Did you know you only need one day to see the most famous structures in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia??
There is a city in Tochigi Prefecture which is so fascinating it will make you start thinking more about architecture and the style of life in other countries. I have been in Tsukuba for a long time and nobody told me about Tobu World Square, so I thought I would tell you a bit about it.
It takes about 3 hours from Tsukuba by car. When you get there, you will see more than one hundred architectural gems from around the world, built at a scale of 1:25 of the original size. The buildings are from 21 countries including 42 that are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. For example, from Europe you can admire the Leaning Tower of Pisa, St. Peter's Basilica, Versailles, the Colosseum, and the Fountain Palace of Peter the Great. From the US, you can see the Statue of Liberty, the Plaza Hotel, and the Chrysler Building. From Africa, you can admire the Pyramids and the Great Temple of Abu Simbel from a camel's back. The Asia Zone offers the Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City, and the fantastic Ankor Wat. Last but not least, you can see all of the interesting structures that you have already seen or you are thinking of seeing in Japan.
There is a big, free parking lot and the entrance fee is 2,500 yen per person. You can rent a binocular telescope and earphones to hear more about each building you are standing in front of. I recommend buying a small "miracle" playing card so you can see bridges opening up, ships floating, and 140,000 small dolls come alive!
And that is not all this city has to offer to visitors. Just ten minutes from World Square you can enjoy another amusement park called [[Western Village]]. There is a large area where you can ride horses, watch short amphitheatre scenes, ride the segway, travel by old steam train, and meet many cowboys. Another unforgettable surpise there is a big Mt. Rushmore which you can see from far away.
Look at everything there closely and have a fun!
Links[]
- http://www.tobuws.co.jp/ Tobu World Square