Sakura, or Japanese cherry blossoms are found in bloom in March-April. You can get a spectacular view in and around Tokyo for around 10 days.

In the last week of march 2007, we were lucky enough to see a beautiful view of the cherry blossoms at Kudanshita. Around this time, Indian Embassy, Japan organizes a “Sakura Bazaar”. The food stalls and handicrafts were indeed noteworthy. However, something surprising awaited us. It was the stage performances by Indians and Japanese on Bollywood songs. It started with Bharatnatyam performances by Japanese ladies. Their grace and perfection was worth a watch. The fun started when they started dancing to the tunes of “Kajra re” from the Hindi flick “Bunty Aur Bubbly”.

Check the videos here.

Japanese abhishek bachchan in kajra re dance

Kajra re 2 (abhishek bachchan)

Kajra re 3 (abhishek bachchan)

Bharatnatyam by Japanese Artist

Imagine a group of 10-15 Japanese dancing to the tunes of Indian film songs. They may not know the meaning but gave the expressions as if they were having a blast of their lifetime. The audience who had been cheering them till now and joined them. It was an unexpected , yet memorable, party for us all!

Where’s the party tonight!!

Enjoyed ??

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My trip to Tokyo Disney Sea- a trip to the fantasy world!

Last weekend, I had been to Tokyo Disney Sea. It has been one of my most memorable trips. Built and operated by The Oriental Land Company, it allows you to go through the wonderland of Disney characters and enjoy the thrilling rides. I would not go into the history or technical details of it. Rather, I would just write down the experience one gets on being there. No doubt, since this was my first visit to a theme park.

I was awed at the imagination and meticulous design used in each and every creation.

The entire park has been divided into seven layouts that have separate themes. Each of them look so authentic as all the details have been properly taken care of. At the entrance itself, we saw the “AquaSphere” (globe surrounded by a fountain and Disney characters). This was their way of saying : Welcome aboard, your adventurous journey starts here. And yes, your photo shoot starts here, too.

Next, you see the Mediterranean Harbor. The huge buildings and architecture are truly picturesque. All you can wonder is what to expect next. And yes, your shopping starts here as you see various theme-based shops selling souvenir and what not. At the Mediterranean Harbor, you may decide which route to take. You have plenty of time to cover all the rides and shows(Tokyo Disney Sea is open from 09:00 to 22:00). When tired just take any of these Disney Sea Electric Railway, Disney Sea Transit Steamer Line, Venetian Gondolas to sit and quietly enjoy the beauty of place as you travel through it. For those who are hungry and tired, you can rest and leisurely have your brunch at one of the theme-based(again) restaurants and for those who want snacks you have interesting snack-counters at plenty of places.

Being a Sunday it was very crowded everywhere. Wonder if we could take many rides considering the long queues everywhere. This is when the “Fastpass” came in. FastPass allows you to cut short your queue by a considerable amount by allowing you a faster entry. It was as simple as that.

My five really exciting rides are :

- StormRider : My favorite for its perfect simulation

- Tower of Terror : A scary free fall ride

- Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull: A thrilling journey on your jeep

- Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster : A roller coaster ride

- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea : The undersea view from your submarine

Journey to the Center of the Earth was closed for maintenance but I am sure it would have been there in my list above.

I may not have included it in the above list but this was absolutely beautiful: Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, which takes you through the seven journeys of Sindbad all in a boat ride. Also, worth mentioning are the two shows given next. One, a 3-D show at “The Magic Lamp Theater”.

Second, a musical fantasy at “Mermaid Lagoon Theater: Under the Sea”. I have no words to describe them. Absolutely stunning!
I do not want to make it a traveler’s guide but I would like to include all the wonderful shows here.

“The Legend of Mythica” that starts at 14:30 is one you can never miss. On the Mediterranean Harbor, the entire crowd gathers to see this musical and colorful show only because it is par excellence. Then, you have a light and music show “BraviSEAmo!” at 20:05 and fireworks at 20:30.

Get a glimpse of “BraviSEAmo!” show here:

Check out the fireworks here:

Have you noticed mickey mouse in the video??As you leave at night you cannot help but ponder on the trip to wonderland that utterly re-energizes you. I just could not feel more than grateful to Walt Disney and his creation for taking us through this journey of beauty, imagination and splendor. And as I left, I could not wait to see what Tokyo Disneyland has in store for me which would be my next destination for sure!

Check this out:

My trip to Sakura Bazaar (Japanese doing ‘Kajra re’)

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