The Japan Trip - Part 14 of 15 (2005)

This second-to-last segment continues where the last video ended, at Mt. Ikoma Amusement Park. Our trip continues with the rather grungy Nara Dreamland, home to the amazing Aska wooden coaster. Hirakata Park was next up and another wooden coaster.

This segmentends with a visit to our last park of the trip, Expoland, home to Orochi, a B&M inverted coaster very similar to Raptor at Cedar Point.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• japan
• roller
• coasters
• sean
• flaharty
• matt
• bacoulis
• james
• raimar
• mt.
• ikoma
• amusement
• park
• nara
• dreamland
• hirakata
• expoland

[Paneeks1960]

I don't know why I am watching this Japan Series again starting off at part 14 Sean? Actually I do now. I was researching Aska when I saw your video listed in the appendix. So I clicked on it and got in the mood to watch this series again, finally. I wish I had the time to do it all tonight. Such great footage, a real classic. I keep forgetting that this trip was taken in 2005. Hope all ids well Sean. I will be in touch soon,

Rob/Boston

[SeanFlaharty]

@Paneeks1960 - Glad you are digging it again. Yep, this trip was taken in September of 2005. Still the best trip I have done. All is well and busy. Wish me luck on the coaster marathon next weekend at Kings Island!

[Paneeks1960]

Wow, I am hearing that the trip is coming to a close at the end of this one. I think I am just as disappointed and I wasn't even there. You did a fine job filming all these incredible scenes Sean. I know how much work it is filming but for someone like myself it is priceless footage. The reason being is by the time I get out to Japan I will probably be too old to ride. Onto the last chapter, 15.~ I hope it is as good as parts 1 through 14. ~ Rob

[SeanFlaharty]

@Paneeks1960 - Thank you sir! I am glad you really got into this series. While Matt and Jim did the planning aspect of the trip, it was my job to document it in a way where viewers like yourself that weren't on the trip would get a small taste of what it was like.

[Paneeks1960]

Hello Sean {again} I had to stop video 14 {Japan Trip} right in the middle to say to all three of you that "you are so lucky that you rode ASKA when you did. I think they closed Nara the year after you went there. Now the other question: Was it really an incredible ride as everyone said it was?" It still ranks in the top 10 in the top 180 wood coaster poll. Check out the video that a German guy put up about breaking into Nara and filming Aska. That was cool. / Back to the rest of part 14~ Rob

[SeanFlaharty]

@Paneeks1960 - We had heard Nara Dreamland was closing soon after we got back to the states. To be honest, the park made us kind of sad. It was dirty and deserted for the most part. Aska didn't feel like it should be in that park. It's an incredible ride and easily my favorite wooden coaster in Japan.

I haven't seen that video of the German guy yet. I will have to look for that one.

[SeanFlaharty]

@Xenomorph237 - Yep, that's Nara Dreamland in this video. I didn't hear anything in advance about it being a Disney knock off but as soon as I walked inside I couldn't help but notice the similarities. That park was the low point in the trip. It just felt dirty and sad the entire time we were there.

[Xenomorph237]

@SeanFlaharty Did you go to the fake Disneyland California knock-off?? 6 years after Disneyland Cali opened, Nara Dreamland opened. In 1955, People from Japan were sent to take thousands of pictures of Disneyland and the rides. They then constructed the cheap knock-off.

[SeanFlaharty]

@MestizoFilipino - We rode the boat ride and, not surprisingly, found it to be unique in that we saw water all over us during the splash but didn't get wet.

[MestizoFilipino]

So the next episode you'll be all alone.... and it'll be the end of the series.

BTW... that splash boat at the end would be an awesome ride if it wasn't in closed. The bridge would be fun.