Monday 3 February 2014

Nippon trip 2014 - Day 2

Ahoy all, well having only just crawled out of bed and it being too early for my body to digest food I have decided to have a crack at entry number 2!  Woke up at around 7am and venture to a Lawson's for something to snack on, grabbed some microwaveable sausages which were surprisingly good!  Then spent a lot of time talking to my girlfriend (miss you loads too hun!)  before deciding I wanted to head out...

At 09:00 I venture out and realise a lot of places are not yet open, despite it being monday!  So never the less took advantage, home, shower and another cup of tea.  After this I headeed out to Akihabara for the first of two trips.  First involved me going back to the arcades and dropping some coins in the classic outruun 2SP.

I know it is cliche but this is just one of my favourite games, though I don't think much of the cabinet I found.  Steering wheel has very poor input, having go used to thrashing the car in any direction I want on x-box 360, this will take some getting used to!

Afterwards I went to Trio and spied a Fukumura Mizuki towel, having not got any of hers I instantly bought it.  Cost 2100 yen which felt a little above what I anticipated, but according to Ginarawr that is apparently a good price and the towel in question is quite sought after, cha-ching!

After this I went to Sho-sen bookstore as Oroboras requested I grab him a copy of thee C-ute Alo Helo photobook.  I have seen a lot of people online sometimes find themselves out of pocket due to fans who won't/don't pay easily so I have a policy of only buying for those I know will be pay.  Oroboras it is safe, I'll put a picture on FB for you later once I have the second item you wanted (Cheers again for instant overnight payment on that!)

Having come home and decoratedmy apartment I decided to veture into Nippori as I had stupidly forgotten to bring a toothbrush and toothpaste!  So I went into a drugs store I hadn't been before just to see what they had.  Grabbed supplies but then noticed at the bak they sold Alcohol!

Yes!  In Japan, a place where you can buy all sorts of medicinal drugs and cleaning stuff you can also buy alcohol!  Now you might think 'well you can do that in Tesco' and you'd be right, but it is the fact that this is pretty much a pharmacy, I doubt any sell drugs and alcohol in my home country!

Despite this, the biggest shock was the alcohol itself.  I noticed on sale Jim Beam white label for 1070 yenn, in sterling thaat is about £6.60!  This bottle was a 700ml bottle, in the UK you'd be lucky to get change fro £18 for that!  According to my mate Dean they were recently bought by Japanese company Suntory and thus massive discounts.  Possible but it is still distilled in the USA, so after import costs and so forth...  Not sure it is that cheap!

Anyway I didnt buy any as I am drinking beer whilst out here, after this I just chilled out for a while when Nino advised he was free and wanted to meet up  in Akiba and go Akihabara backstage pass.  Could not refuse!

So went down there, during my chill I had aquired an awesomely cheap photo album that is pocket sized and fits standard L photos, now I have something to store and display them in I will happily collect them.  Thus off to H!P store where  I acquired many Mizuki photocards.   Brief stop in Trio and I looked for Kikka photocards, only to see a huge sold out sign over it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Some little bugger saw me coming, if I find you!!!  Anyway didn't stop me buying some more Mizuki 2l's, hell why not?  I like her!

After this we ventured up to BSP and found the place quite quiet, turns out befor 5pm it is all dining and chat with the idols, then after 5 it is that and stage time.  Still it was nice  but my fave member Kaotan was not on shift!  I did get some photocards from Trio of her which was nice, but wanted to talk to her as she hilariously funny and not exactly one for adopting the cutesy image alll the time!  Shhe speaks fluent english and almost no one else in BSP does, one time whilst four members were on stage talking to each other and the crowd about stuff, she came to the table where Nino and I were sat and basically said "I wish they'd stop talking about such boring stuff!" XD

Still Nino's fave Marina was on shift much to his surprise and the pair of them had a fun attention duel, Marina also waved as soon as she saw me, obviously remembering me from last year and wished me happy new year as soon as she got the chance.  Another member called Ayano came over as Nino also likes her and they got talking, which drew the attention of A.D.Nagisa.

Nagisa is, to me, the idol that Kanon Suzuki in Morning Musume could be if she really applied herself.  Like Zukki, Nagisa is a lot bigger than the standards you would expect of an idol. Unlike Zukki, Nagisa not only carries it well in her look, but she also has the skill as a dancer and performer to make it not that noticeable.

Nagisa is also a damn good laugh, she asked where Nino and I had met which led to uss awkwardly mentioning we chatted online before we got talking about how we were aat Buono! in Paris.  Nagisa is an idol otaku so mentioning Buono! Got her doing an acapella version of 'Hatsukoi cider' on the spot for us, no complaints here!

She asked me who my fave member in Buono! Was, I answered with Momoko and she stared doing the whole 'pinky finger' thing, I replied by going 'yurushite nyan!' And Nagisa was demanding I do the hair thing for it!  XD  Not sure that would go down well with the audience but the idols found it funny, as did Nino!

We decided to leave literally two minutes before a stageshow started, but got to see a few glimpses and then out, we then rounded the night off with a couple of Moscow Mules in hub bar and began debating idols, school, work, unfairness of economic life, nuclear energy and cars...  curiously neither of us were drunk, fuck knows  what would happen then!

So on to today, all week I have been getting friends and family from the UK demanding strange flavoured Kit-kats, convenience stores haven't had them but Nino has shown me an article on Kotaku advising a Kit-kat store has opened in Ikebukuro, so I amgoing there to check this out. Until next time *sets sail*

Sunday 2 February 2014

Nippon 2014 trip day one!!

Ahoy to all of you, well I have a couple of brief video logs, but, and this is somewhat personl preference, I don't feel that I carry a video on my own of this sort. Thus, huzzah! The blog has been raised from the dead!

So 2nd February and I am in Japan, by god does it feel a million times different to summer! Last year when I disembarked from the train I felt as if I had stepped out off the frying pan and into the fire. Right now? LIke I have gone as far south as Crewe! Lol

Still that'd putting the cart before the horse, so to rewind, my trip began on 31 January at 20:30 UK time, though my bodyclock had been on japanese time so for me it was 05:30! After blazing through some hours on my Twitch broadcast for Forza Motorsport 4 I spent the night triple checking I had everything, then at 05:30 UK time I leapt in a cab to the airport.

On arrival I went to check in and it was not even 6am, this is usually waaaaaay too early if the flight is at 09:00, but no, the desk was accomodated, lady did check in and then on to security, by 06:20 I was through in the departure lounge! I have NEVER had it that easy!

So I had hours to kill which involved drinking Bombadier and calling my mother for a general life update. Once the plane wheeled up all seemd smooth but as the in flight service came by they had NO BEER! *Blows whistle* Instant penalty! I am aware that saturday is when England rugby team had a match in france, but you don't cease alcohol service for that! Unlike UK football fans, the rugby crew don't cause trouble.  Remember when I went to an away Sale Sharks game, we got absolutely thrashed by Bath rugby, but afterwards all we did was have some quiet beers. Still had to go dry!

Still landed in Charles Du Gaulle, security for hand luggage was battered but made it through without incident, when I realised that I had only brought my outwards flight information, most would think, and?  However, when filling out the landing card for Japan, it is in two parts.  One for your trip into Japan, and the other for the section they leave in your passport alongside the visa, and on this second part you need the flight number you are departing Japan on!

However, air France were very helpful and just printed a basic crib sheet with it all on, so onwards to Japan. Found myself on an aisle seat which I as thankful for.  Two reasons.  1) I am tall, so being able to plant a leg out into the aisle for extra space was very welcome, 2) I like to get up during the flight and walk along the aisle to stave off DVT!  There was a free seat on my row so able to get more comfortable, but, still could't sleep.

Flight was like any other long haul, very long!  Staved of boredom by watching The Wolverine which I still laugh at due to the silly location errors during the footchase from the funeral, along with the howler about Ueno having Southern going Shinkansens lol  Also watched Aki colourful character on my tablet, other than that little of interest to go over.

After landing cleared border inspection and was kept waiting a good 20 minutes for my baggage to be put through the belt.  When I got to customs though he asked why I was in japan, told him about the Kikka/Possi Possi girls gigss I am attending plus my mates that I am meeting, all this was fine but I made a severe blooper by putting my journey start as Paris, having seen my UK passport he was asking if I lived in France.  I explained that was when  started my trip to japan and the dude waved me through, could have been much more problematic!

Leapt onto the amazing Skyliner and was bound for Nippori as usual, strangely a foreign dude and his daughter were looking at me a lot during the journey.  What made this odd is that this girl had a MULLET I am talking worst of the 1980's, so how I commanded attention I don't know!

Got to my apartment and initially landlord was nowhere to be  seen but a couple of phonecalls later, followed by the passing of 25000 yen I was busy unpacking!  Once done I felt peckish and in need of getting out there, so ventured into Akihabara...  Where I was accosted by a cameraman to give an interview for TV about Japanese music...

Now I had been awake for a good 36 hours at this point so I did't half talk some shite, both in Japanese and English.  Dude asked me to sign a release form and it had 'music station' on it...  Trust me, if that airs, it will be trainwreck tv!  Someone send me a clip if it does lol

So now I am chilling with an Asahi and enjoying a quiet evening.  Well sunday night, take it easy now, and the rest of my vacaton will follow!  Until next time!!  *sets sail*