TRAVEL WATCH: AUGUST 9, 1999 VOL. 154 NO. 5

Detour

By SACHIKO SAKAMAKI

	ALSO IN TIME
	All's Fare in the Air: The War for Japan's Flyers Japan's major carriers receive a wake-up call from an upstart carrier Kvetch Report Japanese officials are addressing travelers' concerns about safe flying, with the Ministry of Transport due to publish its first airline report card in October

Sure, Tokyo's Odaiba Bay is a great place to hit the beach and grab a bite to eat. But now the man-made island in Tokyo Bay has an even cooler selling point: Palette Town, the city's largest theme park and shopping area. Since opening in late March, its ferris wheel--at 100 m across, the world's largest--has been so popular that waits of 90 minutes or more are common on weekend evenings (so arrive early). Other amusements include live music at Zepp Tokyo, plus bowling, karaoke and billiards. Toyota's Mega Web automotive theme park is a huge hit with families; parents test-drive cars or take a driving exam while kids tool around on the automated mini-electric car track or design their own futuristic vehicles on a computer.

There's also shopping galore. The Mega Shops complex offers the chance to cruise and peruse consumer goodies (sports gear, pets, furniture, wine) at discount stores. A classier retail experience is promised when the Venus Fort opens later this month, a shoppers' haven evoking the flavor of 18th century Europe to attract women to its cosmetics stores, boutiques, cafes and what is being billed as Japan's largest, most luxurious women's restrooms. The lighting will simulate dawn to dusk in two-hour cycles, and "handsome young men will be standing on the street to assist shoppers," says Venus Fort producer Koichi Kurihara. Palette Town is a 20 min. train ride on the Yurikamome line from Shimbashi to Aomi stations, or a 7 min. walk from the Odaiba-Kaihin Park station. The ferris wheel is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and costs $7.50 a spin, while Mega Web rides are all less than $7. Browsing is free, but not unlimited: the entire make-believe town is being demolished in 2009 to make way for residences.