400 - Diving Coaster Vanish!

Location : Cosmo World, Yokohama, Japan
Date first rode : September 2005
Still there? : Yes
ECC : Yes
ERS : No



It was on the final day of the ECC/ACE coaster trip that I finally reached the 400 figure. Originally it did look like it could have been at Fuji-Q where I had intentionally picked "Rock n Roll Duncan" to be the landmark coaster rather than the predictable choice of Dodonpa that most would have gone for. My plans were spoilt by ridiculous queues and poor operation at that park but c'est la vie; shit happens.

To be honest it didn't matter which coaster I ended up with, in fact I'm not going to remember Japan for any of the coasters I rode with the exception of Dodonpa. I fell in love with the country and it's my view on that that I will come away with more.

For a country that is more complex than even London it is amazing to see it offer more to it's people than anywhere else. It benefits from having a travel infrastructure that works; when trains are due to arrive at given times you can be assured that is the time it will arrive. There are no visible signs of crime; would you be comfortable sleeping in the streets if you miss the last train home or walk on your own late at night without fear of being attacked; in Japan it happens. The country is clean mostly because the culture doesn't encourage it. In a country where you are brought up not to bring bad grace on your employers or your family, bad stuff just doesn't happen. The people are genuinely happy and nice to you, especially if you try to speak the native language; even if you get it wrong they love the fact you try. You can say "hello" to strangers and they will respond in kind.

I'm only glad I reached 400 because it gave me an opportunity to write at length about my experience, something that I could never do in 5 words.