Sunshine City Ikebukuro

Today we went to Ikebukuro.

We took the Hanzomon line until Otemachi and then the Marunouchi until Ikebukuro.

In Ikebukuro we went to the Book Off - Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen Guide Book and MonHun4 Guide Book.

After that we went to the Sunshine City and the observatory Sunshine 60 - 620 Yen to have a view over the city.

We had diner at Subway..., still can't compete with the ones in Germany or the US, they also don't have bbq sauce... and it's expensive.


Next to the Sunshine City, there's a small "park", where many cats ran around and the first spot we were, where cicadas were heard, we found some on the ground and in the trees.

In this area there's also a Mandarake - which offered only(?) Shojo-Interest stuff (for girls) - an Animate - many cosplay stuff and photo shooting areas, for members only(?) - and a K-Books store.

After visiting these shops we wanted to return to the station but sorounded the hole sunshine city complex, because we entered it via an underground way.

When back at the station we took the Fukutoshin line until Shibuya.
In Shibuya we "met" Hachiko (Exit 8), filmed the crowd at the crossing, went to the Book Off, which was closed because of renovation. The Mandarake is still the same there, also the Labi. We though about having supper at Lockup, but went home, to dine there later with all the others, when they arrive (WED).

We had Soba and Tempura in Suitengumae - I also had Sake, tasty, very tasty - I guess we will eat there again.

That's all for now, tomorrow it's time for the Reitaisai in Kamakura.

New trophies:

Eat Soba
Meet Hachiko (Statue)
Drink original japanese Sake
Eat Tempura
Cicada-Earplug - find a cicada

Expect the unexpected... and join in!

Today we went to Nakano for Nakano Broadway, after that Shinjuku was planned, at the beginning we wanted to go to Shinjuku first, great we didn't.

We bought a 1-Day-Metro-Ticket for 710Yen.

We used the Hanzomon Line until Kudanshita and from there we went on by the Tozai Subway Line to get to Nakano to see the Nakano Broadway, where many hobby and figure shops are located, e.g. Mandarake, there's one in Akiba and Shibuya, too.

When we entered the passage before the broadway, I noticed, that I forgot my SD-card in my laptop back in the hotel..., so I bought one directly in the first shop.

After a few meters we noticed a crowd of people and a portable shrine - MATSURI - they were preparing for a matsuri, it's a festival where very often portable shrines are carried through the area for the whole day - the shrine symbolizes a God / Kami. There are different reasons for this festivals, luck, a good harvest and others things.

The group we saw was preparing to start at 12:15, I asked some of them to explain what was going on there, I also asked 3 kids, who didn't know any english, I felt bad about asking them. One man that I asked was screaming around, who can talk english to me.



After going on, we reached the Nakano Broadway mall and saw and heard one already carried shrine, they matsuri had already started. When they made a short stop at the center and I made some pictured, one guy came over to me, told me a bit about the matsuri and so on, they also gave us beer, it was a great feeling, like talking to an old friend. He then introduced me a French girl, who also participated in the Matsuri. When I asked her how easy it is to be part of the matsuri, carriing the shrine, and everything else, they asked me, if I wanted to be part of it and join in, I DID! They lended me one of their cloths so I could join in.

The shrine is around 600kg and carried by 12 and more people, so it was my time to show my guts, when their break was over - I was part of the matsuri, we carried the shrine around the passage up to the station and into the passage again - pretty hard work but funny, I enjoyed the team spririt and adrenalin that was in the air. In the middle of the way, they gave a break, but got me again into the front part until I was in the first row, shocking but awesome.

When they stopped they gave me a miso soup and an onigiri and Ocha tea. It felt so great to be part of it. We've been talking a bit, the French girl told me, that she was doing an internship and working in a bar - I guess Royal Bar or so, we will get there within the next days. They also gave the headband as a present of the matsuri. Later some taiko drums played and all were in a good mood. An elderly lady asked me, if I took part, too and I was proud to say yes, she was happy about so as I.

After giving back the cloths We went to our planned target of the day, the Nakano broadway. Many small shops with everything hobby, figures, manga, anime, old film posters (we saw an old German Monster movie Poster), toys, games and many other things. After a while my cameras battery pack was empty - making all the photos and videos was exhausting for my cam. As we had a 1-day-ticket, we went back to the hotel to get the other battery pack and went to Shinjuku afterwards.

There we went to the Metropolitan Government Office by passing Shinjukus underground plaza.
Too bad that it was Sunday, so we were unable to use the observatory. We went to the hilton hotel, made some pictures and went back to the station, we saw some street artists there, also a magician.

After reaching the East part of Shinjuku we visited a Book Off - bought Dragon Quest Monster 2(?) for 3DS - and had diner afterwards. We enjoyed Udon - Wheat noodles. I also asked, weather the restaurant workers can recommend a bar, which offers nomihodai (all-you-can-drink) - they didn't have a favorite, but said, that in the area of Kabukicho some bars offer nomihodai.

After walking around we finally headed back to the hotel.

So, they second is over and as it is 9:58 AM we will head to Ikebukuro now.

Trophies earned:

Eat Udon
Discover LOVE - the sign next to the Hilton hotel
Eat Onigiri

Bonus: Find and join in a Matsuri

Tokyo - SEASON IV

It's finally here, after a decade - it felt like this - of preparations, the Tokyo vacation is finally here.

I'm here with a collegue for 3 weeks.

Yesterday our shift ended at 6PM - luckily we were able to change our shift, else it would have been until 8PM.

We packed our last stuff - I was about to use my new trecking backpack, but while filling it I realized, the volume is too small for the planned trip, so I used my "already retired" suit case.

I was ready for sleep at 9:45 PM - I finally slept at ~10:40 PM and got up at 3:30 AM - short night.

We went by train to our local airport, too bad we couldn't check-in online the night before, so we had to do it there, only a few seats left to choose, but we got 2 seats a side. We've been unexpected fast, because we were well prepared, so we had our board cards, our baggage dropped off and the security check in less than 20 min, still 2 hours left before starting to Vienna.

The time went by and we arived at Vienna @ ~9:20AM - transfer checkin was done very quickly, so we've been at our gate G 03 at round about 10AM - 3 hours to go until lifting off for Tokyo.

We made some pictured, walked around a bit and yadayadayada 1:20 PM our flight started (that was scheduled, I guess we had a 10 min delay, because of some delayed passengers)

Almost 11 hours until Tokyo - I give you a sum up - almost missed the start (slept some minutes) - small salty snack - lunch (pasta with mushrooms or rise with burger and carrots - took the burger, was OK) - Movie 1 "Irre sind männlich" - funny one about relations problems - Movie 2 "GODZILLA" (the new one of 2014 withe the MUTOs) - was good, co-produced by TOHO studios, which made the old movies, too - some hours of sleep (I guess 2 or so - overall I had 4,,maybe less, thanks to my ostrich pillow I could sleep) - started Movie 3 "title unknown - the one with Cameron Diaz and the other 2 women, who were cheated by one guy.. or so" - the other Woman maybe(?) - unable to finish it, because breakfast was served and soon afterwards we arrived at Tokyo Narita.

I planned or calculated 1,5 hours for entering the country - immigration, baggage pickup, customs..., after 40 min we were done with all of it got our Narita Express tickets, there was a special offer for foreign visitors, 1500 until Tokyo, that's a discount of more than 50%, awesome.






The train started at 8:50AM and we arrived Tokyo Central at 9:52.

Only a few minutes away from our hotel, Maronouchi Line until Otemachi, changed into the Hanzomon Line - left the METRO at Suitengumae - 170 YEN - my old SUICA card from 2012 still worked (649 Yen were left), had to be unlocked, but worked perfectly afterwards.

From Tokyo central until the hotel we only needed 10-12 min.

We got to Villa Fontaine Nihombashi - checkin not before 3 PM, so we dropped our luggage and went to Akihabara - btw, the temperature is 27°C and more, got off my sweater almost instantly after landing in Narita.

To get to Akiba, we went to the Ningyocho station (5min walk) and went 2 stations by Metro with the Hibiya line.

We visited the Shosen Book Tower, went to the Book Off - got Mountain Dew (they are rarely here) - inspected a Hobby figure shop and ran into the Mandarake - an Austrian had asked me in the Shosen Book Tower, where to get preowned figures, got my "Map with me Pro" App and showed him how to get to Mandarake.

After all of that we were kinda hungry, and also very tired, so Yodobashi Akiba, especially the food court, was our next target. Before eating we were in the toy and games section, I asked a poor worker for a MonHun figure, Converstaion: Do you have this figure set - NEIN - Nine? - *Calender - Sept.* - So it's released in September? - eto... (hoping I would go away)  - So it's sold out or will it be released in September, or is it already released but only temporarily sold out? - *short silence*, Nine, in September... - OK, thank you..., he ran as fast as possible to avaoid further questions.

my collegue searched something of "my friend Tottoro..(?)", we only found some puzzles ourselves, so we asked a female worker, she ran through the shelfs, like a gazelle, she tried to escape but we followed her, nothing to find, everything, as you can guess, SOLD OUT.

We then went to the food court - Chabuton, as every year, Choyu Ramen and Gyoza.

TODAY SMASH BROTHERS WAS RELEASED for 3DS - bought.

After that we went to the Hobby Off next to Yodobashi Akiba and returned to the hotel afterwards.
We finally checked in and relaxed a bit... we wanted to rest for 30 Min, these 30 min became 4 hours... after getting up agai (9:20PM) we ate at Curry House CoCo - hased beef with 400g rice and camps.

Finally we went to Seven 11 and Lawson to buy something to drink.

Day ONE is over now.

As we have a Trophy list for the whole trip, we acclompiched some achievments:

Eat Ramen
Eat Curry
Meat another Gaijin (Non-Japanese Person)
Buy a drink @ a vending machine
Go by JR - N'EX
Go by METRO - Hibiya-Line and others

See you tomorrow.

Transport in Tokyo - JR

To get from one place to another is very easy - by JR-Japan Railway (Train) or METRO (Subway).

The schedule of the lines is almost perfect, their average delay per year are only a few seconds, awesome. But's that's necessary, especially in the rush hours at the Shinjuku station (2 Million passengers a day)

I only want to give you a short cockpit view of the Yamanote, one of the best or maybe the best known JR line of Tokyo, it stops at stations like Shibuya, Harajuku, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Shjinjuku, Tokyo (Central), Hamamatsucho (Pokémon Center) and some others in the south of Tokyo.

Maybe I'll make a longer version when I'm there again, but for now, enjoy almost 3 minutes of the JR Yamanote line... and me being quiet.
 
I'll go on relaxing by hearing Bowie's Space Oddity now. - BTW: You have to watch "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, it's wonderful - C ya!

GERMANY GOT THE 4th STAR!!!

Germany got the 4th STAR!!!
We are the Champions!!!!!!!!

GERMANY WON THE SOCCER/FOOTBALL FINALS

YEAHHHH!!!!! 

Time to celebrate!!!