Tokyo Travel

Day 13 – Travelogue – Again to Tokyo – Akihabara

から

2023年9月24日

[ad_1]

Again to Day 12 – Osaka Aquarium (Whale Sharks!), Den Den City, Shinsekai, and MOS Burger

It was a bit laborious to consider that 13 days had already handed on
my Japan journey and that it was already time to make the return journey to
Tokyo. Between journey fatigue and recovering from my foot harm, it
was a a little bit of a aid to be on the ultimate leg. Do not get me improper, it
was a very good journey and I had a good time, however I used to be drained at
this level from being on the go all day, daily.

I had a last resort breakfast after which headed on the subway to New Osaka Station. That is the principle bullet practice station for town the place I might catch a shinkansen again to Tokyo Station. I might keep once more on the the REMM Kyobashi Resort, which was just some blocks from this most iconic of Tokyo practice stations (it’s mile zero for all lengthy distance trains). Staying right here would additionally make it simple to get on the NEX Specific to Narita Airport on my final day.

There may be a substantial amount of selection within the ekiben or practice bento you should purchase on the bigger practice stations and New Osaka was no exception to this rule. I picked one thing out of two giant instances of ekiben at a station retailer. In case you’re not keen on ekiben, decide up a beverage (alcoholic, if you happen to desire) for the journey or a sandwich from a konbini. Taking the bullet practice is like flying on an airliner with self-service and with out the turbulence. It’s nonetheless about three hours to Tokyo, so a snack or a meal is a good suggestion. There have been additionally some actual regional freshly ready meals (made on the stalls) comparable to steamed buns and desserts that you can purchase at New Osaka in these memento courtyards too. They had been doing a superb enterprise once I was there.

My N700 bullet practice. The lights change from white to pink relying on which finish of the practice is the entrance!

The practice trip again to Tokyo was uneventful. There was no earthquake warning drill sounding on the telephones this time and I loved consuming my bento whereas watching the surroundings whiz by. The check-in on the resort would not open till later within the afternoon, however it was good to have the ability to drop my baggage off. I had held off visiting Akihabara till immediately and I actually wished to see how a lot the hub of anime otaku tradition had modified within the final 5 years. Many issues had shutdown throughout the lengthy COVID lockdown that prevented vacationers from visiting. Many companies that trusted vacationers to show a revenue went bust. I beforehand posted about adjustments on this publish.

One of many two large fridges of ekiben I had to select from. It was laborious to decide on, and I used to be below time strain to catch the practice.

I picked this selection bento that had every kind of little dishes.

You had rice, tempura, pickles, veggies, rolled egg, fish, and so on. It was fairly tasty, however there have been just a few objects I did not like as a lot.

The great previous Yamanote Line platform at Tokyo Station that can take me just a few stops north to Akihabara.

On the Yamanote Line platform had been just a few merchandising machines with the fabled tonkotsu broth drink I had been searching for since I arrived in Japan! Figures I would not discover it till the previous couple of days, however I discovered it.

Closeup of the tonkotsu broth drink. It’s within the scorching part of the merchandising machine together with corn chowder, a curry soup drink, and a pink bean soup drink. Scorching drinks are superior when it’s cool out!

I purchased the drink and hopped on the practice that was approaching. That is an Ippudo Ramen Tonkotsu Broth. After I was exterior of Akihabara Station I took a couple of minutes to strive it out. The broth was scrumptious. It wasn’t too skinny or thick, it was wealthy and savoury with that umami like tonkotsu broth style. On a cool day, that is an superior beverage and it met my expectations 110% Please notice this can be a restricted version product for the winter months.

I arrived in Akihabara because the outlets opened for the day as a result of I had taken an 8 AM practice to Tokyo. I visited the Tamashi
Nations retailer, AmiAmi, Avid gamers, Animate, Kotobukiya, Liberty 7, and
Mandarake. The Tamashi Nations retailer was one of many highlights I wished to see. This retailer changed the Gundam Cafe and the AKB48 cafe/retailer. I wished to wander across the space too and see what else had modified. Toranoana had additionally closed on the principle road too, not that I used to be into doujinshi. There have been no large reveals this time for me to go to too.

Tamashi Nations simply exterior Akihabara Station by UDX. Even if you happen to do not buy something, do take within the reveals at this retailer.

Particular person-sized Macross Valkyrie from Macross Frontier, most likely my favorite of the Macross sequence.

Unique Gundam fashions.

Valkyrie in Gerwalk mode with a number of weapons.

Macross Delta mechs

Macross Plus YF-21

Macross Plus YF-19.

Take a look at all of the loopy missile trails on this diorama!

Life dimension Naruto statues.

Naruto and Kakashi

Sasuke and Sakura.

Get your self a smaller Naruto motion determine.

These little Jujutsu Kaisen figures and others appear to be in style.

Demonslayer mini-figures and his sword. There are these Proplica swords on the market that include sound results.

Demonslayer figures.

$352 metallic Mecha-Godzilla.

Gundam 00.

The primary Electrical City road exterior Akihabara Station. You would possibly say this road was the unique coronary heart of the world for otaku. It has a distinct really feel now. Perhaps rather less classic-anime power, however the rebuilt Radio Kaikan continues to be a busy place.

Radio Kaikan on the left. No Stein’s Gate satellite tv for pc on the roof right here! The inside was packed on the Saturday I went and one thing in my bag saved setting off the alarms between flooring. I simply ignored it and saved going.

Radio Kaikan is stuffed with totally different shops and AmiAmi, my favorite on-line retailer is right here too! There have been piles of keychain, can badges, and different little memento kind merchandise. I am extra into figures so it was form of wasted on me. I’ve additionally talked about the merchandise now could be extra low cost acrylic plastic stuff that has character artwork printed on it.

Stein’s Gate figures!

Destiny/Keep Night time Saber and Saber Alter figures.

I actually like this Asuna determine from Sword Artwork, however it’s method too costly for me.

A lot Little Armory. Little weapon fashions.

Extra Destiny/Keep Night time

I popped into Avid gamers. It has shrunk. There may be positively much less merchandise. Nonetheless a number of manga and different issues, however not prefer it was earlier than. An additional ground was simply an occasion house now.

The common occasion house greater up within the constructing was nonetheless there with plenty of exhibits I do not actually watch.

Avid gamers 2nd ground is a specialty retailer now.

Some signage in Akihabara.

A number of capsule machines on the road. Greater than I may see than final time. Do not forget to go to the toy ground at Yodobashi Digicam for extra capsule machines. I had already seen tons of capsule machines this journey.

UFO catcher. A couple of SEGA Arcade closed in Akihabara.

Mandarake has a tremendous assortment of retro toys and vinyl figures.

The machine throughout the road from Akiba Tradition Zone does not promote canned ramen any extra. It solely had canned oden on the market, which was the unique otaku on a chilly morning scorching canned soup.

A number of consignment sale bins at Akiba Tradition Zone.

The consignment gross sales are not low cost. You used to have the ability to discover bargains, however I discovered that nearly every thing was costlier now.

Gundam cardboard cutout at Tradition Zone.

The shops had been fairly crowded on the Saturday I used to be in Akiba. The sidewalks appeared stuffed with vacationers who had been simply strolling round? Perhaps it was me this journey, however I did not get that very same thrill I used to get from simply being in Akihabara. There are positively much less shops now and so they largely carry actually present stuff, so I feel it is advisable to go to Nakano Broadway or another locations now. I feel extra gross sales have gone on-line, particularly after COVID. It appears extra mainstream and extra like a mall in ambiance now, not like the primary time I went in 2009. Locations like Animate have gone large to outlive and so they had been present process a giant growth right here too. I may be getting a bit of jaded as a result of I used to be round for the heyday with the unique Radio Kaikan, so new eyes would possibly nonetheless discover this place an otaku paradise.

By mid-afternoon, I had seen sufficient and determined to go to the resort. After arriving at Tokyo Station I wished to get a late lunch within the space. I remembered there was a Sushiro within the underground mall simply exterior the Yaesu aspect of the station – mainly on the way in which to my resort. Sushiro is a well-liked chain of conveyor belt sushi eating places and I hadn’t been to it or its competitor Kura Sushi this journey. I simply discovered the restaurant as I had walked by it as soon as earlier than.

Nobody greeted me on the restaurant and used the contact display situated on the entrance to e-book a desk that was accessible instantly. The display confirmed me a desk quantity that I simply walked to and sat down. I had not even met a workers member but, however there have been different diners at totally different tables. At this level, I did not understand this was going to be a really uncommon conveyor belt eating expertise. The one factor going round on the conveyor belts had been condiments. There have been no sushi plates. Perhaps this was as a result of it was mid-afternoon or due to COVID. I ended up utilizing the contact display at my desk to order plenty of totally different sushi and a particular tuna platter. The sushi got here zipping out on the conveyor belt categorical lane and a server introduced out my particular order. This was the primary and final interplay I had with an worker, however I did see them cleansing tables to get them prepared for the following buyer. Anyhow, the sushi was tasty and recent and I loved it, however it was a little bit of an odd expertise because it was a fairly automated expertise. All I wanted was robotic waiters to make it employee-less. When it was time to pay, I simply walked to the entrance and paid at a kiosk and left. No workers once more. This was the strangest eating expertise of the journey.

Checking in on the resort went very easily and shortly. I picked up just a few snacks and drinks on the 7-11 proper under the resort too. The room this time was barely greater and confronted the entrance of the constructing. It was a bit extra deluxe than the primary room I stayed in right here, however it did not embrace breakfast and was a bit costlier (the opposite rooms weren’t accessible). Even the resort slippers had been nicer!

My tuna platter particular at Sushiro.

My resort aroom, and it even had a therapeutic massage chair.

Very good toilet with a overhead rain bathe.

The view down throughout the road to the large Christmas tree that performed music all night time. Beneath that plaza is an underground mall (with Lawson konbini and vacationer centre) that connects to the practice station proper below the resort. To the fitting is a elaborate meals retailer.

Piss Alley in Shinjuku. It’s full the little bars and grill locations whenever you actually get into it. No pics in that space although!

That night time, I took the practice to Shinjuku to see the night time lights, and go to this well-known Pokemon Go battle floor situated on the Yodobashi Digicam there. My foot was getting worn out once more and I at all times appear to get scorching spots on my ft in Japan (it is the humidity I feel). I nonetheless wished to get out and about so some even handed use of tape acquired me going. I walked a bit across the east aspect of Shinjuku to the Yodobashi. There have been folks enjoying Pokemon Go there within the many benches exterior and boy had been there a number of gyms there. The Yodobashi Digicam was smaller than I anticipated too. I walked by the famouse Piss Alley stuffed with little izakaya and bars on the method there too. I then walked again to the west aspect of Shinjuku Station the place the Kabukicho, the pink gentle district is. The world right here is stuffed with eating places and bars, however do watch the place you go as you may get completely ripped off for tons of of {dollars}. There are touts on the road tempting you into locations. Nonetheless, that is the place probably the most brilliantly lit up streets are, the enormous Godzilla head is, and the Don Quijote division retailer. I at all times like this space for the way it lights up at night time.

Yodobashi Digicam.

The
well-known Shinjuku battleground with gyms and Pokestops so tightly packed
which you could barely see the bottom. That is exterior the Yodobashi
Digicam on the west aspect of Shinjuku Station.

Shinjuku Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower constructing. Fairly fairly at night time.

Kabukicho gate and district.

Shinjuku Yasukuni Dori – major road at night time. Well-known from Misplaced in Translation.

Don Quijote.

Kabukicho. It’s a bustling locations for locals and vacationers, however do remember in case your are eating or consuming out right here.

Kabukicho lights.

In the course of Kabukicho is the enormous Godzilla head for the Toho Cinemas.

One other bar close to Shinjuk Station by the enormous 3D billboard at Alta Vista.

It was getting late and I used to be hungry. I am not one to go consuming at night time on my own, so I simply discovered a pleasant curry restaurant and ordered a method too large meal of tonkatsu cutlets with curry by mistake. I used to be fairly full on the finish of the meal.

My curry with cutlets and rice dinner. Very tasty, on the spicier aspect of regular, however good.

After a late dinner I went again to the resort to bathe and crash for the night time. My final full day in Tokyo was tomorrow and I wished to take advantage of out of it.

One of many newer show display merchandising machines. I form of like those that bodily show the drinks myself (they’re truly plastic cutouts nowdays). I suppose that is the way in which of the longer term although.

To Day 14 – Travelogue – Underground to Ginza, Buying, Ginza GoldFish Aquarium, and Tokyo Skytree

Again to Day 12 – Osaka Aquarium (Whale Sharks!), Den Den City, Shinsekai, and MOS Burger

The Japan Journey 2022 Posts