Overview of Architecture of Tokyo (Part 1)
by Joel R. Voss aka. Javantea
Aug 31, 2006 14:00 PDT
[permanent link]
Prelim Outline:
- Temples
- Skyscapers
- Apartments
- Schools
- Socialism?
- Capitalism
- Nth Floor
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Clubs in Tokyo
This is just a sub-category, so click a link to an article below.
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Akihabara Special Report
by Joel R. Voss aka. Javantea
April 30, 2006 16:31 JST
[permanent link]
Akihabara is a great place for geeks in Tokyo. It has anime, manga, pr0n, hentai, Evangelion, and more electronics than you can shake a stick at. At first look it has cool stuff, but not really the stuff you're looking for. As you go look deeper, you'll find some awesome stuff. By the time you really understand where to go, you're in good shape. I'll try to go over every aspect that I undestand in this essay.
The south end of main strip is close to Kanda Station, however getting from Kanda station to the south end of the main strip is a game of chance and like Pachinko, the odds are 10:1 against. The north end of the strip is close to Suehirocho Station, which is a good station as long as you remember which side corresponds to which direction of the Ginza line that you want to go.
Once you're on the main strip, you'll see a lot of stuff. Towards the north end there's a bunch of good stuff. There's the 6-7 story tall manga/anime/hobby stores like Liberty and Tarawarago. There's the 6-7 story tall game sellers like ... There's the 6-7 story pr0n dealer Lamtarra. There's Akiba Island which is 8 stories of video games, retail, and other stuff. In the first floor of Akiba Island, there's a pachinko place that is themed on Evangelion. It stole 3000 yen from me which I would have rather spent on video games. On the 6th floor of Akiba Island there's video games. I recommend pop'n music 4 plays for 200 yen. The driving game Metal Gear 3 was very fun also.
Shibuya Youth Clubs
by Joel R. Voss aka. Javantea
Aug 31, 2006 13:00 PST
[permanent link]
My Japanese friend took me to Shibuya after our visit to Kamakura. It was good timing, the first holiday of Golden Week. In Shibuya, there are many clubs. In fact, if you don't want to pay a cover you can listen to music playing over loudspeakers in the streets of Shibuya. It's a sweet place. Since Shibuya is close to Harajuku, we made our way over to see the excellent fashion designers, models and cosplayers. It's certainly a sight to see any day of the week.
Arriving at the club, I started meeting people. I met one of the performering groups, a rock band that played a very sweet mix of alternative and punk. They didn't want to be called punk or alternative, but we're simple over here in the States; we call an orange an orange even if it's a mikan (蜜柑 [みかん] /(n) mandarin). After a while of language incompatibility, I spoke in my best Japanese that I had visited Akihabara nearly every day that month. I was able to discuss favorite animes for a few minutes. We both like Irresponsible Captain Tylor, but I wasn't able to communicate Furi Kuri (FLCL), one of my favorite anime.
I paid the cover of 700 yen (~$7), which came with one alcoholic drink or 1.5 soda-style drinks. The club was dark, but well-built like an amphitheater so that all people could sit on the stairs and have a good view of the performers. Two bands performed and were quite high quality. I would compare them to good indy bands here in Seattle. The music is definitely different from music in the States, though. I like it.
