Nihon e ikimashou! Day 3
Jan. 26th, 2008 04:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spiderpigThe next morning, with Yan Wen going off to Himeji by himself, we all woke up at 8am to set off for Ueno Park.
Ueno Park is gorgeous. Walk in and you see a burst of pink and white lining the streets. It's the proverbial sakura walkways that you always see and read from books and manga. We walked amongst the throng of people surging forward and found ourselves a nice spot at the foot of a statue.
We break fast into our currypan and shared cheesebread as Ellyne muses about how she wants to eat takoyaki. I volunteer to get some for her.
I take a leisurely walk down the sakura paved (their petals as pavement!) street. I take note of the people taking pictures of themselves and of their friends, people sitting together on the blue tarp and having a meal together, children running around, and then I see the takoyaki stand. I buy a box for her and walk back.
And then, we heard the tuning of strings. I strain my eyes and lo and behold! There is a shamisen, shakuhachi, I think a koto and an enka singer, who is an aged lady. How cool! They break into song and perform for the growing crowd a few songs.
I'm contended, after running down to take a video, to return back to my perch and take zoom-shots of them instead.
We decide that its time to move along, and we walk forward, and then drawn to the sound of what seems to be a guitar, we find ourselves standing behind yet another crowd. This time, they're surrounding a talented young man who plucks the strings like running water. It was magical and really inspiring. He's really that good. All three of us stand and watch him for a while, before getting distracted by a whole group of young kids running around the fountain area. They're chasing pigeons and screaming, "Haato! Haato!" Aww, really cute.
On the other side of the platform there is another group of kids (boy, I sound like someone with lolicon) being ravaged by a rambunctious dog. It refuses to leave them and it's driving its owner nuts.
After we leave the fountain area, we walk towards the museums and art galleries and hang around the statues and art pieces for a while. Japan seems to have a thing with Romanesque and Greecian monuments.
I suggest popping by Shinjuku/Shibuya before heading down to Akiba in the night. After we got off the train, I was dying to take a picture with the huge Arashi advertisment (lots of Japanese started laughing at me D: ).
Alas, it was only with Ninomiya. I wanted like MastuJun and Ohno and all the rest to be in but NOOOO.
So yes, at Shibuya we walk around, crossing the famous crossing
and finding a music shop (where I got guitar picks) and finding (ME THANKS TO ME! FWAFWAFWA!) a FamilyMart with a Evangelion lucky draw thing.
I helped him fish out the first ticket and we got a set of speakers. The second one he fished out was just a sports towel. Well I know when I have good luck at things.
Sadly, we didn't get to do our "YATTA!" video in the middle of the crossing like we wanted to.
Hmm yeah, we walked around Shibuya a bit, paid a visit to HMV.
Then we went off to look for Ichiran Ramen.
I actually managed to find it? O:
I'll let my photo album speak for itself but woah, Ichiran Ramen was an experience. The ramen was really really good, one of the best tonkotsu-based ramen I've ever eaten. For a chain restaurant, it sure beats nearly everything I've tried before!
The stalls are claustrophobically small, and you can't sit with your friends. You buy a ticket, wait for a seat to get empty and go in.
Mmmm, good ramen.
I was haunted by a Rain truck everywhere I turned in Shibuya and Harajuku. The same truck passed me three times!? Blasting his songs? And accosting me with the offensive neon lights?!
As usual, we walked a long way, and I started emo-ing out a bit. The weather and the surroundings make me like that. When you see train tracks and bare trees, you can't help but just go "aw fuck". We walked all the way to Harajuku and took the Yamanote line back to Akihabara.
We made an immediate beeline for the Sega arcade where there was a huge deluge of Ayanami Rei figures up for grabs. Scarily, we wasted a few thousand yen and lots of aggravated groans and cries of agony as we tried to get the elusive Rei. Curse you Rei! When we were finally pulled away from the crane machines, we walked around the area and spotted LoveMerci, a 7 level porn shop, Gamers (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), Rajikan and Lammtara (which Leon did not believe was a pr0n paradise).
Seeking more figures, we headed down to Rajikan and went into the Kotobukiya shop first. Gosh, for a semi-figure-crazy person like me, walking into Rajikan was like having a visual orgasm. I had to take sekrit photos in order to record down some of its awesomeness.
Yes, that is Mai-Otome Hime.
The shop next to Kotobukiya was just jammed back with pigeonholes of figures - each belonging to a different seller. Total mindrape. I saw like all the figures I wanted to have but don't, and can't afford because these fucking Otaku know how much in demand they are and upped the price to two or three times the value. Absolutely nuts! But wonderful to just stare at.
(That gaijin kinda looks like a taller and fatter Tom Cruise w/o hair.)
We explored Rajikan as much as possibly despite most of the shops being closed. After that, we headed off to LoveMerci and Lammtara (hahaha h it was the true 7 levels of disturbing pr0n) and explored the floors as much as we could. Slightly disturbing since it was me, Leon and Ellyne walking around pr0n shops. I'm perfectly fine with walking around Rajikan and all the shops by myself - I even find it amusing that I'm one of the few girls running around in there all excited and stuff (Ellyne doesn't count because she's no otaku, obviously).
I wish we'd gone to Otome Street so I'd be surrounded by yaoi/BL fangirls.
THAT ASIDE, y'know, we girls ought to embrace pr0n more openly. Or maybe I'm weird because I am a gay man in a girl's body - but then I'd like BL wouldn't I? OKAY, I AM DISGRESSING YET AGAIN.
Do you spy what I spy? Look at that awesome body-pillow!!!!
Our last stop if I remember correctly was the legendary Gamers, which I kinda spazzed over outside for a while. It was like "zomgggg Gamers!!!!!!!!" with two very confused people behind me. Srlsy dudes, Gamers is the pinnacle of original otaku-dom, to me. Sure Animate and Tora no Ana have got the goods, but when it comes to the Way of the Otaku, we all need to visit Gamers and bask in Dejiko glory at least once.
We wandered around the 7 levels, hitting the figure and games level straight away. I harrassed the staff over Tokimeki Memorial Girls' Side 2 only to find out that it's sold out. ): I kinda mulled around and decided to come back again another day.
And that's where we think Leon lost his JR Pass.
Yeah, you read that correctly. He lost it. One day before Kyoto. He ran back to coughLoveMercicough and apparently hassled the staff there with his Engrish to no avail. Gamers was close. So we think it was Gamers. I was kind of ready to call Gamers up the next morning to check with them but the internet back the hostel refused to cooperate so I kind of gave up.
SO KIDS KEEP YOUR JR PASS SAFE!
つづく
Ueno Park is gorgeous. Walk in and you see a burst of pink and white lining the streets. It's the proverbial sakura walkways that you always see and read from books and manga. We walked amongst the throng of people surging forward and found ourselves a nice spot at the foot of a statue.
We break fast into our currypan and shared cheesebread as Ellyne muses about how she wants to eat takoyaki. I volunteer to get some for her.
I take a leisurely walk down the sakura paved (their petals as pavement!) street. I take note of the people taking pictures of themselves and of their friends, people sitting together on the blue tarp and having a meal together, children running around, and then I see the takoyaki stand. I buy a box for her and walk back.
And then, we heard the tuning of strings. I strain my eyes and lo and behold! There is a shamisen, shakuhachi, I think a koto and an enka singer, who is an aged lady. How cool! They break into song and perform for the growing crowd a few songs.
I'm contended, after running down to take a video, to return back to my perch and take zoom-shots of them instead.
We decide that its time to move along, and we walk forward, and then drawn to the sound of what seems to be a guitar, we find ourselves standing behind yet another crowd. This time, they're surrounding a talented young man who plucks the strings like running water. It was magical and really inspiring. He's really that good. All three of us stand and watch him for a while, before getting distracted by a whole group of young kids running around the fountain area. They're chasing pigeons and screaming, "Haato! Haato!" Aww, really cute.
On the other side of the platform there is another group of kids (boy, I sound like someone with lolicon) being ravaged by a rambunctious dog. It refuses to leave them and it's driving its owner nuts.
After we leave the fountain area, we walk towards the museums and art galleries and hang around the statues and art pieces for a while. Japan seems to have a thing with Romanesque and Greecian monuments.
I suggest popping by Shinjuku/Shibuya before heading down to Akiba in the night. After we got off the train, I was dying to take a picture with the huge Arashi advertisment (lots of Japanese started laughing at me D: ).
Alas, it was only with Ninomiya. I wanted like MastuJun and Ohno and all the rest to be in but NOOOO.
So yes, at Shibuya we walk around, crossing the famous crossing
and finding a music shop (where I got guitar picks) and finding (ME THANKS TO ME! FWAFWAFWA!) a FamilyMart with a Evangelion lucky draw thing.
I helped him fish out the first ticket and we got a set of speakers. The second one he fished out was just a sports towel. Well I know when I have good luck at things.
Sadly, we didn't get to do our "YATTA!" video in the middle of the crossing like we wanted to.
Hmm yeah, we walked around Shibuya a bit, paid a visit to HMV.
Then we went off to look for Ichiran Ramen.
I actually managed to find it? O:
I'll let my photo album speak for itself but woah, Ichiran Ramen was an experience. The ramen was really really good, one of the best tonkotsu-based ramen I've ever eaten. For a chain restaurant, it sure beats nearly everything I've tried before!
The stalls are claustrophobically small, and you can't sit with your friends. You buy a ticket, wait for a seat to get empty and go in.
Mmmm, good ramen.
I was haunted by a Rain truck everywhere I turned in Shibuya and Harajuku. The same truck passed me three times!? Blasting his songs? And accosting me with the offensive neon lights?!
As usual, we walked a long way, and I started emo-ing out a bit. The weather and the surroundings make me like that. When you see train tracks and bare trees, you can't help but just go "aw fuck". We walked all the way to Harajuku and took the Yamanote line back to Akihabara.
We made an immediate beeline for the Sega arcade where there was a huge deluge of Ayanami Rei figures up for grabs. Scarily, we wasted a few thousand yen and lots of aggravated groans and cries of agony as we tried to get the elusive Rei. Curse you Rei! When we were finally pulled away from the crane machines, we walked around the area and spotted LoveMerci, a 7 level porn shop, Gamers (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), Rajikan and Lammtara (which Leon did not believe was a pr0n paradise).
Seeking more figures, we headed down to Rajikan and went into the Kotobukiya shop first. Gosh, for a semi-figure-crazy person like me, walking into Rajikan was like having a visual orgasm. I had to take sekrit photos in order to record down some of its awesomeness.
Yes, that is Mai-Otome Hime.
The shop next to Kotobukiya was just jammed back with pigeonholes of figures - each belonging to a different seller. Total mindrape. I saw like all the figures I wanted to have but don't, and can't afford because these fucking Otaku know how much in demand they are and upped the price to two or three times the value. Absolutely nuts! But wonderful to just stare at.
(That gaijin kinda looks like a taller and fatter Tom Cruise w/o hair.)
We explored Rajikan as much as possibly despite most of the shops being closed. After that, we headed off to LoveMerci and Lammtara (hahaha h it was the true 7 levels of disturbing pr0n) and explored the floors as much as we could. Slightly disturbing since it was me, Leon and Ellyne walking around pr0n shops. I'm perfectly fine with walking around Rajikan and all the shops by myself - I even find it amusing that I'm one of the few girls running around in there all excited and stuff (Ellyne doesn't count because she's no otaku, obviously).
I wish we'd gone to Otome Street so I'd be surrounded by yaoi/BL fangirls.
THAT ASIDE, y'know, we girls ought to embrace pr0n more openly. Or maybe I'm weird because I am a gay man in a girl's body - but then I'd like BL wouldn't I? OKAY, I AM DISGRESSING YET AGAIN.
Do you spy what I spy? Look at that awesome body-pillow!!!!
Our last stop if I remember correctly was the legendary Gamers, which I kinda spazzed over outside for a while. It was like "zomgggg Gamers!!!!!!!!" with two very confused people behind me. Srlsy dudes, Gamers is the pinnacle of original otaku-dom, to me. Sure Animate and Tora no Ana have got the goods, but when it comes to the Way of the Otaku, we all need to visit Gamers and bask in Dejiko glory at least once.
We wandered around the 7 levels, hitting the figure and games level straight away. I harrassed the staff over Tokimeki Memorial Girls' Side 2 only to find out that it's sold out. ): I kinda mulled around and decided to come back again another day.
And that's where we think Leon lost his JR Pass.
Yeah, you read that correctly. He lost it. One day before Kyoto. He ran back to coughLoveMercicough and apparently hassled the staff there with his Engrish to no avail. Gamers was close. So we think it was Gamers. I was kind of ready to call Gamers up the next morning to check with them but the internet back the hostel refused to cooperate so I kind of gave up.
SO KIDS KEEP YOUR JR PASS SAFE!
つづく
