Monday 7 October: Fuji Q Theme Park
There is nothing like riding the world's craziest rollercoaster at 9.30am on a Monday morning! The closest thing to that in real life is me running to make the train to work.
The Fujiyama is amongst the highest in the world, standing at 79 metres high and with a max speed of 81 miles per hour and a drop of 71m, I felt all of that! The climb was the usual behaviour from me when riding a rollercoaster, you know, saying to myself that I had a nice life, and I enjoyed using all my limbs while I had them.
At around 50m I started looking for an escape route. At 75m feet, there was no time to dilly dally, the full blown swearing began and continued for the rest of the ride. The second half was worse as it had so many sharper bends, then it eventually hit the brakes and it was time to get off.
It isn't an upside-downer so the harness is a seat belt, which felt a little insufficient!
By 10am we were on another ride called Do-dodonpa which sounds as fun as it reads when you say it out loud. This roller coaster is the fastest roller coaster in Japan reaching 180 km per hour in 1.56s after horizontal launch. This is possibly why it is called Do-dodonpa–named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for a pounding heart. The G-force is said to be greater than G-force when a space shuttle launches (at around 3.3Gs).
As we were queuing (albeit briefly) for Fujiyama, we saw them testing and warming up the Do-dodonpa, so I saw the launch for what it is - very fast. It sounds exactly like when a fighter jet takes off in ahem, Top Gun. I wondered if my contact lenses would be blown out!
As for the ride, it was a carriage of 8 persons and we were at the front. The harnessing is seatbelt and overhead, which I should have known included an upside down loop but I just thought it was extra safety due to the high speed. But nope, there was a loop-di-loop and upside down we went. Not before a 3,2,1 countdown launch into 3G speed, which was just awesome (I did close my eyes due to the aforementioned concerns about my contact lenses). This ride is best described as the sort of ride that can shake your fillings loose. My teeth actually hurt!
By 11am we were on the Takabisha ride, which features on every scariest rollercoaster of the world list. Good news, er not! It is insane! With about 8 loop-di-loops (or 'inversions' to professional riders amongst you)... But it also has a 90' vertical climb that then hangs you off the top for a few seconds, before descending into a 121' drop meaning you can't see the tracks and essentially are clueless (bobby pin shape). The 90' vertical climb meant we were looking at the under carriage of a plane fuselage as we were ascending, because there just happened to be a plane flying above us. On this ride, I got a real look at the mountains surrounding the theme park, which include Mt Fuji. This ride's random exclamation from me was 'Cowabunga Motherfu*ckers' and then insightfully, 'hey did the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles come from Japan or what?'. I am always multitasking it appears, even when screaming my lungs out on a rollercoaster. By 12pm my jaw was aching from the screaming.
Bobby pin shape of the Takabisha ride!
Fake Paris
I did not stop saying 'fu*k' for about five minutes after I got off the ride. It is INSANE. We are all INSANE to ride it.
But the people who created it are the most INSANE. I have no words. Apart from 'fu*k'.
Sorry to all the kids out there who had to hear it too! The Japanese adults just politely scream.
Point of Mt Fuji behind clouds, surprise surprise!
Because life wasn't thrilling enough, we did Fujiyama again before the park closed. This time we were front of the train, it was freezing cold by then and the heavens had opened. Have you ever felt rain drops on your face whilst hurtling at 81mph? I have, and it freaking hurts. Like sharp pricks all over. My skin does look revitalised a few hours later at time of writing! On this ride, about half way through, I yelled at Paul 'Have we gone around twice?' as the ride felt really long compared to in the morning. I also remembered, whilst on the ride, that the second half of it (not the initial drop from the height) was the worst part of it. So many twists and turns that just went on and on. In a good way!
We opted for a go on the Ferris Wheel, a scary mine train and also the carousel, just to maintain some traditional theme / amusement park decorum.
I also ate a potato and mozzarella stick, which was just pointless (in terms of nutrition) but very good in terms of general satisfaction of deep fried consumption.
I feel like I shall be dreaming of riding rollercoasters tonight. I feel like I am still being rocked and tossed about, even as I sit and write this in the lounge at the capsule hotel!
DiStar Consumption Index:
Probably a lot of flies.
Flies, good protein, but bitter.
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