GAMA LAND: A blast from the past

The trip to Mt. Tsukuba can be a perfect getaway from overcrowded Tokyo since it is easily accessible from Tokyo (less than 2 hours) and has a breathtaking panoramic view of the Kanto plain from the summit. If you are not a big fan of hiking there is also the ropeway near Tsutsujigaoka Station that will get to the top of the mountain right away.

This time, it is not Mt. Tsukuba that I want to talk about, but a strange amusement park called "Gama land" standing next to the parking lot of the ropeway station.

"Gama land" is the first thing you see getting off the bus at Tsutsujigaoka Bus Station, thanks to the giant toad sitting below Mt. Tsukuba.

This retro amusement park consists of a souvenir shop where you can buy famous "gama oil" (oil made from the toad sweat that is known for its healing effect), a dining area, a haunted house, an observation deck, and a shrine dedicated… again to the Giant Toad.

It is a walk-through attraction haunted by a giant toad. Have you ever heard of something equally ridiculous? Admission is 500 yen with a warning message next to it saying that no refund will be given after purchasing the ticket. That makes me wonder how many people have asked for a refund:)

If you are a big fan of odd attractions you can buy a ticket at the souvenir shop right next to the Gama Cave.

After entering, you find yourself in a very narrow tunnel filled with different retro stuffed animals and objects you might have seen in some antique shop.

There are some classic haunted house features like strange sounds coming from the ceiling after entering some doors, papier-mache demons and a huge toad sitting on the wall.

Next I recommend visiting the souvenir shop. It mainly sells frog statues and mascots, but there are also some mysterious items as old Japanese masks, geisha doll or daruma doll.