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Today we went to Universal Studios Japan for the second time which is just a 45 minute drive away. They were having a Christmas spectacular event for the upcoming season. Today was 17 degrees Celsius and yet there were snowmen, decorative wreaths, one of Japan`s largest pagan fertility symbols with tinsel, fairy lights and bells, never ending carols about the non-existent one`s alleged greatness and the Sesame Street massive on a mission to convert the Buddhist nation to the fire and brimstone of the “advanced” West.

Even though I scorn I had a good time. Good enough to buy a years pass. I was excited anyway to be going to a theme park. But there are good and bad parts to the Universal Studios experience as I am sure those who have been to the mother ship in America will acknowledge. When I go to a theme park I want to be scared to the threshold of insanity on a rickety, rollercoaster that twists, soars and plunges through space and time. On the whole most of the events there are a sit back and watch and enjoy.

Exhibit A: the two to three hour queue to see lots of fibre glass ET`s on the ET ride, B: the Jurassic park ride which is eight minutes of slow river journey ending with a large fibre glass T-rex roaring and a short yet steep drop into water, C: the too numerous to mention mini musical medleys such as the Blues Brothers or D: the admittedly enjoyable Water World performance replete with flying biplanes and pyrotechnics.

The 3D rides are the best such as Terminator and Shrek. Ever heard Shrek in Japanese? I have. But German suits him best. The one ride which is truly great is the 4D Spiderman ride in which you are in a futuristic vehicle which is hijacked by every known villain in the Spiderman world and which includes a seemingly 100 feet fall from the top of a skyscraper. Excellent.

As I said I had a good time and will go again. However it is interesting to see all this Western hocus pocus and tradition heaped on all these Japanese, Chinese and Koreans and how they assimilate and deal with it. Mostly by purchasing every single overpriced product the park has to offer.

Japan in particular has a long history of successfully integrating ways of life, products and beliefs such as Buddhism from India and China, Tempura from Portugal and Kanji from China and I am interested to see how they have and will do the same with the relentless onslaught of Christmas from the West.