Nikko and Tobu World Square; around the world in one afternoon, page 3.
The tour starts in Modern Japan, and works through the US, including the twin towers, and then drops back in time, to the pyramids. Each continent has an area, and in a couple of hours we had visited the Tokyo and Eiffel Towers, Notre Dam and the Coliseum, and the Great Wall of China. The energy level in the children rose with each structure; from the feet dragging, too-many-temples-shuffle, to uncontrolled laughter and feet flying to the next building.
Funny things happen when you put a camera in the hands of a child. I find the best pictures from parties and social events are actually taken by our younger daughter, Marlie. There is something disarming about a little kid with a camera whereas the same camera in the hands of an adult is viewed with misgiving or even fear. She also sees things from an entirely unpresuming standpoint. There is no apprehension surrounding an idea that a photo should “turn out,” but rather frenzied joy in the act of capturing one’s world in a moment of time. This means I often relinquish my camera to the girls, as there is always the possibility that they will catch what I miss. And, sometimes, they catch something unforgettable. At some point during our visit, Marlie had my little camera. Her video included much moving pavement with small feet coming in and out of the bottom of the screen as she ran from exhibit to exhibit without stopping the recording.
This afternoon compromise is one which the girls site as a favorite memory from Japan. As we were there, their excitement peaked whenever we came across a place they had been before. Now, when we see pictures of World Heritage sites or talk about visiting them on our walkabout, they frequently point out that they “saw this at Tobu World.” I wonder what it will be like when we are visiting the real thing. Will they picture themselves in a diorama?
Image galleries of Japan:
Izu Oshima Island
Other stories in this series:
Tobu World Square, Nikko; Around the World in One Afternoon
Japanese Ryokan Meals
Hungry Wild Things in Japan
Potty Talk: On Japanese Toilets