No Maps for These Territories

 I went my own way, to nerd out at Akihabara and Nakano Broadway.  It’s nearing the end of the trip, I need more time in my nerd havens!  Much of this has been photographed already, so there’s not as many shots.

I thought this was interesting because it perfectly illustrates the Japanese workday.  Notice what times have the most trains?  The ones where you work at 12 hour day.  Ouch.

They loooove their translation machines in Japan.  Every one of these is for either dictionaries or Japanese-English translations.

Oh so very many Godzilla toys.  Yodobashi Camera is fun.

And boy do they love their collectable cards!

I so very badly wanted to buy a shitload of these, but I knew they’d just sit around my desk forever.  They’re 8-bit colored pegs that you stick to a surface and make your favorite characters.

Bags and bags of different colored pegs.

Outside Yodobashi camera is a massive no smoking section of sidewalk.  However, since there aren’t any OTHER places nearby to smoke, it works exactly the opposite, so you end up with dozens of dudes in suits, gathered around No Smoking signs, smoking like crazy.

No trip to Yodobashi Camera is complete without a stop to my favorite ramen shop in Akihabara!  SOOOO GOOD.  Don’t look away or I’ll…

Eat the whole thing in one swallow.

Here’s the joint if you want to check it out sometime.  8th floor, Yodobashi Camera, Akihabara.  Chabuton, the ramen heaven.  I miss you so!

Beat ass machine selling tickets, dudes slurping soup.  That’s what it’s all about.

Yeay, Akihabara!  I bid you farewell, and head to Nakano, because I want more useless crap to stick on my man bag.

Ah hah, there it is!  Walls of useless crap that makes video game sounds!  Hurray!

The flavors of popcorn available in this machine are “choco, barbecue, and butter”.  I was very tempted to try barbeque.  Only 100 yen!

Nakano Broadway is freaking awesome.  Look at all those shops full of toys.

Later that night we went out for dinner at High Noon Cafe in Ontakesan.  They don’t have an english menu, so I puzzled over the hiragana and katakana for like 10 minutes before we could figure out how to order.  They specialize in “Americana” type food.  This burger was quite delicious and as big as my head.

We moved from the hotel in Shinjuku out into the more rural area, near the Ontakesan metro stop.  A family friend let us stay in their guest apartment, which was amazingly generous of them.  They even made us salads from their house garden.  I’ve never been treated better by a host family.

We headed out to Ginza, which is home to Ito-ya, the world’s most amazing pen/paper/notebook/art supply store.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  Nine stories tall, every floor full of things that I wanted.  Granted, I’m a huge nerd for pens and notebooks, and the Japanese sure know how to do it.

I would like one of each of these notebooks, please.

This housekeeping book cracked me up.  How could housework not be fun with that big smiley face?

Hand made sheets of paper.

Beautiful brushes for me to practice my non-existant kanji writing skills.

Would you like some colored pencils?  That’s not enough for you?

How about this?

Every one of these was a regular pencil, of differing widths and lead thicknesses.

Next…  grilled meat!  We went to a restaurant with Range, where they dump a bunch of hot coals in the middle of your table, and you’re able to grill meat to your heart’s content.  One of the best things about Japan is the “shared cooking” experience, whether it be okonomiyake, teppanyaki, nabe..  a couple beers, a central cooking area, and good friends, and the night is perfect.

On goes the meat!

Range tends the grill.

I got up and walked around Ontakesan at night.  I love taking night walks.  Here’s the train station at Ontakesan.

Just me and the station attendant.

This bar is quite proud of its empties.

Ah, a shrine in the middle of a crowded street.  Let’s go check it out, shall we?

Water for cleansing yourself before you head over..