Right after eating a Sasebo burger I was about to head straight to Nagasaki, when I spotted a sign for Huis Ten Bosch along the way. Places like this are usually for couples and families, so as a single guy I hadn’t put it on my itinerary at all, but there wasn’t much else to see in Sasebo, so I was moving faster than planned, and it also happened to be just when a discount on admission kicked in, so I went in. It lived up to its reputation and was more fun than I expected ^_^ I think that’s the charm of wandering around alone without a plan.
The entrance
It was overcast, so the photos didn’t come out well overall. Maybe because it was Golden Week, there were loads of families.
A teddy bear at the entrance
Seems to be some kind of mascot. But was the teddy bear originally from the Netherlands? Wasn’t it America…
The boat landing
You can take a boat around the park. Kids would probably love it.
Flower beds
Beautifully and brightly decorated. Now and then you’d see couples frolicking in the flowers… (outside the beds, not in them, mind you…)
The hotel at the entrance
I think it’s the JAL hotel. Looks very expensive to stay at ^_^ Doesn’t seem much different from Disney.
Flower beds
No tulips, though… maybe it’s not the season…
A windmill
Nicely recreated. These are all still photos around the entrance. The main buildings are back there.
A windmill
Since it’s a Dutch theme park, I was worried it might be cheap-looking compared with Disney or Universal Studios, but so far I’m happy. It’s a bit short on glitz, but the concept of a family outing to a pastoral amusement park sets it apart from other theme parks.
The street with shops and attractions…
By the time I got there most of the attractions had already closed. If you want to enjoy them properly you should probably go early in the morning. The shops stayed open until around 8 or 9. Huis Ten Bosch closes at 9, so there’s plenty of time. Some people say theme parks like this are so big you can’t see everything even if you walk around all day, but I’ve been to Disney too, and if you really push it you can get around in three hours. There seem to be a lot of people out there who exaggerate a bit.
A fountain
Quite compact. In front there’s a statue that seems to be the Little Mermaid?
Canal sightseeing
Since Sasebo faces the sea, Huis Ten Bosch has canals running all through it. Just strolling along paths like this is lovely.
The observation tower and a flower float
I like how understated the decorations are.
A flower clock
It’s so cheerful it doesn’t really fit a gloomy single guy in his thirties traveling alone.
The way to Utrecht Square
This kind of atmosphere…
Very European… Getting to feel this kind of atmosphere in Japan is a different sort of experience.
Where you board the canal cruise
It’s about 600 yen, but you have to queue to get on… pass…
Below here there’s a restaurant area too, and as I walked around I heard a lot of Korean. Even with the exchange rate this bad, Huis Ten Bosch tour packages must be popular. The Sasebo burger at the restaurant area was worlds apart from the Misa Rosso burger I’d had just a little earlier, so much so that it made me seriously wonder whether this thing could even be called a Sasebo burger…
More in part 2…