Japan Through Tobu World Square

"Protection of the World's Artifact and Architectural Monuments"

the theme of Tobu World Square

.

The best was saved for the final part of our school trip this year, as the visit to Tobu World Square was perhaps, the highlight and the most interesting spot we were taken to during the two-day long trip. Tobu World Square is a theme park but it is not like a theme park with roller coaster and scary rides as you might imagine. Instead, it exhibits world famous architectural works and ancient monuments, all scaled down to 1/25 of their actual sizes. A total of 102 structures from 21 countries, including 45 inscribed as World Heritage by UNESCO are displayed here. Just like what the tour guide told us, we felt as if we are gigantic Gulliver when we stepped into this theme park. First up will be our group shot in front of the entrance of Tobu World Square.

The group shot where all but one of us who joined this trip were inside the picture.

The group of toy band which will perform at a certain time, several times a day which is located just before we enter the park. It so happened that they were halfway through their performance of some songs when I was just about to leave the park later that day.

I will be dividing this entry into two parts and the first will be from the Modern Japan Zone and Japan Zone, while the second one will be from the rest of the world and that will be in another entry. The Modern Japan Zone is the first section we got to when we enter the park, and it includes Tokyo Station and Diet Building (the national legislature building), and building structures representing the Japanese capital Tokyo.

The central station of Tokyo Station, crowded with commuters in the rush hour has a replica of the dome roofs which were rebuilt after they were destroyed during World War 2. Today, it looks very much different, based on what I saw during my first and only time there when I first arrived in Japan more than a year ago.

The trees and plants are real, but not the plastic human figures.

On the other side of the station, there are Tohoku Shinansen Yamabiko (bullet train) and Chuo Line trains (reddish orange train), considered as one of the most important and busy line in the heart of Tokyo metropolitan.

The red version of Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower in Roppongi.

This is the exact miniaturized replica of the original Imperial Hotel designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Tokyo Dome, which I went once last May.

Yoyogi National Stadium.

New Tokyo International Airport, Terminal 2 in Narita. I felt as if I am so close of going home when I came to this section and also it made me realized that I am edging nearer towards my summer holiday, which I am looking forward to it so much.

I could see the plane I am taking to go home as well. Obviously, it is not this one though.

But one of these.

After walking through the Modern Japan Zone, I travelled backwards the time zone and reached the Japan Zone which is dotted with Japanese historical building structure. This is the zone were the "good old days" of Japan could be felt and 97% of the miniature trees are real ones, making the scenery looking more realistic.

Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara, considered as one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan.

Rokuon-ji Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, more popularly known as Kinkaku-ji Temple.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a Buddhist temple which is a must-go location in every visit to Kyoto.

Todai-ji Grat Buddha Hall in Nara. Alongside the Great Buddha statue in Kamakura, this is one of the biggest Buddha statue in Japan and it is placed inside that huge hall behind the red entrance.

Ikushima Shrine in Miyajima. I was there last summer to watch the on-the-sea fireworks festival which was held on the water and it was really magnificent.

Himeji Castle, which is considered one of the most famous castle in Japan, but I have yet to pay a visit to this castle so far.

Kumamoto Castle in Kyushu Island. If you had watched the movie "Sinking of Japan" before this, then this castle should be familiar to you as it was one of the first castles destroyed by the volcanic eruptions.

A typical train station in Japan.

Former Kaichi School in Nagano.

Sapporo Clock Tower in Hokkaido. To be honest, it looked a tad different from the actual one I saw when I was there last summer.

Former Hokkaido Prefecture Government Building, also in Sapporo. It is more commonly known as the Akarenga Government Office Building. Seriously, it really looked like a carbon copy of the real building like here.

As if it could not be any more random than this, they even displayed an amusement park. Seeing this certainly reminds me of the fun I had whenever a funfair comes to my town when I was young.

A wild safari was displayed too at the end of this park.

If you are wondering how they produced the exhibits in this theme park, there is a step-by-step explanation one the process they go through to make an exhibit. What caught my eye was the first picture, when they will send a team to the actual site to gather the information like taking pictures and sketch the design of the original building. That must cost a hefty lot.

Finishing this entry means you had got to see most of the famous spots in Japan in less than five minutes. You will never get a vacation around Japan any faster than that, would you? And the best part of it is that you didn't have to spend a single yen for that.

Chicken Wing Stealer

There was a barbecue session organised by the Chikyu Lab, mainly for the international students along with fellow Japanese students this weekend. Initially, not a single of us international student wrote our name on the paper in the notice board, partly because we knew all the Japanese students who are joining in are mainly from the lower graders. Blame it on the age gap or whatsoever, but personally I cannot really stand of their childish attitude. If you are wondering what kind of attitude I am referring to, just imagine those characters in the anime with the so-called kawaii voice. Some people may like it, but not me and the most of us. They may be still in their teenage years, but at least they should put up a decent matured character, instead of letting themselves being carried away with what I would refer it as faked characters. But they are the Japanese, and that is how they are known for. I don't think we can take that away from them, because they are born with that kind of genes.

Back to this barbecue thing, the five of us, later joined by another two more seniors (which I didn't expect them to be there) went to a nearby park for the barbecue session. We started our work when the stuff arrived, while most of the Japanese kids just sat there doing nothing. Never mind, we still keep our cool despite that, and continued cutting the onions, potatoes and meat. After everything were in placed, we began grilling the meat marinated with whatever spices provided. It was then we wished there were all those turmeric powder, tandorii paste and all the other spices with us because what we had that time were only basic stuffs like salt, black pepper and coriander. How to make the meat taste good lah like that, right? After the meat was done, one after another of the Japanese began to taste them and as expected, they trotted out the cliche lines like "Umai!", "Kore choo oishii", which basically means delicious.

Then, we continued cutting the meat for a second round but still, most of them just sat there and expect us to serve them yet again. That made a few of us went to another corner and prepared the meat, marinated it and grilled it ourselves, because it is just not right when you expect people to do all the hard work under the hot sun and serve the cooked stuff, while you are there sitting down and chit chatting happily away, isn't it? That is why after the second round onwards, we didn't take the meat over to the place they were sitting down. Instead, we just shared it among ourselves (which includes a few Japanese as well) who barbecued together. Then one of the Japanese senpai came over and asked why we are not serving the meat over to their place. This time, I have had enough of talking nice with them and I told him straight away that, if they want to eat, come over here and help out. Otherwise, don't expect us to serve them. If you don't want to work, don't need to eat lah, right?

Instantly, he was lost for word when I replied him that way.

As for some other international students who were grilling their meat at another corner, they were more unfortunate. Realising that the meat wasn't served to them, they went to find that group of international students with a mission. But they were smart because they planned their mission very well. Firstly, they went and talked to them, praising them how good their meat were compared to the normal Japanese yakiniku, and also they are so good in getting the perfect combination of spices when they marinate the meat. Okay lah, this time I give them the benefit of the doubt but then, we just practically dumped whatever spices we saw on the table onto the meat. If they said that it nice already, wait till they taste our real Malaysian food. That time sure they will cry.

Of the spiciness. Hahaha...

After they were done with their praising, then they proceed to their main intention of being there. Out of a sudden, those Japanese just took the chicken wing and drumstick, without even asking. My friend there who took out the chicken from the frozen box, cut it, marinated it and grilled it and just when she was going to take it, it was stolen right in front of her. See, like I said, the Japanese were just pretending to approach them, because their main intention is to steal the chicken. My poor friend was so super tulan that time, but she couldn't say anything, because it is not as if that chicken wing stealer was going to understand what she was saying. When you are angry and still need to stop and think for a few moment how to translate those vulgar words into Japanese before hurling those lines at them, the anger will never be the same anymore, isn't it? So, she asked why not he just prepare his own chicken, instead of resorting to stealing people's chicken wing like that. And you know what? He just simply answered, "But I dunno how to cut the chicken ^^". What else, double tulan-ness for my poor friend lah. She still could not get over that incident, that she kept cursing that chicken wing stealer when we were on our way back. But I share the similar sentiment because who wouldn't be pissed of when someone just take away your hard work, right in front of you, right?

There are still a lot of things for me to rant if I want to, like when I was frying the yakisoba (Japanese fried noodles), for example. They keep saying the meat won't taste nice if they are cooked too long. So I told them if they want to eat them half cooked, then they just cook it in their way and not just sit down there waiting for the food to be served. Haih, I know I've ranted so much of bad stuffs about the Japanese in this entry that I put myself into a vulnarable position of being caught and put into the ISA Tokyo. But who cares, because in the end of the day, they still treat us as aliens in this land. Perhaps it is the different culture which made these things happen, but that doesn't mean I dislike the Japanese. There are plenty of nice Japanese here, but unfortunately, I am just picking out the not-so-nice ones this time.

Whatever it is, here are a couple of pictures I took from the barbecue session that would make me forget about what happened during the barbecue.

I will never get enough of this baby girl.

Sorry for the blurry picture 'coz there was a slight earthquake when the picture was taken.

Damn cute, right? I mean the baby, not the guy in black shirt of course ;)