Hello, fellow travel lovers!
This time, thanks to a free invitation ticket, we went to see the Kinoshita Great Circus in Tachikawa Tachi-hi 🎪
Our monthly trip group's first trip of 2025.
We began with a quiet visit to a shrine.
Tachikawa Suwa Shrine
We prayed for many wonderful trips again this year.
The shrine grounds are compact, so it’s easy to stop by and offer a quick prayer — much appreciated.
Off to the Kinoshita Great Circus!
We parked in the large parking lot and headed to the entrance.
Parking fees are ¥500 on weekdays and ¥1,000 on weekends and holidays.
The north wind was freezing that day… Waiting outside felt like serious training 🥶
Lining up to enter (you can almost feel the cold wind)
But once inside, everything changed! The heaters were working perfectly, and it was warm and cozy.
If you’re in the free seating area, watch out for the pillars ❢
These pillars are actually the supports for the flying trapeze.
On the left side of the venue is a golden spherical cage. This is where the motorcycle Globe of Death show takes place.
Before we knew it, the seats were almost full. When the clown appeared, the atmosphere instantly came alive.
Photography is not allowed after this point, so photos had to wait until the finale.
A white tiger appeared for just a brief moment,
ollowed by an aerial act with a “beautiful lady(?)” hanging from ribbons,
hula hoops, juggling, chair stacking while balancing,
a unicycle, ponies, elephants, and more…
And finally — the flying trapeze, earning a huge round of applause!
A Souvenir: “Tabi-Zou”
I picked up an adorable elephant magnet mascot 🐘
It says you can attach it to your clothes… but the magnet is so weak it feels like it would fall off in seconds 😂
So I immediately gave it a name: “Tabi-Zou” (Travel Elephant). 「旅ゾウ」。
Lunch at IKEA
After the circus, it was a 5-minute drive to IKEA Tachikawa.IKEA立川 に到着。
I got a little too excited and took way more food than I could eat.
But no worries! (Or so I told myself.)
The ziplock bags bought near the register saved the day.
The bread and fried chicken became take-home treats.
Finishing Up at Kunitachi Onsen Yuranosato
After shopping, we headed straight to the hot springs.
Sauna, open-air bath, carbonated bath, cold bath —
and in the souvenir shop, there were even some impressively large green onions!
After enjoying the circus and IKEA,
Summary
Shrine visit → Circus → IKEA → Hot springs.
Everything went smoothly, just as planned.
It was a perfect, deeply satisfying day trip.
The journey continues…
Wishing you all a wonderful trip!
