We went to Fuji-Q Highlands, a good amusement park with some of the best rides around. Apparently all three of their main rides held a world record previously or currently. Peter and I woke up around 4:30 AM just to catch the first of many trains to get there. After a couple transfers, we met up with some of Peter’s friends a Shinjuku. After waiting for about 30 minutes, all three of them came. We then took off for Fuji-Q. The goal was to get there at 9AM, when the park opens. We got there at 10:30 just because one of Peter’s friends broke off from the group and took the wrong train. So basically we had to wait for him.
Now, I haven’t been in an amusement park in a long ass time, but I do love roller coasters. First up, Fujiyama. We waited in a line of 1h 30min with an encounter of a bee in the line. Ugh. The bees in Japan are 50% bigger than the ones I the US, I swear to god. Well worth the wait though. The initial 80 meter climb was intense… almost as intense as the drop afterwards. I heard that if you were tall enough that if you held your hands up, you risk losing your hands just because some of the support girders are close by. There was a woman that was going no hands and If she could reach maybe another foot or two her hands would be no more. Fujiyama held the world record of being the faster and tallest coaster in 1996 until 2000
Anyways, onto ride number two. Eejanaika. It currently holds the record of having the most inversions. After a gruesome 2h 30 min wait (I almost started and beat Metroid Zero Mission. I stopped throughout gameplay to talk to people), we were next in line. It’s one of those coasters that you sit in individual seats and they can flip in place. The scariest part, imo, is the initial climb. You’re sitting backwards while making the climb to 75m. The ride is slightly shorter than Fujiyama, but it’s more thrilling.
We ate lunch then it’s off to rides that pale in comparison to the two previous rides. We got in line for a Hamtaro Sky Adventure ride that’s actually pretty intense for a ride that‘s aimed for kids. Riding it was basically a dare because the car only allows two people to sit in it… in one seat. We had 4 guys and 1 girl in our group. You can see where this was going. It’s a sitdown coaster with the track above you that took you around almost all the park.
Anyways, after that, we strolled through the park looking for another ride. Just for fun, we went on a ride that is basically a bike on a rail in the air that took you around the park. The best part of this ride is that if you peddle fast enough, you can collide with the people in front of you. It also felt like you could derail and tip off of the rail and smash the people walking beneath you.
Last ride that we rode was the Red Tower. It’s one of those rides where it lifts you to a certain height then free falls you to the ground. Now that crap is intense. The view, obviously, was amazing up there. Then after 20 seconds of the view, your stomach hits the back of your throat as you plummet to the ground. Fun.
Took the train back to Iki’s house just in time for a traditional Japanese dinner that consisted of fish, rice paper wrapped meatballs, a house salad with homegrown tomatoes, miso soup, and rice. A good day, it was.