Just inside the entrance, looking toward the motion picture museum.

Looking to the left of the entrance, toward the special movie exhibit hall and a ninja on a wire.  It may not look like it in the photos, but it was blistering hot that day.

Automated ninja on a wire.  Good thing it was an animatronic, because wearing that outfit in the heat would have been insane.

Inside the special effects exhibit hall:

Props and miniatures from the the Toei movie, MEN OF THE YAMATO, which was sort of Japan's answer to the TITANIC film. 

The centerpiece of the exhibit was the large scale filming miniature of the IJN Battleship Yamato.  Like what Industrial Light and Magic did with the miniature of the RMS Titanic, the Yamato was filmed "dry" (without using a highly expensive water pool), and the surrounding ocean environments were added via CGI in post production.

Miniature of the Yamato command tower superstructure.  Was attached to a gimbal mount and was used to simulate the tower hitting the water as the ship capsized during the final battle off Okinawa (which was followed by a massive magazine explosion, thus tearing the ship apart, putting to lie what we see in the various incarnations of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO).

That mascot was everywhere...

Replica of an old Edo "restaurant row" (I think I was taking the Park tour in the reverse direction).

Standing on a replica of a famous Edo bridge looking back toward the entrance.  A lot of people with umbrellas to ward off the intense sun.

One very hot pony (despite being in a shaded stable).  A lot of complaints about this in the various travel reviews I've read about the Park, but apparently no action taken...  Sad.

Over the bridge and into the historical time period of the Samurai.  Much like the Universal Studios backlot, these locations were used for the many samurai movies as well as entertaining Park guests.

Despite the heat (and having to wear a hair piece), wandering Samurai were spotted adding a bit of color to the locale.

Theater for the daily ninja show (will come back to this later).

A seemingly ordinary pool in front of a lord or merchant's mansion (I think).

One of Park guides, explaining the location and hinting that there was something lurking in the pool (and then, lead his group away from the area to show them something else). 

30 seconds later...

Poster for the Ninja show that day.

The little girl in the lower right hand corner of the top photo was doing something mean to the tanuki statue.

Inside the main exhibition building (and gift shop), which had glorious air conditioning.

And before people start wondering if there was anything superhero-related within the Park...

Super Hero Land!

The museum of Toei Productions' Sentai shows (aka Power Rangers)!

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The Hall of Fame for Sentai shows.

DYNAMAN! "Five good-looking young Japanese friends from all walks of life!" Better known in the U.S. for the 1987 parody dub that was broadcast on USA Network's NightFlight programming.