Oiso Long Beach: Best Of Both Waterpark and Ocean Scene

Oiso Long Beach: Bringing the Water Park fun in a picturesque beach/ocean setting!

Of course the summer waterpark scene in and around Tokyo is likely second to none, which is no surprise coming from me and on this web space.  But sometimes, you might want even a little hint of the natural waterpark that is the ocean.

Oiso Long Beach is almost literally, at the sea!

Though not necessarily directly connected to the Pacific Ocean, Oiso Long Beach is one of those places that is literally reachable by a stone's throw from the water park area.  If you want, you could take a short walk to get to the beach and the ocean waters.

But not me.  Not on the occasion I visited Oiso for the first time.  I was happy just seeing the ocean from a short distance, and enjoyed my team at the man-made water fun!

Oiso Long Beach definitely has more of a "resort" feel than other places.  Which can be seen as natural, as other waterparks are located at amusement parks (such as Toshimaen and Yomiuriland) while Oiso Long Beach is literally at a resort, the Oiso Prince Hotel.  So among other things, the amenities (such as food) are on the higher end.  For example, there's a Kua'Aina burger stand on the premises, which is what we opted for during lunch:

The waterpark elements here are pretty fundamental and basic.  The lazy river is fun to swim and float in, while the water slides are more than adequate (though not nearly as thrilling/spectacular as the competing water parks in the Kanto plain).  The wave pool is there to simulate the ocean effects, since you're almost there.  There's also a nice fountain; though not the most fun thing, it is a pretty scenic place/sight for a waterpark.

But, that is the beauty of Oiso Long Beach: its beauty.  It's not full of thrills and adrenaline like the competition, but it can be fun, definitely easy on the eyes and a wonder to take in.  It is at a resort, after all.

Also, its location is very convenient for those in the Kanagawa prefecture, since that's where it's located you don't need to travel too far to get to the beautiful water park and seaside fun.  Take in the best of both worlds at Oiso Long Beach!

Recommendations:

- bring some form of beach/pool footwear with you (sandals/flipflops/etc); there are some long stretches of hot pavement in between the watery parts of the water park

- bring/use sunblock, as there isn't much shade here (unless you rent one of the umbrellas or sunshade areas)

- location is very distant from nearest train stations (JR Hiratsuka or Oiso station); recommend using bus or taxi from station to Oiso Long Beach, if not driving

Specifics:
Oiso Long Beach
Open: 09:00-17:00 every day from early July to mid-September
Location:

Geisha At Asakusa: A Great (and Free) Way To Meet

Geisha At Asakusa: A Great (and Free) Way To Meet Them at Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Geisha are truly one of the most mysterious, beautiful, and enigmatic aspects of Japan.  These entertainers are not as common as the typical tourist might think: nearly a century ago they numbered around 80,000, but in today's Japan their number has dwindled to less than 2000, spread out across the cities and various corners of the country.

Most of today's geisha are in Kyoto, but that scene made news recently in 2019 with many Kyoto tourists harassing them for photos while they were out and about, without their permission.  One of the most important pieces of advice I could ever give a fellow gaijin photographer: always ask for permission if ever unsure.  Those incidents only served to make them more elusive for the casual fan.

To see a Geisha in person can be very difficult/expensive.  There is a great, free, and easy way though...

To see a Geisha in person, one could attend one of their paid performances, but obstacles such as the price (relatively high) and the language barrier can serve to keep the typical tourist away from Geisha.

One of the geisha during their performance at Asakusa

Aside from festivals (which can be hit/miss depending on your schedule, crowds and the type of festival), there is a great, free option in Tokyo where you can see, meet, and even photograph several geisha at the same time.

The Asakusa Culture Tourism Center located just across the street from Asakusa's Kaminarimon Gate, hosts a 45 minute event twice on some Saturdays during the year, especially spring/summer timeframe.  The event time have been at 13:00 and 14:30, with free tickets distributed at 10:00 in the morning on the same day at the first floor lobby area.  Arrive early at 10:00 to avoid missing out!

Tickets come with assigned seating.  don't worry too much about figuring it out on your own, as onsite staff will check your ticket(s) and guide you once you get to the event area.  Then, you can enjoy the event!

The event is truly beautiful in its presentation; the Geisha do not disappoint in their appearance nor in their performance of dancing and demonstrating one of the games they play.  Photos and videos here are allowed and encouraged, as long as you don't use flash.  And at the end, you can have your photo taken with the Geisha as a group!

For the price (free) and the impact/value delivered by the Geisha and event, I highly recommend this one!  

Unfortunately, it seems that I was able to attend the last event of 2019.  Keep your eyes on the website for the Asakusa Culture Tourism Center and/or this website to find out info on their future geisha performances.

Recommendations:

- With tickets in hand, plan to be at the event venue (6th floor) early, 10-15 minutes or so.  Limited access (small elevator) can cause some delay in actually getting there, unless you're willing to walk up the stairs.
- Line up really early, before 10:00, if you want to have front row tickets for the event.

Specifics:
Asakusa Culture Tourism Center - Geisha Appearance/Performance
Cost: Free
Location:

Huis Ten Bosch Waterpark at Odaiba (2017)

Huis Ten Bosch: Beautiful and fun event, especially at night, during the summer of 2017 at Odaiba, Tokyo.

While I was recently blogging about a dearly passed event in hopes that it would return, there is another event/experience we should all hope returns to the Tokyo summer scene, and that is the Huis Ten Bosch waterpark that was held as part of the Odaiba Minna No Yuma Taiku (summer festival) near Fuji TV building and DiverCity.

Huis Ten Bosch's waterpark experience was held during the summer of 2017.  As it was a temporary event (just for a couple of months), the infrastructure was temporary in nature... inflatable pools, slides, playgrounds, and the like.  But don't let the "temporary" words be a negative thing... as everything was pretty big, impressive, and almost on par with the best waterparks in the Tokyo/Kanto region.

The slides were very fun, bouncy, and perhaps due to their inflatable nature, it felt more safe than the typical permanent waterslide.

The best slide was one that ran for around 300 meters, along the length of the waterpark area.  Not big in height but great on distance, sights, and great for a video, right?

Though the watery fun was open throughout the day, the best part of the park was to be seen, and experienced, during the night!

The pools, composed of cool clear water during the day, would be filled with soft plastic balls.  That would make for some nice scenery, and interesting photos.  Especially when the night lights start to shine as the sky gets dark.



Then, as the skies get darker, the place would turn into a water-based nightclub, of sorts.  The crowd seemed to accentuate this, as they seemed like the type to put the "life" into "nightlife" and would definitely fit into any Tokyo club scene.

The lights, DJ spinning music, and everything was surreal.  At many times, I smiled to myself thinking "where else in the world can I have this kind of experience?"  Dancing the night away in swimwear under the warm summer skies among the best party people in the world?  Only in Tokyo... and sadly, so far, only in that summer of 2017.

Then, perhaps to cool down or calm down after the dancing, partying, and ball throwing, one could retreat to the quieter pools for some blissful time among the little balls?



Until this event comes back, you can enjoy the more permanent waterpark fixtures in and around Tokyo, such as at Toshimaen.

Japan Adult Expo: Great Event for Sexy "Grownup" Fun!

Japan Adult Expo, Not Quite a Playground But Like A Sexy Arcade/Museum For Grownups!

Sadly, 2017 was the last time the Japan Adult Expo (JAE) was held.  Still, the website for the event is still active, and when there is activity... you would think that potentially there would be future life, again, for this event.

JAE made its annual home on Odaiba, whether at Differ Ariake or Toyosu Pit, two similarly sized convention centers on the same road on Odaiba.

For the fans of certain stars/producers/etc, JAE was wonderful in that it brought so many of them to one place, though not necessarily all at the same time.  As the event was held over multiple days (2-3 depending on the year), a fan could make time to be there ideal to his/her liking, if not all days, by checking out the schedule in advance.

For the newcomer to the scene, you can go anytime during the event but it can be a bit overwhelming... especially taking the language barrier into account, if you're gaijin.  So, having a local friend to guide you through the barriers can make a big difference in experiencing more versus hitting walls, whether literal or figurative.



But enough small talk: JAE packs plenty of punch in bringing adult stars on various stages.  Both male and female... but by far, mostly female ones.




Sometimes the "performances" would be held offstage, at seemingly random parts of the event venue.



And, the producers have lots of goods for sale, from videos to promotional products to photos... sure, that isn't different from visiting one of the many adult shops in Tokyo.  However, what makes it triply appealing at JAE is that for certain amounts of purchases, it gets you a photoshoot with a star!  And if you're anything like me, you'd love getting to use your camera here.  Here are some of the shots I got of certain stars.

Of course, this is where the language barrier can be a bit frustrating, if you don't have someone with you to help you understand what benefits the purchases get for you.  Some of the booth staff may be at least decent with communicating with you in English, and some are not.

So, as for myself I had someone to thank for getting past all the potential frustrations and helping me experience as much as I wanted at JAE.  If only the event would actually resurrect itself...

My ambassador to the Japan Adult Expo with one of her purchases from the Expo

Actually, aside from hoping for the return of JAE, there are many mini events that occur on weekends and holidays, not only in Tokyo but just about everywhere in Japan.  This website seems to be a large and regularly updated hub for events with stars, where purchasing promoted goods will get you some time to meet and photograph stars.  Check it out if you would like to get this experience under your belt (as well as some goods and photos).