Vampire in Japan: Day 2 - Rock & Roll Over

13th May 2007

Osaka Castle: Enter the Rock Star

A visit to Osaka Castle marked the beginning of the new day. A serene moat and a little building welcomed my arrival. With my vampiric intelligence being at its lowest in the morning, I had to be told that THAT was NOT the castle. Speaking of moats, I figured that it would probably be REALLY useful in a time of ass-slow armour and the lack of proper swimming lessons... inspires me to get one for my castle too.

A short hike took us to the top and where the REAL deal stood. And of course, I just had to capture a little slice of Japanese heritage, albeit being a piece of reconstructed, rather modernised heritage, but oh well... details, details.

Oh, but before that, there was one more thing to do. I reached into my pocket, to open a little pouch, pulling out a pair of white aviator shades, slowly bringing them to my eyes in the most breathtaking way possible, as I put them on, I felt a rush of manliness gushing through my bones, I was a new man.. I was transformed... I became.. THE ROCK STAR.

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*THE ROCK STAR*

• Often seen parading around with trademark Rock-God Aviator shades to shield eyes from the blinding flashes of the paparazzi.
• Trademark rock ensemble complete with various casual t-shirts and one-size-fits-all black jacket.
• Photo-whore.
• Epitome of cool.
• God of Manliness.
• Humble.

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Wasting no time with my new transformation, I started posing for the cameras, with my props, backgrounds, and *ahem* co-star(s).

Rock Star Debut: Chin-chin obviously has a tilted perspective

Only Rock Stars can look manly in a Dress

Chinamen and a Japanese Castle

The castle was scalable, but as with all tourists attractions, some form of monetary fee was involved. And since the entourage are cheapskates, the Vampire is a Scrooge and this Rock Star is an 80's has-been, we didn't comply to their monetary terms. The first of many not-so-sound decisions I would come to make based on a touristic point-of-view.

Anyhow, a well-deserved break from all the camera time was taken over a Green Tea ice-cream (they have Green Tea EVERYTHING), and the discovery of a VERY open concept toilet (these Japs seem to have no qualms about exposing their Chin-chins for the world to see).

However, the discovery of the morning had to go to this Little Slice of Zen that the entourage and I gazed upon in the castle vicinity. Absolutely soothing.. I must say, the greens, the water, the turtle on the rock. Debate ensued as to whether the turtle was ornamental or not, but it all stopped when I used my psychic abilities to command it to hop into the water to silence the opposition.

One Step Closer to Nirvana
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Universal Studios Japan: Addicted to that Rush

The better half of the day was spent in Universal Studios Japan. Having visited its US counterpart some 9 years back, comparisons were bound to be made. I do have to say that the Japan one did manage to replicate the flavour of the US original, largely. Having said that, it was 6 hours of fun that followed, ok.. make that like 1.5 hours of walking, 4 hours of waiting and minutes of adrenaline rushes sprinkled in between. Still, if there's one thing about Rock Stars, its that they are addicted to the short sharp bursts of adrenaline, and this Rock Star is no exception.

Moments before I turned around and Sucker-Punched the Red Bastard


The Japs love to Picnic in their Theme Parks

The Rides:

Jurassic Park: The Ride

• Description: Leisure boat ride through a recreation of the Jurassic Park set before a surprising waterdrop at the end.
• Rush Factor: ***1/2
• Queue Time: 60 Mins
• Verdict: The waterdrop at the end was not so surprising, considering I knew exactly what to look out for, not to mention it was very much shorter than the 83 ft. tallest waterdrop in the world in the US version of this. I managed to look reasonably good-lookingly shocked in the photo taken at the end, in contrast to the look of my soul transcending my body in the US version 9-years back.
• Memorable Moment: When Wilbert squealed after the first elevation and it was only a small thud into the water.

The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman

• Description: 3-D VR ride with snazzy effects and Spiderman speaking Japanese.
• Rush Factor: **1/2
• Queue Time: 50 Mins
• Verdict: A queue that spiralled through countless Comic-inspired rooms of the Daily Bugle before arriving at a Ride that has a 3-D Japanese speaking Spiderman fighting snazzy villains, complete with water & heat effects, complete with a reality-bending vertigo-inducing drop at the end of the ride.
• Memorable Moment: When the vehicle spun 3 times horizontally and I was afraid of Sujun's breakfast splatting onto my snazzy 3-D glasses.

Hollywood Dream

Description: A 90 second roller coaster with a dips and curves, allowing you to see the landscape of the park as a dazzling blur.

Rush Factor: *****

Queue Time: 70 Mins

Verdict: 70 minutes for 90 seconds of adrenaline? Hardly sounds worth it, but it probably doesn't get better than this. A breathtaking 90 seconds, which allows you to choose your accompanying music to feed your adrenaline. Of course I chose Rock, but Classical did cross my mind.

Memorable Moment: Wilbert losing his Roller-Coaster virginity. Hands-up throughout the entire ride, almost.

Shrek 4-D

• Description: A 4-D movie of Shrek speaking Japanese with water effects and Spiders tickling your feet.
• Rush Factor: *
• Queue Time: 40 Mins
• Verdict: Spiderman's handicapped brother for the Tots and the Toots. Wholesome Japanese Family Fun (Read: made me so warm inside I felt that the warmth almost put me to sleep).
• Memorable Moment: Waking up when the water fell on my face.

Frozen Strawberries

Description: 3 cold, hard frozen bitches that send shivers down your teeth with every bite.

Rush Factor: *****

Queue Time: 40 mins. Lasted as long as the Shrek queue.

Verdict: Cold and hard. Not very juicy. A different kinda rush.

Memorable Moment: The first bite sent shudders through my vampiric corpse.

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Kobe Night Scene: Bright Lights

A bus ride towards the Kobe sunset gave our feet a much-deserved rest from all the prolonged standing. Alighting at the Sannomiya Center Street in Kobe, the entourage did a little shopping before heading off for dinner. More Jap fashion and hot chics flooded my vampiric senses, but the only things the Street yielded were coffee peanuts, 3 packets of it to be exact.

Dinner was a traditional affair as we savoured Shabu-shabu, or Traditional Japanese Steamboat dinner. Hotpot with strips of pork and lots of veg. The highlight of the meal had to be the sauce provided with the meal; light sauce with a tinge of vinegar, the dip was enough to add a new dimension of flavour to the traditional meal. If my divine memory doesn't fail me, a cute waitress provided the necessary eye-candy as a complimentary dessert.

The last stop for the night was an indoor viewing platform on the 24th storey with a 360 degree view of the Kobe skyline. Being a resident creature of the night, the Count has always been a fan of night scenes. Bright lights that stretch as far as the eye can see somehow resonates my dark soul with a rhythm of peace, tranquility and a general appreciation for the splendour of the night. An interesting point to note is the Ferris wheel in the background of one of the pics. Apparently, the Japanese love their ferris wheels as, due to the Earthquake-prone nature of their island, they tend not to construct their Towers of Babel. Hence, they build Ferris wheels instead to get a sense of vertigo and a bird's eye view over their city landscape. A pity that night scenes are terribly caught with most cameras, and much of the splendour is often lost in the translation to film.