Heiwa no Mori

Meanwhile back near Tokyo....

I took a little trip at the end of June, beginning of July back to my old stomping grounds near Tokyo. One of the places we re-visited was Heiwa no Mori. It's a Point Course near the Heiwajima station on the Keikyu Line -- not far from Kawasaki.

There are 45 different obstacles spread out over an impressive-sized park.

This was the second time I had been. They had changed the obstacles up a bit this time. They have added a couple of new water obstacles that are different from last year.

To get to this park, exit out the station toward the bicycle lot and follow the signs to Heiwa no Mori. There is a pretty good size park in addition to the obstacle course.

Prepare to sweat! These obstacles require strength and stamina.

Above is one of my favorites... to watch. Those platforms aren't as stable as they look.
The main obstacle course is for those older than 6. The entrance fee is anywhere from 100-yen to 380-yen. While the younger kids can't climb on the bigger obstacle course, there is a free preschool course just outside the gate. The last picture is part of the preschool course. The preschool course has added diagrams now that makes it look more like the paid course.

One note: We went on a day it had rained in the morning. The course had to dry out two hours before they would open it. They also told us that if it had rained anytime before noon they wouldn't open it at all.

Obon

This was one of the last photos I took on Sunday night, the last night of Obon.

Some of the lanterns were for pets lost in the past year.

These are candies specifically for Obon. These had azuki bean filling. I saw them for sale everywhere in the weeks leading up to Obon. I thought they were candles or the kind of soap that people put in their bathroom that you're not sure if you're supposed to use or not. One of the first things we were told when we moved to Japan was that we should plan to travel during Obon. Many people use that time to travel to be with their families and the roads are packed.

Walking and dodging the fire crackers.

The group carrying this boat was taking a break so we were able to get a close up.

At first the lanterns started floating up the river and away from the ocean. No one was too concerned as they go out toward the ocean eventually. Our guide told us that there was a team of people waiting around the corner to grab up the lanterns so as not to pollute the ocean.

Hunting for treasure at Huis ten Bosch

We went to Huis ten Bosch on Saturday. They used to have a treasure hunt that involved a bunch of locations throughout Kyushu, so when we entered the park this time and saw the ads for another treasure hunt, we were all over it. This one was fun... at first. We chose the International Course. For 300-Yen we could complete this course is in English, Chinese, or Korean. There were three courses in Japanese, with the most expensive costing 1,000-Yen.

You follow the clues in the little booklet they give you to five different treasure boxes. The clues aren't hard to find in the daytime, but we arrived just before dusk and that made it difficult.

This treasure box was on a tree off the beaten path, and next to another treasure box for one of the Japanese courses. Make sure you get the right treasure!

It was fun for the adventure, but don't do it for the prize. Our prize was that plastic folder above. We turned in our completed clue sheet and the guy made a big show of us getting all of the clues right. He handed me the folder above and I asked him in Japanese what it was. He took a piece of scrap paper and demonstrated putting a piece of paper in it. He must have thought I was an idiot... I felt like one too. I know how to operate a folder, I was just hoping the prize would have been something more interesting.

Crispy Mint M&M's

Found these while at our local O-ban celebration tonight. It looks likes they are currently being sold here in Japan and in Australia.

Thriller Fantasy Museum light show

The Thriller Fantasy Museum is a horror museum with a horror restaurant and the above music and light show. We didn't actually tour the museum, we were on a treasure hunt at the time. We just stumbled upon the light show while following our treasure map.

More about the treasure hunt tomorrow...

Yukinoura Beach

Above is Yukinoura Beach in Oseto. I had heard from many people that this is a wonderful beach. A great place to snorkel, swim, etc...

It wasn't a great place when we were there. The waves were crashing right on the beach. We went in... once, then spent the rest of the time picking sand out of everything! I have seen pictures of a beautiful and serene cove with families happily playing in the water. It must have just been bad days when we went.

At least he was happy.

Tsugane Waterfall

We liked Tsugane Waterfall in Oseto so much that we visited it twice last week and we'll likely go back this week.

It's a beautiful waterfall in a beautiful location... not far from Yukinoura Beach. The first picture is from the lower falls and the second photo is what you find when you hike up the trail.

From the parking area, it a short 300 meter hike over a dam and through this tunnel. It is a very easy hike on a paved trail. The hike up to the upper falls is a little more rustic, though there is a bathroom along the way.