Hong Kong Disney Land!

Hong Kong Disneyland is one among the company's international branches. Having worked at Tokyo Disney Sea for over a year by this point, I was able to gain entry into this park as an associate. Make no mistake, though- there's a healthy bit of sibling rivalry between the two parks and their employees! When asking about the time for the nightly fireworks display I was ensured that it was the best in the entire world, easily shadowing our Japanese neighbour's. Whether that holds true or not I can not say, as the weather was overcast and drizzly all day which could put a damper on the dazzle and in all honesty I didn't linger long enough to catch the fireworks. Living within walking distance of Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea I was able to witness their firework display every night from the comfort of my own home, which made catching yet another kaboom-show less enticing than exploring a whole new country. That all being said, they certainly spare no corners at this park and you can expect the magic to be in full swing. Approaching the park you're treated to the complete Disney experience, replete with Mickey shaped porthole windows in the train that shuttles you right up to the front gates of the park. 

And yes, Mickey and his friends are all there! Just like all the other Disney parks you can expect to encounter your favourite characters throughout the park, whether in the parade, rides, or a meet & greet. 

More photos below the cut!

Japan: 2012-05-18 Tokyo Disneyland

Working at Tokyo Disney Sea, it was only inevitable that I eventually end up at Tokyo Disneyland, right?

Yuka and I met up with a friend of her's for a girl's day out at Disney! 

It was a beautiful spring day and a lot more crowded than when we visited Tokyo Disney Sea, but we still managed to fit in most of the attractions!

Japan: Monsoon Cafe dinner @ Maihama

As the sun set over Tokyo, we boarded the trains towards Maihama station.

Our coworkers were soon to be released back into the wild, and we were going to meet them.

After working with Disney for some time, both the Ishizawa sisters decided to depart us. 

First Kanae, then Yuka. It was quite a loss for our team as the bubbly duo were not only exceptional at their jobs but vibrant, uplifting personalities who made the days more enjoyable to endure. Without their presence the work environment was never going to be quite the same. To bid our farewell, we took Yuka out for dinner with a surprise in store.

Japan: Maiahama station & earthquake damage

Maihama station connects Tokyo Disney Resort area with the Tokyo metropolitan area and Chiba prefecture, making it a busy hub of pedestrian travelers. Thousands of people go through the station every day on their way to the parks! It came as quite a surprise to me that given the meticulous upkeep of the parks, stark reminders of the 3.11 earthquake remained by the time I arrived 8 months later. In fact, this damage shown above (caused by the ground liquefying and caving out from under the pavement) remained for years, and was not the only damage visible in the area. To be fair, this was underneath the main entry area in the automobile pick up area, so I suppose the majority of visitors to the park were expected to return to their points of origin via the trains upstairs rather than taxi. Even so, this walkway was often crowded with visitors and employees. Amazing to see that even some 300+ miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake the damages could be drastic… that's like an earthquake in Los Angeles causing visual damage and noticeable shaking all the way back in Las Vegas! 

That's a 4-5 hour drive, guys. That's not right next door. 

Though I suppose that begs the question- do mountain ranges dampen seismic activity or exacerbate it? We do have the Sierra Nevada between us and L.A. so perhaps that would buffer the blow…but I digress, back to Japan! ^_^;

Some more damage at Maihama...

Japan: First day in Disney 2011-11-26

Welcome to Urayasu!

Urayasu is an old fishing village located on the bay of Tokyo, just across the water from Tokyo proper. Shin-Urayasu, or new-Urayasu, was another district of the city built out of reclaimed land (utilizing landfill) and provided the space for many of the Disney cast and dancers's housing, as well as much of the land used for both Disney parks. This meant that when the 3.11 Earthquake hit liquefaction was a major problem for much of the Shin-Urayasu area, whereas my neighborhood in old-town was relatively unaffected in comparison. By the time I arrived late in 2011, most of the damages in Urayasu were unnoticeable, whereas places near Disney and throughout Shin-Urayasu were starkly and noticeably impacted. 

Japan: Daily grind 2012年10月

Clockwise from top left: Natto, mozuku (slippery vinegar seasoned seaweed), soy sauce, coffee with milk, mackerel sashimi with 2 umeboshi & shredded daikon, cooked white rice (from 711!) 

View from the bus window during my morning commute.

Flowers in front of Ikspiari during the walk to work from the bus stop.

Reading materials. The only books I haven't managed to read yet are Player Piano and Mr Rosewater by Vonnegut. I quite enjoyed The Grand Design and Cat's Cradle has long been a favorite of mine. I got The Science Delusion to help counterbalance the Dawkins, as both can be a bit dogmatic. Always best to gather as much information as you can before coming to any conclusions. 

"The Cat Returns" film Comics & Howl's Moving Castle art book.

Zaru soba with iwashi (sardines), umeboshi, mozuku and tare. 

Dessert sweet puffs and takoyaki from Gindako in Ikspiari.

Goofing off X3 We have exceptionally good balance or particularly flat heads…hm...

Touch screen vending machine with cute Halloween & fall themed animations that would float by from time to time until someone approached the machine.

Japan: Fune party 2012-10-19

For many years the Tokyo branch of the Arribas company threw holiday parties for their employees. In a rare meeting of upper management and makers, artists and their handlers were welcome to join the managerial staff in an evening out together sponsored by the bosses. This was the first, and last, holiday party I attended with the company in my three winters with them, as the tradition seemed to die shortly after.

Oh well. The times, they are a'changin.

I'd covered this evening in a previous post, but now I can go a bit more into detail and provide more photos.

Tokyo Disney Sea 2012-04-26

For two and a half long years I worked my tail off at Tokyo Disney Sea.

Despite working in the park, I was never allowed to explore beyond my area and I most certainly never got free entry into the park. There are strict regulations about costumes and the regions they inhabit so you'll never see a Mermaid Lagoon employee in full costume hanging out in the Mediterranean Harbor. 

Because I worked for Arribas and not Disney directly, I couldn't even use the Disney employee parking lot for my bike. I got an awkward warning from a guard one night and a note I couldn't read.

Bummer.

But it was still worth taking the time to visit the place I worked at, at least once!

So one overcast spring day my friend Yuka & I met up at the guest entrance of the park we worked in.

After dutifully (albeit grumpily) paying our $45-50 some odd bucks (with a local discount), we entered for a day of fun. Our friends Noriko & Naoko were both working, but promised to meet up with us when their shifts ended. 

By the way, did you know that the Japanese Disney parks are cheaper than their U.S. counterparts? Now you do!  Not everything is more expensive in Japan. ^_^

Halloweenies in Japan 2012

Halloween isn't typically celebrated in Japan. It's not a traditional part of the culture, though dressing in costume is obviously a much loved hobby for many Japanese. It's not really surprising that after appropriating Christmas (it ain't about Jeebus in Japan, I can tell you that much) the next holiday to gain momentum would be Halloween. Who doesn't love an excuse to dress up and have fun?!

While I encountered some festively dressed folks on my way to work, the real Halloween hijinks were to be had at a party with coworkers afterwords. 

Several of my coworkers were Americans as well, so we had our own version…which involved watching Nightmare before Christmas in Japanese. My favorite Japanese version song was "What's This?!", though, as Jyakku shouting "NANDA?! Nani-?!" repeatedly amuses me.