We are here!!! Japan-Land :D

[sleepyhead]

Well it'll depend on how much money I have and how much they cost over there and also how much time I spend in those type of shops lol. There are quite a few models I wanna get such as Strike Noir, Strike IWSP (sp?), Ver2 Zeta Gundam and maybe Akatsuki Gundam too. I'm not fond of the special effects/finish ones though and find them uglier than the MG 1/100 versions too.

If figures are cheap enough then maybe I'll be swayed towards them.

Just started reading the Ga-Rei manga again and I'm finding myself loving it haha. Hate how I always have to wait so long for the next chapter of manga that I forget to ever read it again :/

Hmm, I found I prefered the RX-0 Unicorn Ver. Ka. in Titanium Finish to be much better than the non-titanium finish. I found that kit for 5000-5400 yen. The 1/100 MG of Exia (both in broken and repaired version) was only around 3000 yen. http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN960226 Wow, discontinued...I bought that kit for a friend. Should have got one for me too.

Anyhow, when you get to Japan, it's your holiday so do what you want to do. For me...I fell in love with Akihabara and went back like 4 times but I never planned on visiting it so many times, it just unfolded!

Figures are figures and as I've always said, if you love them then money isn't a major factor. Pop into second hand stores and look around, Terry found 2 limited edition figurine boxes. We both purchased one each...500 yen. Figurine is lovely, there is a manga in the box too. Bonus.

[Ulti]

500 yen? Now that's a lot more affordable than the £20-£100 I've seen.

[sleepyhead]

500 yen? Now that's a lot more affordable than the £20-£100 I've seen.

Like I said, was in a second hand shop. Plenty of figurines in shops like Volks that'll set you back £60-80 easily...and then there are the shops that specialise in specifics so you could pay like £8 for a specific Nendoroid Petite. Shop around if you want a good deal.

[TooNice]

Day 1 and 2: Hakone (100km outside Tokyo)

I did the classic tour around the area, taking the local train to Gora (stopping in between at the Open Air Museum) where you get a nice view of the momiji (red leaves) this time of the year, cable car to Souzan (more red leaves), ropeway to Togendai (stopping at Owakudani to get some boiled egg with shells blackened from the sulphur), sightseeing ship on Lake Ashi to Hakone-Machi where I walked to Moto-Hakone (passing by Checkpoint museum, Detached Palace Garden, and Ancient Cedar Avenue), then the bus back to the original train station. Okay, that was a ridiculously long 'sentence' but it was a long tour best done in two days (I originally planned only one day for it) unless you are willing to skip a few stops, and that's assuming you aren't done some long hiking possible along the way. I stayed the night in an old but affordable ryokan with an onsen.

Day 2: Ghibli museum and Odaiba
The Wiki does a better job than me at showing what the Ghibli museum Ghibli Museum is about (in short, it's about creating animations and you see a lot of Miyazaki's workplace etc.).

Odaiba is an artificial island, very high tech. But by the time we got there it was already quite late so we mainly had a walk in a shopping centre (with an artificial sky) and took the just viewed the place from the train (basically sat through every stop and back). Worth a revisit in the future.

Oh yeah, the place also has a 1:1 Gundam statue. I didn't see it, but I guess it might pique the attention of for some of you

Day 3: Akihabara
Well, in the morning I also scouted the Tokyo International Forum (concert venue) so that I don't get lost on the day, but as the building was closed, I quickly moved on.

After standing outside and pondering for 10 minutes, I decided to give that Maid Café thing a go. It was an interesting experience (to be honest, I did feel like a weirdo for going there in the first place, but decided that it beat just standing there)

That was the one of two things I wanted to try, yet left Tokyo without the chance last time. The other thing being to taste the deadly Fugu.

[sleepyhead]

Day 1 and 2: Hakone (100km outside Tokyo)

I did the classic tour around the area, taking the local train to Gora (stopping in between at the Open Air Museum) where you get a nice view of the momiji (red leaves) this time of the year, cable car to Souzan (more red leaves), ropeway to Togendai (stopping at Owakudani to get some boiled egg with shells blackened from the sulphur), sightseeing ship on Lake Ashi to Hakone-Machi where I walked to Moto-Hakone (passing by Checkpoint museum, Detached Palace Garden, and Ancient Cedar Avenue), then the bus back to the original train station. Okay, that was a ridiculously long 'sentence' but it was a long tour best done in two days (I originally planned only one day for it) unless you are willing to skip a few stops, and that's assuming you aren't done some long hiking possible along the way. I stayed the night in an old but affordable ryokan with an onsen.

Sounds lovely But costly too.

Day 2: Ghibli museum and Odaiba
The Wiki does a better job than me at showing what the Ghibli museum Ghibli Museum is about (in short, it's about creating animations and you see a lot of Miyazaki's workplace etc.).

Odaiba is an artificial island, very high tech. But by the time we got there it was already quite late so we mainly had a walk in a shopping centre (with an artificial sky) and took the just viewed the place from the train (basically sat through every stop and back). Worth a revisit in the future.

Oh yeah, the place also has a 1:1 Gundam statue. I didn't see it, but I guess it might pique the attention of for some of you

LoL...Terry's Tokyo guide had Ghibli museum in Ginza...we were walking for ages looking for a non-existant place! I thought the Gundam was taken down after summer, besides we should have been able to see it from Mega Web Ferris Wheel. Odaiba is huge and lots to do, and the large Autobacs, I been told, is worth visiting.

Day 3: Akihabara
Well, in the morning I also scouted the Tokyo International Forum (concert venue) so that I don't get lost on the day, but as the building was closed, I quickly moved on.

After standing outside and pondering for 10 minutes, I decided to give that Maid Café thing a go. It was an interesting experience (to be honest, I did feel like a weirdo for going there in the first place, but decided that it beat just standing there)

That was the one of two things I wanted to try, yet left Tokyo without the chance last time. The other thing being to taste the deadly Fugu.

Good luck with Fugu; apparently it tastes quite bland. Don't tell me you went into the Maid Cafe solo?! Half the fun is dragging people in there and see them squirm or really get into it. I wouldn't do it solo...which maid cafe did you pop into? There are LOADS in Akihabara. Please PLEASE tell me you did some shopping in Akihabara or at least window shop...and play some video games in Club Sega and Taito...

[TooNice]

It's actually not that expensive. 5000 yen gets you a two days 'travel pass' which covers all necessary transportation. You'll need to add 870 yen each way if you want to get the 'Romance car' (more comfy and faster, though not really more romantic lol).

Ah, that would explain why I didn't see the statue. Did you guys already buy the ticket for the Ghibli museum at the time?

Yes I went to the Maid Café solo. It's far more nerve wrecking than it would be otherwise due to the absence of 'diffusion of responsibility' And yeah, I did walk around Akihabara but didn't go crazy. The thing is that this round, I didn't really come to Japan with any specific electronics to buy in mind so it was mainly window shopping. There are some things that are of interests, such as PSP+Gundam game, Wii Classic Pro Controller and Japanese games but this round, I am overall more interested in clothes.

[Kumagoro]

Have fugu when you go to Osaka. The famous place to have fugu is zuboraya. Its in doutonbori and it has the big
puffer lantern outside so you can't miss it. Taste wise it is nothing special, just white fish a bit
like rock eel/Usk.

[sleepyhead]

It's actually not that expensive. 5000 yen gets you a two days 'travel pass' which covers all necessary transportation. You'll need to add 870 yen each way if you want to get the 'Romance car' (more comfy and faster, though not really more romantic lol).

Ah, that would explain why I didn't see the statue. Did you guys already buy the ticket for the Ghibli museum at the time?

Yes I went to the Maid Café solo. It's far more nerve wrecking than it would be otherwise due to the absence of 'diffusion of responsibility' And yeah, I did walk around Akihabara but didn't go crazy. The thing is that this round, I didn't really come to Japan with any specific electronics to buy in mind so it was mainly window shopping. There are some things that are of interests, such as PSP+Gundam game, Wii Classic Pro Controller and Japanese games but this round, I am overall more interested in clothes.

Prices doesn't seem too bad! Something to look into in the 2011 trip.

Nope, we didn't get Ghiblie tickets.

I view Maid Cafes as social places, like a pub...but better....as it's more fun!

Hmm...never really thought about buying clothes in Japan other than the one t-shirt that read "super ecchi"

[Ulti]

Hmm...never really thought about buying clothes in Japan other than the one t-shirt that read "super ecchi"

Photo? Or did you already upload it? That t-shirt is pure win.

[sleepyhead]

Photo? Or did you already upload it? That t-shirt is pure win.

It was in Harajuku...and I kinda got distracted from actually buying it. I want to go back and get it.

[Ulti]

Oh I thought you bought it

[sleepyhead]

Oh I thought you bought it

I wish I did!!! I was supposed to...and then I got caught up visiting the Meiji Shrine, then the Au by KDDI building and the Toyota F1 car...

[TooNice]

Still here. In Japan, that is (Osaka right now to be precise). I've been doing so much that I've not had the time to go online (will have a *lot* to fill after I come back).

[Ulti]

JAL just filed for bankruptcy yet I was just about to book the tickets (planned to book at beginning or mid Feb as that's when I'll have enough money), looks like it's gonna be fine though from what I've read. I'm surprised at how much the share prices have fallen though, luckily as they're so large they can't be allowed to fail.

[sleepyhead]

ETIC are assisting JAL (government backed organisation). The entire board, apparently, has resigned. 15,600 jobs are going. Pensions cut. Flights still going.

In other words, this is similar to what AA and Delta went through (I believe both filed for bankruptcy) and Delta are in a position whereby they absorbed Northwest Airlines and are trying to "buy" JAL.

[TooNice]

Some routes are probably going to be cut, but I would expect that it's not something that we'll notice.
Not too surprisingly, at least one pensioner has expressed his displeasure with the executives. He's got his pension cut by 40%, while executives were taking large retirement bonuses even when JAL performed poorly: http://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/01/....ft/index.html