Tobu World Square was surprisingly fun
Since my wife had been wanting to go to Tobu World Square for a while, we decided to make it a two-day family trip—our first in a long time—combined with a stay in Kinugawa Onsen. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first, and that “Showa-era” retro vibe you get as soon as you walk in made me wonder… but I was actually shocked by how meticulously the world heritage sites I’ve visited before were recreated. We had fun reminiscing, like “Oh, we went to Cambodia, Beijing, and the Great Wall together!” and I was surprised to even see the Borgund Stave Church from Northern Europe there.
When you take a photo, it looks surprisingly real (it might look even more convincing with a miniature filter).
The reproduction of Park Güell was also very impressive.
An unexpected reunion with Mr. F at Toshogu Shrine
When we met in Roppongi on Friday, Mr. F mentioned he’d be in Nikko over the weekend, so I had a tiny hope we might cross paths. But given the massive crowds and how huge the area is, I figured it probably wouldn’t happen. Then, against all odds, we actually ran into each other! Coincidences like this are amazing—though I totally forgot to take a group photo (lol).
For some reason, Mr. F and his group had tickets for Rinno-ji and another temple but didn’t have the ones to go past the Yomeimon gate. I explained that they definitely shouldn’t miss it and gave them directions, telling them to go that way and turn left… I hope they made it! I mean, you can’t come all the way here and not see the Yomeimon gate.
By the way, we talked on Friday about how tourist spots are packed with international visitors now, and Toshogu was no exception. It was full of foreign tourists. It’s a strange feeling, like the Japanese locals are the only ones whose daily lives haven’t fully returned to “normal” yet.
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