A Banana in Japan - part 1
Hey hey! It was about time that I talk about my Japan experience. And, oh boy, I have a lot to tell you!
- “Again with your stories nobody cares about?“
What a negative fellow you are… See, if somebody is reading that article, it‘s because they want to know more about the Land of the Rising Sun, right? Fu fu fu… My power of darkness tells me you want some insight about the source of Anime, manga, chuunibyou, etc… So, here we go… BLOODY LA VIE EN ROSE!!!
(This emote (yes, this is originally an emote (for my twitch channel)) was made by Kinkin, follow him here: https://twitter.com/Kinkin59771201 And thank you Kinkin! =p)
- “I think we lost him…”
So, fasten your seat belts, and get ready for the lift off… Day 0 (1st of September) started at home for me, at around 7am after some 3 hours sleep. Why, you could ask? Simple. The best way to sleep in an airplane is to be sleepy… … …
- “No shit Sherlock! Did you find this yourself?“
Guys, don’t get mislead by this negative fellow, I’m sure he means no harm, he’s just a bit salty that I beat him to Street fighter 6 all night long till 4am… Plane at 11:40 am, so, let’s not waste time! Direction Charles de Gaulle airport! And when I arrived near the gate to the plane, that’s when I realized… That I forgot my micro sd card for my gopro… So, I had to buy one… (two, at that, and they came in handy) And so I did (-90€… Why is it so expensive to get disk space?)
Fast forward some 15 hours later… And here I am Japan! Wait for me Tokyo! Day 1 starts now! … The private transport that will bring me to my hotel will wait until 9:15 am (local time), it is 8:12, everything should be fine, right?
- “Let me guess…”
WROOOONG!!! 8:30-ish, that’s when we finally start disembarking, then the queue for immigration checks (I’m a poor lonesome cowboy, I’m a long long way from hooooome!), 8:50-ish, all clear, now I need my luggage… And… Yeah, I’m usually not stressed, but here I felt uneasy… Luckily for me, 9:10 I get my luggage, 9:14, I get out of Narita Airport and I find the guy who will drive me to my hotel! Just in time!
- “Would have been fun to see you miss the private transport!”
(The salt in this man is real!)
So, after a ride across Tokyo’s eastern suburb, I get dropped in front of the hotel I’ll be staying for the next 3 nights: the Sakura Sky Hotel (Sakura 桜スカイホテル - 4 Chome-9-3 Kotobashi, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0022, Japon). I’m told that the check-in is at 3pm, and I also get the most useful item for my trip: a wifi pocket!! Yaaay! Now I can browse the internet without destroying my phone subscription! (which I already did in the plane to text my family to say “hey, I’m alive!”)
Since it is around 10am, I guess I have time to go to the Holy Land for anime fans… Namely, Akihabaraaaaaa!!! And… Ok, do you know what I also forgot? A big hint, it has to do with the phone, and any electronic device at that…
- “Oh no, mister smol brain forgot an adapter! Poor him, he’ll be stuck without any way to recharge his phone…“
Yes… But, actually, no! Because in the holy district of Akiba, you have the best ever store in existence in this kind of situation: Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba!!! Yes yes yes!!! And with that problem solved!
But, then, serious topics arouse… I need… FOOOOOOD!! And so, I go to a family restaurant called Jonathan’s Akihabara! There, I order my first meal in Japan since my arrival. This, my friends, you might remember, cause I already showed that photo to everyone, BUT I have to share it once again: here is the Hamburg Steak set, with it’s sausage, some vegetables, a nice sauce, rice, miso soup and… A little bonus, because I really wanted that since forever: a tenpura! エビは最強! (Shrimp is the best!!) And don’t know how I lived without you, fried shrimp!
Now that my HPs are restaured, I can continue exploring Akiba… Well, it was more wandering in the around, trying to spot nice shops for when I’ll buy souvenirs for my friends, and my family.
(Also, spoiler alert, but… I made a real short story about my adapter… Reality was that I actually searched for longer than that, sorry not sorry? Tehe!)
- “SO YOU LIED TO US!! HOW DARE YOU!!“
Fast forward until 2:30pm, and it is time to go back to the hotel. So, I take the train using my trusty suica! What’s a suica, you might ask?
- “Everybody knows it’s the card that you can put money on and basically pay for anything…“
… Why do you always spoil the fun like this? Plus, not everybody knows that! Raise your hand those who didn’t know! … See?
So, yeah, you can pay for almost anything:
items at the konbini (convinience store)
train fare
drinks at the vending machine
Anything you’d need on a daily basis. Plus, you can keep it for a loooong time (it only gets deactivated after 5 years unused). And so, back from Akihabara station to Kinshichou station! And so I check-in, and I get to chill… In my room, with the AC… Ah, thank you person who invented AC! Yeah, because, it’s the 2nd of Septembre, and it’s HOOOOOOOOT as hell… Well, 32°C… With a lot of humidity, a killer combo. No need to tell you that sweat was unavoidable everyday…
Now comes the night! And… Obviously… Dinner… Where can I go? Well well well… I spotted a nice katsudon place near the station, so… Let’s go! What is katsudon, you might ask? Well…
On the right, Toyama Kasumi, speaking a language that is known only to her: Kasumese… On the left, Ichigaya Arisa, she got forced to understant Kasumese in order to interact with Kasumi… If you want more, play Bang Dream! Girls Band Party! =p
Exactly that: a fried pork cutlet! So crinkly and drippy and I could nom and nom and nom!!
And so, with my stomach filled, it is time to go back to my room, take a shower to remove the sweat, and… Watch TV!!! Yes! They have Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, and more, but the 2 I just named are the one I need for… Erm… Anime research purpose…
And with that, Day 1 ends, and I need a good night of rest (both in the narration, and right now), Day 2 will be exploration arc with a tour guide!
Stay tuned for more adventures in Tokyo!!
The crossroad in front of Kinshichou station… This place is going to be my secret base to get dinner…
