Weathering With You

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

The last Tuesday of our trip in Japan rolled around and it was wet and gloomy. Despite the rain, bleachpanda and I were not deterred, starting the day off strong with a grilled cheese sandwich at the bakery at our hotel, before we set off to Shinjuku’s JR station.

Our destination for first half of the day? Ikebukuro! Home to Sunshine City and an aquarium. But it’s also where the Mega Pokemon Centre can be found (where I can enjoy some more Pokemon shopping), along with Otome Road, a major shopping and cultural centrer for anime and manga aimed at women (where bleachpanda could try and buy items pertaining to her favourite characters from the visual novels she tends to play).

Now I’m not judging her for her tastes…but, ok, no. You got me. I do judge her for her tastes. And I found it wanting while we were on this trip.

Worse, many of the characters bleachpanda liked weren’t exactly current and she found it difficult to find anything. Much like how I could barely find anything in relation to Fire Emblem or Like a Dragon. True, Fire Emblem Engage wasn’t as popular as Three Houses but I couldn’t even spot a Claude, Dimitri or stray Edelgard anywhere. Even the Persona merchandise was relegated to a small portion of one shelf in Animate.

Least, I had Detective Conan goodies to tide me over.

But no, we started our day in Ikebukuro, weaving our way towards Sunshine City through the light drizzle of rain. Down we went, inside the shopping centre, emerging out near the Sanrio cafe. As I’m always craving a hot chocolate, we stopped to try out some of the food and to take a few photos of the quaint little shop before following the arrows towards the Mega Pokemon Centre in Ikebukuro.

Unlike my first adventure here eight years ago, this time, I knew exactly where I was going. And once we arrived, I couldn’t help but flit around the store as I bought souvenirs for friends. I also bought myself a sleeping pachirisu. It’s no Eevee, sure, but it was cute and adorable.

It wasn’t long before we ventured to the other stores in the Department store, including another Mugiwara (Straw Hat) store while I took another gander at the Disney store there. I even flirted with the idea of checking out the aquarium but we had also promised my two friends from the day before to catch-up at Akihabara. So, it was with a heavy heart that we headed out of Sunshine City and headed to the flagship Animate store. This time, bleachpanda led the way while I followed.

The rain, by then, was beginning to worsen, and by the time we arrived, our umbrellas were soaked. Still, we took the time to check out almost all the floors in the shop – about six, before visiting the nearby K-books for any otome items bleachpanda might fancy. Alas, it was not to be as most of the stores she went to were stocked with doujinshi or dull pin badges of characters she didn’t much like or hadn’t heard of.

From there, we also checked out the Don Quijote at Ikebukuro (mostly to escape the rain) where I bought myself a new backpack and bleachpanda drowned her sorrows of not finding the otome characters she wanted with other goodies for her friends and family.

By the time we stumbled back out into the rain, it was half past 1. Hungry, I searched for a restaurant nearby but couldn’t find anything decent. So, off we trotted to the nearby JR station and took a train to Akihabara. Or, as its more commonly known: Electric Town – a buzzing shopping hub where weebs gather to purchase figurines of their favourite characters from manga, anime and video games.

When we got off the train, however, the rain only seemed to intensify.

Thankfully, I’d chosen to wear my waterproof hiking shoes, but bleachpanda’s feet were soaked.

Still, we pressed on, heading to a gyukatsu restaurant right next to Radio Kaikan, and which proved to be quite novel in how it served its food – which needed to be lightly grilled over a hot plate. By then, I checked in to see if my friends were in the vicinity and if they wanted to catch-up.

Of course, they were right in the store next to us, so into Radio Kaikan bleachpanda and I went, going through all the stores meticulously to see if there might be something we wanted to buy.

Spoilers: there wasn’t.

And after my eyes had gone crosswise by seeing the exact same One Piece characters for the umpteenth time, bleachpanda and I headed to the nearby Square Enix cafe to check out the store. Whilst there, I bought a few more items in relation to the more recent games Square-Enix had published, like Octopath Traveler 2 and Bravely Default. And since the cafe also offered takeaway items with free place mats and coasters, bleachpanda and I tried our luck to see what Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth characters we could get.

Turns out, we both ended up getting Turks. I got Rude while bleachpanda got Reno.

Then, it was off to the second Animate store of the day as the rain continued to piss down on everyone.

Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the rain, it might have been decent but considering how poor the weather was, I was very tempted to call it a day and return to the warmth of our hotel. Alas, we pressed on. And even weighed down by our shopping bags, we took up my friends offer to have dinner at a ramen restaurant.

Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain, my friend took a wrong turn and we ended up at a Korean restaurant instead. Still, since I’d grown accustomed somewhat to Korean food, it wasn’t terrible. And once full, we headed back to Shinjuku.

So ended our third day at Tokyo. It would not be long now before bleachpanda and I would be heading back home to Australia. Oh, how I dreaded the return to reality. And work.

Scrambling Across Shibuya

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Shibuya. Known for its 109 building, the Hachiko statue out the front of the JR station and its busy crossing, the district is a popular area for tourists and locals alike. It is often described as the heart and soul of the bustling city that is Tokyo and is known for its nightlife and fashionable youth culture. What’s more, it has appeared in several anime an games – leaving a strong impression on anyone who wishes to travel to Japan.

For me, this came in the form of The World Ends With You and Ghostwire Tokyo. And let’s be honest, it was mostly The World Ends With You, as well as its sequel: NEO: The World Ends With You that sold me on Shibuya. Especially when it came to the iconic places in and around the area like Tower Records and the MODI shopping mall. You could also duck into Udagawacho in the game as well.

And with the trailer of Kingdom Hearts 4 showing Sora in a world featuring the 104 building – the variation of the 109 building in The World Ends With You, I’m sure you can understand my excitement.

Still, it wasn’t all that long ago I visited Shibuya with my family. Eight years after my first visit, I was back there again, this time accompanied by bleachpanda as we caught up with two other friends from Australia for some much needed retail therapy as a reward for a long and arduous trip.

As was tradition, I arranged to catch-up with my two other friends by meeting near the statue of Hachiko. Mostly because it was a common meet-up spot and secondly, I didn’t want to spend the day chasing after my friend as they moved from crossing to cafe to bookstore. After all, I’d already accidentally taken the wrong line to get to Shibuya Station and had to divert via bus.

Not a good start to the day.

Once we had caught up, it was off to the closest shop. From Uniqlo to Sanrio to Loft, we had a look at what was available. Despite the fact bleachpanda and I had been overseas for nigh on three weeks, this was the first time we had stopped to buy clothing for ourselves. And Loft was also a surprise. Especially when it came to souvenirs or gifts for friends.

In my defence, I wasn’t in Japan for shopping and had left a lot of the research with regards to shopping for bleachpanda as I knew there were places she wanted to visit, whereas I was fine to simply look and stare at Pokemon and Disney. Which, by the way, we also visited after having some yakiniku. This also included another Capcom Store, Nintendo, a local Jump! store and a few other places to feed my need to purchase merchandise and delightful goodies to add to my ever-growing collection of things I probably wouldn’t need.

While many of the things I bought are presents and souvenirs for friends, there is still a hefty amount of stuffed toys and cute items I bought that were for me alone. Bleachpanda, too, couldn’t resist the chance to indulge as she bought a mountain of things while at Uniqlo and had to lug it with her as we continued on our shopping spree in Shibuya.

With evening soon upon us, my other friends had to depart earlier. They’d arranged to meet with a few other people they knew for dinner on the other side of Tokyo. Bleachpanda and I headed down to Harajuku, enjoying the brisk walk, to try out some crepes she had seen on Instagram. And to be honest, Marion Crepes was much better than the Harajuku crepes in Sydney – from the flavour to the diversity of choices, and even to the price.

And while it wasn’t the in-depth walk through of Harajuku I enjoyed eight years ago with my mum, after we had toured the nearby shrine, it was still a good quick look at one of the most bustling places in Tokyo.

Afterwards, bleachpanda and I returned to our hotel in Shinjuku. Along the way, we stopped at the Disney Flagship store and had dinner at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant where we once again munched down on some lovely fatty tuna and salmon.

But though our time was ending in Japan, we still had so much more to do in Japan!

Oh, and before I forget, bleachpanda also stopped by the local Don Quijote (the day before) and bought herself a second suitcase to bring back all her goodies and to give my poor suitcase a reprieve from all the things she had bought. The two of us now had a total of four suitcases to stow all the things we wanted to buy and even then, it was a near thing trying to shove it all together.

From West to East

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With the end of our trip in sight, bleachpanda and I boarded the shinkansen one final time for the last leg of our journey in Japan: Osaka to Tokyo. But not before we had some light conversation with an elderly Australian couple at breakfast though! Of course, by the time I introduced myself to them, I’d deduced the fact they were Australian by their accent and clothes they wore.

Turned out they also happened to live in the same state bleachpanda and I did, although they were all in the way in Kiama (a small town known for its wondrous blowhole) while the big city was where I called home.

In any case, I’ve always found it refreshing to meet fellow Australians while abroad and Japan was no exception. Especially given the large number of tourists in and around Osaka and Tokyo! It’s almost impossible to cross a street without bumping into someone by accident, or having one’s luggage getting stuck on some invisible corner. And all the languages I heard, even though it wasn’t quite cherry blossom season! From Chinese Mandarin to German to Spanish! People from all over the world were visiting Japan.

After some idle chatter, I also helped them figure out a route to Osaka Castle and provided some pointers for a day trip to Hiroshima, as well as how to navigate the JR/ Shinkansen system.

Then, bleachpanda and I were away, taking our suitcases (two for me, one for her) to Shin-Osaka Station so we could catch the Nozomi 222. Like clockwork, the train departed precisely on time. As it rattled towards Tokyo, I couldn’t help but feel a little queasy on it. I wasn’t sure if it was the speed or if it was something I ate.

Bleachpanda would probably attribute it to the fact I was reading fanfction on my phone (which was only because I wasn’t in the mood to continue with I Am A Cat and didn’t feel compelled to pull out my Nintendo Switch to finish off more of Live a Live). Unfortunately, the internet kept cutting in and out while on the train and I was left with little recourse except to study the scenery and take photos of it on my phone while trying to handle the slight motion sickness I felt.

We arrived in Tokyo at 1:45 PM and took an expensive taxi ride to our hotel in Shinjuku. With the awkward array of suitcases, bleachpanda thought it best that we not try to navigate the busy Tokyo metro system while juggling so many bits and pieces. It was a good idea. One I didn’t actually praise bleachpanda for enough at the time but I’m doing it here!

It wasn’t long before we managed to flag down a taxi and headed to our hotel: The Knot Shinjuku. But while the name might give the impression it was close to Shinjuku station, the hotel, was not in fact very close to the JR station. Rather, it was a ten-minute walk away and was situated on the other side of Chuo Park, opposite the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Now that I look back on it, we probably should have looked around Chuo Park more but as we were in Tokyo, where we could get in a ton of shopping, it was one of the last things on my mind.

Thankfully, the hotel allowed us to check-in early and we also arranged for a taxi to take bleachpanda and me to Haneda airport on the morning of the 16th (the day of our return to Australia).

Keycode in hand (this was the only hotel that didn’t have a room key!), we headed to the top floor where I had booked us a deluxe room. While it was no Hilton, it was a big step up from our room at The Flag. It also had a lovely view of Chuo Park and a great place for bleachpanda and me to put our luggage.

Once settled at our hotel, we then headed to the other side of Shinjuku (and to get in some steps) to check out the ARTNIAcafe. But while I enjoyed some of the Square-Enix merchandise on display, I couldn’t help but find the selection a little wanting. Perhaps if I had played Dragon Quest, it would have been better. Alas, there wasn’t as much love for Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler or Triangle Strategy. Even the items based on Final Fantasy were limited although there were quite a few things based off Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (which had recently released on February 29th).

Despite my initial disappointment, I still spent about $100 on a number of goodies, including some Ichiban Kuji. Alas, lady luck was not on my side as I did not manage to win the Cloud or Tifa figurine.

After we checked out the shop at the ARTNIA cafe, bleachpanda and I headed to Kabukicho – the inspiration behind Like a Dragon‘s Kamurocho. And after walking the streets there, I felt quite comfortable navigating my way around using the knowledge I’d acquired from the 7 main titles and the Judgment spin-off (I do have Infinite Wealth. And it WILL be played. But given my job, my writing, my other hobbies and all this travel, you’ll need to forgive this lowly blogger). My only complaint, of course, was that I did not manage to encounter Mr Kiryu Kazuma or his buddies.

There is, though, one thing that the real life Kabukicho has that the game does not. And that is Godzilla. Also, Millennium Tower is actually Hotel Gracery.

And though bleachpanda wanted to check out a love hotel to see what they might look like up close and personal (there are plenty in and around Kabukicho – along with a slew of host/ hostess clubs), we never did venture inside one. Mostly because of cost but I also think bleachpanda was a little scared to do so.

Once we had sated our desire to check out this small part of Shinjuku, bleachpanda and I returned to our hotel and topped the evening off with some Haagen-Daas ice cream at the local 7-Eleven. Thus our first day in Tokyo came to an end.

By the by, did I mention how there were a ton of buskers all along the entrance to Shinjuku station? I even spotted a man holding one of those glowsticks and waving it along to a song.

Sky Garden

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After an exhausting day at Universal Studios Japan, bleachpanda and I kept up the momentum by using our last day in Osaka to visit several popular sites in and around the biggest city in the Kansai region. This meant paying a visit to Namba Yasaka shrine bright and early in the morning. Well, technically, it was after 9 AM but after the early start yesterday and the considerable step count bleachpanda and I accrued the day before, I thought it best to give my faithful companion a bit more of a break.

Namba Yasaka shrine is a Shinto shrine that’s about a ten minute walk from Namba station. It’s known for its very distinctive lion head-shaped buildings and by the time bleachpanda and I arrived, there was already a throng of tourists taking photos of the fierce lion head.

Bleachpanda and I didn’t stay long, though. After taking a few snaps of the shrine and skimming through the charms on offer, we headed back to Namba station and took the Midosuji line up to Umeda again. However, unlike the day before, we would not be transferring to Universal City station. Rather, we headed out to the Umeda Sky Building, a two-tower mixed-use skyscaper that had its own observation deck, the Kuchu Teien Observatory.

But my, what a unique design!

The building was originally conceived in 1988 as the “City of Air” project, and was envisioned to have four interconnected towers. However, due to the Japan economic bubble of the 1980s, the plan was scuppered and only two towers were constructed – linked, still, by a sky deck. This sky desk was built on the ground and lifted up through the use of hydraulic elevators.

While one does wonder what Umeda Sky Building would have looked like if it still had four towers, the building we got was still an impressive spectacle.

Once bleachpanda and I reached the top, we were afforded a wide view of Osaka given the excellent weather. It was such a grand view, even bleachpanda was able to appreciate it although she was hankering to start shopping.

After coming down from the skyscraper, bleachpanda and I headed back to Osaka Station and Lucia 100 to visit the Disney Store there. What surprised me, as the two of us were looking at the merchandise, was bleachpanda actually buying a cute mini plushie of Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore. This was despite telling me she hated Disney.

Well, hate is too strong a word. Bleachpanda just never saw the appeal of Disney, especially when it came to the princesses. And true, much of the marketing is focused on fairy tale stories about a princesses finding their one true love BUT there’s been a lot of experimental works as well! Look no further than Atlantis: The Lost Empire or Emperor’s New Groove! Or, in this case, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t resist the very cute tsum tsums and even got persuaded to buy an Easter-themed Stitch doll! And I don’t even typically buy plushies on the regular! But this was Disney, and even though there weren’t many things in relation to Star Wars or Marvel, I was in heaven!

Heaven, too, might be too strong a word. I was disappointed a little by the selection available but given the Disney 100 pop-up stores in Australia didn’t have many options, the Disney stores here in Japan were far superior and catered a little more to my tastes.

Once I shelled out far too much for Disney merchandise (which was then put into a Duty-Free bag I couldn’t open and which also had far too much air in it), I slowly led bleachpanda to the Pokemon Center nearby.

Little did I know there was also a Nintendo Store, Capcom Store and Mugiwara store all nearby. Suffice it to say, many things were purchased before we managed to break free and head to Animate – a 12 minute walk away with several bags full of shopping.

Unfortunately, once we arrived, there was naught for bleachpanda to buy, although I did pick up quite a few goodies for my own personal use. Then it was a short trek to a second Disney store, with a short stop at a Sanrio store nearby (where bleachpanda spent about 9000 Yen on things she thought were cute) before we had a look at the Jump and Marvel store also located within the same department store.

By the end of the day, the two of us were laden down by shopping bags. Despite all the shopping we’d done, bleachpanda still wanted to check out the local Don Quijote at Dotonbori again where she bought several snacks and skincare products. And though we had hoped to ride the ferris wheel to look out over the canal and the many other shops, it was closed due to the large crowds in the area.

No Limit!

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International Women’s Day saw bleachpanda and I head off to Universal Studios Japan to spend almost all of our money on merchandise and souvenirs we may or may not have needed. And by that, I mean me. I spent quite a bit of money on nabbing a Monster Hunter hoodie, a Detective Conan t-shirt, a Hufflepuff scarf and the icing of the cake: a Bowser hat bleachpanda convinced me to buy with nary a word of encouragement.

Though I knew in my head the opportunity to wear it would be few and far between, I couldn’t help myself. I just needed to buy it. And when I did, I took a picture of me wearing it and sent it to my mother. Needless to say, my mother’s immediate response was: I can’t believe you wasted money on that. When are you ever going to wear it?

In any case, I’m getting ahead of myself.

We started International Women’s Day pretty early. After eating breakfast at The Flag, we took the train to Umeda Station in order to transfer to the JR line and Universal City Station. Unfortunately, we got a bit lost trying to navigate our way towards the JR station as Google showed a dotted line going in and through building with little to no explanation. And when looking at directions, it simply said: walk east for 200 metres. Not particularly helpful information.

Thankfully, we managed to find our way to the JR station without too much delay and entered through the gates of Universal Studios Japan by 8:50 AM (for some strange reason, the park opened at 8:30 AM on this Friday instead of its usual 8 AM. It would also close at 7 PM instead of the usual 10 PM). As soon as our tickets were scanned in, I immediately set about booking bleachpanda and I a timed-entry ticket into Super Mario World after hearing horror stories from my friend on the difficulties of getting a decent time and how they only managed to get a 9:30 PM time-slot when they visited back in August 2023.

Given we were visiting Universal Studios in early spring, and how early I was booking us in, we managed to nab a slot for 2:40 PM.

With our entry confirmed, bleachpand and I found ourselves diving into the nearby souvenir shops, buying up the ‘kakkoii’ items, with many a retailer commenting on bleachpanda’s Hunter x Hunter t-shirt.

Afterwards, we managed to walk around the theme park to get a sense of the rides in each distinctive area (and so I could also build up our step count). Along the way, we bought a few exclusive snacks including Demon Slayer churros, a turkey thigh (which was distinctly average) and a hot butterbeer at Harry Potter World. During this initial gambol through Universal Studios, bleachpanda and I also snuck in a quick Jaws boat ride – one of the tamest attractions at the park (although bleachpanda managed to psych herself into believing it would be a rollicking rollercoaster that would cause her undue motion sickness. Spoiler alert: it didn’t).

From Amity Village, we headed to Water World and almost ended up in Super Mario World before backtracking down to Harry Potter World. There, we caught a grand show demonstrating the prowess of Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students.

Later, after we had guzzled our butterbears, I handed over my bags for bleachpanda to look after as I headed on the Harry Potter: Forbidden Journey ride. Despite enjoying the boat ride and the performance given by the themepark staff, bleachpanda had been told one of her family members had fainted during the augmented reality experience. Instead, she would walk around the rest of the park and try some food.

No skin off my back.

But despite the supposed 100 minute wait, as a solo rider, I was able to hop on after only half an hour. In fact, bleachpanda was surprised at how quickly I joined her back at the Jurassic Park portion of Universal Studios Japan.

From there, bleachpanda and I tried to track down some Kaito Kid popcorn she had seen on the app, only to learn after we completed a second circuit around the park that the popcorn would only be available from the 19th of March onwards!

Another 11 days away! And when we would have returned to our lives back in Australia.

At least we managed to catch the No Limit! parade while we were faffing about around the park. But since I can’t embed videos into my blog posts, you’ll simply have to search up ‘No Limit! parade’ on YouTube and find the BGM. As I’ve said, it’s catchy as all heck and such high energy! Bleachpanda was probably embarrassed to have me next to her bopping out to the songs. But hey, when you have a slew of characters from Gru, Elmo, Cookie Monster and Mario, dancing to the music is no longer a choice. One simply does!

Then, of course, it was time to head to Super Mario World and my goodness, did the place deliver! The pictures are as below:

Upon emerging from Peach’s castle, bleachpanda and I had our breath taken away. It literally felt like I’d stepped through a magical warp pipe. And soon, the two of us began punching brinks and trying to obtain the keys needed to take on Bowser Jr. But what caught my eye, even as I was admiring how very Super Mario this part of the park was, were the pikmin here and there. Too bad Captain Olimar wasn’t present.

Finally, we stopped at the local cafe for some grub and for a chance to rest our feet. Bleachpanda got a disappointing omurice and tiramisu cake while I anjoyed a Mario bacon burger and the end Pole Zone cake.

Once we were full, bleachpanda and I headed to our last ride of the day (and to cross off another experience in our ‘Visit Japan’ bucket list. And that was to ride an anime attraction. While I would have preferred that it was Detective Conan related, instead we got Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba XR where we waited for 140 minutes (although it was closer to three hours) to strap a VR headset to our faces and then dip and accelerate on a rollercoaster.

By the time we returned to our hotel at Shinsaibashi, bleachpanda and I were ready to flop onto our beds and sleep; our legs sore from a day of walking and standing in super long lines.

Still, would i recommend Universal Studios Japan to the casual visitor? Yes! But it is with an additional caveat: Universal Studios Japan is not as extensive or as large as its US counterparts. Still, with rides and merchanise encompassing various anime and video games, it provides a different experience that one can’t always find elsewhere. So, if you like your flashy animated shows or your latest shonen jump content, head to Universal Studios Japan! You won’t be disappointed.

Vivid Osaka

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From our swanky rooms at the Hilton Hiroshima, bleachpanda and I found ourselves in smaller and more cramp conditions at The Flag in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. No longer were we the highrollers of yesteryear enjoying the fruits of our labours. In the big city, we had turned into frugal peasants. Or, at the very least, that was how it felt. In actual fact, our room at The Flag was decently sized and we were able to still keep our suitcases safely stowed at the hotel. But, of course, after enjoying such an expansive room at the Hilton, the size difference came as a bit of a shock.

Still, say what you will of the room, Shinsaibashi was a very busy and bustling area to stay in with countless stores from high-end retailers to other major department stores.

Although we arrived before our designated check-in time, our rooms were ready for us to head upstairs and rest our weary souls. We had, after all, booked tickets to check out TeamLab Botanical Garden right near Nagai Station.

But first, I had determined we needed another suitcase to offset some of the things we had purchased during our time abroad and which did not fit comfortably, or at all, in our oversized luggages. These included a number of snacks and a fair few plushies. Plus, since we were nearing the end of our trip, having hit Osaka, there would be plenty of shopping ahead of us and I didn’t want to limit what we could and couldn’t buy.

So, off we trotted to the local Don Quijote in Dotonbori – a mere eight minute walk from where we were staying. There, I purchased a Travelist suitcase and took it back with me to the hotel. Unfortunately, as we opened it up, I discovered it had no key to its lock! And, in my haste, I hadn’t realised it didn’t have a number lock either!

Without a key, I couldn’t reliably lock the suitcase and it was with a heavy heart that bleachpanda and I returned to Don Quijote to see if a replacement could be found, or if a key to the suitcase could be produced. Alas, it was not to be.

Still, the staff at Don Quijote were sympathetic to my plight and so they refunded my purchase so I could buy another suitcase at the store. This time, I picked out an American Tourister and made sure it had a number lock, which I could set.

Yes, it might have been a boring grey but at the very least it could help store the overflow of items bleachpanda and I would be purchasing on this leg of of this trip.

Luggage in hand, we returned to our hotel before heading out again. As we meandered down through the streets of Shinsaibashi, towards Namba Station, we tried out the nearby Tako Tako King for some quintessential Osaka takoyaki before I gently guided bleachpanda to the Pokemon cafe located in the Daimaru department store. To my surprise, there was even a Jump! store (dedicated to all things from Shonen Jump). Like the weeb bleachpanda is, she bought several stickers (as did I) of some of our favourite characters, and which we could decorate our suitcases (or future suitcase as bleachpanda would buy a baby blue one in Tokyo).

Running late for our entry into TeamLab’s Botanical Garden, we hoofed it to Nagai Station to see the pretty lights that were set up at the local garden. The pictures are below:

Despite the vividness of the displays, I couldn’t help but feel it was a poor man’s version of Sydney’s own light how in late May. Granted, it was a limited display but I’d expected something more impressive. Especially based on the pictures used to advertise the event on Klook and Google. Still, it was worth the price of entry bleachpanda paid for the two of us.

Plus, it allowed us to get in some decent steps in on what would have been a day where we might not have walked much at all (as we would have been transiting between cities).

Once we had seen all there was to see, we returned to Dotonburi to grab some dinner and also see the sights of this bustling tourist destination. There, we enjoyed some high quality Kobe beef for a very steep price not too far from the Shinsaibashi arcade (and were given a fridge magnet to commemorate the event by the staff). Still, my poor wallet took a significant hit but I thought it worthwhile to treat bleachpanda and myself to something we might never see, or in this case taste, in the near future.

After our delicious meal of Kobe beef, we strolled down through Dotonbori where my impeccable sense of direction steered us back to our hotel: The Flag.

On a side note, when first visited Osaka in 2016 with family, we also visited Dotonbori. At the time, though, I hadn’t yet played the Yakuza/ Like a Dragon series. But after running such a successful cabaret club in the fictional depiction of Dotonbori – Sotenbori, a part of me was hoping I’d spot it while bleachpanda and I wandered the streets. Unfortunately, with the heavy numbers of tourists, trying to find a one-eyed man with a signature snakeskin and black leather outfit was far too difficult for me.

The Price of Peace

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Before the war, Hiroshima was a sizable city known for its castle town were on par with Himeji or Osaka Castle. During the war, it became a focal point of military activity with large depots of military supplies. Not too far away was the location for where the Akatsuki Corps, a special cadet system set up by the Army as the war situation grew more severe. These young men were trained daily in preparation for suicide attacks against the Allied Forces.

Everything changed, however, on 6th August 1945 when the United States of America dropped the ‘Little Boy’ atomic bomb and killed approximately a hundred thousand people in the blast, and upending thousands more in the intervening years.

With this one mighty blow, the death knell of World War II was rung with the Allied Forces anointed the winners.

But what was the price for this victory?

As the film Oppenheimer opined, perhaps the creation of the atomic bomb had ignited the world into a downward spiral to destruction. Humanity was so beholden with the idea of if they ‘could’ create such a bomb there was too little consideration on whether we ‘should.’ War is tribalism at its best, where we paint those like us as the ‘good guys’ and demonise the opposing side.

We might all be humans struggling to live on this planet we call home but should someone come to disrupt the equilibrium we live in, humans are very quick to lash out and attack those they feel are too ‘different.’ In societies of old, blame was laid on ‘outsiders’ for all manners of ills. The witch hunts are one such example.

In any case, the creation of the atomic bomb led to several more weapons of mass destruction being constructed as a means to threaten and deter others despite attempts from the survivors to prevent their proliferation. A macrocosm of a race to have the bigger weapon or to ‘protect’ one’s interest because you see the neighbour across the street has bought a gun.

As an aside, America’s gun laws are a mess and if the world ever needs to see what stocking weapons of mass destruction could lead to, look no further than the mass shootings in America that happen almost every day.

It only takes one imbecile (or, in the case of nuclear weapons, a nation of imbeciles) to plunge the world into disrepair.

Anyways, what I wanted to say was that listening to the testimonies and reading the stories of those who lived through the endless days of Hell after the atomic bomb, it became very hard for me to reconcile why anyone would want to keep nuclear weapons on hand. The pain and death it caused. The aftereffects due to radiation. And the shattering effect it had on families as they grappled with their loss.

No dispute, be it over bruised pride or resources, should ever need the use of nuclear weapons for the victory attained would be Pyrrhic at best. Even the Akatsuki Corps members, boys who were trained to give up their lives in service to their nation, could not equate the destruction of HIroshima with ‘glorious’ war.

This was all laid bare to me at the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.

Now, I’m not sure how telling it is but while Hiroshima had a large number of peace tourists visiting the cenotaph and the Atomic Bomb museum, there hadn’t been as many visitors to Nagasaki. Rather, Nagasaki had more local tourists flocking to the region wishing to try out specialty dishes such as champon noodles and castella.

After appreciating the gravity of the events that shaped modern Japan, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, bleachpanda and I enjoyed a very noodle-heavy okonomiyaki at a nearby restaurant before we headed to Hiroshima Castle.

Hiroshima Castle was established by Mori Terumoto in 1589 at the delta of the Otagawa River. In 1600, following the battle of Sekigahara, Terumoto was forced to retreat and Fukushima Masanori from Kiyosu took control of the castle. However, after restoring the castle following the flood of 1619 without permission from the Tokugawa shogunate, Masanori was dismissed. Asano Nagaakira then became lord of Aki and the Asano family continued to hold this position up until the Meiji restoration.

Inside Hiroshima Castle, we climbed, reading about its history from the exhibits until we managed to reach the top and looked out on the city. After seeing the tragedy of the atomic bomb, it was nice to learn some of Hiroshima’s early history as a bustling city and its ties to the Tokugawa Shogunate before its abolition.

Despite the cloudy day, Hiroshima glimmered before us int he afternoon light.

Our key tourist sites finished, bleachpanda dragged me to Animate – a weeb store filled with gacha capsules on the ground floor with figurines (including Ichiban Kuji prizes), mang, doujinshi and other merchandise from popular anime available for purchase.

While I picked out some tasteful Detective Conan acrylic stands, bleachpanda ended up buying a Demonslayer shirt that cost more than half of my purchase! Truly, she is a fiend who cannot be stopped. And will then turn around the next moment to blame an innocent, such as myself, for her extravagant spending!

As the day drew to a close, bleachpanda and I ended the day at Sensui, a restaurant at the Hilton. The two of us got the Onomichi set (a place I would have liked to visit because Yakuza 6: The Song of Life had its early story beat set here. And it is where we get the mascot Ono Michio! With his charming hassaku face, steamy Onomichi ramen hat, cute fish pouch and cool boots, vital for any fisherman, and his cool and trendy Ono shirt!) and which cost us approximately 100,000 yen each!

Given half our holiday was over anyways, i thought it a nice touch to splurge a little and treat ourselves. Tomorrow, after all, was another day of transit as we headed further east to Osaka. And while I wouldn’t be able to see the sights of Miyajima or Onomichi, I did have one thing I was excited for.

Universal Studios Japan, here we come!

Three Trains and a Bus!

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After eating breakfast at the hotel buffet (they actually changed up what was available!), bleachpanda and I grabbed our bags from the room, checked out, and headed to the JR station at Nagasaki to continue our journey across Japan. Our next stop? Hiroshima. The site of the very first atomic bomb against a civilian population.

However, as this was primarily a day of transit, bleachpanda and I spent most of our day traversing the hyper efficient high speed rail network Japan had on offer. Granted, we had to take three trains to get to our destination but Nagasaki, unfortunately, is one of those cities that requires the use of a relay station in order to head further east.

Still, we arrived at Hiroshima Station at 2:30 PM. Without dropping a beat, bleachpanda and I booked our reserved tickets for our trip to Osaka – mostly for ease of mind. Tickets in hand, we lugged our suitcases towards the nearest bus stop in order to reach our hotel: Hilton Hiroshima! Yes, you read that right. We stayed at the Hilton!

It’s where President of the United States, Joe Biden, stayed at during the G7 Summit. While we didn’t get his actual room, this fact was proudly displayed at the cafe downstairs with commemorative desserts to celebrate the occasion.

So, you know, bleachpanda and I were clearly very important people.

Once we finally got our room keycards (there was a slight delay to set up our rooms), bleachpanda and I dumped our bags inside our very spacious quarters before braving the rain (it almost always seems to rain on our transit days), to visit Hiroshima Pokemon Centre (and so I could also get in some steps because we’d be sitting for most of the day).

As we looked around the Pokemon Centre in Hiroshima, I pulled bleachpanda aside and told her she had better appreciate the lack of Pokemon fans flocking to the store as I’d heard that during the summer, it could be so packed with people a ticketing system is needed to limit numbers. Of course, given this was one of the very first stores that had my undivided attention, I couldn’t help but splurge just a little while we were there, purchasing several plushies and souvenirs for a ton of my friends.

Of course, bleachpanda herself also spent quite a bit there as well, as she picked up gifts for family and friends.

Suffice it to say, bleachpanda was not impressed I’d dragged her all the way there just to have her spend more money. To make up for it, we enjoyed some Italian food at a restaurant on Level 10 (and checked out a few other stores therein though bleachpanda didn’t end up buying anything there) before returning to the Hilton.

Foreign Influence

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Like many North East Asian countries, Japan was quite insular when it came to trade with western nations. During the Edo period, under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, though, nearly all foreign nationals were banned from entering Japan. At Dejima, an artificial island built off Nagasaki, I learned that despite these restrictions, Japan did occasionally trade with the Portuguese. This petered off and the Dutch stepped in. And, in fact, it was Japan’s relationship with the Dutch that saw the nation expand its knowledge and begin to incorporate more Western-style thinking to medicine, science and technology.

Later, as the history books tell us, Japan fully opened up in the Meiji era and beyond.

Waking up early, after enjoying a delicious hotel breakfast, bleachpanda and I headed to Dejima (which, thankfully, was very close to our hotel at Shinchi Chinatown). After paying the entry fee, we meandered through the reconstructed island, peeking into warehouses and exhibits showcasing the history of the place.

These were usually in the form of videos or placards on the side. Unfortunately, most of them were solely in Japanese, making it harder for me to appreciate the items on display – although most were very identifiable.

What stood out to me, as we were making our way through the recreated warehouses, was the focus made on the copper the Japanese traded with the Dutch, and how these were smelted into the form of bars, which were later weighed, before being sealed into their boxes. The sheer number of copper that went through Dejima was extensive.

Then, of course, there were the large number of pottery on display. Like many nations, the Dutch also favoured the iconic blue and white ceramics from China. And in Nagasaki, Japanese artisans were encouraged to imitate the style for the benefit of trade.

All in all, Dejima was a worthwhile place to visit as it served as Japan’s gateway to the wider world despite the restrictions imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate at the time. But it also spoke of how the Western world engaged with other nations in the latter half of the Age of Exploration. Plus, there’s a mini Dejima one can look out over! And there were even models of ships and one of the very first badminton racquets!

From Dejima, bleachpanda and I headed to Glover Garden. What we hadn’t expected when we got there was just how extensive the gardens were. Based on the map of Nagasaki I obtained while at the JR station, I had initially assumed Glover Garden would be a small place and within 10 minutes, I’d have snapped all the pictures I would need. But Glover Garden, to my dismay, was a sprawling complex dedicated to a Scottish merchant, known for bringing news of the Industrial Revolution to Japan.

Thomas Blake Glover, for whom the Gardens are named after, came to Japan in 1859 and founded Glover and Co. three years later. He engaged in trade with the locals and would contribute to the modernisation of Japan including the construction of Kosuge Slip Dock and cooperating with the Saga domain to establish Japan’s first modern coal mine.

More importantly, though, Glover Garden also hosted the oldest Western-style house in Dejima!

By the time we finished touring the gardens, it was nearly 2 PM (far later than I had initially anticipated). And so, wanting to enjoy a decent meal, bleachpanda and I headed to a family restaurant nearby: Bikkuri Donkey. which is known for its hamburger steaks and patties.

Once full, we then headed to Oura cathedral. Alas, it cost 1000 Yen for admittance. Given that bleachpanda and I live in Australia were there are many cathedrals open to the public – and which many might argue are more impressive in design (St Mary’s Cathedral and St Andrew’s) – I couldn’t justify the price for entry. Refusing to pay, bleachpanda and I spent the rest of the afternoon ducking into the local shops that lined the street leading up to the cathedral wherein quite a few purchases were made – although only for small things.

After pulling bleachpanda away from purchasing even more earrings she didn’t need, we retreated back to our hotel to count our spoils before heading out again to check out Amu Plaza, located next to Nagasaki JR station (and where I took a photo of the red dragon chasing the golden ball). As usual, bleachpanda spent more than expected on her small trinket accessories while I had a look at belts because I wanted to replace the one I was wearing as it was falling apart at the seams.

It should be noted that my purchases cost me less than what bleachpanda ended up spending. So, one more point to Kyndaris!

We then had a simple dinner at a restaurant adjacent to the station before heading back to Candeo Hotel for a good night’s rest. After all, we were headed to Hiroshima the next day! And our very first Pokemon Centre stop (I tried to convince bleachpanda to make a pitstop at Fukuoka again but she refused).

The Scars of War

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On 9th August 1945 at 11:02 AM, an atom bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing thousands of people upon impact. It laid the city low and caused a devastating fire. For years, the repercussions remained – from the increased risk of cancer for many generations of Japanese to the still-standing ruins of Urakami Cathedral. So, when I see nations blithely threaten to use nuclear weapons against their enemies, I cannot help but feel a deep-seated anger at the callous disregard of precious life.

Atomic weapons attack indiscriminately. Putting civilians in danger. Putting children in danger is never the right thing to do.

While I understand the fear of being attacked (because of my ethnicity, I have become highly sensitised to racial attacks), nothing justifies the slaughter of a people.

Humans, unfortunately, have repeatedly killed each other since time immemorial. And we will continue to kill each other if we are so motivated whether that be fear, greed or hatred.

Seeing the devastation, and the video testimonies of those who experienced the bombing, truly brought home to me how frightfully scary what such a future would bring. And while I don’t want to be too preachy on my blog posts, it’s not something you can forget when you read the harrowing stories of the survivors as they tried to locate family and friends in the aftermath.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The start of our second day in Nagasaki saw bleachpanda and I head out to Mount Inasa Observatory to take in a view of this vast port city and appreciate its grand size. After taking a streetcar to Takara-Machi, we walked to Fuchi shrine in order to take the cable-car up to the summit.

While bleachpanda had made it clear she wanted to minimise the number of shrines she visited on this trip to Japan, our visit here was out of my hands if we wanted a proper appreciation of the sprawling city. Up we went, climbing up the stairs to the very top of the tower there.

And in all honesty, it boggles the mind that a city could face such destruction and still be rebuilt. True, it’s been nearly 80 years or so, but it speaks as well to the human spirit to endure such tragedy. Much like how many Chinese suffered through mass starvation during the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution. Or, for example, the Potato Famine in Ireland.

Somehow, though, humans have risen above.

Still, I can’t help but feel sorry for the Paelstinians. Their treatment, since the end of the Second World War, has been horrendous. And instead of allowing Israel to have its way, or giving it a light slap on the wrist, more nations need to step up. Actions do have consequences but continuing a cycle of hatred between multiple generations will only lead to further loss and grief.

As per the words of Gesicht, before he fell (yes, I recently finished off watching Pluto): “Nothing will be born from hatred.” And it is oft said that one should dig two graves if one seeks revenge. Even after vengeance has been enacted, no solace can be found.

Only by rising above and proving oneself capable of letting of man’s fragile ego can a people move on and reach for a better future. As in the case of Japan following the bombings.

From atop Mount Inasa, bleachpanda and I headed down to the Atomic Peace Park. It was a cold overcast day but it was an excellent walk to soak in the ambiance. Of note was the bronze statue. Sitting near to the hypocenter of the explosion, the statue has its right hand pointing above while the left hand extends to the left in a symbol of eternal peace. The placement of the legs also symbolise both meditation and the initiative to stand up to rescue the people of the world.

It’s a striking image and I’ve included it down below:

From the Peace Park, bleachpanda and I headed towards the hypocenter and then to the Atomic Museum. The entry here was a mere 200 Yen for each of us. Down we went, reading about the tragedy that was the bomb. What was interesting to me was how the aftereffects of radiation on the human body was little understood at the time. It was as people slowly sickened that many realised the extent of the horror that came from the atomic, be they keloid scars or the other pain and conditions that took away people’s livelihoods as they struggled to return to normalcy. A little bit like the aftermath of COVID-19, although nobody is keen to talk about it.

From the Atomic Museum, bleachpanda and I headed to a nearby restaurant: Horaiken for some Nagasaki champon! This noodle dish is a regional cuisine and it is covered in cabbage along with a mix of seafood atop thick noodles. It was so much, I didn’t even manage to finish it. Probably because we also ordered some prawn siumai.

By the time we finished our meal, it was nearly 3 PM. Bleachpanda, being the paranoid person that she is, wanted to prebook our JR reservations to Hiroshima. So, off we went to the ticket office at Nagasaki JR station. There, we managed to catch sight of a local performance involving a red dragon chasing after a golden ball. When it was over, we headed into the bowels of the station and after sorting our transit, we decided to try out the “local” Seattle Coffee featuring everyone’s favourite Cinnabon. Bleachpanda, by the way, had never tried Cinnabon before but I think she liked it.

Once we had stuffed our faces, it was quite late in the afternoon. Still, it didn’t deter me from ushering us to Kofukuji Temple. Kofukuji is a Zen Buddhist temple and its main hall was constructed in 1632. It was built in a purely Chinese architectural style with “cracked ice” carved lattices, one of the last of its design.

This was all fascinating to see and read about as we walked around. More importantly, it goes to show the influences on Japan that helped establish its primary religious beliefs.

From Kofukuji, we headed to Megane Bridge, or Spectacle Bridge if you go by the English translation. It is said to be one of the oldest stone arch bridges in Japan and it is so named because of the reflection of the bridge in the river essentially looks like a pair of spectacles. A picture is below:

Once we had taken our obligatory tourist photos, bleachpanda and I strolled down to Hamano-machi and the Don Quijote there. It was our very first Don Quijote on this trip in Japan and while I accompanied bleachpanda as she looked at what was on offer, I couldn’t help but get the theme song stuck in my head. It’s just so good!

To bleachpanda’s chagrin, I was began singing the song as we headed back to our hotel at Shinchi Chinatown, wherein she threatened to cause me bodily harm, and possible smothering. It didn’t happen, of course, since bleachpanda wouldn’t hurt a fly but I suppose it’s the done thing if you have an annoying friend who knows exactly which buttons to push.

I am a chaos gremlin, okay? I can’t help it! My sense of humour is like a six-year-old child. And if you say something innocuous annoys you, like booping you on the nose, I will do it!

NEVER reveal your weaknesses to me, internet. Never. I will only ever use it against you for my own amusement.

I suppose it’s the monkey in me.

At the hotel, I decided to try out the spa, even as bleachpanda was committed to getting in some laundry done. Though I tried to convince bleachpanda to join me, as waiting for the laundry would take an age and a half, she feared someone would walk in and catch her nude body.

Something to note if one ever travels to Japan: their spas and onsen don’t allow the wearing of swimwear. Everyone is to wear their birthday suit only. Oh, and if you have a large tattoo that you can’t cover, you also aren’t generally allowed inside.

Before going into the spa/ onsen, you’re also expected to thoroughly wash your body and hair.

But since I was in the spa at about 6 PM, and everyone was eating dinner, I was left on my lonesome. It was barely 5-10 minutes before I grew bored and jumped back out, unable to sit with my thoughts for an extended period without some form of stimulation.

Still, it was good to tick the experience off my list. And after all the endless walking we had done thus far, it was nice to recuperate my energies in the spa. Thus ended our second day in Nagasaki.