Akihabara A.K.A. NERD MECCA

Yesterday, I went on an adventure. Me and Benji were discussing his previous trip, and how he backpacked through Japan by himself the first time he went. He said he truly loved it. I figured it was about time I gave a small piece of it a try for myself. You see, I really hadn't yet been out somewhere independent of other people. I had always traveled with someone else. Last night I decided to go out on my own and do a little exploring. I figured if I'm exploring by myself, it may as well be in what is quickly becoming my favorite place on earth. The great Akihabara.



The lights and sounds are simply dazzling. It's like the biggest, flashiest nerd convention every day. Shops upon shops lined with Anime memorabilia and video game stores that are 3 stories high fill the streets. There are also the most flashy and insane arcades you will ever see. I haven't been in one yet that wasn't at least 4 stories high. This place is where dreams are made, and where wallets are emptied. I wasted 6 dollars trying to get an eva figurine in a claw machine. (Their just as much of a rip off here as they are back home, trust me.) They don't put a 20,000 yen prize in a 200 yen claw machine without it being a rip off. The place would never make bank. After doing some googling, I've discovered an arcade machine called the "Gundam P.O.D" that is literally you sitting in the cockpit, surrounded by a panoramic screen. IT LOOKS AMAZING! I haven't seen any yet but I VOW to find them. I WILL PILOT YOU GUNDAM! I found this really cool machine called Afterburner Climax.

You strap in, and the machine moves back and forth with the fighter plane. It's crazy fun, and only cost 100 yen. Believe me, that's the minimum price. I didn't find the elusive Gundam P.O.D. but I did find this.
And yes, that sign on his shoulder has LOLcats potential.


I blew about 10 dollars in the arcade and then went exploring. It was late and I was starving. I began snooping into the secondary streets of electric city to try and find some grub. I past a maid cafe or two, and decided to go into this old-fashioned looking noodle shop. They have these restaurants here that are geniously streamlined. I had never seen anything like it, and as I went into the shop, as the Blog's title suggests, I wasn't really sure of what to do. I saw a man in front of me put money into a machine and then hit a button. Then it hit me. There is a vending machine of sorts with their menu on it in buttons.

You pay at the machine and the machine gives you a ticket. you sit down, give your ticket to the host, and wait to be served. It was an opportunity, and I took it. Seeing as I don't have any major food allergies or pesky dietary restrictions, I have the luxury of picking a food at random and letting the chips fall as they may. I picked one that had a picture of a bowl on it. It was too small to make anything else out. They could have brought me live octopus for all I know. I was a passenger in the front seat, and I was simply along for the ride. The host brings me a big bowl with this strange orange and red liquid in it, topped with bean sprouts and some form of meat, probably pork. The noodles were red, and as I delved in, my taste buds where bombarded with red cayenne pepper. This dish was incredibly spicy, and incredibly delicious.

I'm getting a bit hungry now just thinking about it. Akihabara had Games, Electronics, Anime, oh, and did I mention Porn? LOTS of Porn. It baffles me when people link Porn to Sexual Assault. Same as violent media to violent crime. This country is not only the Capital of weird Porn, but also the heartland of Violent Videogames and extremely violent cartoons. The children here are exposed to it, and there's simply no way of avoiding that. Yet we have one of the safest, most crime free cities in the world. Being here simply solidifies my beliefs about the harmlessness of violence in media. Seeing the proof with your own eyes is far superior than numbers in any study.

This city continues to baffle and amaze me. It is by far my favorite city on earth and it will be a sad day when I have to leave. anyway, I'll be back next week, bringing you more tales from the east. Until then,

~Zach