My 2nd Japan trip is imminent!
I'm off tomorrow for my 2nd trip to Japan! After last year's trip in May/June. This time I'm off for three weeks, until November 6th. The first week is with work, then a week travelling about with a friend, and a final week on my own. If any fellow figure.fm members want to meet up, that would be really fun! I'm free this weekend in the Tokyo area. And then it'll in my final week that I'm free. I plan to spend Mon 31st till Weds 2 Nov in Kyoto, then spend the Thursday visiting the K-ON! school (in Toyosato) and then I'm in Tokyo again till Sunday 6th Nov. Want to spend some solid time in Tokyo at the usual otaku hotspots - Akihabara, Nakano Broadway, the GoodSmile Cafe etc. So if anyone wants to join me, let me know here or at julio3rd at hotmail dot com.
For the rest of you, I've posted up some random photos from my last Japan trip. Much more, including some write-ups, can be found at my blog!
I'm so excited! Japan tomorrow! I should go finish packing!
Fuji-san. Seen from the lake at Kawaguchi-ko.
The Studio Ghibli Museum - the rooftop statue of the robot from Laputa: Castle In The Sky.
A random temple in Kyoto!
Shinjuku at night (I recognise this from the Yakuza series of games!)
The A-bomb dome at Hiroshima.
The famous shrine at the island of Miyajima.
Neon in Osaka.
A random garden in Nara.
Himeji-jo
The pumpkin statue at the modern art island of Naoshima (seriously, the highlight of my trip last time!)
Rillakuma in a UFO machine.
Hey! Have Fun in Japan!
I live in Kyoto, Drop me a message visual_k3i[at]Hotmail.com, I can guide you in Otaku shops here :)
That would be fantastic! I'll send you an email after the weekend :)
Hope you have a fun trip. When you're in Kyoto, check out the Manga Museum. Great place where they let you read a ton of manga.
Got this same pic from last year.
This is also the first glimpse of Tokyo I saw in my fave Lost In Translation
Awesome movie. Watched it again this year while in Tokyo. Wonderful place that is Japan. Gorgeous Tokyo!
I watch it either just before each trip or during as it seems to make the flight seem better considering my fear of flying.
Wow! It's great to see that your surpassing your fears to attain your goals and dreams! I love flying so for me, even if the trip takes about 13 hours in flight, I always enjoy it!
Thanks for the compliment. You're lucky you enjoy flying because when you are constantly worried about something going wrong, it really makes the trip harsh. A couple of times when there was a lot of turbulence, I had to get a couple of whiskeys from the stewardess. That always helps. LOL.
I watched it on the flight over! I was so happy they had it on. And you are right, the opening taxi ride goes straight past here!
Don't forget to visit the hotel. I went up to the bar where they filmed several scenes and had two Suntory beers to celebrate. Its so cool to walk past the places in the hotel where they filmed.
Yeah, might do that when my friend gets here, its in Roppongi right. We'll have whiskey, for relaxing times.
And I've looked up which is the temple with the stepping stones in Kyoto, because I need to visit that too!
The hotel is in Shinjuku next to the Government Bldg. Use Google Maps to help you get there. It will be worth it. I got there in the afternoon just as the sun started to go down and the neon started to go on. Sat right by where the band plays. So awesome! There is also a restaurant but I think its kinda pricey.
Isn't it at the Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku?! I never went to the bar itself, but it's on my checklist to-do for next time I'm in Tokyo.
It is the Park Hyatt and definitely a must visit. So many great scenes in the bar that I had to.
So I've just had a look at their website. After 8 (or 7 on sundays) there is a 2200Yen cover charge! So will definitely have to be like you and go at sunset! Their drinks list looks ridiculously expensive too - I don't even see a Suntory whiskey on there! Still, I will try and go for the experience. In about a week when my friend arrives he will be well up for this. Cheers :)
I went there early so there was no cover charge, just the price for the beer. I don't think they actually have the wiskey but they do have the beer. Give them a call to find out what time its OK to visit the bar just to be sure but trust me that it will be worth it. Its kinda fun walking through the lobby area as well. I just showed up around 5pm and asked where the bar was but call just to be safe.
So, I just about made it to the Park Hyatt 40mins before cover charge time (2200Yen!). Got lost on the way. It was awesome. Really relaxing, really really great views. A great experience.
The government building wasn't quite as good.
I'm so glad I went. Shame the whiskey was so expensive and they didn't have Suntory so I couldn't have "relaxing times"
Congrats! I really is an excellent view and having a drink there if you loved Lost in Trans is a special treat. I think I was the only person in the bar when I went which lent it an even more exotic feel. I had the Suntory beer since they didn't have the whiskey but I had to have something Suntory. LOL. BTW, what time does the cover charge start? Did you get to check out the other parts of the building?
The Govt. building is really only good for taking some pics from the observatory for free. The real fun in Shinjuku is the Park Hyatt and the big Shinjuku park. Of course wandering around after dark and checking out all the neon is also a big trip in itself. Hope you took some pics.
7 on sundays, which was when I was there :( and 8 on every other day. You pay the charge if you arrive earlier and stay past that time too. So loads of people were leaving just before 7. I just had an Asahi draft. The whiskeys (no suntory, which is cheap and nasty anyway) were too expensive. Amazing view, relaxing bar, much better than the govt building. Got some great shots from there. Love the way you take an elevator to floor 41 which is reception, and then another to floor 52 which is the bar.
The got a nice deli on the ground floor and a food court in the basement along with some other shops but for me its the bar that rules. So many good scenes were shot in the bar and sitting next to where the band played, I closed my eyes and could hear the singer belting out some tunes. Put a big smile on my face.
GL and safe travels!
Thanks. So jet-lagged, but managed to make it to Akiba. Will post some loot pics soon!
Wooow! Amazing photo. Thanks for sharing this.
I was staying in Kawaguchi-ko for three or four days. And it was always foggy and Fuji was covered in clouds. Couldn't even tell where it was meant to be. Then on the day we were leaving, at 7am, there was clear blue skies. The most beautiful sight. Made all the better by having to wait so long. I sat and stared at it all morning, taking pictures. Some clouds eventually gathered near the top and the lake got less still.
I hope you can upload more photos. :D
Such a sad place. But it should be a reminder to all of us that war is never the way. And nothing like that can be justified.
Yeah, a lot of people want it taken down but they are keeping it up as a reminder - never forget.
How big is it?
Er, bigger than a person. The whole island is full of modern art, its my second or third favourite place in all Japan.
Yaranaika~? <3
Don Quijote at the entrance of Kabukicho!! Awesome place to hang out at night!!! XD Spent a whole month right next to it.
On two of my trips I got pictures of this place with Ryu ga gotoku (Yakuza) games ad. yakuza 4 and Off the End.
Thats very cool. They always come out in March right?
I saw a cool standee in the Sega arcade in Shinjuku for Yakuza 4 when I was there last. Kotobukiya have a nice Rya ga Gotaku section too. Can get a funky jacket, or some gambling tools.
Wow, didn't see that funky jacket at Kotobukiya, but got a Ryu ga Gotoku Kai razor at Don Quijote! XD
I have a picture, I'll upload it sometime...
Ryu ga Gotaku section in Kotobukiya:
http://www.figure.fm/post/en/32774/2nd+Japan+Trip+-+Day+One+Photos+-+Akihabara.html
The back of the funky jacket is in another day's set of photos. Sorry. When I went back to take the photo I realised that the back is a crossover between Kiryu and Evangelion!
Awesome post and pictures!! Post some more!!
Hah, cheers. All these photos were from my trip last year!
Now I'm back I'll be sure to take a load more. But again, a bit hassle to sort out and upload when I get back. Should hopefully be posting some stuff over the next week though :)