Hokkaido - Edo Wonderland

Historical Theme Park?
I didn't know what to make of this place, a re-creation of an Edo village. If nothing else, it was photogenic.  I would've liked to learn more Edo period history but that wasn't to be.  I settled for photo taking and cheesy samurai reenactments.

The 275 years of the Edo period began in 1600 and were marked by relative peace, prosperity and most notably, a turn inwards.  Foreigners were traded with but weren't necessarily trusted.  Echoes of that sentiment were still to be found in the park map.  It didn't include a word of English or any other language but Japanese.  Ditto the pamphlets.  Apparently, Edo history is only for Japanese consumption, a strange approach to a tourist attraction in today's globalized world.

I traded my desired history lessons for photo taking with only minor disappointment.  The grounds and buildings were beautiful.  As usual, I tried for a reflection shot, this one in a small pond.

After a few minutes I was all on my own.  Everyone else had disappeared.  I later learned they'd been beckoned into the "samurai show" or the "ninja training shack" by young employees in period costumes, probably high school students.

I made my way slowly from building to building.  The detailing on this house was immaculate.  I walked up close trying to find the slightest imperfection but couldn't. 

I got a kick out of the cat temple.  This is a particular type of cat called Maneki-neko, which translates into "the beckoning cat."  While it appears that the cat is waving, it is actually asking you to come forward.  In Asia, this motion is done palm out, fingers closing into a palm.  You see these statues all over Japan, usually at the entrance to stores.  Having them is supposed to bring you luck by luring in customers.

The cheese factor increased immediately when I stumbled into these two characters.  They could've redeemed themselves if they'd sported real samurai hairdos but up close their wigs looked like cheap Halloween gags.  This is the precise moment when I feared the entire trip was going to be like a Vegas show.

My fears increased during the samurai show.  Three mimes took turns dueling with plastic swords and playing for laughs.  It was awful.  I wanted to bolt mid-show but thought better of it.  This is Asia, the stray nail gets hammered down.

Back into the sunlight, camera out and active, I avoided all further eye contact with the employees.  I clicked away until the guides began to call us to the bus.  Goodbye Edo Wonderland.