A Cafe, Love and a Government Building

That how Love Stories start,... maybe not.

Yesterday I was awake very long I only slept 1 or 2 hours, then I decided to stay awake until breakfast, it really tastes better in the morning especially kinda fresher.

I also tried the boiled eggs for the first time, they are awesome, I guess I never had such great boiled eggs.
After breakfast I went back to bed to sleep a bit - I slept until 1PM, but that's OK, vacation is for relaxing either.

After finally leaving the hotel I used the Hanzomon Line until Otemachi and then the Marunouchi Line until Shinjuku to go for the Artnia Cafe - the Square Enix Cafe / Shop.

On my way I found a small shrine, there was also a small path to get to the shrine, I tried to get a picture of a completely empty path, I made it, cost me 10 min. of waiting.

One of my bullets points on my list of things, that I was aiming for, was a Kitsune and a Tanuki, I'm so happy I accomplished this multiple times already, it's to image, why I couldn't any doing the last two trips.

The Cafe was very easy to find, thanks to my preparations and the App, they offered some merchandising of their well known brands like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

It was not as spectacular as I expected, but that's OK, I was hoping to see their Sephiroth, which I saw picture of in their old shop.

I headed back to Shinjuku, especially Kinokuniya and Book Off, these stores were directly on my way, so I had to go in.

At Book Off they have a discount of 20% on all books, except those for 105 Yen (a lower price is not possible)

The Trusty Bell (in Europe this RPG-game is called Eternal Sonata) Game Guides are out of print said the Kinokuniya worker when I asked for these articles.

There was a second Book Off for today, those, that I'm visiting now, I only visit for research about which Book Offs should be visited and which not. I don't which this district was still Shinjuku, at least I just eastwards from the Kinokuniya. It's a small one with only one floor, but this floor is full of high cupboards, even too high for me to take the upper books, small japanese women won't have a chance to reach these books.
I rate 3/5 STARS.

Now I was only going to make 2 small films in front of the Metropolitan Government Building and one infront of the LOVE Sight in front of the Hilton Hotel.

There's not much to say about these things, the MGB was the highest buildingin Tokyo before the Skytree was built, if you have to choose, which building to use for a skyline picture, Tokyo Tower, Skytree or MGB, choose the MGB, it's the cheapest and the other two can both only be seen from there.

I don't know, why the LOVE sculpture exists, maybe in public life there's not that much love shared, I don't know, I mean in New York next to the Rockefeller Plaza there is one, too, maybe Tokyo just wanted to get even.. XD

That's all for now, I'll rest a bit and will try to change and also prepare my bio rhythm for my flight back and for my visit of the Tsukiji Fish Market tomorrow or the one day later.

Completing the lists

Today I skipped breakfast - I was tired, so I slept a bit longer.

I left the hotel for Shibuya to go for the game guide for Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional, which I didn't find during the last days or at least only in a very bad shape for almost the full price.

But today I was lucky, I instantly found it in the Maruzen Book Store next to H&M in Shibuya.

Because of getting up so late and skipping breakfast I was kinda hungry, so I went to Freshness Burger afterwards, the Freshness Burger tasted almost like the Mos Burger, especially the sauce seemed similar.

Beeing in Shibuya, a short stop at the Book Off and the Mandarake is always possible.

On my way to Kinokuniya, which is located at the 5th floor of the Tokyu Plaza, opposite the JR station, I walked by the Shibuya 109 Building, where a huge Monster Energy Drink Promotion was held, it kinda tastes like children's tooth paste.

At Kinokuniya I found the last 2 artbooks from my list, the artbooks for Devil May cry (1-4) and the latest Devil May Cry Game. I also saw a 5x5x5 Rubik Cube, which I won't buy before finishing the 4x4x4, they offered a guide for it. too.

Asking for an english Rubik Cube Guide made me "torture" 3 workers there, the first one was a sales representative, who was arranging his products in the shop, he actually was no worker from Kinokuniya, but at the first moment he seemed like one, so I asked him, he then rushed away, trying to help me, I felt bad, because while he was gone, I remembered, that he had no name tag or so and that he seemed to be a sales representative and no worker, I felt ashamed, but then he arrived with 2 persons, one for translation and the other one for the question: DO YOU HAVE AN ENGLISH RUBIK CUBE GUIDE, TOO?
Yes, Rubik Cube is here - he pointed at the cubes they sold, but was instantly stopped, because this answer didn't match to the question, both hushed away, meanwhile I kinda started to understand the pictographic instructions. I also bowed to the sales agent thanking him for his help, the problem is, in Japan, when you bow they rebow, and when you rerebow, and infinite "CIRCLE OF BOWING" is created, which almost happened.

Then the woman came back trying to explain "SOLD OUT, NO STOCK" or so with her hands, I offered the phrase: Sold Out? - She nodded at me.

To finish the day, I had a coffee at Excelior Caffe and went back to the hotel.

My item list is finally completed now, the sight seeing list has some yet open bullets, which I can hopefully close within the next 4 days. (Tsukiji Fish Market, Square Enix Cafe and some other spots to film)

A full Schedule and everything done on time

Today I woke up very early, compared to the last days, because i had a full schedule - driving to Oshiage (Skytree) - taking pictures there - walking back to Asakusa, especially the Kaminarimon-Gate - walking along the promenade and take pictures - heading for the kappabashi area, where plastic replica food is sold - crossing the Inaricho Book Off - walking on for Ueno Station - visiting Ueno Boof Off - heading back to the station - driving until Jimbocho, the book sellers distrtict - and get home after this.

These were the plannings for today, and I was able to accomplish them all.

With the Hanzomon Subway I got to Oshiage directly, and when I left the station, I was in the basement of the Skytree and its mall.

I was only taking some pictures, because I had visited the observation deck, last year already.

Tagged KFC Colonel

Pretty small compared to the Skytree

After heading back to Asakusa and arriving at the Kaminarimon-Gate, which is "protected" by two giant Kami (Shinto-Gods) statues, Fu-Jin and Rai-Jin, I directly went into the promenade after taking pictures.

The Nakamise-Dori has many shops with typical japanese food, gifts ond other stuff, it's leading to the Hozo-Mon-Gate and the Main Hall of the  Senso-ji Temple.

There was also the Insence Burner, surrounded by many people, where "holy smoke" came out.

After finishing the whole area I went to MOS BURGER and ate a Mos Burger, delicious, really very good, you should definitely eat there if you are in Japan.

Then I went on on for plastic food.

The Kappabashi-Dori was kinda hard to find, even with my Map App, which perfectly helped me in many situations already.

This street is famous for restaurant utensils, one shop after another sells pans, tables, dishes and so on, but I was searching for the plastic food replicas. I visited 5 shops, I also couldn't see any more, which offered this "food". I hoped to buy a steak or a beer, but it's very expensive, one steak replica for 3.600 Yen (32 €), one beer including the glass for 4.500-9.600 Yen, even small Sushi parts for 1.200, so I didn't buy any of them.

Tanukis near to Kappabashi-Dori

When I left this street in the southern exit, taking the Asakusa-Dori westwards for Ueno, I discovered the Book Off of Inaricho, it had 2 floors, 1F and B1F, just a small range of product, a small shop, even although there were 2 floors.

I rate 2/5 STARS, only because the prices for the games were OK, so this store is no Must-Visit-Book Off.

After arriving at Ueno station I headed directly for the Book Off, the prices and the articles were as good, as I remembered, so I bought 2 games for 950 Yen each game - in Shibuya these games were offered for 1.980 Yen per game.

I went into Yodobashi Camera for short because I was searching for the Game Guide for Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional, too bad, they didn't have it, hopefully I will gather it tomorrow in the Shibuya Maruzen.

After Ueno, there was only Jimbocho left.

Some shops offered old and rare books, but I was interested in newer books, So I visited the Books Sanseido and the Shosen Grande after having a Caramel Macchiato with extra cinnamon. If you are into old and new japanese books, this district must be visited.

That was my last item on my schedule, so I went back to the hotel after that - stopped at 7 Eleven for Melon Bread - arriving at 8:30 PM.

Tomorrow it's time to visit the Maruzen in Shibuya again, I need this guide and maybe the Artbook of Devil May Cry 1-4.

I hope you'll read me tomorrow again, Bye bye.

Changing plans

Today the visit of Asakusa was scheduled, BUT.. the weather was windy, not very sunny and it seems like rain would start every second - btw, it didn't rain the whole day, but how could I know - so I would have been unable to take good pictures of the Kaminarimon-Gate, the shrine and the area overall, so I decided to go to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which is only approx. 500m away from my hotel.

It was very interesting. Especially that groups, who are going to visit this "sight" seem to be usual there, every member of the group that came right before me was wearing a suit, so I felt kinda underdressed.

There was also a small museum about the history of the stock exchange.

After that, I was able to see the area where the economical "magic" happenes. There was no magic actually, nobody running around screaming buy, buy, sell, sell (in japanese), somebody seemed like almost sleeping.

As my main plannings are almost done, there's only Asakusa - not possible today - and the Tsukiji Fish Market left, but some Book Offs that I didn't yet visit and some I'd like to revisit, so I chose Ikebukuru and Kichijoji.

Too bad i didn't find anything in Ikebukuro this time. After the Book Off I went to a restaurant to  eat something, I had a burger, it was really very tasty.

To get to Kichijoji I had to use the JR Yamanote-Line to get to Shinjuku, there I changed for the Chuo-Line.

I knew this connection already because I used this lines everyday doing my last Japan vacations.

At the Book Off the prices were medium, I bought Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Professional, which I was searching for very long already, so I'm happy to have it now, the Book Off itself was a very good own, but because of the higher prices than normal I rate 4/5 STARS, although they had DQMJ2P.

After a coffee at the Excelsior Cafe I went home using the JR-Chuo-Line until Ogikubo and changed there for the Morunouchi Metro Line, that was cheaper than using the JR until Shinjuku and changing there.

I got up late today, so that was all I did today.

Hopefully the weather will be good enough tomorrow to go to Asakusa and Jimbocho, Booksellers district.

Stay tuned and good Night