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TPR in Japan - 2018 - Theme parks and Japanese Fun!


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Click HERE for an index of all our Japan 2018 Trip Updates

 

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Day Five - More random Toyko stuff and DISNEY!!! Any day that starts with authentic Japanese sushi and ends with Tokyo Disney is, in my opinion, as perfect of a day as you can have! Follow along...

 

Be sure to follow our Twitter and Instagram Stories for live updates from our trip!

 

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Here’s where we will be spending time at in Tokyo today!

 

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The sushi in Japan is of course legit and awesome!

 

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You can either grab something traveling by on the conveyor belt or you can order from the menu and your food arrives via the express belt! These places are amazing and another example of Japanese efficiency!

 

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Fun Fact! The more sushi you eat, the more prizes you get!

 

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For every 5 plates you deposit into the plate repository you get the chance to play a capsule game at your table!

 

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These places are all over Japan and they are amazing, delicious, and FUN!

 

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Our arcade winnings!

 

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Tokyu Hands is one of our favorite stores in Japan. 8 floors of the most random stuff! From arts & crafts to giant toy squids, toilet seats, bullet train fabric and devices that remove from foam from your beer! Literally millions of items!

 

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If you need “hats for your cats” you can get them at Tokyu Hands!

 

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Because that’s the kind of random stuff they have here!

 

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If you’re looking for a Store that has cosplay dresses...

 

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Toilet Seats...

 

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...and hand-made knitted Ocean Sunfish coin purses all in one place, Tokyu Hands is where you need to be!

 

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OMG! I just found a Mappy battery pack at Tokyu Hands!

 

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Looks like they are repurposing old Nintendo Famicom carts to make these! Awesome!!!

 

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We have made it to our first Pokémon center of the trip!

 

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This will be one of many... Lots and lots of money will be spent here!

 

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Damn you, I mean LOVE YOU Nintendo!

 

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Ever wanted your very own Pikachu that you could play dress up with?

 

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Now you can at the #Pokémon Center! FUN FACT! There are almost no kids shopping here, it’s mostly adults... and I have so much respect for that!

 

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If you know who Sumikkogurashi is, we just walked into the Mecca of Sumikko stuff!

 

Dear America... Japan has managed to keep all these retail companies going strong. What’s your excuse?

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Don't answer...I think we know.

 

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Pro tip when ordering Starbucks in Japan! Want to avoid any confusion when picking up your drink at the Barista of which cup is yours? Just order a Venti! Almost nobody else here orders that size! Just us fat Americans that want to chug a ton of coffee!!!

 

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Dinner tonight? Some Wagyu & Kobe beef!

 

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Dear cows... thank you for being sooooo tasty!!!

 

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This place we went to is in Shibuya. We highly recommend it!

 

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Oh... Hello there. Funny how we keep running into each other...

 

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Love this!!! (Especially how Chip n Dale are front and center!)

 

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Tanabata Days really is one of my favorite times at Tokyo Disneyland!

 

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I love watching everyone writing their wishes on the cards and them posting them to the wall. It’s so cool!

 

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It’s so weird to see so much of Tomorrowland gone (this is where Speedway and the Rocket Jets were) but all the new additions and attractions will be well worth it!

 

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Woah! It’s a Small World is apparently super popular on a Saturday night!

 

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Happy 35th Tokyo Disneyland!

 

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In the “absolutely adorable” food category, Tokyo Disneyland takes this round.

 

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Yes, that is a Mickey Mouse shaped hamburger and chicken nuggets you are looking at!

 

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...and if you liked your Mickey Mouse shaped hamburger enough to buy a giant plush version of it, you CAN at Tokyo Disney!

 

Everyone needs to stop and watch this video:

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Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dream Lights is by far the best nighttime parade Disney has ever done!

 

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I really hope they bring this over to WDW to replace Electrical Parade there! I’d cry if they did!

 

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As I’ve said before that “Chocolate Crunch” is like crack for Tokyo Disney guests.

 

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I’m totally serious... these shelves were stocked 10 minutes ago, and they will be restocked again only to be picked bone dry!

 

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They can fund their next attraction from sales of Chocolate Crunch!

 

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I found one and I’m buying it!

 

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I *have* to know what they are putting in this stuff!!!

 

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Sooooo much Country Bear Jamboree merch! As someone who used to work in Bear Country at Disneyland, this is awesome!!!

 

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This is what the shops looked like tonight at Tokyo Disneyland.

 

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I stood in line twice at two different stores. Never waited more than 5 minutes.

 

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The efficiency of both the CM’s and guests is amazing! (And yes every person had at least one Chocolate Crunch in their hands!)

 

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I love seeing Roger Rabbit merch at the park! How much Roger Rabbit stuff do we have in the US parks? I don’t recall seeing anything recently.

 

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Another great night at Tokyo Disneyland! Going to try to get back one more time this week before our official TPR Tour begins but then I’ll have four more days at the end of the month!

 

SIDE NOTE....

 

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We opened the tin of “Chocolate Crunch” Japanese guests were going absolutely INSANE over at Tokyo Disney & I have to be honest, it’s pretty damn amazing!!!

 

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There are four flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, and I think Vanilla! It’s great!

 

Now, POST YOUR COMMENTS!!!! After all, we took the time to write this report, the least you can do is post something nice about it!

 

Click HERE for Part Six of our Japan 2018 Update!

Edited by robbalvey
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Conveyor Belt Sushi w/Capsule machine prizes! ~ Hats for Cats ~ Wagyu Beef ~ TDL's Night Parade ~ Chocolate Crunch....

 

WOW! You guys are really doing some (more) awesome stuff on this trip to Japan, Robb!

 

It's all so Japan, and it's all great!

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regarding the sushi place -- you note they are all over Japan, is it one chain? or multiple restaurants follow the same kind of format?

 

I'm wondering, because we have one that opened in Austin last year - and remains SUPER popular (Kula Revolving Sushi Bar), and it's the exact same format: every 5 plates you get a game, the little prize balls that drop down, the conveyor belt or order off the main menu.

 

I'm just curious if that's the standard concept that most of these places follow, or if an American company has simply taken the Japanese Restaurant model from a specific chain in Japan?

 

regardless, it's good and fun here, and looks like y'all had a blast there (and the food looks fantastic).

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It’s a standard concept that is all over the place but the one we went to is a popular Tokyo chain of them.

 

neat that it's such a standard concept!

 

glad y'all have having such a good time - I'm greatly enjoying following along.

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Bert, Kura Sushi is expanding into the US so it may be the same chain! Kind of like how Gyu-Kaku is also making a stronger presence in the US. I am totally cool with more Japanese chains moving our way!

 

 

Bert - It looks like the one in Austin is the same chain: https://kurausa.com/

 

that's really cool, they're expanding into the USA.

 

and it means I've had (sorta) the same experience as y'all, right here (in TEXAS of all places!).

 

note: it seems the one in Austin goes by *two* names at the moment: Kura and Kula (looking onilne, both names appear to be on the jackets).

hanve't been in a few months. . time to go back

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Thanks for another amazing trip report, Robb!

 

Japan is on my bucket list. Every time I read about Japanese efficiency and friendliness, I want to retire to there, not just visit someday. Watching those videos is like watching 50's American society, but with super advanced technology.

 

Been a long time since I logged in last, and pardon me if I am wrong, but I recall Elissa being a vegetarian. Is she an omnivore now? I saw her hungrily eyeing that delicious red cow flesh...

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Awesome start to your Japan trip. Going several days early to do stuff on your own is a good idea. It was nice having three full days on my own to roam around Tokyo before meeting up with the group in 2015 although even more days would've been nice.

 

At Tokyo Disney I want to try the garlic shrimp popcorn then the blueberry one for dessert.

 

My favorite yakatori restaurant of all time is the one I tried in 2015 in Fukuoka that you told us about that was underground and near the main train station. I had just came back from a day trip to Nagasaki on our free day and I was starving and since there was no English menu I saw a picture of the sampler with a bunch of different types of yakitori on the menu and ordered it. I got some surprised looks and laughs from the non-English speaking staff and the patrons at the bar as I was by myself but I ate everything I ordered and it was so oishii.

 

I tried a revolving sushi restaurant in Tokyo in 2015 that wasn't remarkable but the one you went to looks better. I noticed Kura Sushi has a location in San Jose minutes away from CGA, so I know where I'm going for dinner after I ride RailBlazer later this week.

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Kura Sushi is expanding into the US so it may be the same chain! Kind of like how Gyu-Kaku is also making a stronger presence in the US. I am totally cool with more Japanese chains moving our way!

There are so many companies and concepts in Japan that I'd love to see internationally, and it's nice to see a few of them trickle into the US (though a lot only seem to go as far as Hawaii to cater to cater more toward the Japanese tourists). To namedrop one more company, Coco Curry expanded into the Los Angeles area with a few different locations, and I'd absolutely love to see some more US mainland locations.

 

note: it seems the one in Austin goes by *two* names at the moment: Kura and Kula (looking onilne, both names appear to be on the jackets).

Probably to help accommodate the fact that the ら in くら (Kura) is usually romanized as "ra", but has a pronunciation somewhere between a hard English R and a hard L. US locations apparently operate under a subsidiary that uses the hard L romanization, while the restaurants are branded with the hard R one, which probably explains why you see both.

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^ Another Japanese chain I've seen here is Pepper Lunch (known as Pepper Lunch USA here) which does inexpensive hot plate meals were the food is served sizzling hot on a plate to your table. Several years ago I found the first US location by chance in Milpitas in the Bay Area which had a map on the menu showing over 500 locations in Japan, many is another parts of Asia, and one in the USA (at the time). I'm not sure if they expanded further here in the US.

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Robb,

 

Thanks for the amazing trip reports - loving living vicariously through you guys!

 

And love all the non-theme park stuff as much as the theme park stuff!

 

PS: Amazed at the turnover of Disney Sea popcorn flavors since I went last! Crazy! Glad curry is still there!

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note: it seems the one in Austin goes by *two* names at the moment: Kura and Kula (looking onilne, both names appear to be on the jackets).

Probably to help accommodate the fact that the ら in くら (Kura) is usually romanized as "ra", but has a pronunciation somewhere between a hard English R and a hard L. US locations apparently operate under a subsidiary that uses the hard L romanization, while the restaurants are branded with the hard R one, which probably explains why you see both.

 

yet another reason to love TPR. . .I learn all kinds of interesting things!

 

thanks for the explanation, that makes total sense.

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note: it seems the one in Austin goes by *two* names at the moment: Kura and Kula (looking onilne, both names appear to be on the jackets).

Probably to help accommodate the fact that the ら in くら (Kura) is usually romanized as "ra", but has a pronunciation somewhere between a hard English R and a hard L. US locations apparently operate under a subsidiary that uses the hard L romanization, while the restaurants are branded with the hard R one, which probably explains why you see both.

 

yet another reason to love TPR. . .I learn all kinds of interesting things!

 

thanks for the explanation, that makes total sense.

Joy of having learned a decent amount of Japanese; it's not often I get to use it here, but it's nice knowing it when relevant things come up.

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Every time you do a Tokyo DisneySea TR, I wish I could be there! That place looks like curry popcorn with two helpings of awesomesauce and a side of loaded cheesy fries! I probably won't ever get to go there myself, but the next best thing is seeing it here! Great TR !

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Every time you do a Tokyo DisneySea TR, I wish I could be there! That place looks like curry popcorn with two helpings of awesomesauce and a side of loaded cheesy fries! I probably won't ever get to go there myself, but the next best thing is seeing it here! Great TR !

I'm in the same boat, doubly so the whole resort, triply so after also watching TheTimTracker's video TR.

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Click HERE for an index of all our Japan 2018 Trip Updates

 

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This installment will span two days since we had one day where we took it easy, didn't do a whole lot, and just enjoyed being in Japan. The next day we did some kind of weird, but totally fun stuff...and then ended up back at Disney! (shocking, right?) We most certainly have been taking advantage of that $42 "After 6pm Passport" you can buy at Tokyo Disney!

 

Be sure to follow our Twitter and Instagram Stories for live updates from our trip!

 

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Good morning from Japan! We are back at Shinagawa Station heading out on our next adventure!

 

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Today we are hanging out in the “Tokyo Teleport” area! Home to all kinds of amusements, random shopping & games, and this AWESOME looking Fuji TV building!

 

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We normally don’t do a lot of “American food” in Japan unless it’s significantly different or weird. Taco Bell Japan fulfill BOTH of those categories, but in a GOOD way!

 

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It’s seriously the best “Taco Bell” you’ll have almost to the point of wishing it wasn’t as good!

 

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The menu at Taco Bell Japan may look similar to the US but that’s where the similarities end.

 

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The quality of food, presentation, the service, everything we would make fun of Taco Bell for in the US is completely opposite in #Japan. It’s honestly fantastic food!

 

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And the BEST part about Taco Bell in Japan? They serve Coca Cola!!! Which makes sense because the Japanese like things that are of good, higher quality which is why you don’t see very much Pepsi in this country!

 

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I’d like to point out this Taco Bell location is being run by *ONE* employee! Taking orders, making food, delivering food, etc. And it’s being run so well & efficiently you’d think theres a whole team here. I waited 5 min for food & he apologized for the wait!

 

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Time to check out the Disney Store in Japan!

 

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Yes that is a Chip n Dale poncho for the rainy season here in Japan!

 

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So those are little costumes and accessories you can buy to dress up your mini-plush keychain Disney characters with... because Japan is just THAT awesome!!!

 

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I just want to live in a world where Pikachu is everywhere...

 

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Just in case you wanted Godzilla on your butt...

 

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...you have that option here in Japan!

 

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Because winning a big box of beef jerky in a claw machine is totally “normal” in Japan!

 

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Mega Web is a giant display of ever Toyota car you can think of, and maybe you’ve never heard of!

 

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There are some super cool Toyota displays here...

 

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And yes, you can even test drive a Toyota car!

 

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I am taking a picture of this trash can because it is something you very rarely see in Japan... yet you never see trash on the ground or people litter. Isn’t that weird?

 

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Because we can sometimes be a creature of habit we are back at our favorite Yakitori restaurant in Shibuya! We love this place!

 

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Of all the Asian food to make it over to America I will never understand why Yakitori hasn’t really made it to the States.

 

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It is absolutely delicious and much like ordering chicken wings, you order multiple pieces with different flavors and it’s amazing!

 

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Even Elissa loves Yakitori now!

 

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The next day we ventured out to some very “non-touristy” areas of Tokyo.

 

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We like spending time in places where people live day-to-day rather than just tourism destinations all the time.

 

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This morning we are at the home of a local Japanese woman who gives Gyoza making classes!

 

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We love doing things like this and see how locals live!

 

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We have been trusted with sharp objects to cut & chip things during our Gyoza making course!

 

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This is us... making Gyoza... and it’s awesome!!!

 

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Here is the end result of our Gyoza making class! They are absolutely DELICIOUS!!!

 

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The Gyoza making class was fantastic and the Gyoza was absolutely delicious! We highly recommend checking out Miyuki’s cooking classes next time you’re in Tokyo! Info: https://www.simplyoishii.com/

 

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Getting back on the train... any idea where we might be heading? (You only get one guess!)

 

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Oh. Hi there...

 

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Beautiful sunset tonight at Tokyo DisneySEA!

 

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You can’t visit Tokyo DisneySEA without having a Gyoza Sausage Bun...

 

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And taking a totally ridiculous photo with it!

 

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Raging Spirits... there’s a roller coaster somewhere in all that theming!!!

 

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Tower of Terror’s theming in Japan is in every way better than the theming in Orlando. Please WDW, please ditch the Twilight Zone and bring this incredible original story to Hollywood Studios!

 

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How have we never noticed this giant spotlight by Aquatopia before???

 

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I sometimes have to stop and remind myself this is a theme park...

 

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Hi, Woody...

 

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That Hightower dude looks somewhat familiar...

 

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Blueberry is absolutely my new favorite popcorn flavor!

 

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Another GREAT night at Tokyo Disney! We got so much done tonight using the “After 6pm Pass!” That was forty bucks WELL SPENT!!!

 

Now, POST YOUR COMMENTS!!!! After all, we took the time to write this report, the least you can do is post something nice about it!

 

Click HERE for Part Eight of our TPR Japan 2018 Trip!

Edited by robbalvey
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Of all your adventures and TRs, I always look forward to all things Japan the most and long for a trip someday...this is so full of awesomeness and things we are not going to ever get in the U.S. because we can't be nice or behave...but I guess that makes the travel even better and special when you are there...can't wait to watch the entire trip unfold...have fun and enjoy...

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while I, of course, love all the Disney pics. . wow, that cooking class looks amazing.

 

I've always wanted to learn how to make traditional dumplings / Gyoza, and that is the kind of thing I'd jump at the chance to do if I ever was overseas.

 

looks like y'all are continuing to have a fantastic time. Keep on sharing! loving it.

 

 

ETA: and I'd TOTALLY wear Godzilla on my butt

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