Advertisement
Published: August 15th 2010
Edit Blog Post
Gaming Galore
Akihabara Taito Arcade On my second day in Japan, I decided to do a major shopping trip and explore as much as I could of Tokyo for my last full day here. My first stop was Akihabara the technology district of geekdom where one can buy all the types of gadgets, computers, and cameras straight from the innovators of Japan. Akihabara is also the place where many otaku (anime geeks) go to get their fix on. Every street was filled with electronic stores hawking their wares, shops with cute anime figures and games everywhere, and also maid cafes. Stores are tiny, cramped six to seven story tall buildings bursting to the limit with merchandise. I never realized I was claustrophobic until I encountered Akihabara. My main goal in Akihabara was to just look around but I found myself drawn to the multi-story arcades full of claw machines and video games and of course to the anime stores galore. Walking out of Akihabara with my arms full of gifts, felt much like the district had conquered me rather than I conquered it.
Taking a break from all the noise and crowds, I headed on the subway back to Shinjuku where my guidebook told
me there was a branch of the biggest anime store called Mandrake (pronounced “Mandala K”) that was worth going to. For once, we did not get lost this time since I insisted to Matt that we ask for directions (ha ha). Mandrake is located in the very basement floor (perhaps because people don’t want others knowing they are otaku) in a dingy looking building. When I entered, the first thing I saw was tons of shelves overflowing with manga (Japanese comics), anime cds, and to my delight, anime figurines. Surprisingly, they had a wide variety of hard to find figures (each one of a kind in the store) at extremely reasonable prices. After an exhaustive search of about my billionth shelf of anime figures, I finally found one I liked (Saber from Fate Stay Night) and happily walked away with my purchase.
Our next stop was Harajuku where we went in search for Kiddyland and the Oriental Bizzare. On our way, we witnessed a gay pride parade which for such a conservative country was amazing to see out in the open. When we finally found Kiddyland it was an overwhelming multi-level building of every kind of cuteness EVER CONCEIVED
IN MANKIND. I browsed all the floors and left quickly lest I start sprouting out cuteness from my ears (How do the Japanese stand it?).
Luckily for us, right next door was the Oriental Bazzar which was a haven of high quality Japanese souvenirs at a decent price. I’m not saying what I bought here, lest I spoil the fun for my recipients.
Finally at the end of the night, we went to a teppanyaki restaurant in Ebisu where we chowed down and rested our weary feet from 7 hours of exploring Tokyo. The restaurant is called “Bamboo Grassy” and was recommended by our former boss. Hidden away in the hole in the wall was this tiny restaurant with not more than 3 tables and a bar where you can watch the master chef grill your food on a flat Japanese grill. American Hibachi grills like Benihana have nothing on the Japanese Teppanyaki chefs, where cooking is treated as an art. For 2 hours we sat and watched our chef prepare a nine course meal at just a mere 6,500 Yen per person. Here’s list of what we ate:
1st: Fresh squeezed corn juice (surprisingly delicious)
2nd:
Oiishi!!
Me enjoying some pancake Fresh sashimi
3rd: Three kinds of grilled vegetables (lotus root, squash, enoki mushroom)
4th: Fresh clam soup steeped in sake (the flavour was incredible!)
5th: Golden Thread (grilled mackerel)
6th: Rice Cakes
7th: Beef Sirloin (the most incredible meat I’ve ever had! Those white things (truffles?) were fantastic too)
8th: Omonyaki - Seafood Pancake
9th: Pineapple flambe with ice cream
This had to be the best dinner I ever had in my life! (Oiishi-desuka) Then we went back to the hotel and I crashed into bed, dreaming of my last and final day in Tokyo.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.094s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 11; qc: 50; dbt: 0.0568s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb