an outdoor 'beer garden' with mini kegs of beer for sharing, with snacks and yakitori!). See ya tomorrow morning, bright and early guys! (o;

[cfc]

I rather like the bizarre "Paratrooper" like ride there, too--and I'm not into flat rides all that much.

[Nrthwnd]

^ I'm like that now, ever since an octopus did me in, years ago, lol. But the first paratrooper I rode - at Hamanako Pal Pal Park in the TPR 2007 tour - absolutley freekd me out, in a very good way, and I believe I rode it 7+ times! A good flat ride...

 

Two more Rustusu Park-related photos to show - among the capsule machines there in the entrance centre of the resort (and as usual there were quite a number of them) we all found this one machine, dispensing little flashlight-like things that projected "something from a Japanese horror film" onto surfaces. Very cool. And I know a few of us got several of the capsules, to try and get the complete set right there (ha). Not sure if anybody accomplished that.

 

Here's my little horror treasure...

The mini flashlight in question. It can have its battery replaced, too! And it projects...

This. Cool, huh? I was certainly impressed by it.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Nrthwnd

[mattguyver]

I'm loving seeing these pictures.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Thanks Matt. And let me repeat from me and David, it was really nice meeting you and Lauren.

And now we can claim we know a couple of Travel Channel STARZ! (ha ha)

 

{this will never get old for me, lol}

[Nrthwnd]

July 1 ~ Back to Tokyo from Sapporo - And we visit JOYPOLIS!

 

So we said goodbye (w/tears) to Sapporo, and the wonderful visit we had (and ate) there.

On a train to the airport, and then back to Tokyo, and our final week in Japan.

We arrived back in Tokyo, sent our luggage ahead to our last hotel of the tour, then took

the train to our next theme park stop. Joypolis. All indoors. Even it's coaster! And part of

a big several block shopping and eating complex we got to enjoy as well as the park.

 

Joypolis is a strange mix of simulators, "sound" experiences, lots and lots of

different arcade machines (including what else? - omgCAPSULES!omg), and one very

different coaster.

 

It is a combination of arcade shooter, spinner, inverted coaster. Really unique.

And definitely not as jerky or rough as the previous coaster there.

We gathered early in the hotel lobby...

Goodbye to our really nice Sapporo hotel...

At the Sapporo Airport.

This made me smile - awwwww baby coke.

This also made me grin a bit. Love this Japanese Engish translation, lol.

An "Orb-Holding Building" beside Tokyo Decks (name of the mall area, with Joypolis).

See. The ORB is in there! Maybe, there's a coaster inside??? (DbM)

There it is! Our destination! Oh joy joy joy....

This is the new coaster. But the sign keeps "changing" etc. Soon....

There it is! Veil of Dark. Hmmmmm sexy.

Part of the track (just before it inverts there) outside the "inner part" of the coaster. You shoot, you spin, you invert. What more could you want??!

They had various 'mirrors' with floor steps and you do things with the reflection. This is how I ended up. Shocking.

Yeah, even I was taken aback at this result!

Then the partner walks by and.... yeah well.... pfffttt.

Oh and this was one of those reflection movement-wierd things around the floors of Joypolis.

Ran into Kathryn and Mike, eating in the park's main eatery. I was drinking beer.

But whether eating or drinking, the view was very nice. This is Rainbow Bridge. Not very rainbow-ish, but that was okay.

I found another buddy in the Tokyo Decks malls.

And we tried, we really tried, to make this work.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Nrthwnd