Showing posts with label TOURISM - Tochigi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TOURISM - Tochigi. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

TOCHIGI - Tobu World Square

We headed up to Tochigi, to visit the Tobu World Square.



This trip was actually to realize Grandma's dream of visiting the "mini world", as she calls it.
She said that the park was much more than what she had imagined it to be, and was very much satisfied. 😊

Tobu World Square is an open air architectural museum with mini replicas on the 1/25 scale of 102 famous buildings from all over the world.

The park is divided into 6 zones: Modern Japan, Americas, Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Japan.
The buildings are so detailed, you will truly be amazed!

Here are some tips on how to enjoy your stay at the park:

1. Enjoy the details.  The park is maintained manually, so you will not be disappointed!  Also note that the park will change with the four seasons...in the spring you will be able to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and in the winter, the changes in the color of the leaves!!



2. Look for the people on display.  Find Audrey Hepburn filming "Roman Holiday" at the Rome exhibit, Princess Di's wedding ceremony at the London exhibit, and the West Side Story dancing crew at the New York exhibit...and many more!


3. Purchase a "Play Card" at the Play Card vending machine.  The card is 1,000 yen, and it brings the displayed dolls to life at 15 sites!  By swiping the card at the designated sites, you can activate the dolls and see them come to life.


4. Participate in the stamp rally and get a free original post card.  Simply pick up a stamp rally sheet at the entrance and find the stamps at the entrance/exit of the park, and at all six areas.  After collecting all the stamps, show the completed sheet at the information desk and you will get a park original post card for free!  I chose the Neuschwanstein Castle post card, as this is a place that I would one day like to go visit. 😊



Another good thing is that we were able to get great discounts on the tickets.
I will explain more below!

Access

Address: 209-1 Kinugawaonsen Ohara, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture 321-2593

By car: 20 minutes off the Imaichi Interchange on the Nikko Utsunomiya Toll Road
By train: 1 minute walk from the Tobu World Square Station (Tobu Kinugawa Line)
By bus: direct bus from Tokyo Station (Tohoku Express, or the Tohoku Kyukou Bus)

There is abundant public transportation that can take you there, so please check the Park's official site for the best way for you to get there.

Click here for the official website: Tobu World Square Official Site

Opening hours

Open throughout the year.

Summer: 9:00 - 17:00
Winter: 9:30 - 16:00 (Dec 1 - Mar 19)

Admission Fee
Purchase at the gate
Adult: 2,800 yen
Child: 1,400 yen
Child: age 4 years up and up

Dont't forget to look for discounts on the tickets.  Please see below for some examples:

Purchase in advance
Purchase in advance at convenient stores, ticket shops, etc.
300 yen (adult) / 200 yen (child) discount per ticket

Official online coupon
Print out the coupon from the official website.  Click here to access the coupon page: coupon page
Note that the page must be printed out!  Coupon display on your smartphone is not valid!
200 yen discount per ticket

Palsystem coupon site:
If you are a Palsystem member, you can purchase your tickets at a great discount on the Palsystem coupon site.
1,000 yen (adult) / 400 yen (child)  discount per ticket

If you are up for it, don't forget to enjoy the hot springs and the breathtaking nature in the Nikko Kinugawa area!

Have a pleasant journey! Bon Voyage!
SalvarSalvar

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

TOCHIGI - Camping with SANTA CLAUS

Christmas all year round.

If you enjoy the outdoors and Christmas is your favorite holiday season, this is the place to go!

Our family had some travel plans close to Tochigi, so I went and searched for a nice place to stay nearby and found this really cute place.

Santa Hills...a Christmas themed camping site with log house type cottages, located in the Nasu area in Tochigi.


Source: Santa Hills official website (http://santahills.co.jp/)


General information

Address: 967 Miwa Nakagawa Machi, Nasu-Gun, Tochigi
Tel: 0287-96-4622

Click here to check out their official website: Santa Hills official website
(it's really cool!)

The Santa Hills is located 18 km or a 30 minute drive from the Yasaka Interchange off the Tohoku Expressway.

Pets are also welcome!


Auto camping grounds



Price per stay: 
Site fee (basic charge): 4,000 Yen
+ Adult: 800 Yen per person
+Child: 400 Yen per person (1 yr old - Elementary school)
+ AC power supply: 1,000 Yen (option)

☝50 camping sites
☝Some sites come with AC power supplies
☝Rent tents and other camping related equipment
☝Onsite shower rooms, and onsen (hot springs) near by


Cottages


Source: Santa Hills official website (http://santahills.co.jp/)

Price per stay:
12,000 - 24,000 per group depending on the cottage
For groups with more than 5 people, additional charges apply

Depending on when you go, you may be able to get a discount close to 50% by reserving through RAKUTEN TRAVEL (link at the bottom of this page).

☝20 cottages, all "handmade" !!
☝Each cottage is unique and comes in different specs and sizes...with a fireplace, dog runs...Santa's House, tree house type, high end villa type, reasonable cozy bungalow type...and all sizes that fits from 4 to 17 people.
☝Comes with kitchen, private bathroom and bath, and cooking utensils.
☝Don't forget to bring your own towels and other amenities! (check with the site for details!!)



BBQ / Food



☝Rent BBQ equipment
☝Purchase "BBQ kit" with vegetables and meat
☝Purchase charcoal, and other BBQ related consumables

In our case, we stopped by at a local supermarket nearby and bought our own food.


Other cool stuff



☝Events all year round ...sweet potato harvesting, treasury hunts, art festivals, make-your-gel-candle workshops, etc.
☝Kids' secret base (tree house), "hammock field" and a colorful bus! (for details, please check out our video below)
☝Santa's marketplace with Christmas ornaments and decorations


Santa Club

If you liked your experience, don't forget to join the Santa Club for member benefits:

☝Collect a stamp for each stay and get a free one after five stamps
☝Receive a small, heartwarming gift when you stay on your birthday
☝Kids under 12 years of age (elementary school and below) get a Christmas card from Santa every year!
The last one would be great if you have small kids 😉


How to make reservations

☝By phone: 0287-96-4622
☝Via website: Click here for the reservation site
☝Via Rakuten Travel: Click on the photo below to jump to the reservation site



The cottage we stayed at was called "Bell" and had a dog run.  Bell's official price according to the website is 24,000 yen, but we managed to get a really good deal from Rakuten Travel.  We also rented a BBQ grill set.  In the video, we were able to get some shots of Santa's house, which is amazing!

For more, visit our YouTube channel "Ichigo Ichie in Japan"!



AKITA - Godzilla Rock and beautiful coastline

Akita may be famous for its summer lantern festival, the Japanese ogre Namahage 👹 of the Oga Peninsula, Nyuto hot springs in the mountains,...