September 15th 2012 – Take
Two
I've arrived at Higashi Koganei at
almost 11:00AM, the station changed a bit, but not that much, so you
just take the northern exit go straight onward until you pass a
school on the right side, and violá, you've arrived your destination
Guest House Rose 21.
After signing the contract and heading
to my room the first thing I had to do was to change my clothes,
because it's 30°C an I'm sweating a lot.
After that my decisions were finished,
I'll go to Akiba – I took the Chuo Line (orange) directing to Tokyo
central, and in Tokyo I switched over to the Yamanote Line, which had
some problems, so it had a small delay. I asked someone behind me,
what's going on and moved my arms like I don't understand, because
the JR workers were only jelling in japanese – The woman behind
tried to tell me what was wrong, but in japanese, too, so I said:
„English or German only“ - now she told me with her arms, that
she doesn't understand and I again asked: What's the problem about
the train? - ...and she said YES – seems like she only understood
PROBLEM and though: Problem?...Yes, Problem! Communication is
difficult – they try to understand you or to help you but somewhen
you only see question tags above their heads, reacting with: I see, I
see or eto, what means as much as well and is only useful to fill the
gaps between their thoughts.
So I arrived at Akiba, and if my brain
didn't understand, that I'm in Japan, especially Tokyo, my hole mind
and body got the clou in that moment, when I left the train.
Akihabara is also called Electric City
and it's a Mecca for Gamers, Otakus, PC junkies and others, so I'm
perfectly right.
My plan was to leave the JR station an
search for Raijo Keikan, a huge store for avery kind of figure, so I
guess Monster Hunter, too, but I couldn't find it, I also asked a
woman in a maid.dress, who described it totally different, than 2
other persons I've asked, too, so I just started walking and
watching.
When I reached Chuo-Dori, that's the
main street in Akiba, I turned left twice, crossed a small Sega Store
an then I got to ABC, Asobit City, which, as the internet said, was
closed 2 years ago, this store was famous for offering a lot of
Monster Hunter stuff and now they are reopened, so I went in.
I instantly found the MH section, they
had many figures , plush dolls, key chains and other stuff, that is
not really necessary, a rubber with a MH emblem, OK, someone could
say MonHun Figures are not needed, either, ...but this person may be
right.
I was looking for a Rathalos Armor
figure from revoltech, which was said to be released in September, so
I asked for it, I tried my best to pronounce it as japanese as
possible, in Katakana or Hiragana its pronounced like Monsuta Hanta –
after some tries he understood, what I said, maybe he only understood
the word revoltech, which I added, but we will never know. He went to
the MH section and showed me a figure of the monster (Rathalos in
Europe – Lioleuus in Japan), which I already found myself, but now
we both had a new problem, how explain MonHun Armor Figure from
Revoltech, when the only filtered words he got were MonHun and
Revoltech..., we made, don't ask how, i guess with hands and
fingers..., but he said, they don't have it.
But it was no complete failure, because
he gave me a map of Akiba and drew a line to a shop, that might have,
but this shop will come later. So I went out with my new and my old
map and started over to search Raijo Kaikan again – while stepping
out of the store, there was a car on the street, which just made loud
music promoting a pachinko store, AKB 48 I think, that was weird, but
I was not really wondering, because in Akiba something like counts as
usual or common.
I walked on, and couldn't find the
store, I was searching for, I walked up and down the street, where it
should have been multiple times, but still was unable to see or find
it, so I just went on.
Then there were 2 stores with HOBBY on
their sign and figures in the window, so *hush*, and I was in.
On 4 or 5 floors each of this stores
had an enormous amount of tiny, small, middle and even big figures of
each and every serie, MonHun included, I was stunned a bit, but not
as much as Gerhard will be, when he comes here in a week and I'll
show him – he will need to take many deep breaths and maybe some
helpings to get up, because this will knock him down, especially the
Kamen Rider/Masked Rider figures for prices round about 105-800 Yen
will make his eyes shine.
Sure I bought some monsters, too, and
sure I also bothered these guyes with the hunter figure,... and they
said sold out..., released in Mid-Sept. And already sold out,
couldn't believe this, but there was not much time to think over, I
had to went on, my next aim was Mandarake, a world famous store for
almost everything about Anime, Manga, Games and so on, I think, I
also visited 2 shops when crossing them on my way to Mandarake.
I arrived, it was huge, a building with
8 floors, so I went in without wasting any time.
I try to sum up the floors from top to
buttom: 8 Figures, 7 Sentai and Robot Figures, 6 Games / CDs &
DVDs, 5 Doujinshi, 4 XXX stuff 3 ? 2 Cosplay and 1 entrance and
??-section.
On every floor they had an air
condition, really very needy, because, when you used the stairs
outside, the warm air outside was just like a wall punching you right
in your face.
After that I visited a store very close
to this one, K-Books, which should have also been in the Raijo Kaikan
building, which I gave up find at this day. They had an average
product line, many articles were the same as in the other shops
before, so I also asked these guys about the hunter figure.
After being a bit confused they handed
me over their iPad, so I could search on the internet and show them
this figure they were estonished, but also told me, they don't have
it, and I should ask for it in the shop, where I was already told to
search for it.
Then there was a cosplay section, where
I couldn't resist to ask, which material they use for armors and
wheather they know or have wonderflex (a thermoplast, used to make
armor parts for theater or cosplay).
They didn't get what I asked them so,
the took their computer, typed in their question for me and used the
google translater, „what do want“ - after that I wrote down
WONDERFLEX on a paper, but they've never about, so it will stay a
riddle, how japanese cosplayer get their wonderflex or what they use
instead,... until TGS, because at TGS there will at least 1 or
2..hundred of them, who I can ask..., and I guess they can also tell
me instantly where to get a hunter figure.
After that I finally went to they store
many people on my way had told me about, it was really easy to find,
Chuo Dori, CLUB SEGA main store go straight, an there it is,
KOTOBUKIYA, I almost immediately saw every kind of MonHun figure, and
also the hunter figure I was searching for, in front of this store,
there was a promotion for new MonHun material, e.g. this figures,
they seemed to be released at this day.
I asked for a discount, if I take 2, a
blue and a red one, no discount possible, but a prize game, which was
explained in japanese, I had to hold myself back not say eto, eto, I
see, I see...
So I bought this figures, got a small
calendar card, which was also my prize game card – I now had to
scratch a small circle, then there was a sign..., which I didn't
understand, but then theyv jelled, yey, you win – I only understood
WIN and got a glas thing with an engraved MonHun emblem, doesn't look
bad. Directly after that I should go to the walking acts, who I guess
were sweating so much, to take a photo, I got my photo on my cam and
got a MH bag in addition, so this was awesome, even if I didn't see
anything else of this shop but the MH figures and stuff, but next
week on Monday, I guess, I will be there again.
From this store I went to Labi, a shop
for electronic stuff, and also with bothering guyes who were
screaming NEW IPHONE5, NEW IPHONE5..., in the shop they had nothing
of my interest, so I was out there very quickly. At this time I
started noticing my tummy, asking for food, but there were still 2
stores before I got to Yodobashi Akiba, so my tummy could and also
had to wait.
On my way to the Boofoff I slipped into
a store that looked from outside as a normal store for figures and
anime and manga stuff, but when I got in, I noticed some weird things
tentacle plastics and millions of oils and gels and other fetish crap
so I went out faster than anyone can say: WTF, what kinda weird crap
is this?“
Then there was the Bookoff, I love
these stores, peowned articles in a very great status, some of them
seem to be new just like never been touched or used before. This
time, I was really very friendly, not asking for too many things,
only for a guide book of Valkyria Chronicles 3, at least I can't
remember any more questions than that. They had one, so I bought it
together with the game.
Only 1 shop left before going to
Yodobashi Akiba and serving my empty tummy – last food was the
breakfast at the aircraft, so I was kinda hungry – Shosen Book
Tower, an awesome shop with 8 floors of books – I went in and asked
for Minna no ni hongo, a japanese teaching book, found on floor 3,
then I went to the 8th floor, where game guides and
artbooks were...I took a lot, Dragon's Dogma Concept Artbook, The
Legend of Zelda History of Hyrule Artbook and DragonQuest Monster
Encyclopedia...
Shosen finished, so there was only one
thing left between me and my filled tummy, the Yodobashi Akiba Store
itself – I just went in, bought some stuff and then, I used the
elevator to get to the food court – I saw a restaurant that offered
different ramen, but I couldn't get to know the incredients just by
looking at the picture of the card, then someone from inside came to
me, turned the card, and violà, an english description of the ramen,
he also said something to me, which I didn't understand.
2 guys were waiting outside of this
restaurant for their 2-person-table and wanted to help me – before
the guy from inside made the card flip, I asked the 2 boys which
ramen has which incredients – they used their iPhone and translated
for my, what the waiter said and showed me, an offer to already come
in, but I haven't yet decided, what to take, and in the end, I didn't
choose any of them, didn't seem to be my taste, pork bone flavour,
Sezhuan (I guess wrong spelled), salt ramen and some other, so I
thanked everybody and went on until I found the ramen restaurant, we
have visited 2 years ago – I took Shoyu ramen with double topping,
because I was very hungry and a beer, even if I don't really drink
beer, but I just wanted to try japanese beer. I couldn't describe the
taste, but it seems like japanese people understand as much about
beer as I do...almost nothing.
I couldn't completely finish the ramen
because it was so much, but also so tasty – great – don'tz regret
anything.
After getting out of Yodobashi Akiba I
noticed I group of people in front of the building sitting and
playing on their Nintendo 3DS, mostly DragonQuest 3DS and Monster
Hunter 3G – I had a deja-vu, 2 years maybe most likely the same
crowd was playing Dragon Quest Monster Joker 2 on the Nintendo DS -
so I just went to one of these guys asking: Hey, how are they
hanging.... - no I didn't, I just asked about these gaming „events“,
weather these ones are organized, or weather they just come along and
play together – Seems like he didn't understand what I said, but I
guess it is like that, maybe next Monday I'll roll the dice again,
whome to ask and interupting from his quest, and maybe I'll be lucky
and get an english understanding and speaking guy.
7 or 8:00PM, at least it was already
dark, but still as warm as the hole day, I said to myself, that this
was successful and went back to Higashi-Koganei, taking Soba until
Mitaka and then the Chuo line.
Doing the way back, I fell asleep
multiple times for some secs in the JR, while sleeping my body moved
a bit left and right, so I bumped into other passenger (I was
sitting), I apoligized, and when I woke up the 3rd time
the woman that was sitting next to me on my left side had moved 2
seats on, because I bumped into her..., at this moment I had to stay
awake, it worked, even if it was not easy.
After my arrival I bought some things
at the grocerie store right next to the JR station, 3 rice ball with
a blue sticker, which, as i remembered, was tuna, and also something
to drink for the next day.
When I arrived at the hostel I just
prepared myself for bed and went asleep.
That's it for my first day in Tokyo,
Akiba and especially the wheather is heavy.
September 15th is over now,
and tommorrow it will be time for Kichijoji, Shibuya and Harajuku
(+Yojogi Park)
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