Alright…! Recharged and ready to go, welcome to the second part of For The Weekenders: J-Land Part 2.

I remember on one of my visits to Japan going to see the Statue of Liberty…

Wait – what…? Statue of Liberty….? Well, it’s definitely possible, and can be seen in a little place called Odaiba.

What and where, is Odaiba you ask…? Odaiba is a large, unique, artificial island located in Tokyo Bay, across the rainbow bridge from Tokyo…Grab a water bus from Hinode Pier to get there, just a short walking distance from Hamamatsucho station on the Yamanote line, and take in the sights as you leisurely cruise your way over.

Initially being built for defensive purposes, Odaiba is now more of a place full of attractions and shops, including Burberry, an arcade that houses all the usual favorites like racing and fighting games, food, and a car theme park.

Being an enthusiast of automobiles, naturally Toyota Mega Web is the first place I went…they have a museum of cars from past decades….

….oh, and did I mention you can test drive cars on an actual track and try out the simulators that actually act how a car would if you crash…?

Check it out here now. It’s one place you won’t want to pass up. Be sure to take plenty of pictures, a stroll on the boardwalk, grab an umbrella from Burberry, and hit up the food court for some seriously delicious items such as these:

There’s loads more to do, but I’ll leave the rest to you to discover.

Feeling a bit upper class and wanting to see Tokyo, also known as The Metropolis from a bird’s eye view? Then it’s time for you to check it out from a ￥90,000 yen view (roughly $900), with Excel Air.

Charter a helicopter from them, grab about four or five of your closest friends…heck….ditch the friends and bring a date…and prepare to take a look at this breathtaking city day or night….and in my book, the only way to travel is to make it memorable.

I’ve known some guys to take girls on things like this during White Day in Japan (a holiday in March where a man gets the opportunity to show mutual affection for a woman who’s given him chocolates/gifts on Valentine’s Day the month prior). If this doesn’t make you want to get your pilot’s license, I don’t know what will.

An experience of a lifetime, tours leave from Urayasu Heliport near Maihama station on the JR Keiyou line.

No trip to Japan would be complete without ramen. I know, I know, common, well known, most talked about food…but it’s not just about eating the ramen…it’s about discovering, the best, most memorable ramen known to mankind. There are many shops – few that are remembered.

I myself like to find the smallest, most whole in the wall type place – you know, the type where the front door on a cold winter day is a big plastic “sheet” for a wall…sit down, look at the few selections they have, and order. I usually wait for the chef to bring it over, and being a foreigner he waits to see just what I think of it and how well I can actually eat it (there’s a certain skill that’s developed – no forks here folks). Slurping is a GOOD thing…no slurpy, equals a pissed off and insulted chef. So slurp, slurp away my friends and gain respect.

Impressed with each other, I usually leave stomach full, taste buds content, and the guy across the counter usually shoots a firm but warm smile my way as he hears “gochisousamadeshita” as I shuffle out hand in the air as a goodbye.

Ahh, Japan…

– Rego

Related articles

• Rainbow Bridge (archintojapan.wordpress.com)
• Hot Rod in Odaiba (r32taka.com)
• To slurp or not to slurp? (sushinchips.wordpress.com)

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