Yokohama Cosmoworld

The final park of the trip was going to be Yokohama Cosmoworld, a small park in the Yokohoma Bay area. I'm not sure what time we arrived but it was around 6pm I think. Sometimes it pays to have a watch. This was probably one of the biggest wheels I've ever seen, in fact according to the park website it is the largest, with a capacity of 480 and a ride time of 15 minutes. The amazing lighting display had it simulating the second hand on a clock taking exactly one minute to illuminate the entire wheel before starting over.

Hakkeijima promotes itself as being a park away from the hectic city lifestyle. This place seemed to thrive on being the complete opposite surrounded by some very impressive hotels and shopping complexes.

Advertised as a "high-tech urban-type three-dimensional amusement park", a little bit of me wondered how they would have built a two-dimensional one and whether the plans did go as far as a fourth dimension. That would have been reason to come and visit on its own.

The sail-looking hotel in the background is the Grand Yokohama hotel, given its name because it looks very grand and also costs that much per night to stay in it...probably. I didn't go and check. It was designed to look like a sail, so it isn't coincidence when everyone who sees it comments on that.

Now I thought these 3 skyscrapers were called the "King's Tower", "Queen's Tower" and "Jack's Tower". However this isn't right as those are the name of 3 old municipal and government buildings elsewhere in Yokohama. These have the rather boring names of "Queen's Tower A", "Queen's Tower B" and "Queen's Tower C".

This is a view from the wheel looking down on one of the 2 coasters in the park. Another of those spinning mice that are everywhere (where's rodent control when you need them?)

The tower on the left is the Landmark Tower, famous for once having the fastest elevator in the world (that has now been surpassed). It is however still the tallest structure in Yokohama and highest hotel in Japan, the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel is on floors 49-70. Floors 1-48 are for businesses and retail outlets. You don't want to know what goes on in the basement!

Yokohama by night, a bit dark admittedly but still quite nice.

The other coaster is one of those with a very descriptive name that details how the coaster disappears on its second drop.

Diving Coaster Vanish, ended up being my 400th coaster, which is quite sad as whilst I don't consider myself a credit counter I do keep track so that I know when I'm hitting the big ones. To celebrate, rather than unfurl a huge pre-made banner, I decided to write my message "400, Whoo!" on the back of a receipt and hold that up as it left the station.

This is the point at which it vanishes, falling at speed into a man-made lake, taking you through a light show tunnel and back up into the station. Although it looks like it is diving at a ridiculous speed, that's actually just my camera not catching it correctly.

The coaster wasn't too bad really although I don't recall too much the actual dive and tunnel as it passes pretty quickly!

The mouse wasn't too bad either, however the best attraction ended up being the log flume, which I didn't get a picture of. This stood out because it had a very fast steep drop that launched you out of your seat in the same manner as coasters but without the restraints! As at one of the other parks, there were lap straps that I'd ignored but having made it down the drop in one piece I can see why this one needed them.

The ghost house wasn't too bad either with a couple of nicely timed spooky moments to make you jump. I did find a DDR machine, and had challenged a mate to a contest but I guess I left it too late as I couldn't find him in the small amount of time we had left.

So it was time to leave Cosmoworld and head back to Tokyo for the last night. This is an interesting little park in a nicely little harbour and I think our stop here was about right as we weren't there for long. Admittedly it's not a park you'll need to spend all day at and it probably suits the local hotel residents as a perfect place to escape to when they're bored of riding in their fast elevators.

Akihabara