Photo TR: Chuck Finally Returns to Japan with TPR

[NrthwndBAYSIDE STATION!!!]

^ Oooo and a new Springfield?

Just wishin'...

(Even if the Japanese never knew the series - they'd
probably still do an awe$ome job with the area, any way, lol.)

^Well, there is Mr. Sparkle.

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

Hey Chuck,

1 - Flying Snoopy and Hello Kitty's Cupcake Dream are new rides for 2013. I see you almost got me a picture of the Hello Kitty ride.
2 - Did anyone take the mystery hot sauce challenge at the Happiness Cafe. Did the staff come around and make things out of balloons?

Oops! I didn't know we needed a pic of the Hello Kitty ride. Maybe someone else on the trip took one. We'd already had lunch, so we didn't do the hot sauce challenge. But they had the sauce on display.

[larrygatorObsessive Overlord of the TPR Park Index]

^I forgot they were putting new rides in at Universal Japan, or else I would have remind you, my bad.

However, props for the hot sauce photo. In 2011, I neglected to take a photo after Brad Roach and I took the challenge.

Chapter 3
Coasters & Culture: From Hirakata Park to Inari Temple

Today was a mix of the fanciful and the spiritual, of the ridiculous and the sublime. Well, mostly the fanciful and ridiculous--in a good way. After all, this is a TPR trip.

We took a few more trains and ended up at a new park for me--Hirakata, a family park themed around fairy tales, Japanese style. That is, I have no idea what fairy tales they were getting at, but the park was into elves and ogres and fairies and such in a cartoon Tolkien sort of way. It also boasted five coasters:

ELF--This is actually an acronym for "Episode of Little Fairies." (Yes, you read that correctly.) It's a an Intamin "family" woodie, and a pretty good one--a cut above, say, Ghoster Coaster at Kings Dominion. We had a nice little filming/ERT session on this one.

Red Falcon--the obligatory Jet Coaster, and a pretty good example of the breed. It sprawls out over one section of the park and offers some nice views to go with its interesting layout.

Crazy Mouse--an OK Reverchon spinner.

Fantastic Coaster Rowdy--well, this lives up to the "rowdy" portion of its name, if not the "fantastic." One very odd family ride.

Peekaboo Town--another odd kiddie coaster that rumbles over a nicely landscaped little area (and can throw you around a bit it you're not careful).

There was a slew of flats, as well as a good shooting dark ride and a funky walk-through attraction or two, including an indoor petting zoo. Everybody seemed to enjoy Hirakata quite a bit, and the staff was great.

We had some "free time" after visiting the park, and some of us decided to check out Inari Temple in Kyota while on the way back to Nagoya. Perhaps all the credit whoring we'd had done not only in Japan but elsewhere had forced us to rethink our lives, develop our more spiritual natures, and cleanse our souls . . . nah, we were just being tourists. But Inari Temple was quite beautiful and it made for a very nice walk--about two-and-half-miles due up.

Join us, won't you?

More Hirakata wackiness.

Time for a nice long walk. I hope everyone is wearing comfortable shoes, and is ready for a bit of "culture" at Inari Temple.

[SuperShawnWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

The improper riding photo actually had me laughing out loud!

Another great installment Chuck.

[MeteornotesKeeper Of The Carnivorous Bees!]

Loving these reports. Glad that you were not eaten by bees!

dt