Looking back on the Rising Sun

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

After tasting the intricately interconnected history of empires in the Middle East, visiting South Korea and Japan this year was a treat. Much like the the nations around the Mediterranean, many of the North East Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan also a shared history. Whether this was their festivals or religious observations – there were many similarities. Especially when it came to engagement with the Western world when European powers came knocking during the Age of Discovery.

While I would still like to do a six week trip to the United Kingdom sometime in the near future, travelling to six different cities over the course of three weeks with my dear friend, bleachpanda, was still an experience in and of itself.

Most of the time I’ve ventured overseas, it’s been with family. In fact, there have only been two instances when it hasn’t been with one family member or another. The first was in 2013 when I accompanied a friend and her brother to the United Kingdom (but stayed primarily in and around London before heading to Czechia and Austria for a week). The second was my solo travel around the United States and Canada back in 2016 after being made redundant when I was selling books.

So, this third trip without family was still very special to me.

And while from date of ticket purchase to actual visit took nigh on six months, the decision to go to Japan in late February to early March was, at least in my eyes, a rather impulsive decision.

In fact, it came about when bleachpanda was browsing the internet and stumbled upon cheap ANA deals, messaging me, and then me readily agreeing to go before I plotted out our route through the cities while noting down the major sights we could see. True, there were places we didn’t quite get to see – like Onomichi or heading to Kawaguchiko and Arakurayama Sengen Park to see a splendid view of Mount Fuji – but overall, I still think our trip to South Korea and Japan will remain a particular highlight for the two of us.

Perhaps because we were not tethered to family or expectations and could explore South Korea and Japan unfettered. And as the two of us had some similar hobbies, it didn’t seem all too terrible to wander through a Mugiwara store or three, even as I dragged bleachpanda to the umpteenth Disney store in the city. Yes, I did get a little cranky when we stopped every fifteen minutes to spend another five to ten minutes at an accessory store in South Korea but it could have been worse.

And bleachpanda was very accommodating when it came to all the tourist sights I had us visiting, despite the occasional tiresome travel day we may have had. Or the fact I had her climbing up Namsan towards N Seoul Tower. Something she likes to remind me of every time I sing the Don Quijote song.

Would I go travelling again with a friend? Yes! Would I travel again with bleachpanda? Probably yes. She’s not the worst travel companion I’ve had and was pretty flexible about places to see and visit.

Travelling with friends can be a delicate balancing act but if you manage to communicate well, it can become much more fun.

Of course, keeping numbers low is still probably more beneficial than being in a large group. Unless, of course, your interests all align. Elsewise, being able to split away and do your own thing once in a while would probably be best.

In any case, visiting Japan has always been a treat. After growing up on a healthy dose of anime and manga, along with video games made by Japanese developers, there’s something fascinating about visiting Japan and soaking in the culture whilst physically there. It also helped that many of their aesthetics for plushies were right in my ballpark. Beyond the major cities, though, there’s also something magical about the smaller towns and the countryside. Less frenetic, they give people an opportunity to breathe.

South Korea, too, was a country of contrasts with one foot in its long storied history with the Joseon dynasty and the other in a ultramodern city setting. This was particularly prevalent in Seoul where people would hawk the latest Samsung TV or phone, which stood in stark contrast to the palaces of old.

While I know many a person who has come to fall in love with South Korea through their music, television shows and skincare products, I was still quite new to the whole experience. After all, the only Korean production I’ve watched is Squid Game and it doesn’t distill much except that capitalism is bad and people will oft times do anything to lift themselves out of poverty. Of course, the game is rigged up for the wealthy to enjoy the novelty of watching people scrambling to survive.

But while in South Korea, I managed to see beyond the image presented by the media it produced. Instead, I came to understand a little of what drove the people and their wishes for the future.

And that is something you can’t always get from a tawdry drama or two.

As someone who loves to read and play video games, exploring and seeing things for myself adds to my understanding of someone’s lived experience. It brings into stark reality the horrors people have endured that seeing it through a screen simply cannot capture. Reading personal stories about those in wars, listening to their testimonies, and seeing the repercussions puts these things into perspective and helps place these events firmly in reality.

We live so much of our lives online these days, it’s often hard to differentiate what is real and what isn’t. Heck, some people even question now if the Holocaust is real.

Like…why? How?

This is why it’s important to conserve our history.

Nations rise and fall but in many places, history has been preserved. And this was abundantly clear while I was in South Korea and Japan. While the actions of nations from aeons ago can be forgiven, they should never be forgotten lest human tribalism repeat the mistakes of old.

With that said, I do hope to revisit Japan again in the future, and perhaps a few more places in South Korea. But for now, I have my heart set on a few other countries I want to tick off. Namely Europe and the United Kingdom before I turn my attention to South-East Asia.

So many places to go, so many things to do…and yet so little time to experience this great wide world we call home.

Moe Moe Kyun!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Every year at SMASH! (Sydney Manga and Anime Show), there is a maid cafe. Why? Well, because in many anime and manga, anime cafes either feature in a chapter or two during the school festival if it’s a slice of life story. Much like the obligatory beach episode. Or the hot spring event. What I’m trying to say is that it’s a quintessential part of almost all anime and manga to include a maid cafe somewhere in their story.

Unfortunately, I’ve not had much luck attending the maid cafe held at SMASH! because of its popularity. Worse, these type of themed cafes aren’t very big in Australia.

Enter Akihabara: home of many a maid cafe and the centre of culture for all international weebs.

On our last proper day in Japan, belachpanda and I decided to revisit Akihabara and Ikebukuro to tick off the places we might have missed out on the very rain-heavy Tuesday. And so, early in the morning, she and I went to try out a maid cafe. Here, we were treated like the princesses the two of us were. And it was bright and pink and we were called ojou-sama by the staff.

While we were a little early, it wasn’t long before we were seated and had ordered our dessert combos (which included a polaroid photo, our choice of drink and a choice of the desserts they had available). While it was a little difficult to communicate, I couldn’t help but admire their enthusiasm. Especially when every time one of the maids brought out food for the guests they would cast a ‘spell’ over it by going: “Moe Moe Kyun!” and encourage us to do it as well.

While I found it mildly embarrassing at first, their earnestness soon had me joining in wholeheartedly. But I have to say, the interactions when it came to drinks – be it alcoholic or ones require mixing was…well…also a little different.

Still, seeing everyone else engage with the staff and be suckered into participating with it helped normalise it all somehow.

After the maid cafe, bleachpanda and I trawled trhough the stores at Akihabara, looking at what was on offer and seeing if there was any other merchandise that might catch our eye. This involved heading to Suruga-ya and perusing their stock of figurines for anything that caught my eye.

Alas, it was not to be.

I walked away empty-handed while bleachpanda bought herself three figurines after I’d noticed one of her favourite characters and pointed it out. Then, after purchasing them, she blamed me for being a bad influence!

Outrageous!

I was merely being a good friend. And I didn’t tell her to BUY it. She did it all on her own, thank you very much!

Afterwards, we returned to the Square-Enix store and I ended up buying the Octopath Traveler 2 original soundtrack. We then tried our luck with getting the free Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth coasters but ended up getting the same two Turks. Not willing to give up, I got another drink and managed to nab Tifa Lockhart. Satisfied with my prize, I allowed bleachpanda to drag me back to Ikebukuro and Otome Road so she could visit two shops she missed while it was pouring down on us on Tuesday.

As luck would have it, she was able to spot a few tin badges of her favourite otome character while I simply looked on, eyes glazed.

We ended the day by revisiting the ARTNIA cafe to see if anything had been restocked before returning back to our hotel as we prepared for our early flight in the morning.

Thus, concluding our three week trip overseas to South Korea and Japan.

Least I managed to spot a few collectibles from franchises I was familiar with this time round! Probably should have got the Chiaki or the Kyoko mini figurine.

Oh, and I also spotted two Like a Dragon figurines. But I couldn’t find a way to buy them! Ah well!

The return flight back home was mostly uneventful, although they did refresh a few of the movies available. And so, I managed to knock out Wonka and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes during the nine hours I was up in the air.

Have to say, both of them were very different and I didn’t expect a musical when I watched the trailers for Wonka back in cinemas.

Did I find a gallivanting Timothee Chalamet amusing? Yes. And I also really loved Olivia Colman’s performance as an unscrupulous innkeeper.

As for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, it was nice to get some backstory for Coriolanus Snow. Admittedly, the actor was very dashing but it was Rachel Zegler who stole hearts and minds as Lucy Grey Baird.

The Perfect Cup

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

As everyone knows, the 14th of February is Valentine’s Day, where romance reigns supreme where flowers and boxes of chocolates are gifted to significant others. In Japan and Korea, Valentine’s Day is when girls give the boys they like chocolate. A month later, on 14th March, boys return the gesture. And given its marketability, I saw many advertisements for it as we travelled across both Japan and South Korea.

Unfortunately for bleachpanda and myself, we were both single. So, on White Day, we headed all the way down to Yokohama instead to treat ourselves. Not with chocolate, mind you, although there was a Godiva cafe I regret not actually visiting, but because I wanted to immerse myself in the locations that were in Yakua: Like a Dragon and Lost Judgment.

Yokohama is a city south of Tokyo and is the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefeecture. It was also one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade back in the mid-19th century. But it’s also known for a range of distractions including Cosmo World, the Red Brick Warehouses and, of course, our first destination for the day: The Cup Noodle Museum.

The humble Cup Noodle started life out as Chicken Ramen. The inventor, Momofuku Ando, had been trying to make something that needed only the addition of some hot water. It was during a trip to America that Momofuku was inspired by people putting his chicken ramen noodles in a cup, pouring in hot water and then eating them with a fork. By bringing together all sorts of innovative ideas, including changing one’s perspective on how to place the ramen into a cup, he was able to come up with a winning formula that soon became an international sensation.

Entering inside the Cup Noodle museum, bleachpanda and I set about creating our perfect cup – much like how Noctis and his friends did during their road trip adventure in Final Fantasy XV (a game bleachpanda still hasn’t finished even as she tries to guilt me into not playing Final Fantasy XVI as soon as it released. I’m GETTING there. I just need to finish off a few OTHER games I bought like Like a Dragon: Ishin!). In the game, Noctis and friends were tasked with slaying numerous monsters depending on the type of ingredient you chose when speaking with Gladiolus.

Heck, I even posted a picture on this very blog where someone had cosplayed as Noctis with the Cup Noodle hat!

Oh, memories…

In any case, bleachpanda and I were able to successfully make our own flavours of Cup Noodle and designing the outside too! Due, of course, to my lack of creation, I simply drew a picture of Pikachu. But I know if my friend Rinbeti had come along, she would have probably drawn something either wondrous or terrifying.

There’s no telling if she’ll be wholesome or draw something that’s NSFW. Perhaps both, actually.

Afterwards, bleachpanda and I took the opportunity to explore the rest of the museum, learning its history: from its humble beginnings to the massive brand it is today. Heck, there’s even SPACE ramen now!

From the Cup Noodles Museum, bleachpanda and I headed to the Red Brick Warehouse. Unfortunately, much of it was impassible due to an event that would be held on the next day. And though I was told it was a collection of boutique shops, from what I managed to glimpse, it seemed to primarily be food. And we were still too early to chow down on anything.

So, off we trotted to Chinatown, bypassing the very European-inspired design of Yokohama’s Customs House. Now, the Chinatown in Yokohama, it should be known, is the largest Chinatown in Japan and is about 160 years old. Almost everywhere we walked were restaurants or themed shops. And in my eyes, it carried a lot of influence from the Guangdong province of China, as well as Hong Kong.

It was here when we tried out the Japanese idea of yumcha. And while the food was decent, I have to admit, it didn’t quite keep the spirit of a rowdy yumcha with trolleys being pushed through narrow aisles between seats as the servers tried to hawk away their offerings to their hungry guests.

Still, I was quite satisfied in wandering around the Chinatown (we even picked up some snacks) before heading to Yamashita Park. Once there, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d be thrust into Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Though Yamashita park was only a small portion of the Yokohama world map, I remembered many an amusing side quest in the section, which was only emphasised when Takayuki Yagami was skateboarding in the park as part of his mission to infiltrate all the school clubs in Lost Judgement.

Credit must be given to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio for bringing these real-world locations to life in video game format. Especially given how I was able to identify so many places that I’d only ever seen in the shrunken down version of the game.

But I didn’t have much time to appreciate the Like a Dragon nostalgia because Yokohama had one last surprise for us: The Gundam Factory and its towering recreation of a Gundam that could move through the use of hydraulics! Even for someone who doesn’t like mechs in general, seeing the giant robot pose and spout meaningful things about friendship and a bright future was still an impressive sight to witness.

We stayed longer than I anticipated at the Gundam Factory as we waited for the next performance, but bleachpanda was satisfied to record most of the variations. She was, however, disappointed that the shop didn’t have much on offer. Given it was set to close by next month, though, she wasn’t too bothered.

Plus, you know, there was an apology from the creators on the limitations of what creating a real-life Gundam would entail. It’s honestly too bad we haven’t yet found a means to find ultralight metals to make them a reality.

With the spectacle of the ‘Moving Gundam’ in the rearview mirror, bleachpanda and I returned to Tokyo. More specifically, we headed back to Shinjuku station. But before returning to our hotel, bleachpanda and I made a stop at the batting cages (after refuelling at a Krispy Kreme to see if there were any regional specials) to enjoy a uniquely Japanese experience.

I impressed myself with being able to hit several of the balls flung at me at 80-90km/h given how long it had been since I last swung a bat while playing softball. Bleachpanda, on the other hand, managed to punt several of the balls because it was easier and she didn’t have to time her swing just right (it’s cheating is what it is).

With my arms still feeling weak, bleachpanda and I ended our day with some Japanese KFC. To our dismay, it didn’t taste as good as the McDonald’s we had at Narita airport when we were heading to South Korea. Nor did it have any potato and gravy! A blasphemous act from anyone who loves and enjoys the KFC back home in Australia.

Disappointed, we returned to our hotel.

It’s hard to imagine that tomorrow will be our last day exploring Japan and seeing what is has on offer. I can’t believe the trip is coming to an end. It felt both too short and also fairly long.

And yet, a part of me can’t wait to get back home and start planning my next great adventure out into the wide world!

Memoirs of a Blogger

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

After the rain-heavy day that was Tuesday, the 12th of March, the sun was quick to come out on Wednesday, the 13th. And what a glorious day it was! Bleachpanda and I enjoyed another breakfast of grilled cheese toasties at the bakery at our hotel before venturing to Shinjuku station in order to take the train to Skytree. Though we had to transfer once, the ride was fairly smooth and we arrived at Oshiage station shortly after 10 AM.

As we ascended up to the department store to the Skytree counter, I did get distracted by the Kirby cafe, the Pokemon Centre and a ton of other shops including Doraemon and a pop-up store for Poppy Playtime. Not that I play Poppy Playtime but I’ve definitely been exposed to some of the lore from watching Game Theory on YouTube (it still feels oh so very raw with Matthew Patrick leaving but I think Tom is a suitable replacement). In fact, there was also Poppy Playtime and other indie mascot horror game merchandise in South Korea too.

Once we secured our tickets to go up, bleachpanda and I waited for our allotted time to head up to the observation deck. Once there, it felt like all of Tokyo was laid out beneath our feet. But what was more amazing was the sight of Mount Fuji in the distance.

I’d originally planned to head out to Kawaguchiko to take some scenic shots of the infamous volcano but given how long it would take to get there, I was happy I could cross out seeing Mount Fuji right in the heart of Tokyo.

Still, I wouldn’t be opposed to visiting Kawaguchiko or Hakone if I were to head to Japan again. There’s something about being surrounded by nature and snapping a shot of an iconic landmark that calls to me. Of course, Mount Fuji is also known for being notoriously elusive even on good days because of cloud cover or fog. So, it was a rare sight indeed for me to glimpse it. Both at the normal observatory and also up high at the Tembo Galleria.

Heck, we even took a photo too! And got mini versions of the tower through the gacha machine. Mine would turn yellow, which, according to the various descriptions of the lighting for Tokyo Skytree is considered a sign of good luck, with its illumination emphasising liveliness.

To commemorate the event of sighting Mount Fuji from on high, bleachpanda and I enjoyed a parfait each at the Sky Tree cafe as we soaked in the sight. After all, we were here on holiday and we didn’t have an intense itinerary to hit every stop. And honestly, it works out well. There isn’t too much stress and we can go at our own pace to see what we want without feeling the pressure of missing out on something important.

It helped, too, that bleachpanda and I had already visited Japan in the past and felt that some of the sights didn’t need another visit.

After we enjoyed our snack at 345 metres above sea level, we returned back down to Earth and tried some shrimp prawn broth ramen before heading to Asakusa.

Asakusa is a historic neighbourhood located in Tokyo and it’s a popular tourist destination because of its unique blend of traditional and modern cultures. This was prevalent with the number of street-food stalls, traditional craft shops and rickshaws in the region. It also, more importantly, had areas to rent a kimono.

Since bleachpanda and I had the good fortune to rent a hanbok while we were in South Korea, I couldn’t resist the idea of trying on a kimono while here and taking them out for a spin. I went with a tasteful purple kimono with a yellow/ gold obi while bleachpanda wore a multicoloured one with shades of blue, yellow and pink. Once attired, we headed down to Senso-ji temple, visiting the shops and stalls as we did so.

We even, to my surprise, had someone ask if they could take a photo with us. So, if you ever see two Asian ladies and a Latina woman in the heart of Asakusa on social media, it might be the two of us. Indeed, we later spotted the mother and son duo (the son took the photo) as we headed down Nakamise-dori street towards Senso-ji temple.

So, yes, here’s ANOTHER photo of the back of my head:

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stay in our kimonos for long and after almost two hours, we had to return to the shop: Silk in order to return them before 5 PM. Afterwards, we were joined by my two Australian friends, who had just missed out on seeing me and bleachpanda rocking our kimonos (although I did send them photos). They were meant to be our professional photographers for the day but alas had got caught up in their own touristy itinerary they had meticulously planned to get the most out of their trip.

And after another wander around Senso-ji temple, the four of us went for dinner at a local restaurant. Full on Italian pizza and pasta, bleachpanda and I called it a night and returned to our hotel. My other two friends would be heading to Hakone the next day and be continuing on their Japan adventure as bleachpanda and mine’s was drawing to a close.

Still, the morrow was full of promises to be just as action-packed. And after nearly three weeks overseas, bleachpanda and I would need to dig deep into our energy reserves to keep the momentum going before our inevitable return back home.

A fact which saddened me as I went to bed for the night.

Yokohama, here we come!

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

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

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

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

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!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

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

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

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.