5 reasons the arcade industry continues to thrive in Japan...

I came to a sad, sad conclusion this weekend. One reached while getting the girlfriend's windshield wiper fixed in the Twin Cities. You see, near the place where we got said wiper fixed was a mall. In that mall was an arcade. Yes, an arcade. An ALADDIN'S CASTLE. A relic, a shining diamond in the rough, a reminder of the golden age, a time when for just a few shiny quarters, you could sample a piece of gaming technology lightyears beyond anything available on the home market. A place of socialization, competition, and exploration. This particular arcade was thriving only a few short months ago in December, and had everything from a Simpsons machine in perfect working order (yes, No Pants Kid, a SIMPSONS machine) to several Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 mini-cabinets. Most of these cabinets had for-sale signs stapled to them, though I didn't have a lot of time to browse. Upon returning this weekend, however, it was a mere shadow of its former glory. It was stripped of all its games except for a Tekken and King of Fighters NeoWave machine (both being played by a group of gothy high schoolers), a run-down DDR SuperNova taken over by tweens, several dozen ticket machines, the Simpsons machine (still in good working order), an Initial D cabinet (with a For Sale sticker attached - asking price of 5 grand), and a gutted In The Groove cabinet.

I hate to say it, but a part of me died with this arcade. It was one of the few last beacons of hope in my heart that perhaps there were a few last surviving outposts of the dying breed of entertainment center once known as the "mall arcade". Instead, it's gasping for its last few breaths, being crowded into obscurity by less desirable Chuck-E-Cheese style Ticket and Pizza centers and slightly more desirable Brunswick Zone and Gameworks psuedo-upscale entertainment centers... so the American arcade isn't QUITE dead - yet. However, distribution of new video games by major distributors has all but ceased, and aside from those damned ticket games (which I affectionately refer to as "kiddie gambling"), the only markets for video arcade machines are large entertainment centers (the above mentioned places like Gameworks). It has gotten so bad, in fact, that Gameworks is now IMPORTING some of their games directly from Japan. How do I know this? I've SEEN Japanese language games at both Chicago and Minneapolis locations, so this can't be an isolated phenomenon.

Sadly, the ticket machines actually make money, and even in Rochester, MN there is not one but TWO self proclaimed "arcades" with ticket machines out the ass. In fact, the only redeeming quality to either of these places is that one of them, a family owned buffet named "Gorilla's Family Amusements", somehow managed to buy a brand new Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova machine. Why they did this when they serve a BUFFET is beyond me... but the fact remains that they are the only place in town with a DDR machine, and a relatively cheap one at that. The other place, Leo's Pizza, is a sad Chuck-E-Cheese rip-off with decent pizza buffet specials for the adult lunch crowd (yes, really), but only one non-ticket machine: a two seat San Francisco Rush 2049 racing game - one side of which has a broken monitor.

In Japan it was a completely different story, as you may have seen from reading my entries. The arcade scene didn't only continue to exist there - it's thriving. The SF2 and MK era we had back in the 90's? It never ended. There are always new fighting games coming out, and new players striving to master them. The newest flavors of the week? Arcana Heart 2 (mentioned in my latest PS2 review), Tekken 6, Virtua Fighter 5, and Mobile Suit Gundam Vs. Gundam. But there are fighters from as far back as the Neo Geo era in most arcades...some even having original Street Fighter II boards - though there were no MK boards to be found.

Also popular: "card" games that require a player to collect sets of cards and play them on a scanning "board". These games combine luck and skill, and have different themes ranging from Mah-Jongg to Dragon Quest (I tried the Dragon Quest one - it wasn't much fun actually even though I managed to figure it out). Shoot-em-ups, like Gradius, are also popular, and look amazing running on new-gen hardware. I mentioned Otomedius in my blog, but there are others that look just as good, if not better, and there are people in Japan who devote their lives to becoming skilled at these games. Puzzle games such as Puyo Pop, arcade shooters like HotD or Silent Hill, and racing games like Initial D were also common in Japanese arcade. The "ticket" games I ranted about earlier only took up the bottom floor of most Japanese arcades, which on average spanned upwards of 4-5 floors.

So why the differences? I'd like to give 5 of the reasons I think that American arcades are in trouble, while Japanese arcades are thriving...

5.) Game variety. There are more kinds of games, and more of them, available in Japanese arcades as opposed to their North American "remnants". We've got the Neo Geo library (which includes shooters, fighters, and PUZZLE games like Bust a Move, which are great to play with the girlfriend, trust me), classic and modern fighters, shoot-em-ups, co-op beat-em-ups, co-op puzzle games, simulations, card games, beatmania, racers, etc... there's just so much more than the single Tekken and DDR machine in the corner surrounded by "kiddie gambling"...

4.) "Video games are for kids". This is a stigma that is COMPLETELY North American. Japan does not have this issue. There were people of all ages in the game centers overseas, and there were salarymen of all ages kicking all kinds of ass in Tekken. The problem arises from the notion during the Nintendo era that games were kids' toys. This problem permeates into the ratings issues we're having now as well, but that's an entirely different can of worms...

3.) Arcades are expensive. GameWorks and other entertainment centers are charging over $1.00 a pop per play for some of those games. For games like House of the Dead where a couple of lucky shots from a zombie can Game Over you in under a minute, you can't help but feel like that zombie also got a couple of lucky shots on your wallet...

2.) Console technology has caught up. The "wow factor" matters more to us. We can get the same experiences at home as we can in the arcades, and therefore we've stopped going. This phenomenon is beginning to hit Japan too, which is why we're beginning to see more delayed releases (note Tekken 6 still has no home release date despite having been in Japanese arcades since last year and we're not likely to see home release for SFIV until 2009 even though it's scheduled for arcades this August).

1.) Culture of online play. Japanese players have not grasped the full extent of online play. They prefer to gather in person to play games together (see: success of the Wii). Americans prefer anonymity of the internet. We're lazy bastards. (also the little 13-year-old who called you a f*g after you fragged him on Halo 3 probably wouldn't be talking that way if you beat him face-to-face in an arcade...).

Arcana Heart

Review 7: Arcana Heart - The first "new" hardcore fighter in ages is here courtesy of Atlus to make hardcore fighting fans everywhere question their manhood...




If there's one thing I learned about the Japanese gaming scene while visiting Japan, and it's something I expected all along, it's that fighters and shooters - two genres more or less completely dead in the States - are thriving there. One of the most popular new games in the game centers overseas was a loli-infested cutesy fighter called "Arcana Heart 2", which contained the most complicated battle system I'd EVER SEEN to this date in a 2D 1 on 1 fighting game. Every time I even attempted to play this game, I got my butt kicked -- HARD -- and I consider myself to be at least competent when it comes to fighting games. The precursor to that game, Arcana Heart, was released a year before on the PS2 in Japan. It came out this week here in the States courtesy of Atlus (thanks guys), and of course I couldn't pass on the opportunity to pick up the domestic version and actually spend some time digging in and learning how to play without getting my gaijin butt kicked by loli maids wielding buster swords controlled by gothy 17-ish Japanese otaku in the game centers... but I digress...

Like its sequel, Arcana Heart's looks can be very, very deceiving. It's an incredibly balanced, incredibly deep fighter with a lot of options and little room for mistakes.

But what's going to turn most "stereotypical" hardcore gamers off, is undoubtedly the look of the game. The box art alone pretty much guarantees about 5 copies of this game are going to be sold. All 11 fighters in the game are girls, and all are age 17 or under. Each one is an anime "moe" stereotype: you have the "demon girl", the "schoolgirl", the "maid", the "shrine maiden", the "ancient samurai chick", the "annoying brainy girl", the "annoying half-animal-half girl ninja", etc... Pretty much every stereotype from Chobits to Love Hina is accounted for in this game, so if those kinds of characters and graphics are your thing, you'll like what the game has to offer. The story itself is rather thin, and doesn't provide a lot of substance. Sound is in its original Japanese, so if you like cutesy JPop and anime voiceovers, you'll like what there is on display here. The graphics themselves are decently drawn and rendered to a quality that's near Guilty Gear in presentation, but lack of a 480p option hurts for those who don't have access to a PS3. However, it's still one of the prettier 2D games on the system. Graphics and sound are 100% arcade authentic, so it's hard to complain unless you don't like the style.

The complexity of the fighting system when compared to something like Guilty Gear (which is complex enough on its own) comes from two different elements: the Homing button and character duality - both of which are explained below. The Homing button is the cornerstone of chaining combos together in Arcana Heart, and allows the player to quickly zero in on an opponent from across the arena with a quick dash. The use of the Homing button also allows a player to perform Guard Cancels, Homing Cancels (think Roman Cancels in Guilty Gear) and special moves related to which Arcana is selected for a given character.

Which reminds me...the Arcana. The Arcana is the extra layer of complexity, the "character duality" I spoke about above. Although there are only 11 main fighters in the game, you are required to pick 1 of 11 different Arcana (elemental beasts) to link with your main fighter. Each Arcana, in turn, has its own set of special moves and super moves that can be performed with joystick motions in combination with the Homing button. Pressing all the attack buttons together will put your character into a special state that gives them special powers (such as boosted attack, defense, health regeneration, super meter regeneration, etc. depending on which arcana is selected) for a limited period of time. During that time, a super-special Arcana summon attack can be performed called an Arcana Break that can inflict MASSIVE damage on an opponent if it hits (this is similar to a Guilty Gear instant kill move). This combination of techniques pretty much makes up the core gameplay of Arcana Heart. It tends to be more difficult than most fighters, since you have to memorize two movelists: one for a fighter, and one for an Arcana.

(I told you it was complex)!

The PS2 version has very few extras, and contains a bare-bones story mode, versus mode, arcade mode, gallery, and options menu. A nice feature is the balancing added to the Japanese arcade release of Arcana Heart FULL! (released a few months after the original) is included on the disc and users are free to choose which version of each character they'd like to use. The only unlocks available are in the gallery, and after seeing the additional fighters and Arcana available in the currently Japanese arcade-only sequel Arcana Heart 2, this game feels a bit...lacking. However, that being said, it's still the most complex fighter on the market, despite its cute exterior, and will develop a larger hardcore tournament following in the States now that it has an official domestic release.

Rating System: Who needs stars and numbers? I'm all about the otaku emoticons!

*-* = Amazing
^-^ = Good
-_- = Fair
T_T = Poor


Graphics: ^-^
Do you like loli? Do you like fighting games? Do you like loli in fighting games? Seriously though, the graphics are pretty much on par with Guilty Gear, minus the 480p option. The only thing that I have to warn about is if you don't like the cutesy art style...well, you probably won't be buying this anyway. For the rest of you - the game looks like an interactive anime. There you go.

Sound: -_-
Cutesy anime-ish fighting game voices and sugary soundtrack. Pretty much par for the course here. But the singer of the main theme kind of....sucks :( Bummer.

Replayability: ^-^
Not a lot to unlock, but the fighting system is VERY complex, so there's a lot to learn. Mastering a single character and Arcana combination will take a long time, mastering multiple will take even longer. This is not a game you can learn in a single sitting, and some fighting purists may be turned off by the peculiar pacing of the game. It isn't as smooth as something like Guilty Gear, in that the movements of the characters are more deliberate, slower, and easier to punish mistakes (I believe this was a purposeful design decision to force use of the Homing button).

Downloadable Content: N/A
PS2 game. No DLC planned.

Fun Factor: -_-
A complex 2D fighter. If you have the patience, you can have a lot of fun here. Lack of online play stings, but it's PS2, what do you expect. Now, EXAMU, put the sequel on PS3!

Overall: ^-^
BREAK DOWN!

Phase 8: Memorial

The trip is starting to wind down, and honestly, as much as I love being here - vacationing here and living in some kind of Gaijin-in-Japan fairytale, I'm about ready to go home and return to "real life." However, I do have one more full day of exploring to do, so I might as well get to it.

My uncle invited me for breakfast with his collagues at 7AM, which I wanted to attend, if nothing else for networking. Plus it was going to be free, and a buffet, so how could I say no to that? One thing to keep in mind when traveling abroad - just because the buffet says a dish is "western style", and LOOKS like what it is you're used to seeing, doesn't mean it'll taste anything like what you're expecting. The yogurt had a stronger aftertaste than I was used to, so fortunately I had only used a little. The scrambled egg dish had a bizarre, lumpy consistency and a slight fishy taste - I think the cook may have added dashi (fish and kelp broth) to it. The bacon was an improvement from the Palace Hotel Tokyo's attempt, and was probably the closest thing to what I was actually expecting. They had a bunch of traditional Japanese breakfast dishes as well...various types of pickles (including umeboshi, which were SOUR), miso soup, grilled salmon (with the skin on - not a fan of the skin), rice, seaweed, and more. They also had iced coffee and orange juice. I love having access to bottomless cups of OJ, but I'm still missing my bottomless diet cokes that are ever-so-common in the States.

After breakfast, my uncle headed for his conference and I headed back to the room to get my bearings. I decided I was going to walk south on Flower Road and see where it takes me, since the Kobe website says it should lead directly to an amusement park and a bunch of other things worth seeing. On the way to the Flower Clock, which marked the halfway point between my hotel and the area I was trying to find, I stumbled across the first of several earthquake memorials. This one was a forested area containing a few artifacts and water features, and I managed to get some interesting pictures.




Continuing on my walk I passed the Kobe City Museum and ended up all the way down by the port of Kobe, in Meriken Park. There was more earthquake stuff here, along with a few other interesting sights worth photographing. It amazes me that this area was destroyed only 13 years ago. Honestly, you can't even tell anything happened here. I guess it's a testament to the people of this city that they have the capacity to not only recover, but improve their city, even as the victims of an exceptionally brutal natural disaster. Some of the memorials were awe-inspiring, and everywhere you turn there seems to be something else dedicated to the memory of those lives lost in the quake.



After spending some time exploring Meriken, I decided to about-face and head back toward the hotel. I needed to make a brief stop and besides, I was already tired, having walked for a couple hours without stopping in order to get to the port.

On my way back, I found Sannomiya Shrine, which sadly is closed on Thursdays, and the digital camera I was carrying conveniently decided to run out of juice. Backup batteries for the win!~



Strange place for a shrine, completely surrounded by urban sprawl. It did, however, seem exceptionally well-kept, all things considered. A few more blocks and I was back in the high-fashion mall from yesterday. I found a record store, and was lured in. I eventually ended up in the basement, which contained probably the largest collection of used games and movies I've seen here, and I found a used copy of Battle Stadium D.O.N. for less than the equivalent of $30. A bargain, considering most import websites charge upwards of $60 - not including shipping! YOINK!

I almost grabbed a copy of Para Para Paradise with controller, too, but the controller box is too big to fit in my suitcase. Sucks, because that was a good find. Of course, buying BS:DON has pushed me over the tarriff-free limit for imports. So I'll have to give some stuff to my uncle to claim so I don't have to pay tax on everything I'm bringing back. The dollar fell against the yen today again, so I'm thinking about paying for my hotel room in cash, buying a couple more things from TSUTAYA used games department, and then only converting over what's left. You don't use it, you lose it.

Now I'm back in the hotel. I'm hoping my uncle and his colleagues decide to go out later on, I've heard some interesting stories about their sake-induced karaoke skill. If we go, you can count on pictures. Lots of them.


Well, we had dinner, but no karaoke. We went to a Yakitori place, and man, was there some weird shit. I went Andrew Zimmern on the menu and tried: barely-cooked chicken pieces in a sesame salad, chicken hearts on a skewer (a little gamey :D), chicken intestines on a skewer, something called 'bardock' that is a kind of root or vegetable, and chicken livers and onions on a skewer. I know it all sounds kind of gross, but as for the "odd" chicken parts I can confirm the old saying, "it tastes just like chicken". It all tasted like BBQ chicken. The only real variant was the textures, which I could understand being a turnoff to some people. I thought the stuff was perfectly fine, but I would only get it at a respectable place, and definitely not off the street at some food stand. By choice though? I'd rather stick to the familiar parts of the chicken.

I also had a few beers, oysters, several kinds of tofu, and CALPIS soda and Japanese red bean paste cakes for dessert. What a way to end a perfect Japanese vacation.

My uncle's business colleagues were more than hospitable, and one wanted me to come back and help his kids learn English! I thought that was kind of funny. They're all really nice guys, though, I can understand why the Japanese business ethic is so strong.

One final note - my first impressions of the people of Kobe were completely wrong. They're actually quite a bit nicer than the people in Tokyo. Today I was asked whether I needed help when trying to plow through the kanji-laden order machine at a Tonkatsu place, and when checking out at a convenience store, a Japanese girl handed me a 50 yen coin while I was fumbling around looking for the correct change. She wouldn't accept a payback, either. My uncle's colleagues thought the situation was funny and took my picture on the spot. I just thought the whole thing was a nice gesture.

Tomorrow is travel hell, but I'm very much looking forward to getting home. As much as I've fallen in love with this country, it's like anything else. Good in moderation, bad in overkill.

Bai bai, Japan...see you next year, I hope!

Phase 7: Alienation

Today is the day we left Tokyo for Kobe on the bullet train. After making sure I was packed up, my uncle informed me that his colleague had made arrangements for the 10:03 Hikari train, which worked out just fine for me since the only trains my JR Pass won't allow me to board without paying a fare are the Nozomi Shinkansen. We took a taxi down to Tokyo Station, got coffee, and boarded the train.

The Shinkansen cars themselves remind me quite a bit of airplane cabins, albeit they are much more spatious. The seats are smaller, but I was able to fit into one without problems. I'd feel bad for anyone larger, though, because it would be very difficult for them. Fortunately for me, the train ride was filled with spectacular views of hills, towns, and Mt. Fuji, which I tried to capture on film but may have failed. Unfortunately for me, the only seats still available on the train (I SHOULD have saved a seat earlier) were in one of the two smoking cars. My eyes began burning before I even sat down, and the car soon filled up with burned-out retirees and Japanese salarymen hacking, coughing, and wheezing as they lit up their cigarettes. Ugh. This is absolutely disgusting. I can't wait to get off of this train. No amount of wonderful scenery is going to make up for the fact that my lungs are gasping for air. I'm actually starting to feel a bit lightheaded.



Only 5 more stops to go. Please hurry up Shinkansen, I feel like I'm getting lung cancer as I type this.

The train did empty out around Kyoto, which improved the quality of the air somewhat, but it was still toxic. I was never happier to deboard a vehicle in my entire life, even WITH the extra leg room, that toxic air almost did me in.

Now I'm in Kobe... looks a lot like Tokyo, but surrounded by nature. To compare: if Tokyo is New York, then Kobe is Seattle or Minneapolis (closer to Seattle due to the insane mountains and hills I can see right outside my hotel room). I'm going to go explore for a bit but make sure I'm back in time to eat dinner with my uncle and his colleagues. Socializing with native Japanese is fun. One thing I noticed but not quickly enough were the conversation lounges in Tokyo - apparently there are a few places that are free admission for native English speakers and give the Japanese a chance to practice on us. That would have been fun, I'll have to check that out next time I'm here. I also noticed, after washing up and changing clothes after that disgusting train ride, that my pants are beginning to fit looser. I think all of this walking and Japanese cuisine is starting to shrink my oversized American belly. YAY!~

Anyways, it seems my uncle dropped us right into the high-fashion district of Kobe. Everywhere I looked there were skinny-as-rails Japanese girls holding hands with Squall and Tidus wannabes, going into stores with names like OIOI and Narcissus. And I got a lot of stares. At first I assumed I stood out because I was ah...bigger, and taller, than most of the people there, but then I realized something else. NO OTHER GAIJIN. ANYWHERE. FUCK!

In Tokyo, just about everywhere I went, I noticed there were other foreigners around, so it made sense that the natives were used to seeing people not from Japan on a regular basis. Not here in Kobe. And apparently I was a magnet for attention for the people handing out free stuff. A few bags of the typical tissue, along with a kanji-filled piece of paper from an older Japanese guy that was yelling "Rucifer hates rogos!!!"

...?

This is going to be an interesting couple of days.

I found a gigantic mall not too far from my hotel, and went in. All high-fashion. Yeah. Except...I noticed a sign in a small, out-of-the-way corner advertising a game and manga shop. Thank GOD. On my way downstairs (yeah, it was hidden in the bowels, shunned by the "main denizens" of the mall), and on the way down hit the photo MOTHERLODE of my entire trip to Japan, check this out (and no, Laki and Kat, because I know one of you is gonna ask, I didn't go in to get a souvenir) :



One more floor down was a gigantic complex devoted to anime and video games. Aaaah. That's better. I'm home again. All that "cool culture" was beginning to make me feel as icky as I did on that Shinkansen. On the basement floor, there were also loads of mini prize dispensers, slot machines, and a huge table gaming area where the card game otaku are busy playing away at what I could assume is the Japanese equivalent of Star Trek or Magic: The Gathering. I couldn't make out what card game it was, but it looked unfamiliar and complicated, and there were a lot of guys in there.



I snatched up one last thing, something I couldn't find in Akihabara (still under the $400 limit, by some miracle), and returned to the hotel. I feel awkward out there, I think I'll rest here for awhile, wait for my uncle to come back from his exhibition, and enjoy my milky-white CALPIS soda. It tastes kind of like...well...Squirt citrus soda, with milk added. Don't know what's in it, and I don't really want to know, either. But it is refreshing after that long walk and train ride, and that's all that matters right now.

Phase 6: "Moe! Moe! Kyuuuuu~n!"

I knew what I wanted to do today the moment I woke up around 7 AM this morning. It was back to Akihabara one last time to re-visit the game centers, spend some $yen, and perhaps go for a couple more odd Japan-only experiences. The guys last night told me it was perfectly normal to go to a maid cafe by yourself, and I'll admit my curiosity was more than piqued. What exactly are these things, and why are they so popular in Akihabara? It was time to find out.

The second I left the hotel, it started raining. And not just drizzling... POURING. I got soaked in the time it took me to get from my hotel to Tokyo Station. Fortunately for me there were stands selling kasa (umbrellas) for about $10 each right below the train platforms. $10 might seem a lot for an umbrella, but these were good quality umbrellas.

Once arriving in Akiba, I made a beeline for one of the only restaurants open at the time, a tempura and korokke (potato croquet) stand. You ordered your food via a vending machine which would print a ticket, and then you would take the ticket to the cook, who produced your food a few minutes later. I ordered the krokke and soba set, which was quite good, and a lot of food for under $6. By the time I was done with brunch (since it was around 10:30 AM by now), the rain had become less severe and it was much easier to walk the streets of Akiba. The warm soba broth in my belly helped as well, I'm sure.



Scoped out the new and used game shops one more time to make sure I didn't miss anything I wanted, and ended up picking up one last import Wii game. This is mostly due to the fact that my shooter itch got woken up by playing too much Otomedius, and it needed to be scratched - badly. I noticed that Shikigami no Shiro 3 was just ported to the Wii and was on sale here, so I yoinked a copy. Sadly, I could only find it in one shop and the asking price was a bit over $50, but I figure I'll get enough use out of it to warrant the cost. There are over 10 playable characters and the game has a co-op mode as well. By now it was getting late - roughly noon - and I'd need to be back relatively soon to meet my uncle.

There was just one thing left to do to make my Akihabara experiences complete....... The maid cafe. Oh boy.



Now, normally I have major moral issues with things like this. I was VERY uncomfortable the single time I was dragged to a strip club during my fraternity days, not because of the fact that there were nude girls walking around, but because there were nude girls _selling themselves_ (not completely, but close enough) walking around. And the idea of paying someone for sexual attention (or any kind of personal attention) in some form really doesn't sit well with me at all. But given the fact that this was the last time I would be in Akihabara, and from what little I knew of maid cafes that the experience was not a perverted one, I took a deep breath and stepped inside...only to be immediately greeted by no less than 5 chirpy college-aged girls dressed in maid outfits saying (in Japanese):

"Okaerinasai, goshuujinsama!" ("Welcome home, my lord!")

I really don't know how to begin to describe this place. I'd have to say 20% 'attention sales' and 80% 'themed restaurant'. It really wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be, since it was not dirty and perverted - at least in the usual sense. Most of the clientele appeared to be around my age, and there were just as many girls as guys. Pictures were forbidden, of course, and each seat had an hour time limit (apparently some customers will sit and gawk at the waitresses without ordering stuff). They gave me a translator at first along with Kae, my designated waitress, and then realized soon after that they didn't need the translator, which was nice (for me) because I could finally get some conversation practice. Time for some fun. I asked which dessert was the tastiest and Kae recommended a fresh chocolate cupcake which was shaped like a rabbit. I also ordered an iced coffee, since this was a cafe after all.

The weirdest part of the whole thing is not their food menu, their mannerisms, or the loud j-pop playing in the background. The strangest part has to be their "extended services" menu. I can understand paying for a commemorative picture, that part doesn't bother me. What DID seem unusual is charging 500 yen to play a card game/board game against a maid. Weirder still...they're not allowed to accept tips even if they're offered - even though they charge for most kinds of personal attention. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

When a maid brings your food out, she "puts her love" into the dish with a cute dance and chant that varies depending on what you order. Generally consisting of hand signs and cute chirping of "nya~n", "pyun", and other onomotopeia along with a little bit of dancing, this was the most anime-like part of the whole experience, it was like BEING in one. I felt like I was dropped into a Chobits episode with about 10 real-life Chii. Not to say it wasn't weird. And no, I wouldn't want waitresses in the US doing things like this, only Japanese girls can pull this off and not seem completely strange in the process.

I had a commemorative picture taken with Kae for about 500 yen, a small price to pay for proof of my attendance at a maid cafe, and casually asked her about the meaning of "pyun" before I left. Apparently it's the sound a rabbit makes when moving its ears...interesting.

"Moe" (prononced MOH-ay, not like the Simpsons character) is the Japanese word describing the feeling a maid cafe is supposed to give you. Its meaning varies depending on who you ask. I'd translate it as the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from something you think is "cute". It's not a matter of being turned on in a sexual way - it's totally different from that, a different kind of "high". That's what a maid cafe is supposed to be about. Of course, some customers view it differently than others, and the original clientele for these kinds of places were otaku who didn't have much luck associating with women in the "real world". Now, however, it appears that they've gone much more mainstream. Regardless, it was quite the experience, one that I won't soon forget...

Phase 5: Rain

I knew the good weather was lasting a bit too long. Go figure. I woke up to a cloud-filled sky and a weather broadcast calling for light rain most of the day (amidst Ratchet and Clank PS3 ads, distributed amongst the weather map -- yes, really). Bummer about the rain. Ah, well. Aside from toughing it out for the walk to the station, most of my time today will be spent inside anyways.

So I hung around the hotel room until about 9:30, figuring most of the morning rush hour would have ended by then, making my commute to Electric Town Akihabara a bit less crowded than the last couple of times. My uncle gave me his MCI calling card information, so I was able to give Lisa a call before I left. It was good to hear her voice. I really miss her, and wish she could be here experiencing all of this with me. Then again, if she was, I probably wouldn't be writing huge blog entries about daily activities then, would I? No, not really. Hmm.

Anyways, the train was fast as usual, and dropped me off at Akihabara about 5-6 minutes after boarding. After leaving the station, which is becoming a routine by now, I noticed that - to my dismay - most of the stores were still closed! Apparently, store hours in Japan are a little different than those in the states, and most places don't open their doors until 11 AM or later. I had a bit of walking to do in the meantime...

Fortunately, there were a couple of places that opened sooner, one of them being the game center I scoped out earlier. I was one of the first ones in the door and the workers were still setting things up. That means there was me, an empty arcade, and a bunch of "no pictures allowed" signs but nobody to enforce them. >:D You know what that means... Enjoy!




I played a few games of Tekken 6 (not coming to the States), Arcana Heart 2 (the first one is just coming to PS2 in the States next week - the sequel's already out here), and Guilty Gear Accent Core... and got my ass kicked quite thoroughly. Little did I know that some of these machines were NETWORKED TO TEH INTARWEBZ and before I knew it, people were challenging me to online matches... -_- Needless to say, I didn't last very long... Sadly, the fighting game floors of the game center tended to get very smoky as they filled up with customers. Some of the games have designated "no smoking" seats, but that obviously doesn't help with the air around you. Each machine has an ashtray on it. Yuck.

Aside from the many fighting games, there were also quite a few shooting games as well. Not of the typical FPS variety (although there WAS a Half Life 2: Survivor machine), but side (or vertical) scrolling, bullet-hell shooters like Gradius and 1942. LOTS of them. On new hardware. One that piqued my interest was Otomedius, a side-scrolling shooter with a touch screen made by Konami, which I believe to be the latest in the Parodius series. You pick out a cute anime-chick (or buff anime dude), get on a rocket, and start shooting cartoon penguins, giant turtles, mechs, Egyptian sarcophagii, seals in clamshells, and more as the screen scrolls left to right. The difficulty curve is set up such that you can actually play for a few minutes without getting blown up, which is really nice when compared to other shooters in the genre. It was also graphically pleasing, and I'm hoping Konami decides to release it for the PS3 in Japan so I can import a copy. This was probably my favorite game I tried out today, and I visited two different game centers with an INCREDIBLE selection of games. The other game of note is the Dragon Quest Battle Monsters card game, which I was able to figure out how to play despite the fact that there were far too many kanji to understand what I was actually doing. I won both battles, and have a trophy card to prove it. Probably wouldn't play that game again though, as it's basically the worst parts of Pokemon (with real money) combined with timed button presses. If you don't have good cards, you can't win. It was still VERY cool to get to try it out, though, since it'll never, ever, ever come to the US.




After exiting the second game center, I looked around a few shops and picked up a couple of things. Interesting thing about Akihabara is that there are _A LOT_ of used software shops, and the prices actually tend to vary rather wildly. A DS game you see for full-price in one place may actually be significantly cheaper in another (and keep in mind, here the 'full price' for a DS game is upwards of 4500 yen, or $45+). Thus, I did some bargain shopping before picking anything up, but ended up giving in to the "BUYYYYY ITTTTT!" urge and yoinked 3 different games.

There were quite a few more that I almost picked up, but they were either difficult or impossible to play on our systems back home, and would only be for collecting purposes. Did you know a used, boxed copy of Chrono Trigger sells for less than $20 in Tokyo? Yeah, I didn't either. But it's in Japanese and can't be played on a US system. Same with Final Fantasy VI. The expensive games around here are either Neo-Geo (interesting), Sega Saturn, and (to a degree) Playstation 1 collector's editions. There were a few stores devoted solely to retro games, and I admit I almost picked up a dual NES/SNES player and a couple of compatible Japanese games. I resisted though, remembering I probably don't have enough room in my suitcase for a game system. Still no sign of Vii (sorry guys, I tried), though Wii's are actually fairly easy to come by around here. Cheaper than in the US, too.

Around 11:30 or so I started getting hungry. The Takoyaki (octopus dumpling) stand wasn't open yet, but there was a MOS Burger right across the street. Now, for those who don't know, MOS Burger is basically the Asian equivalent of McDonalds. They're EVERYWHERE. However, their menu is substantially more limited, their portions are smaller and a bit more expensive. I HAD to try this. I ordered a Teriyaki Burger (their specialty) and a small vanilla shake. A Japanese take on a classic American meal. The burger was a bit small, which was fine by me, and REALLY tasty. Usually I hate mayo, but it wasn't overkill on this burger and actually went really well with the teriyaki taste of the meat. Then again, it's also Japanese mayo, so it has a slightly different taste anyway. The shake was thick, less sugary than a McD or Arby's shake in the States, and very good. I'd almost make a special trip to Akiba tomorrow just to eat at MOS Burger again. And there are still so many other restaurants to try...



After more window shopping (and more buying T_T) I passed the Takoyaki stand one more time on my way to the train station, and ordered the octopus dumplings. They looked really yummy until the guy behind the counter doused them in mayo and "cheese".

I popped one in my mouth, expecting the worst....



It was actually tasty, except for the fact the filling was SCALDING HOT. The roof of my mouth, and part of my tongue were immediately burned. The shop didn't sell drinks, either! I ate the rest of the takoyaki once it cooled, and then hurried into the nearest building - a game center (yay), and quickly bought a Coke Zero. Aahhh...cold caffeine-y goodness, same as back home. This second game center was even larger than the first, and I spent quite a bit of time in here (and dumped more money than I'd probably like to admit into Otomedius), but was well-staffed so I couldn't take any pictures this time. I'm almost tempted to come back here AGAIN tomorrow before we leave for Kobe.

Afterwards I returned to the hotel via the train. I figured I'd hang around here until I'm supposed to meet the IBM Tokyo guys for dinner. My legs are still sore from walking the other day, and the weather isn't the best anyways... I'll post some pics from the dinner later on tonight.

Phase 4: Discovery

This wake-up-at-4AM thing is getting old. I'm pretty sure at this point that it has to be a side-effect of the jet lag and/or the fact that I'm probably still running high on adrenaline. I woke up early again today, missing the phone call last night because I had already passed out an hour before. Fortunately, there were no changes to the plan, and I managed to go back to sleep and wake up again around 8 AM - much more reasonable.

I met Kamijoh-san in the lobby at 10 AM, and we took the train to Akihabara. The first stop was Traders, the used game and DVD shop where I found the cheap copy of Disgaea 3 the day before. This time, I was looking for a pick-up for a friend...Osu! Tatakae!! Ouendan!!! 2. Since the title had changed and was actually a lot longer and more complicated, Kamijoh-san and I asked the clerk for help. We located the game, I bought it, and then we continued to walk through Akihabara. I found another game center - this one owned by Taito, apparently...and it was A LOT better than Club Sega. There were quite a few games I wanted to play here, including many that I didn't know existed yet, such as Arcana Heart 2. There were separate floors for shooting games, fighting games, mech games, ticket games, and card games. Ticket games are popular in Japan, but not nearly as popular as they are in the States -- where they've managed to suffocate the entire arcade industry. Not so here in Japan. Video games still rule the roost, and there's still a fierce competitive spirit among fighting game players (not unlike the US during the Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat heyday). Only bad thing was, I knew for a fact that if I were to challenge anyone in there, I'd get my ass kicked from here to Tienemen Square.

I played a round of DDR Supernova 2 (no pictures allowed in the game center, of course --- this is really starting to get old), but didn't want to make Kamijoh-san wait around for me too long, so I left after two songs. I played a round of Guilty Gear as well, but again, left before I died. The cheapest games in these arcades are 100 yen (about a buck) and the big monstrosities like House of the Dead 4 and Silent Hill Arcade are even more (2-300 yen). The most expensive game I saw was a Gundam simulator, which was 1200 yen ($12) per play. Ouch. Interestingly, the fighting games are set up such that each player gets their own screen, and faces the other player, like this:

p1-> (-_-) [machine1][machine2] (^_^) <-p2


And those machines are linked, so they play against each other. People can observe someone playing by watching the empty machine on the other side. If you're REALLY good, apparently you get your matches broadcast on the TVs located around the fighting game floors. I want to come back here tomorrow and waste some money... :) I also found a used game shop that carried a ton of boxed Famicom and Super Famicom games, and hybrid players that were also compatible with NES and SNES. I may go back to get one of these... On our way back to the train station, we came across a stand selling octopus dumplings. Now, I wasn't hungry at the time, but believe it or not I actually do want to try these things (most likely tomorrow). They looked good enough on TV, though my uncle says to be wary of smaller restaurants, lest you get food poisoning and become sick. Well, it's not unagi, so at the very least I won't have to find pants to fit over the POWAA if I do end up getting sick.

Next stop after Akihabara was Shinjuku, and Square-Enix. Now, I'd normally come here to see this on my own, but the truth is, this time I was on a mission. I wanted to pick up something special for the girl. After getting on the wrong train no less than 3 times (and this is WITH someone who knows Tokyo guiding me - yes it's that confusing), we got off at the right station. After maybe 20 more minutes of attempting to find the place, we get there. (Cue Final Fantasy victory theme)



Unfortunately for us, apparently the Northern Crater is located right below central Tokyo...



I was trying to find a stuffed Cactuar for the girlfriend, but sadly all they had were about 50,000 different varieties of slimes, chocobos, and tonberries. There was one huge cactuar, as big as my suitcase, selling for thousands and thousands of yen. As cool as it would be to bring that back for her...I'm thinking...no. There were some really cool exclusive T-shirts --- for $65 a piece. CRAP! So yeah, the S-E character showcase was actually a disappointment (the small museum being the only highlight), but I actually did end up finding something really cool for the girlfriend there, but obviously I can't spoil by posting it here.

We finished up our Tokyo tour at a place specializing in Yakitori and Oyakodonburi, located at the top floor of a 14-story mall in Shinjuku. Chicken dishes, for those unfamiliar with the names. Kamijoh-san lived in Shinjuku for years, and he sure knew how to pick the restaurant. The meal was 3 courses and was a little under $18. The only thing that sucks is ordering a coke costs around $3, is very small, with no free refills. The first time I go out to eat back in the states, I'm going to gulp down about 20 cups of coke...Which reminds me, I'm really fricking thirsty right now.

And with that, between the amount of walking I did yesterday and today, my legs feel like they're about to fall off, so I'm going to rest and watch some weird Japanese comedy shows... Maybe I'll head back to Akihabara later, but it depends on how I'm feeling at the time. I'm really fricking sore, so I'll probably take it easy tonight. Tomorrow I'm meeting the IBM Tokyo guys for dinner and drinks at a restaurant near the hotel. Hopefully I don't get drunken under the table -- apparently they do this often...

Phase 3: Blooming

Today started early - and when I mean early, I mean EARLY. 4AM early. And the strange thing is, I wasn't even tired when I woke up. I don't know whether this is a side-effect of the time difference, or something else entirely..but I honestly felt like I had a good night's sleep despite the early rising.

My uncle and I began walking towards Tsukiji - the largest open-air seafood market in the world. This is the place where most of the restaurant owners in Tokyo get their fish on a daily basis, so you KNOW it's good stuff. We never got lost, never got confused -- it was really, really straightforward (literally two streets, although the walk itself was a little over two miles). We could tell when we were getting close, because the city streets transformed into an open-air market selling everything from fish that was still alive to fresh vegetables. Most of the stuff was street food, but there were a few non-food stands selling books and other various cheap goods. Near the market we ran into a yummy-looking sushi menu that I had to snap a picture of. Little did I know that when I pulled my camera out of my pocket, my JR Pass went with it. After snapping the picture, we walked for another 5 minutes or so, stopping to take a picture of the fisherman's shrine right next to Tsukiji --- and then I noticed my $274 piece of plastic was missing...

"Shit!"

"What?"

"My pass is gone!"

"What pass?"

"My JR Pass!"

"SHIT!"

At that point, my uncle suggested doing a quick about-face and retracing our steps. It wasn't long before I saw something glimmering on the corner right by the sushi bar we photographed a few minutes ago.



JR Pass RE-GET!!!

That was a close one. Tsukiji itself was cool, but pretty much what I expected. A seedy-looking, busy, warehouse market where every kind of seafood possibly known to man is sold both alive and dead. Just about every time you turn around, you see someone either "cleaning" or dispatching a fish, so if you have a weak stomach for those types of things, this is definitely not the place for you. I couldn't help noticing the size of the tuna they were bringing in...they had to be upwards of 100 lbs...and wondered whether or not my dad would ever go ocean fishing for stuff like that after he retired (not in Japan, but elsewhere). Random thoughts aside, it was a really interesting experience, though it's probably not a place I would visit again.

On our way back we stopped at a McDonalds (just to sit down), which was a pretty funny experience in itself. They actually have bigger burgers than what's present in the states, but no free refills on drinks. Interesting. We just got cokes and sat for a while. Most of the clientele of the McD's were fellow gaijin, the only Japanese people in the place were the ones behind the counter.

After leaving the McDonalds, we stopped at a fruit stand with the most delicious looking strawberries I've ever seen. I had to get some, and I was particularly hungry since I hadn't ate anything for breakfast, so I ran in and grabbed a package for a few hundred yen. Good decision...they WERE the most delicious strawberries I've ever had. Which is strange, considering they were most likely imported. But they were about 110% more appetizing than the ones I occasionally get from Target. Fresh, juicy, and sweet. No bitterness whatsoever, and nothing over-ripe either.

After returning to the hotel and resting for a bit, we decided that we would kill some time and go to Akihabara. This way, I wouldn't have to trouble Kamijoh-san tomorrow with running into all the stores I wanted to see. The train ride was cake. Absolute cake. I'm now very certain I will have no problems getting anywhere in Tokyo where the trains run. Had some of the most delicious curry I've ever tasted in a little hole-in-the-wall place in Akihabara called "Curry Kitchen", which was filled to the brim with customers. My uncle says to "trust the crowds" when it comes to restaurants. If a reastaurant's really packed, then the food must be good., he says. This rule of international travel doesn't quite hold true back home - otherwise places like Green Mill and Olive Garden wouldn't be packed every weekend in Rochester.

Anyways, back to Akihabara. Well...to say I cleaned up would be an understatement. I got just about everything I wanted to get while here in Japan - and then some. Still on the lookout for a couple of requests and one more game for myself. Oh, and something special for the girl, of course. ^-^



This evening, Iwama-san met us and took us on a night sakura viewing in one of Tokyo's most famous parks. It was VERY cool. We did have to hurry back fairly quickly since I'm expecting a call from Kamijoh-san, but what I was able to see was absolutely incredible. I took pictures, but unfortunately none of them turned out too well due to the poor lighting...

Phase 2: Wonder

I can't lay in bed anymore. I'm simply too excited. My uncle is introducing me at 9:30 AM to Iwama-san, his colleague in charge of the meetings here in Tokyo. I bought him a Minnesota Twins cap while I was still back home (as it's customary to thank your host with gifts when traveling in Japan), because I hear he's a big baseball fan. I still haven't been able to call for my Ghibli tour, because the plane was delayed and I had no way of contacting them during business hours. Feeling kind of hungry, so I took a quick glance at the room service menu. 2500 yen for toast, jam, juice, and tea. ($25!) OUCH... well, no breakfast. I'll just shower up, get dressed, and explore.

Ended up running into my uncle on the way down, and he was hungry too we had breakfast at the hotel's main restaurant. BAIKINGU!~ (Buffet!~)


The buffet was 2700 yen ($27), and included both the familiar and the bizarre. Wrapped bean curd topped with ginger and a unique take on French Toast using puffy rolls were my favorites, along with freshly squeezed OJ. My least favorite was actually something that looked the most familiar. Bacon. They called it "crispy bacon", but when I bit into it, it was like chewing on a mixture of glass and cardboard. It had barely any flavor and tasted like it was made out of pig skin and some sort of fish mixed together - and it probably was. I ate a bunch of fruit too, which was actually pretty fresh - even the pineapples. Now I'm just waiting for 9:30 so I can call and confirm my tour details, and then go exploring before my pickup time. Iwama-san seemed caught a bit off guard by my speaking to him in Japanese, but gladly took the gift I offered him.

Got the tour set up, and went exploring for a short while. Unfortunately due to it being Friday here in Japan, the East Gardens are closed. I need to come back either tomorrow or early next week to get some sakura pictures. Bought some AA batteries for the camera and a Diet Pepsi (both barely more expensive than in the States) at the hotel's shopping arcade.

It's fun to interact with the Japanese, I can speak enough to where I feel (mostly) comfortable asking questions and receiving answers - except when I'm nervous, then I screw up. Ah well, good enough for me. A lot of the signs are all in kanji (for the roads and stuff) but fortunately most have English too. I would have settled for hiragana, as that would have made me feel a bit more educated and might have allowed me to have a stronger case for convincing my uncle to learn it...he's over here enough that it would REALLY help him. :)

The Ghibli tour was an experience in itself. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the museum (which ROYALLY sucks, since there's so much I wanted to take pictures of). BUT...hahahaha...I managed to snap a picture in the most unlikely (or likely, I suppose) of places - the ONLY place away from the prying eyes of the camera nazis in blue shirts - the MEN'S ROOM. And it just so happens that there was a huge display from Laputa (I think it's Laputa anyway...) right above one of the urinals. Since I was in the bathroom alone at the time, I managed to ninja-snap this picture... Enjoy:



The museum itself was split up into several sections... The outdoor garden (where pictures were allowed):




The Saturn theatre, where a short Studio Ghibli film was shown (Koro no Daisanbo) about the misadventures of a lost dog. The film itself was pretty boring, but I loved the Ghibli art style and there were some funny parts. The best part of the movie? I understood all the dialogue. If this film was available outside of the museum, I could have completely subtitled it into English. It's been the first time here in Japan where I haven't felt like a complete baka...

There was also the downstairs exhibit room -- this room was my favorite, and also the most difficult to describe. There was a carousel that, when a strobelight was activated, caused the individual character elements to animate. There was a "history of the projector" - from what I could tell, I couldn't read it all - and a timeline of Miyazaki's work, which included the still-barred-from-the-US-by-a-copyright-dispute Tales from Earthsea. Nearby was a playground shaped like the Neko Bus (damn that no pictures rule) and the obligatory gift shop with overpriced Miyazaki souvenirs.



And finally, a simulated artist's studio and a special exhibit on "Sanbiki no Kuma" - the Three Bears. Yes, of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They had "life size" bears that took up literally an entire room. I'm wondering whether this is Miyazaki's next big project or if it's simply some kind of offshoot. I'm hoping for the latter. DO NOT WANT.

Also on the tour I met a young couple from the UK - both huge video game nuts - and also a family from Los Angeles... All very nice, very interesting people (especially the family from LA - who are world travellers and have lived abroad for a number of years in Latin America and Europe). I learned a lot, and got some very interesting stories, on the way to and from the museum itself. The tour disbanded at Tokyo station, and everyone dispersed rather quickly, which for me led to a sprint across one of Japan's largest railway stations looking for the JR Pass Exchange counter. After a few misadventures while attempting to ask for the location of this counter, I eventually found it. Phew. JR Pass GET!

I feel empowered now, and thanks to the Ghibli tour I feel I can get practically anywhere I want in Tokyo on the trains. I need to make sure I remember to write down the address to the Square-Enix store in Shinjuku, since I'd like to go there on Sunday with Kamijoh-san if possible. There's no way I'll be able to find that place on my own.

Upon my return from the misadventures of the JR pass, I met my uncle in the lobby, who had apparently just finished his round of meetings. He wanted to go exploring in a place where he was taken during the workday - Marunoichi building. Now, this place is part high-fashion shopping mall, and part high-class food court. There are traditional Japanese restaurants as well as restaurants serving Italian and French cuisine. There is an amazing grocery store on the bottom floor serving lunches for around 700 yen...the cheapest I've seen. I'm TOTALLY eating there a few times to save money for more goodness from Akiba. The restaurants on the upper floors are cheap too, but definitely gaijin-unfriendly. All the menus are pure Japanese, and even the prices were in kanji. Unfortunately, A LOT (and I mean probably close to half) of these places had menus where I could count on one hand the number of entrees I could figure out, much less order. The rest (such as the katsu, tempura, and sushi specialty shops) appeared a little less intimidating. I want to go to the katsu place sometime and eat lunch or dinner - I think it would really help my Japanese to be thrown into situations where falling back on English isn't a sure bet.

I'm tired, but still wired. I think I'll need the Tylenol PM again tonight. Tomorrow begins with an early visit to Tsukiji Fish Market at 6AM (yes, that early...I KNOW...but I have to see it) and then - well, I'm not sure yet. But my uncle and I are going to explore together, so that should be fun.

Phase 1: Prelude

My mini-vacation to Seattle was fun but fairly uneventful, minus a two-hour flight delay out of Minneapolis. Lots of video games were played. A kitty was there. Sushi was eaten (TWICE!). A good time was had by all. I bought Phantom Hourglass for DS and Tales of Phantasia for GBA from the Nintendo store. And I found an angry chick song on Rock Band. Lisa will approve.


As I type this, the plane to Tokyo is finally pulling up to the gate after a 2 hour delay...and I'm already tired. Fortunately, it looks like we'll be boarding soon - as far as I can tell from the announcements in English and Japanese. Interestingly enough, sometimes the status update announcements come first in English, and other times in Japanese. The people seated behind me seem to be native Japanese speakers, their kids seemingly VERY excited to board the plane, and there's a guy who looked to be in his mid 30's sitting across from me on my left intently prodding a DS touch screen. I don't have as much patience as I thought I did, and I'm certainly not looking forward to sitting on a cramped plane for a 10-hour flight. I actually sent the wrong work documents to my email account and didn't notice until a few hours ago... how convenient, right?

My uncle's talking to a couple of other American passengers - middle aged women. Apparently, one of them has a son in Japan and she's seeing her grandson for the first time. Another Japanese<->American union success story, apparently. :) I ran over to the convenience store and picked up a hat for Satoshi who's taking time out of his schedule to show me around on Sunday and introduce me to colleagues on Monday, and also some AA batteries for the digital camera (both items topped off with a nice airport tax).

Seattle has a 9% sales tax both inside and outside of the airport...I'm beginning to wonder if not having to pay income tax is indeed equivalent trade.


Well, it's boarding time. Time to fly. Sayonara, Seattle.

@2:00 (hours on flight)

Wow. This is the biggest plane I've ever been on. It feels more like a comfortable bus rather than an actual plane. Believe it or not, they even give you "free" wine and beer on international flights...as much as you want, assuming the cart is there to serve you...BONUS! Especially after the flight to Seattle on Northwest, which charges for all food and drinks except a single beverage (either pop, water, or juice). It's so nice not to have people try to SELL you food, but rather GIVE it to you, and you get a choice of what you want, even!

The in-flight movies are meh, and run the gamut from that Disney reality-meets-cartoon Enchanted to Rock Hard with that chick who plays Pam on The Office. If I get really bored I may watch Rock Hard with the Japanese track turned on, that may be good for a few laughs, though I'd much rather get some sleep if I can.

They served us food, too. Chicken with stir-fry vegetables. You know the IBM caf is in trouble when airline food manages to pwn it... and believe me, this food isn't that good either (picture incoming for next meal) ^_^.

My uncle actually managed to use his frequent flyer status to negotiate my seat up to something called "economy plus" so my legs aren't cramping up as I type this...but they say nothing about extra armrests...the person on my left uses the entire left armrest and I'm using the entire right one, it still feels cramped in here despite the fact it felt VERY spacious upon first boarding. Sardine-can, indeed. Not a problem, though. I can cope.

According to the in-flight map (yes, they give you a GPS channel that shows exactly where the plane is --- COOL), we're over Juneau, Alaska. It's time to get some sleep... or at least sip this green tea they served me and attempt to get some sleep. *yawn*. It's not that I'm not tired, it's just so cramped in here, and I'm running on adrenaline...

@4:15 (hours on flight)

No sleep. None. The plane is still noisy and cramped, though a lot of people have passed out. Really wish I could join them. It's slightly more comfortable since one of the people next to me moved a while ago, most likely to an empty seat. No complaints here. Extra armrest FTW.

The in-flight map says we're over the Bering Sea, and will cross the International Date Line in the next hour or so. I can see Japan on the map now, it looks like we're about halfway there, maybe a little less. I'm grateful I can read the Japanese status reports on the map, since they stopped giving the distance remaining, speed, time in air, etc. in English. No idea why.

Interestingly enough, I haven't touched a video game since we've taken off. Not once. Weird, huh? Just had no desire to play. Not even the stuff I just bought.

I got up to stretch a little while ago, which was nice. My uncle has taken an interest in my book of sights of Japan, I wonder if he's going to suggest places to go to his Japanese colleagues when he's not working?

I just finished watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Apparently, the long lost City of Gold is hidden under Mt. Rushmore. Could have fooled me, I thought all that was in the Dakotas is a whole lot of farmland, cows, and < $50k housing. :D That's why it's a movie, I guess. Typical National Treasure, just like the first one. Mildly entertaining and killed an hour and a half, so I can't complain too much. International travel isn't as bad as people say it is. I'm still wired - I'm going to have a hard time getting to sleep tonight, I think. @4:40 (hours on flight) Tokyo just showed up on the in-flight map! It's ALMOST as short as a domestic flight from here! It looks like we're going to fly right over Russia. They should land the plane and give us some vodka...

@6:30 (hours on flight)

Still unable to sleep. They served dinner. Vegetarian Lasagna. United Airlines = 2, IBM Caf = 0. Sad. Really, really sad... Out of sheer boredom (plus the fact that the laptop battery is down to a measly 25%) I decided to entertain myself with other movie selections. Walk Hard was just as bad as I thought it would be - I actually preferred August Rush (that movie about the music prodigy 11-year-old product of a one night stand searching for his parents who didn't even know he existed)...but I even stopped that one halfway through since I began to count down the seconds until we were on the ground.

@Japan

Japan's air smells...interesting. It's not quite smoggy big city, which it should be given it's Tokyo, but it's more...subtle. If anything, it's less crisp than Seattle's but not as stifling as Florida's. The temperature is a comfortable 55 degrees, so my overpacking for insane weather shifts looks to be unnecessary. Time to settle in and have some fun!

After a really long day, a painless waltz through Japanese customs, and a beautiful albeit uneventful 90 minute car-ride from the airport to the hotel, I don't know how much more I can write. The hotel room is nice, a bit small (especially for $230 a night), but one thing I had to mention...they gave me an ubertoilet. Notice the control panel on the left.


I've heard rumors about these things for years, apparently they're better for your rear end than using TP. Not sure how eager I am to try out those remote controls, but from what I can tell, I push the button and warm water cleans off...certain areas. Yeah, um....I'm tired. Do not want.