Japan Trip: Day 1; Akihabara

I don`t know! But I do want to know! If anyone has any ideas, please say so!

Released last year, voice bank from a member of m.o.v.e. if I remember correctly.

I still need to watch that show. It`s hard to find though...

I know right! Thanks!

Thank you!

I want to get into it. Where can I learn the rules?

Yeah, I`ll prob go figure shopping later

Sure! Although, things are a little complicated right now. I will try to make it out there. If I`m out there, I`ll be prob in a grey t-shirt and shorts with orange backpack and a grey umbrella.

Awesome! I had to look for some place cheap so I opted out of a place close. But I`m in Asukasa in a hostel. for about $24 a night and a 2 station ride to Aki, I`m happy with that

No, it was 200￥ to play and I wasn`t really interested in either.

oh wow. That's a lot more than I had. If you're only gonna be there for that long, there shouldn't be too many problems. Flying should cost you the most. Although, if you want to stay in a nice hotel, then you'll be spending more too. I stayed in hostels for the most part (although i did splurge and tried a capsule hotel for 2 nights) and generally those'll run you from 25-30$ a night (depends on exchange rates and location). If you're going to be staying in tokyo for a while. I'd recommend the Sakura Hostel in Asakusa (http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/). They've got good rates and a very friendly staff who speak english as well as Japanese. The only downside that some might find is that it's about a 10-15 min walk to the train station. But if you're just going to Akihabara there's actually another station closer and is more of an express line to it, so I'd use that. Also, asakusa is quiet at night, especially where the hostel is located. So sleep is easy if you've never had to deal with big city night times before.

Now about merchandise. Here I showed a lot of the crane games which are great fun but you need to lay down a limit for each one. I remember dropping nearly $50 on the one with Azu-nyan. It was a bad mistake that really cut into my budget. But the cranes also offer stuff that you might not find in stores so there's that side. Be wary though. Some might look easy, but for the most part, they're not. They make them look easy so that you'll play more. But moving on to actual store purchasing, there's a line that separates people. The question of do you mind buying used? If so, then I would recommend Mandrake, they've got some great books, figurines, you name it and most of it is used and cheaper. But if you don't mind the extra spending for new stuff, just roam around aki for the 1st day. I'd recommend looking through Softmap and some of the other stores before making any purchases. Many stores will have the same figures but at different prices. The most important thing you need to do while in Aki is just explore for the 1st day, there's a lot of stuff and it comes down to personal preference as to where you'll make the most stops. The arcades and stores are great but it's up to you to figure out which one you like better. But don't also forget to visit the rest of Tokyo! It's easy to get swept up in Aki and spend days there. Also, on Sundays they close the street down for cosplay so go check that out, and keep a look out for itasha's!

As for general traveling advice my main recommendation would be to always be ready to move. I know that sounds weird but what I'm trying to say is that, unless you're sure of your destination or location, be ready to move at any minute unless you want to lose the chance. I nearly missed my stop for kyoto on the bullet train because I wasn't paying attention and I had less than a minute to grab everything, throw it on the platform, and get off. Japanese are courteous but they're efficient so don't expect lenient times to get around. Also, it really helps to know at least some japanese. I took a semester's worth in college and I struggled a lot but managed ok. It's generally easy to find someone who speaks English in the train stations but not all of them. Also, the smaller the city, the harder it will be. Look online for your hostels, check to see if they speak the language you want, that helps a lot. Also, if you can, learn your station names in the kanji that they appear on most boards. I knew the kanji for asakusa, akihabara, and other stations since that's how the write them most of the time on the boards. Also, before you try to do anything you're unsure of, sit back and watch some people do it. It's better than going ahead and trying it with no knowledge and having a line build up behind you. The train system tickets are an interesting system that will take some getting used to, but it's not too hard.

Finally, I have one more recommendation with an important part of the experience, food. Don't be afraid to try everything. Even if you don't really understand what you're getting, try it. I had a great time with all sorts of different foods. Try the classics and try stuff you've never heard of. But do be careful if you have allergies (I have them to shrimp, you can imagine how many times that became an issue...). Also, if you want to eat cheap, don't hesitate to go to a convenience store like 7-eleven. They have great meals at cheap prices.

Let me know if you have any questions and sorry for the long post. You can find day 2 and 3 in my other posts and I'm gonna be posting the rest of my pics hopefully soon. I never got around to putting them all up

They all vary in play style so there's no real secret, or at least it might vary for each one. The main thing is wait until you've seen someone drop a lot into one and if they still didn't get it, try your hand at it. It's a little cheap, I know, but at least they made it a bit easier for you. Also, watch other people play first and formulate your own ideas. The games are usually not as easy as they look. Good luck!