In the October of 2023, I finally fulfilled a lifelong ambition: I went to Japan. Myself, my parents and my sister spent two-and-a-bit weeks in the country, staying in four cities - Hiroshima, then Kyoto, then Kanazawa and finally Tokyo. First up: Japan is the best place I've ever visited, everything about it blew my mind. With its huge skyscrapers, mind-blowing transportation (those bullet trains absolutely live up to the hype) and all its lovely little quirks, from heated toilet seats to vending machines that serve you hot food and drink, Japan feels very modern and high-tech yet it also feels rooted in the past. Reminders of the country's rich history and culture are there everywhere you look - taking the form of temples, shrines, museums, statues and more. Another lovely way in which the country subverts your expectations is that, despite being so big and flashy, it is also such a safe, clean and friendly place. The people in Japan are also quite possibly the nicest people I've ever met.
There are many reasons to visit Japan, with the country's seriously impressive coaster line-up being but one of them. Still, the theme parks are what I'm here to talk about. I visited three: Fuji-Q Highland, Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Dome City. The Disney parks and Nagashima Spa Land will have to wait until my next visit, which I dearly hope will be as soon as possible. There are two things I think foreigners should be aware of. Firstly, a lot of Japanese parks seem to struggle with quick operations, so be prepared to either queue for ages or splash out on some fast passes. Secondly, it's apparently considered rude to request a seat on the ride, so you'll probably just have to cross your fingers and hope they place you near the back.
Tokyo Dome City
I'll talk about the smallest one first. Tokyo Dome City is a small pay-per-ride theme park located in central Tokyo, right next to the Tokyo Dome (an indoor stadium). There are a variety of rides, including two rollercoasters, a massive Ferris wheel, a log flume and more, as well as various shops and restaurants. It's very easy to get to, there's a Tokyo subway station right next to the park. As soon as you exit, you'll be greeted with the sight of Thunder Dolphin. Speaking of which, I think it's fair to say that most enthusiasts wouldn't give this place a glance were it not for that ride, but honestly? This is a really nice place. Just like everywhere else I went in Tokyo, it's very clean, very photogenic, very chill and filled with delightful staff.
Regarding the latter point, that was a common trend throughout the Japanese theme parks. In UK theme parks the staff, though generally very polite and professional, don't necessarily look that excited to be there (which is fair enough, a lot of them are probably students just trying to make ends meet). That's not the case in Japan. The ride staff, in my experience, were extremely enthusiastic and were hyping the riders up, waving them out of the station and waving them back in. Thunder Dolphin's crew, despite the ride's painfully slow operations, were my favourite crew of the entire trip; they clapped us out of the station and I found myself joining in.
In the end, I went on three rides here: I did Thunder Dolphin twice, and I also did Back Daan Panic Coaster and the Big-O Ferris Wheel. My family and I also had a really nice meal at one of the restaurants.
Thunder Dolphin
There are a fair few urban coasters out there... Thunder Dolphin takes that to another level. This is one of the tallest and fastest rollercoasters in the world, located around several of Tokyo's huge buildings - it even travels along a particular rooftop a couple of times, and goes through the Big-O as well. It's a very fun coaster to watch and rest assured, it's also a very fun coaster to ride. It's fast, it's glass-smooth, it interacts with its surroundings in a truly incredible way and in general, it's a thoroughly entertaining flight around the park. Having said all of that, though, would I call this ride 'thrilling'? Well, aside from that steep first drop, which does provide some good airtime, not necessarily. It's not as intense as those stats suggest, mainly thanks to the iffy pacing. Although the bits on top of the roof are cool aesthetically, they completely undermine the ride's pacing as the train slows right down during those sections, and the ride is over so fast it never quite hits its stride. I rode this once in the second row and then again quite near the back; I preferred my second ride. Please don't get me wrong: Thunder Dolphin is a really fun coaster. Just don't expect an intense airtime machine or an elite hyper coaster, and you'll have a good time. 7/10
Panic Coaster - Back Daaan
I am so glad I did this Gerstlauer family coaster, it is one of my favourite family coasters I've ever done... not to mention the weirdest by a long, long shot. So, this is indoors; you go around the circuit once, propelled by a couple of launches and you do the circuit in the dark. Then, via a switch-track, you go into the station only now facing the opposite way. Now, this is where it gets really cool. The train is launched out again and it does the course backwards... this time, the room is brightly-lit and there's a catchy J-Pop soundtrack playing. How delightfully quirky... and how very, very Japanese! This is a lovely little coaster, excellently presented and packed with creativity. As family coasters go, this is about as strong as it gets. While it is a real pain to locate in the park, it is definitely worth tracking down. 5/5 (Rating this as a family coaster)
Big-O
This isn't just any Ferris Wheel. It's one of the biggest in the world, it has the Thunder Dolphin running through it and there's also a little touch-screen where you can listen to information about the surrounding area and even, I kid you not, do karaoke. Only in Japan! I normally give Ferris Wheels a miss, this is one you most definitely shouldn't pass up. It's well worth it for the wonderful views you get of Tokyo.
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is located in Osaka. It should be noted that, if you're staying in Kyoto like we were, it's very easy to get to. It's just a few short local trains and then you're there, at Universal City. When my dad and I got the last of these local trains, just for a couple of stops, the train was absolutely packed. I remarked to him: "Wikipedia says this is the most-visited theme park in Asia - they weren't lying!" In fact, despite being a huge place, this is often filled to capacity. You do need to pre-book this one months in advance, for there's no guarantee you'll get in otherwise. Good Lord, this place was packed to the brim. It was literally an ocean of people as far as the eye could see in every single direction. Still, fear not, for while the queues are inevitably huge the ride operations here were much better than those at either of the other two parks I visited. Hollywood Dream: The Ride was a slow loader, everything else was nice and speedy. Quite a few of the rides seemed to have a single-rider line and these were well-worth using. For example, one such allowed me to get on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man in 30-45 minutes at the very most, even though it had a two-hour queue. As for the fast pass, I didn't bother. They were sold out by the time we got there and they didn't seem to be good value anyhow.
I did really like Universal Studios Japan, but perhaps more in hindsight. It did take me a little while to get into this place. The thing is, I'm not really used to parks that are so heavily focused on dark rides and simulators. This wasn't my first Universal park, I did do the one in California and that has fewer traditional rides than this but that one got away with it because it was an actual film studio and, as those were my early days of being a film buff, I was nerding the hell out the entire time. Having said all of this, I did love the dark rides here so I think my horizons were broadened by this park. Besides, it does have a good balance of dark rides and traditional rides, including an extremely solid coaster line-up. It's also a beautiful-looking park and very well-run. I didn't actually go into the Super Nintendo World (that has disappointed a lot of my friends!) as there was a massive queue to get in and I'm not interested in Mario but I did go into the Wizarding World section, which was just mind-blowing.
I think my main issue with this park, in the end, was the crowds. That's not the park's fault, of course, but it was a bit claustrophobic at times and when even the food places have massive queues, it does get a bit draining. There was also barely anywhere to sit down. At one point, I was doing a ride and my dad was searching for ages for somewhere to sit and read his book. Eventually, he did finally find somewhere quieter... and then he realized that the reason why that spot was quiet is because it was right next to the smoking area.
Anyway, that's enough rambling about the park, time to discuss the rides! I did three of the four coasters (I wasn't prepared to wait 90 minutes for Flight of the Hippogriff, which is simply a cloned family coaster) and three of the dark rides. Everything here was completely new to me - the Jurassic Park water ride is currently down for maintenance and I visited Universal Studios Hollywood in 2010, so before the Wizarding World land opened.
Hollywood Dream: The Ride
This is the first thing you see when you enter the park; it's like a mini B&M Hyper. It has the same trains but it's not hyper height at all. This is actually a precursor to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit in Orlando, in that you listen to music while you ride. On my first ride, at the guidance of a really nice Japanese teenager (he spoke a tiny bit of English) who was sitting next to me, I selected an earworm of a J-Pop song called Greedy Greedy, and I listened to that again on my second ride. I was very much looking to riding this but I also made sure not to set my expectations too high. I knew this was a smaller, gentler beast than your typical B&M Hyper; I certainly wasn't expecting another Nitro (that's the only other B&M Hyper I've done - I freaking loved it!), put it that way. With those measured expectations, I really, really enjoyed this one. It's just a really nice, fun, smooth, fast-paced and snappy ride that does provide some solid airtime if you're near the back (I was placed near the back both times). My ride in the morning was very enjoyable, my night ride at the end of the day was absolutely awesome. It's a lovely ride that I feel people of all ages will have a ball with. 8/10
Flying Dinosaur
I've always loved the B&M Flying Coaster and this beast is, to date, the most recent installation. That isn't exactly surprising; how on earth could they ever top Flying Dinosaur? From the wonderful, airtime-filled first drop (yes, you get airtime on a flying coaster, it's a weird and wonderful feeling) to the final inversion just before the breaks, every single second of this ride is a demonic adrenaline rush. Look, this ride is more intense than Nemesis, and that is saying a hell of a lot! In particular, both of its pretzel loop moments are sheer, beautiful madness. As the train hit the brakes and it made its way back into the station, I was laughing joyously and repeating to myself "What just happened?" Some might find this ride a little too intense and that's very understandable; personally, I didn't find that and, like all of the B&M Flying Coasters, it is a wondrously smooth ride. My first ride on this was a bit of a blur, such is the power of this attraction. I knew I'd just ridden an Elite coaster though. I remember my second ride more clearly, and I just absolutely loved this, it's one of the best rollercoasters I've done to date. As for criticisms? Well, the theming isn't quite as good or detailed as you might expect from Universal... ah, who cares?! You could put this ride in the middle of a parking lot and it'd still be the beautiful work of art that it is. 10/10
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
In a word: Wow! In more words: this is one extraordinary ride, a genuine masterpiece of immersion. When I was riding this thing, I frequently forgot I was on a ride and felt transported to another world. The robotic arm ride system is truly incredible here and I'm very surprised that more dark rides around the world don't also use it; furthermore, the mixture of screens and practical sets was beautifully done. The models and animatronics blew me away, especially that ridiculously massive Whomping Willow model. The one criticism I do have is the screens were a bit dark and grainy, but at the same time the footage was well-filmed and it was great so many actors from the films came back for this ride. Additionally, this ride did make me a bit dizzy, but that is a personal quibble more than anything else - I'm not great on a lot of flat rides these days. In general, this is a tour-de-force of an attraction that blurs the line between theme park ride and art. 9/10
Jaws
This is the only Jaws ride left, now that the Florida one is gone. I don't know exactly how to categorize this one; it's on a vehicle slowly going past lots of sets and special effects so it's essentially a dark ride... but it takes place entirely outside, in the daylight. Ah well, however you classify this, Jaws is a solid ride. It was the worst ride I did here by a comfortable margin, as it was a little pared-down and short, but the special effects and show scenes were good and the live actor at the front of the boat gave a spirited performance. Jaws is one of my favourite-ever movies; I'd call this a worthy tribute to it. 7/10
Space Fantasy: The Ride
OK, there's quite an important distinction to make with this next one. I did indeed do this indoor Mack spinning coaster, but not with its normal theming. As I visited in October there was a lot of Halloween stuff going on, and this ride was re-themed to Sadako. Who is Sadako, you might ask? She is the ghostly antagonist of the Japanese horror franchise Ring, which revolves around a cursed video-tape. You'll probably be more familiar with the American film The Ring, which was a remake of this property. The original Ring is one of my favourite horror films and I've watched all of the others Japanese Ring movies (at least, I think I have) so doing a ride themed to this franchise, in Japan itself no less, was a really special thing for me. As you'd expect from Universal, the theming was top-tier with the intelligent use of screens and sound effects making you really feel like you were in the room with an angry ghost. Better still, the rollercoaster itself is absolutely awesome. This is a killer family thrill coaster that provides a refreshingly drawn-out and genuinely exciting experience, taking you on a wonderfully disorientating journey through the darkness. The stats are pretty low according to RCDB yet, thanks to the well-utilized indoor setting, this ride feels much faster and taller than it's said to be. Essentially, this is exactly what X: No Way Out at Thorpe Park should've been. 8/10
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Just a few months after my visit, this ride closed for good so I was very fortunate to ride it. Much like Forbidden Journey, this dark ride is an extraordinary masterpiece of immersion which pulls you right into the world of Spider-Man. At one point I actually thought, just for a second, that the ride vehicle was pointing vertically upwards; that's just how engrossed I was in the experience. The animations on the screen are just beautiful and though the physical sets are a little more basic by comparison, they do the job nicely. The ride system is also absolutely sublime, and I thought the way moved, spun and tilted all in conjunction with the ride's storyline was unbelievably clever. Speaking of the narrative, just like with the other two dark rides I've discussed it is all in Japanese (fair enough, this is in Japan!) yet the storylines are easy to pick up on for English speakers. It made me a little dizzy, but otherwise I did loved this ride. 9/10
Fuji-Q Highland
Alright, this is the big one. I've always, always wanted to come here so when I did arrive, it was a proper 'pinch me' moment. There's a very good coach service you can get from Tokyo station to the park; it takes about an hour and 45 minutes, give or take. It's a very nice route as well; if you're staying in Tokyo, this is definitely the best way to do it. There is another, equally important piece of advice. Fast passes - get them. Several of them, in fact. As much as I'd love to tell you that what you've heard has been blown out of proportion, I can personally confirm that everything you've heard is true. The ride operations at Fuji-Q are a joke, and not a funny one either. This is mainly because they insist on doing this overlong safety briefings before each ride, going through things that were explained on signboards throughout the queue-lines anyhow. The instructions about how to sit on the rides feel pretty redundant anyhow; you do move around a lot on anything, especially a rollercoaster. The operations are the one, glaring, undeniable flaw... in what is otherwise one of the best theme parks you'll ever visit.
Aside from the slow queues, this place is an absolute gem. The ride selection is beautifully balanced; although the park is well-known for its big coasters there's so much else. This park also has a thoroughly impressive non-coaster collection, which includes many impressive flat rides and dark rides, as well as two sizable water rides. In addition to this, there is something for every age here; the park offers plenty for thrill-seekers and for younger guests. For example, it's got this absolutely adorable land themed to Thomas the Tank Engine; I made sure to have a quick walk through here, as that was my favourite show as a little boy. Even aside from the rides, though, the park looks absolutely lovely, the staff are world-class sweethearts, the food options are terrific and in the right conditions, you get the eye-wateringly beautiful view of Mount Fuji. If there's any theme park in the world with better views, I haven't heard of it.
In terms of the rides I did, once I again I did six different attractions in total. I did the three big thrill coasters (Dodonpa was SBNO then, it closed permanently a few months later), the family thrill coaster Zokkon, one of the flat rides and one of the water rides.
Eejanaika
The name of this ride doesn't seem to have an exact English translation; apparently, it roughly equates to "Ain't it great?" So, is this ride great? Well, it's a practically perfect, God-tier masterpiece of a rollercoaster so I think it's safe to say that title is one of the most accurate ride names in the world. This is a pure, euphoric rush of insanity; throughout this ride I alternated between screaming like a little girl and laughing maniacally. No other rollercoaster has ever had that effect on me. As you flip through the air in all of those bonkers way and at those nutty speeds, every second of this ride is exhilarating, and I mean that in a more literal way than normal. When you leave the station the seats tilt backwards so that they're almost horizontal as you go around the first turn. When you hit the brake run, the seats give one last crazy lurch. This is a ride where even the brake run is better than many rollercoaster elements I've experienced. Back in 2010 I did do X2 at SFMM, which this ride is a spiritual successor to. I liked X2 a lot, but I didn't love it because of how rough it was. Eejanaika struck as a major upgrade, and it didn't give me a headache at all. I only got one ride on this; the queues were massive due to them only running one train and because my dad and I were getting the coach back to Tokyo we couldn't stay till closing time. Still, that one ride cemented this as my number one rollercoaster that I've done. 10/10
Takabisha
Takabisha is another outstanding rollercoaster for Fuji-Q Highland. It's the second-steepest coaster in the world (beaten only by a clone in the States that is half a degree steeper) and that crazy drop is the kind of thing that's simply made for clickbait YouTube thumbnails. The drop, complete with a well-placed holding brake at the top, is terrific. Nonetheless, this is a rollercoaster that offers so much more than that. I'd call this ride a jack-of-all-trades, in that it does so many things so unbelievably well. It's got the legendary drop. It's got a punchy and intense launch at the beginning. It's got seven beautiful inversions. It's got a nice long length, it's intense, it's fast, it's smooth, it's got little pops of airtime here and there, it's endlessly thrilling... it's even got those killer views of Mount Fuji in the right conditions. Seriously, what more could you possibly want? 9/10
Fujiyama
Fujiyama is one of the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoasters on earth, it's an absolute beast of a ride. And, unlike Thunder Dolphin, this gives exactly the kind of enthralling ride experience you'd expect from these stats. I've heard some mixed things about Fujiyama over the years; personally, I really loved it. I can imagine those who are used to all those incredible-looking hyper coasters in the US being a little underwhelmed by it and sure, technically speaking most of the world's other hyper coasters are probably better. Having said all of that, when you take Fujiyama on its own terms it is still an absolutely great ride. It's a ferociously fast and blisteringly intense ride that feels so, so out-of-control in the best kind of way and even though the ride isn't smooth per se (this is a Togo coaster, after all), it's not painful or anything and the shakiness adds to the thrill in many ways. It's also got some very impressive airtime. This was the only rollercoaster I did a repeat ride of. After my first go in the middle of the train, the second ride in the evening was near the back of the train and this one was absolutely insane. Floating down that seemingly endless first drop is one of the nuttiest airtime moments I've ever experienced. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day. 8.5/10
Zokkon
I imagine a lot of Westerners haven't done this one yet, as it's been open for less than a year. It does make me smile thinking that I might be one of the first British people to go on it, especially since I'm nowhere near as well-travelled as many other UK enthusiasts. Anyhow... I was pretty underwhelmed by this. Although it looked like a family thrill coaster and even though there were many signs throughout the queue warning that this was an intense ride, it's actually very tame and not all that exciting. The first launch had a nice punch, the rest of it felt like a family coaster pretending to be something bigger than it was. To be brutally honest, it didn't quite feel worth the 90-minute wait. That's not to say that it's a bad ride, but it doesn't deliver on its promise at all and all things considered, it was my least-favourite ride I did on this entire trip. 6/10
Tondemina
This is one of the rides in this park's impressive flat rides collection; it's a Huss Giant Frisbee, I hadn't done one of these in ages so I thought I'd give it a spin. And yeah, it rocks; this is just a really good ride model. It would've been nice to have a few more swings at full height but at the same time, given how slow this thing is to load perhaps limiting the length of the ride cycle is a kindness to those in the queue.
Nagashimasuka
This is one of the two water rides, and the only one that was open on this day. This is like no other water ride I've ever seen; it's like a combination of a water slide, a river rapids and a log flume. So, a hybrid of Loggers Leap, Rumba Rapids and Storm Surge, you could say? If there's one thing I've learned about Japanese rides, it's that they are often delightfully eccentric and unique, one of the many things that makes this country's theme park line-up so special. As well as being quirky, this is also one of my favourite water rides that I've been on, up there with Valhalla and Jurassic Park: The Ride. With three delightful drops and a thrilling, unpredictable layout (which includes a whirlpool and a close encounter with two giant cat statues), this ride is an absolute joy. The operations are pitiful, but this is really, truly worth a ride... as long as you're OK with getting absolutely drenched. There's no escaping that on this one. 8.5/10
Thanks for reading!
There are many reasons to visit Japan, with the country's seriously impressive coaster line-up being but one of them. Still, the theme parks are what I'm here to talk about. I visited three: Fuji-Q Highland, Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Dome City. The Disney parks and Nagashima Spa Land will have to wait until my next visit, which I dearly hope will be as soon as possible. There are two things I think foreigners should be aware of. Firstly, a lot of Japanese parks seem to struggle with quick operations, so be prepared to either queue for ages or splash out on some fast passes. Secondly, it's apparently considered rude to request a seat on the ride, so you'll probably just have to cross your fingers and hope they place you near the back.
Tokyo Dome City
I'll talk about the smallest one first. Tokyo Dome City is a small pay-per-ride theme park located in central Tokyo, right next to the Tokyo Dome (an indoor stadium). There are a variety of rides, including two rollercoasters, a massive Ferris wheel, a log flume and more, as well as various shops and restaurants. It's very easy to get to, there's a Tokyo subway station right next to the park. As soon as you exit, you'll be greeted with the sight of Thunder Dolphin. Speaking of which, I think it's fair to say that most enthusiasts wouldn't give this place a glance were it not for that ride, but honestly? This is a really nice place. Just like everywhere else I went in Tokyo, it's very clean, very photogenic, very chill and filled with delightful staff.
Regarding the latter point, that was a common trend throughout the Japanese theme parks. In UK theme parks the staff, though generally very polite and professional, don't necessarily look that excited to be there (which is fair enough, a lot of them are probably students just trying to make ends meet). That's not the case in Japan. The ride staff, in my experience, were extremely enthusiastic and were hyping the riders up, waving them out of the station and waving them back in. Thunder Dolphin's crew, despite the ride's painfully slow operations, were my favourite crew of the entire trip; they clapped us out of the station and I found myself joining in.
In the end, I went on three rides here: I did Thunder Dolphin twice, and I also did Back Daan Panic Coaster and the Big-O Ferris Wheel. My family and I also had a really nice meal at one of the restaurants.
Thunder Dolphin
There are a fair few urban coasters out there... Thunder Dolphin takes that to another level. This is one of the tallest and fastest rollercoasters in the world, located around several of Tokyo's huge buildings - it even travels along a particular rooftop a couple of times, and goes through the Big-O as well. It's a very fun coaster to watch and rest assured, it's also a very fun coaster to ride. It's fast, it's glass-smooth, it interacts with its surroundings in a truly incredible way and in general, it's a thoroughly entertaining flight around the park. Having said all of that, though, would I call this ride 'thrilling'? Well, aside from that steep first drop, which does provide some good airtime, not necessarily. It's not as intense as those stats suggest, mainly thanks to the iffy pacing. Although the bits on top of the roof are cool aesthetically, they completely undermine the ride's pacing as the train slows right down during those sections, and the ride is over so fast it never quite hits its stride. I rode this once in the second row and then again quite near the back; I preferred my second ride. Please don't get me wrong: Thunder Dolphin is a really fun coaster. Just don't expect an intense airtime machine or an elite hyper coaster, and you'll have a good time. 7/10
Panic Coaster - Back Daaan
I am so glad I did this Gerstlauer family coaster, it is one of my favourite family coasters I've ever done... not to mention the weirdest by a long, long shot. So, this is indoors; you go around the circuit once, propelled by a couple of launches and you do the circuit in the dark. Then, via a switch-track, you go into the station only now facing the opposite way. Now, this is where it gets really cool. The train is launched out again and it does the course backwards... this time, the room is brightly-lit and there's a catchy J-Pop soundtrack playing. How delightfully quirky... and how very, very Japanese! This is a lovely little coaster, excellently presented and packed with creativity. As family coasters go, this is about as strong as it gets. While it is a real pain to locate in the park, it is definitely worth tracking down. 5/5 (Rating this as a family coaster)
Big-O
This isn't just any Ferris Wheel. It's one of the biggest in the world, it has the Thunder Dolphin running through it and there's also a little touch-screen where you can listen to information about the surrounding area and even, I kid you not, do karaoke. Only in Japan! I normally give Ferris Wheels a miss, this is one you most definitely shouldn't pass up. It's well worth it for the wonderful views you get of Tokyo.
Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is located in Osaka. It should be noted that, if you're staying in Kyoto like we were, it's very easy to get to. It's just a few short local trains and then you're there, at Universal City. When my dad and I got the last of these local trains, just for a couple of stops, the train was absolutely packed. I remarked to him: "Wikipedia says this is the most-visited theme park in Asia - they weren't lying!" In fact, despite being a huge place, this is often filled to capacity. You do need to pre-book this one months in advance, for there's no guarantee you'll get in otherwise. Good Lord, this place was packed to the brim. It was literally an ocean of people as far as the eye could see in every single direction. Still, fear not, for while the queues are inevitably huge the ride operations here were much better than those at either of the other two parks I visited. Hollywood Dream: The Ride was a slow loader, everything else was nice and speedy. Quite a few of the rides seemed to have a single-rider line and these were well-worth using. For example, one such allowed me to get on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man in 30-45 minutes at the very most, even though it had a two-hour queue. As for the fast pass, I didn't bother. They were sold out by the time we got there and they didn't seem to be good value anyhow.
I did really like Universal Studios Japan, but perhaps more in hindsight. It did take me a little while to get into this place. The thing is, I'm not really used to parks that are so heavily focused on dark rides and simulators. This wasn't my first Universal park, I did do the one in California and that has fewer traditional rides than this but that one got away with it because it was an actual film studio and, as those were my early days of being a film buff, I was nerding the hell out the entire time. Having said all of this, I did love the dark rides here so I think my horizons were broadened by this park. Besides, it does have a good balance of dark rides and traditional rides, including an extremely solid coaster line-up. It's also a beautiful-looking park and very well-run. I didn't actually go into the Super Nintendo World (that has disappointed a lot of my friends!) as there was a massive queue to get in and I'm not interested in Mario but I did go into the Wizarding World section, which was just mind-blowing.
I think my main issue with this park, in the end, was the crowds. That's not the park's fault, of course, but it was a bit claustrophobic at times and when even the food places have massive queues, it does get a bit draining. There was also barely anywhere to sit down. At one point, I was doing a ride and my dad was searching for ages for somewhere to sit and read his book. Eventually, he did finally find somewhere quieter... and then he realized that the reason why that spot was quiet is because it was right next to the smoking area.
Anyway, that's enough rambling about the park, time to discuss the rides! I did three of the four coasters (I wasn't prepared to wait 90 minutes for Flight of the Hippogriff, which is simply a cloned family coaster) and three of the dark rides. Everything here was completely new to me - the Jurassic Park water ride is currently down for maintenance and I visited Universal Studios Hollywood in 2010, so before the Wizarding World land opened.
Hollywood Dream: The Ride
This is the first thing you see when you enter the park; it's like a mini B&M Hyper. It has the same trains but it's not hyper height at all. This is actually a precursor to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit in Orlando, in that you listen to music while you ride. On my first ride, at the guidance of a really nice Japanese teenager (he spoke a tiny bit of English) who was sitting next to me, I selected an earworm of a J-Pop song called Greedy Greedy, and I listened to that again on my second ride. I was very much looking to riding this but I also made sure not to set my expectations too high. I knew this was a smaller, gentler beast than your typical B&M Hyper; I certainly wasn't expecting another Nitro (that's the only other B&M Hyper I've done - I freaking loved it!), put it that way. With those measured expectations, I really, really enjoyed this one. It's just a really nice, fun, smooth, fast-paced and snappy ride that does provide some solid airtime if you're near the back (I was placed near the back both times). My ride in the morning was very enjoyable, my night ride at the end of the day was absolutely awesome. It's a lovely ride that I feel people of all ages will have a ball with. 8/10
Flying Dinosaur
I've always loved the B&M Flying Coaster and this beast is, to date, the most recent installation. That isn't exactly surprising; how on earth could they ever top Flying Dinosaur? From the wonderful, airtime-filled first drop (yes, you get airtime on a flying coaster, it's a weird and wonderful feeling) to the final inversion just before the breaks, every single second of this ride is a demonic adrenaline rush. Look, this ride is more intense than Nemesis, and that is saying a hell of a lot! In particular, both of its pretzel loop moments are sheer, beautiful madness. As the train hit the brakes and it made its way back into the station, I was laughing joyously and repeating to myself "What just happened?" Some might find this ride a little too intense and that's very understandable; personally, I didn't find that and, like all of the B&M Flying Coasters, it is a wondrously smooth ride. My first ride on this was a bit of a blur, such is the power of this attraction. I knew I'd just ridden an Elite coaster though. I remember my second ride more clearly, and I just absolutely loved this, it's one of the best rollercoasters I've done to date. As for criticisms? Well, the theming isn't quite as good or detailed as you might expect from Universal... ah, who cares?! You could put this ride in the middle of a parking lot and it'd still be the beautiful work of art that it is. 10/10
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
In a word: Wow! In more words: this is one extraordinary ride, a genuine masterpiece of immersion. When I was riding this thing, I frequently forgot I was on a ride and felt transported to another world. The robotic arm ride system is truly incredible here and I'm very surprised that more dark rides around the world don't also use it; furthermore, the mixture of screens and practical sets was beautifully done. The models and animatronics blew me away, especially that ridiculously massive Whomping Willow model. The one criticism I do have is the screens were a bit dark and grainy, but at the same time the footage was well-filmed and it was great so many actors from the films came back for this ride. Additionally, this ride did make me a bit dizzy, but that is a personal quibble more than anything else - I'm not great on a lot of flat rides these days. In general, this is a tour-de-force of an attraction that blurs the line between theme park ride and art. 9/10
Jaws
This is the only Jaws ride left, now that the Florida one is gone. I don't know exactly how to categorize this one; it's on a vehicle slowly going past lots of sets and special effects so it's essentially a dark ride... but it takes place entirely outside, in the daylight. Ah well, however you classify this, Jaws is a solid ride. It was the worst ride I did here by a comfortable margin, as it was a little pared-down and short, but the special effects and show scenes were good and the live actor at the front of the boat gave a spirited performance. Jaws is one of my favourite-ever movies; I'd call this a worthy tribute to it. 7/10
Space Fantasy: The Ride
OK, there's quite an important distinction to make with this next one. I did indeed do this indoor Mack spinning coaster, but not with its normal theming. As I visited in October there was a lot of Halloween stuff going on, and this ride was re-themed to Sadako. Who is Sadako, you might ask? She is the ghostly antagonist of the Japanese horror franchise Ring, which revolves around a cursed video-tape. You'll probably be more familiar with the American film The Ring, which was a remake of this property. The original Ring is one of my favourite horror films and I've watched all of the others Japanese Ring movies (at least, I think I have) so doing a ride themed to this franchise, in Japan itself no less, was a really special thing for me. As you'd expect from Universal, the theming was top-tier with the intelligent use of screens and sound effects making you really feel like you were in the room with an angry ghost. Better still, the rollercoaster itself is absolutely awesome. This is a killer family thrill coaster that provides a refreshingly drawn-out and genuinely exciting experience, taking you on a wonderfully disorientating journey through the darkness. The stats are pretty low according to RCDB yet, thanks to the well-utilized indoor setting, this ride feels much faster and taller than it's said to be. Essentially, this is exactly what X: No Way Out at Thorpe Park should've been. 8/10
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
Just a few months after my visit, this ride closed for good so I was very fortunate to ride it. Much like Forbidden Journey, this dark ride is an extraordinary masterpiece of immersion which pulls you right into the world of Spider-Man. At one point I actually thought, just for a second, that the ride vehicle was pointing vertically upwards; that's just how engrossed I was in the experience. The animations on the screen are just beautiful and though the physical sets are a little more basic by comparison, they do the job nicely. The ride system is also absolutely sublime, and I thought the way moved, spun and tilted all in conjunction with the ride's storyline was unbelievably clever. Speaking of the narrative, just like with the other two dark rides I've discussed it is all in Japanese (fair enough, this is in Japan!) yet the storylines are easy to pick up on for English speakers. It made me a little dizzy, but otherwise I did loved this ride. 9/10
Fuji-Q Highland
Alright, this is the big one. I've always, always wanted to come here so when I did arrive, it was a proper 'pinch me' moment. There's a very good coach service you can get from Tokyo station to the park; it takes about an hour and 45 minutes, give or take. It's a very nice route as well; if you're staying in Tokyo, this is definitely the best way to do it. There is another, equally important piece of advice. Fast passes - get them. Several of them, in fact. As much as I'd love to tell you that what you've heard has been blown out of proportion, I can personally confirm that everything you've heard is true. The ride operations at Fuji-Q are a joke, and not a funny one either. This is mainly because they insist on doing this overlong safety briefings before each ride, going through things that were explained on signboards throughout the queue-lines anyhow. The instructions about how to sit on the rides feel pretty redundant anyhow; you do move around a lot on anything, especially a rollercoaster. The operations are the one, glaring, undeniable flaw... in what is otherwise one of the best theme parks you'll ever visit.
Aside from the slow queues, this place is an absolute gem. The ride selection is beautifully balanced; although the park is well-known for its big coasters there's so much else. This park also has a thoroughly impressive non-coaster collection, which includes many impressive flat rides and dark rides, as well as two sizable water rides. In addition to this, there is something for every age here; the park offers plenty for thrill-seekers and for younger guests. For example, it's got this absolutely adorable land themed to Thomas the Tank Engine; I made sure to have a quick walk through here, as that was my favourite show as a little boy. Even aside from the rides, though, the park looks absolutely lovely, the staff are world-class sweethearts, the food options are terrific and in the right conditions, you get the eye-wateringly beautiful view of Mount Fuji. If there's any theme park in the world with better views, I haven't heard of it.
In terms of the rides I did, once I again I did six different attractions in total. I did the three big thrill coasters (Dodonpa was SBNO then, it closed permanently a few months later), the family thrill coaster Zokkon, one of the flat rides and one of the water rides.
Eejanaika
The name of this ride doesn't seem to have an exact English translation; apparently, it roughly equates to "Ain't it great?" So, is this ride great? Well, it's a practically perfect, God-tier masterpiece of a rollercoaster so I think it's safe to say that title is one of the most accurate ride names in the world. This is a pure, euphoric rush of insanity; throughout this ride I alternated between screaming like a little girl and laughing maniacally. No other rollercoaster has ever had that effect on me. As you flip through the air in all of those bonkers way and at those nutty speeds, every second of this ride is exhilarating, and I mean that in a more literal way than normal. When you leave the station the seats tilt backwards so that they're almost horizontal as you go around the first turn. When you hit the brake run, the seats give one last crazy lurch. This is a ride where even the brake run is better than many rollercoaster elements I've experienced. Back in 2010 I did do X2 at SFMM, which this ride is a spiritual successor to. I liked X2 a lot, but I didn't love it because of how rough it was. Eejanaika struck as a major upgrade, and it didn't give me a headache at all. I only got one ride on this; the queues were massive due to them only running one train and because my dad and I were getting the coach back to Tokyo we couldn't stay till closing time. Still, that one ride cemented this as my number one rollercoaster that I've done. 10/10
Takabisha
Takabisha is another outstanding rollercoaster for Fuji-Q Highland. It's the second-steepest coaster in the world (beaten only by a clone in the States that is half a degree steeper) and that crazy drop is the kind of thing that's simply made for clickbait YouTube thumbnails. The drop, complete with a well-placed holding brake at the top, is terrific. Nonetheless, this is a rollercoaster that offers so much more than that. I'd call this ride a jack-of-all-trades, in that it does so many things so unbelievably well. It's got the legendary drop. It's got a punchy and intense launch at the beginning. It's got seven beautiful inversions. It's got a nice long length, it's intense, it's fast, it's smooth, it's got little pops of airtime here and there, it's endlessly thrilling... it's even got those killer views of Mount Fuji in the right conditions. Seriously, what more could you possibly want? 9/10
Fujiyama
Fujiyama is one of the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoasters on earth, it's an absolute beast of a ride. And, unlike Thunder Dolphin, this gives exactly the kind of enthralling ride experience you'd expect from these stats. I've heard some mixed things about Fujiyama over the years; personally, I really loved it. I can imagine those who are used to all those incredible-looking hyper coasters in the US being a little underwhelmed by it and sure, technically speaking most of the world's other hyper coasters are probably better. Having said all of that, when you take Fujiyama on its own terms it is still an absolutely great ride. It's a ferociously fast and blisteringly intense ride that feels so, so out-of-control in the best kind of way and even though the ride isn't smooth per se (this is a Togo coaster, after all), it's not painful or anything and the shakiness adds to the thrill in many ways. It's also got some very impressive airtime. This was the only rollercoaster I did a repeat ride of. After my first go in the middle of the train, the second ride in the evening was near the back of the train and this one was absolutely insane. Floating down that seemingly endless first drop is one of the nuttiest airtime moments I've ever experienced. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day. 8.5/10
Zokkon
I imagine a lot of Westerners haven't done this one yet, as it's been open for less than a year. It does make me smile thinking that I might be one of the first British people to go on it, especially since I'm nowhere near as well-travelled as many other UK enthusiasts. Anyhow... I was pretty underwhelmed by this. Although it looked like a family thrill coaster and even though there were many signs throughout the queue warning that this was an intense ride, it's actually very tame and not all that exciting. The first launch had a nice punch, the rest of it felt like a family coaster pretending to be something bigger than it was. To be brutally honest, it didn't quite feel worth the 90-minute wait. That's not to say that it's a bad ride, but it doesn't deliver on its promise at all and all things considered, it was my least-favourite ride I did on this entire trip. 6/10
Tondemina
This is one of the rides in this park's impressive flat rides collection; it's a Huss Giant Frisbee, I hadn't done one of these in ages so I thought I'd give it a spin. And yeah, it rocks; this is just a really good ride model. It would've been nice to have a few more swings at full height but at the same time, given how slow this thing is to load perhaps limiting the length of the ride cycle is a kindness to those in the queue.
Nagashimasuka
This is one of the two water rides, and the only one that was open on this day. This is like no other water ride I've ever seen; it's like a combination of a water slide, a river rapids and a log flume. So, a hybrid of Loggers Leap, Rumba Rapids and Storm Surge, you could say? If there's one thing I've learned about Japanese rides, it's that they are often delightfully eccentric and unique, one of the many things that makes this country's theme park line-up so special. As well as being quirky, this is also one of my favourite water rides that I've been on, up there with Valhalla and Jurassic Park: The Ride. With three delightful drops and a thrilling, unpredictable layout (which includes a whirlpool and a close encounter with two giant cat statues), this ride is an absolute joy. The operations are pitiful, but this is really, truly worth a ride... as long as you're OK with getting absolutely drenched. There's no escaping that on this one. 8.5/10
Thanks for reading!