Archive for the 'Japan' Category
Water parks vie to open first U.S. looping water slide
November 22, 2009 10:19am
The race is on to see which water park debuts America’s first looping water slide — a gravity-defying attraction that has awed Europe and Asia.
Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin and Jay Peak ski resort in Vermont both plan to unveil the combination water slide-thrill ride on Memorial Day Weekend 2010.
Canadian-based manufacturer WhiteWater confirmed that the two locations would install the first AquaLoop slides in the United States.
Star Tours reboot coming to Disneyland and Disney World in 2011
September 12, 2009 12:01pm
The 1980s-era Star Tours attractions at Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida will get a complete overhaul by 2011, Disney announced today.
In the new 3-D version of the venerable simulator ride, visitors board a Starspeeder and join a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine in a scene from the “Star Wars” movie series.
When, where and how: Marvel characters in Disney theme parks
September 9, 2009 9:13am
I’ve heard the same refrain for the last week or so: How will Disney ever incorporate the dark and edgy Marvel comic book characters into its family-friendly fairy tale theme parks?
While at first glance the task seems daunting, upon further reflection the opportunities appear endless. It’s certainly not a question of “if” but rather “when, where and how.”
It’s been fun to imagine the juxtaposition of Marvel’s assassins, terrorists, serial killers and vigilantes mixing on Main Street USA with Disney’s princesses, fairies and army of anthropomorphic animals. But Marvel also has a deep bench of heroes and villains in its 5,000-character catalog that would blend seamlessly into Disney’s theme parks.
The early contenders will almost certainly come from the ranks of Marvel’s past films (”Spider-Man,” “X-Men,” “Hulk,” “Iron Man,” “Fantastic Four”) and upcoming releases (”Thor,” “Captain America,” “Avengers,” “Silver Surfer,” “Ant Man”). There’s even a few minor characters that would fit perfectly in specific Disney attractions and themed lands.
Disney’s done it before with “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “The Muppets,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and even Aerosmith.
And while Disneyland might not be the ideal match for Marvel characters, the superheroes fit like a skin-tight spandex suit in Disney’s “studio” theme parks.
So, keeping in mind that Mickey and Spidey have only been in-laws for less than a fortnight, lets take an unofficial and speculative look at how the marriage of Marvel and Disney might play out in the company’s theme parks around the world:
Choice Hotels: Three-night stay earns a free night later
September 8, 2009 5:52am
In these times teeming with travel bargains, there are a lot of “free night” deals out there — you may have seen a few here on this blog. Getting a last night free, after a certain number of paid nights, can be a good deal, but Choice Hotels’ new fall promotion offers the same idea with an interesting twist.
Deal: Stay three consecutive nights at any Choice Hotels property (over 5,500 to choose from), and you’ll earn points redeemable for one free night applicable for a future stay at any one of 1,500-plus select properties. Most of these redemption-friendly properties are within the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but there are some in some fun, far-flung places. You must be a member of the Choice Privileges reward program to take advantage of this offer, but signing up online is easy and free.
Budget-to-midrange brands under the Choice umbrella include Cambria Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, and Rodeway Inn hotels. Your free stay can be chosen from hotels in the 8,000-point reward-level group. See a full list here.
Boring, say you? Though a number of the select redemption locations at this point level are not in hot tourist sites, some are, and others make useful resting points on road trips. Read the rest of this entry »
Holland meets Japan, 2009
September 6, 2009 10:24am
The Netherlands is celebrating 400 years of close relations with Japan that began in 1609, when Japanese Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu granted a trading permit to Dutch merchants based on Deshima Island in Nagasaki Bay. For centuries after that, the Dutch alone were granted access to the mysterious, closed Asian kingdom, fostering cultural ties between the two mini-nations that persist today.
Japanese-inspired events are scheduled all around Holland. But the celebration’s epicenter is the town of Leiden, about 25 miles southwest of Amsterdam, home of the Siebold House museum.
In addition to its stunning Japanese art and artifacts collected in the 19th century by Philipp Franz von Siebold, the museum is mounting a full year of special exhibitions on Japanese subjects, including artist Takako Hamano (through Oct. 4), Japanese swords from the Sugita family (through Oct. 11) and Japanese tattoos (Dec. 18 to Jan. 31).
How the Disney-Marvel deal affects Universal Studios theme parks
August 31, 2009 4:08pm
Disney’s acquisition of Marvel is expected to have no effect on Universal Studios Florida, where visitors ride on attractions themed to Spider-Man and pose for photos with the Incredible Hulk at the Islands of Adventure theme park.
“Our agreement with Marvel stands for as long as we follow the terms of our existing contract and for as long as we want there to be a Marvel Super Hero Island,” said Universal Studios Florida spokesman Tom Schroder.
Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, across town from Walt Disney World in Orlando, includes the Incredible Hulk roller-coaster and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man simulator ride as well walk-around characters such as Wolverine and Captain America.
Two climbers die on Mt. Fuji; hypothermia suspected
July 24, 2009 11:22am
While descending 12,388-foot Mt. Fuji this week, an American man working in Tokyo and his Japanese climbing companion died of suspected hypothermia. The body of Jerry Yu, 30, was found below the mountain’s summit, while that of his colleague, 27-year-old Tsuyoshi Nakamura, was recovered lower on the mountain, according to the Associated Press.
Their cold and wet journey was reportedly begun overnight, and temperatures reached a low of 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The pair had last been seen by other climbers on their descent after making it to the peak, reported AP.
Fatalities are reported every year on this popular and heavily visited mountain southwest of Tokyo. Last year, according to the AP report, Mt. Fuji was the site of four deaths and 17 injuries due to “inadequate gear and lack of experience.” Read the rest of this entry »
For total solar eclipse, travel to Asia, or Griffith Observatory
July 10, 2009 9:45am
Around the world folks are gearing up for a major switch-off. The next total eclipse of the sun, on July 22 (July 21, California time), will “darken major cities, densely populated countryside, and a vast expanse of tropical ocean,” according to Sky & Telescope magazine. Lasting over 6.6 minutes at its point of longest duration, the solar eclipse will be the longest Earthlings have a chance to see until 2132.
To view this phenomenon, during which the moon completely obscures the sun, in person, you’ll have to get yourself to select portions of Asia or the Pacific islands. Destinations along the path include parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China and Japan.
The “instant of greatest eclipse,” or the longest totality (6 minutes, 39 seconds), will occur above the Pacific Ocean well away from land at 2:35:19 UT on July 22, according to Sky & Telescope. But just before and just after this maximum is reached, the eclipse will be viewable in Iwo Jima and Kitaio Jima, and then the Marshall Islands and Kiribati.
Want to seek a pot of gold at eclipse’s end? Read the rest of this entry »
Anime robot Gundam to hold court in Tokyo
July 2, 2009 10:23am
Attention, anime fans: The giant robot Gundam, from the Japanese TV series of the same name, will be standing tall in Tokyo this summer.
The 59-foot high statue — which will be able to strike a pose with its 50-plus moveable parts and eject mist and light beams — will hold court at the entertainment complex Odaiba in southeastern Tokyo from July 11 through Aug. 31, 2009.
The statue’s creation marked the 30th anniversary of Gundam, which got its start in 1979 with animated sci-fi series “Mobile Suit Gundam.” Since then, the pop-culture robot has graced more series, as well as movies, comics, video games and many a T-shirt.
If you can make it to Tokyo during the display’s run, note that tour operator Nippon Travel Agency is offering a “Green Tokyo Gundam Project” excursion. Read the rest of this entry »
Sudden jump of swine flu cases in Japan
May 18, 2009 11:06am
Over the weekend, a swine flu outbreak in Japan has intensified, making the island-nation the most affected country in the world outside of North America. The World Health Organization has not raised the level of the world’s swine flu alert, as of yet.
Four people thought to have caught the H1N1 virus outside of Japan made up the total confirmed cases as of Friday, according to the Associated Press. But by Saturday, a case of local transmission of the virus was confirmed in Kobe. Then newly reported cases were confirmed in the Kobe and Osaka areas as well as four at the Tokyo airport. The total number of locally transmitted cases is now 135.
This recent outbreak makes Japan “the fourth-most infected country in the world, after Mexico, the United States and Canada,” according to an NTV report cited by the Associated Press.
Worldwide, 40 countries have officially reported 8,829 cases of H1N1 infection and the flu has caused 74 deaths, according to the WHO. The sixth U.S. death was reported on Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »
