Buying games can be cheaper than buying a chewing gum

I think most people who play games regularly have at least heard about a place called Akihabara in Tokyo. Also known as Electric town, Akihabara is a gamer's paradise. I am not going deep into what you can buy here, since it would be a lot easier to tell you what electronics you can't buy here. Instead I just wanted to share this funny store I saw.

If you want to buy old games in Sweden you are most likely not going to find any store that sell anything older than Playstation 2 games and even then the prices are a bit on the expensive side. Not much but just enough to give a purchase a second thought. I have some friends that collect games and they agree that most purchases are better imported.

Anyway, I was walking around on the main street in Akihabara and found this store selling old Super Famicom (known as Super nintendo in Europe and America) games for as low as ten yen per game. Admittedly, almost all of those games were really old sports games with obsolete stats on famous sports athletes. Baseball is very popular in Japan so it was not surprising that most of it was baseball games. Still, it was there. 

The store also had a huge collection of better and more popular games, old game consoles and gaming paraphernalia. If you have been searching for classics like Zelda, Mario, Sonic, Kid Icarus, Metroid or the like you could find it for a mere 1000-2000 yen depending on the quality of the cassette.

They also fixed several old broken gaming consoles, if you want a Super famicom for less than a pub night, Akihabara's different stores have you covered.

Also, if you are interesting in video game discussions and let's plays, you should check out my classmate's FaceBook page of MASP and his Youtube channel MASP Games. They talk about old school games, gaming culture and generally nerdy gaming stuff.

If you are interested in video game music and hopefully learn to play yourself someday you can listen to another friend, Piano perspective. He is incredibly talented and once I get a piano I will definitely listen to him play.

And just for some silly music and dance:

A quick trip in Shinjuku and a Swedish bar!

I previously wrote about how I visited Shinjuku and enjoyed a view over Tokyo from the Shinjuku Metropolitan Building. What I didn't tell you about was that I found a shop called Swedish bar! I was so thrilled that I forgot to check what they sold and just managed to take a picture. It wasn't until after that I realized that they had accidentally misspelled Swedish so to avoid any further embarassment I have corrected their spelling on the picture below. Phew! Another Sweden-Japan crisis averted!

Oh, and I also took a picture of a mid-November Tokyo. Jeez, get it right, Sweden! Green leaves, no snow, girls in ridiculously short, uh, hair, discount noodles and Christmas jingles being played in most clothes stores.

A meal with a view

Your homework is done, you have cleaned your room, none of your games seem appealing, your housemates are either sleeping or out exercising, working or studying. What do you do?

You decide to go buy a book, take the train to Shinjuku, get out of the wrong exit, think you can find your way back to the right exit, be lost for two hours, think "Screw this" and change your plans to visit the observatory deck of the Shinjuku Metropolitan government building.

I have always wanted to get another view over Tokyo but feel that after the third time paying to get to the top of Tokyo tower it's not really worth it. So when I heard that the SMGB (as I will call it from now) let visitors in for free I thought I could at least see some of Tokyo from there. From the 45th floor?! That's pretty darn high! 202 meters according to Wikipedia.

When you first enter the SMGB you will go through a small visitation of your bags before being lead by very friendly staff to the elevator that will send you over 200 meters into the air. I think the ride took less than half a minute and you could really feel the air pressure change half way.

It feels humbling to see tall building tower over you and it feels even more humbling knowing that any of the tiny dots could be you being observed by someone looking out the window. What feels less humbling is that most of the space is occupied by a souvenir shop seeling overpriced Disney toys. 

But there is a small restaurant that lets you grab something to eat. I could choose between three set meals such as a curry plate, salad or something with more meat. With a price range between 1000 yen and 1300 yen you get wonderful lounge music, an amazing view and a decent meal.

I chose the cheapest set meal, a curry plate, a side salad and ginger ale which was a mere 1000 yen. The food itself wasn't as impressive as one could expect for that price but the atmosphere and the view made well up for it. How to compare it? Like a poor man's reenactment of the bar scene in "Lost in translation". Which reminds me, I need to find a nice smoky jazz bar, drink whiskey and be all broody.

This was on a Saturday and not parrticularly cloudy letting me get a great view over Tokyo. Realzing how insanely huge the area covered by buildings is almost unfathomable. One person builds one house and that impressive. The ocean of concrete squares with different shapes and sizes is art in itself. I wish I had a giant hand so I could drag it along the ground just to feel the texture of the city.

Expenses

• 1000 yen for a curry meal with a view

There is sushi and then there is sushi

 One of my housemates got a sudden craving for sushi and asked if anyone wanted to tag along. I have never turned down raw fish and thought it would be another delicious meeting with nature's little snacks, of course I tagged along.

He asked us what we thought of sushi and all of us said that we liked it. One of my housemates were a little sceptical to the fish but really loved the fried tofu variety. 

What  I didn't consider what that I had never really had freshly made sushi prepared less than a minute from consumption. I had eaten lots of sushi before in Sweden, Ireland, Taiwan, America and on my previous visits to Japan. I mostly enjoyed it like a lot, the exception being the frozen sushi dishes bought at Swedish food stores. They were at best tasteless and at worst the rice was not cooked enough making it taste like wet sand and gave away Nemo's hiding spot.

 Our sushi craving housemate told us that the place we were going to was a so called conveyor belt sushi restaurant. That means that a small conveyor belt is running along all the seating areas in the restaurant with small plates of sushi up for anyone to grab. Different colored plates had different prices and in this case the red plates had a 21 yen discount per plate due to the recent baseball tournament landing one plate neatly on 99 yen.

I had been to conveyor belt sushi restaurants before but this one had this! Tes, that's right, you could special order anything you didn't find on the conveyor belt and have it delivered to your seat on a small toy train! I am not going to bash other restaurants but I definitely think this would be an awesome idea for other kinds of restaurant as well!

When we got our first plates I was first struck by how clearer and brighter the fish looked. I had gotten used to sushi looking like, well, sushi. To start with the salmon had a bright red color I hadn't seen before and it can't really be seen that well on the pictures, but you get the idea.

And the taste was definitely much better than I had ever tried before. It almost melted right away in my mouth. My housemate also taught me that you don't dip the rice in soy sauce but instead either take the fish meat and dip it lightly or use your hands and turn the sushi up side down and let the top barely touch the surface of the soy plate. And wow, that made a huge difference. My other sin was that I mixed large amounts of wasabi in the soy, turning it to a small plate of brown fiery liquid. Instead, a properly made sushi should have a small amount of wasabi between the rice and meat as glue. This gives it just that extra kick without killing your tastebuds.

I loved them all, but I didn't care too much for the squid or octopus as I found it to hard to chew. They both tasted great but only the texture was a bit off putting.

I managed to finish ten plates with two pieces per plate and I could barely move afterwards. Though it might've been considered not that high scale of a restaurant, this experience truly taught me a valuable lesson between what is food and what is an experience. I have reconsidered sushi from being a trendy kind of fast food to a gourmand's trekking through the deep seas. Properly made, properly enjoyed.

Expenses

• 20 pieces of sushi 880 yen (got a discount coupon that I used right away)

A trip to Yasukuni shrine

 Wow, already over a month in Japan and I feel like I have only walked around the block once. Everytime I open the door to my house and step outside I am overwhelmed by the fact that I am still in Japan and I still got another eleven months at least here.

I spend many hours studying at school, another three to four hours at home doing homework and it doesn't feel like a chore. Are you supposed to actually enjoy non-play this much? Well, I do and not even once have I felt like it has been too much or I should give up. But spending my time only studying isn't very good now that I have an oppourtunity to experience Japan.

So I decided to borrow one of my housemates' guide book and walk to Yasukuni shrine. At first I planned to just walk and see where I end up but since I have school in the afternoon I thought it better to actually use a map. The road to the shrine wasn't long at all, it took only 20 minutes or so. The streets were unusually empty which made it very easy to keep a good pace.

The original plan was to pass through the nearby park, Kitanomaru park I think it was called, but they were setting up for either renovation or a huge concert, so I let it be. There will be time to go there again.

The weather was incredibly nice and reminded me somewhat of a slightly more humid Los Angeles, a refreshing breeze, a sun barely peaking over the buildings and small white clouds dotting the otherwise clear sky. Against what I normally advise against I didn't bring a water bottle but I didn't feel like I would need it today. A cap to protect my head was more than enough.

As I mentioned the walk to the park was very pleasant and I didn't get caught in any crowds and I could leisurely look at the different stores lined up along the sidewalk. I am still practicing reading kanji which makes it more interesting to see what the next window would be even if it was just a shoe store or a "We heard there would be a demand for aged plastic clocks severely bleached by years in the sun so we sell that alongside with slippers and noodles" kind of store. Sometime I wonder what kind of customers they have and for what reasen they shop there.

When not full of people and cars the Tokyoian streets are actually very wide. Being stuck between nine million people makes you narrow your perspective and keeps your eyes focused much closer to where you are lest you bump into someone and need a hasty "sumimasen" loaded. The people I have met or bumped into this last month have been very polite, smiling and even a few random high fives from young women who apparently have never experienced someone holding a door open for them. Their giggling and quick retreat always makes me smile.

When I arrived at the shrine I first noticed that a lot of mothers clad in black holding the hands of their daughters clad in equally black clothing coming and going to the shrine. I got curious but felt too shy to let them be bothered by a khaki wearing foreigner wanting pictures of them and their kids. I better stick to enjoying the scenery in undisturbed and just let it happen around me. I kind of wished I could be invisible and let the lives around me happen naturally without my foot print piqueing their curiosity. Or something weird like that. You get it.

As I got closer to the main building I saw more and more people, but nowhere near as much as as at the Meiji temple. It felt nice to be at a place of peace and quiet without too many posing people around me. It felt more honest and real. The wannabe hipster in me slightly raised his nose in a "I am special because I prefer another place that is not quite as mainstream Meiji temple.". Another part of me told the hipster he was an idiot and that he should focus on enjoying the now than being proud that his past now is better than other people's present now.

I mentioned wanting to observe without distrubing the surroundings and I think I actually got exactly what I wanted. I walked around the shrine area nad came to a high fence with some very small openings between the planks. I was obviously not supposed to go past this point but I couldn't help at least looking inside. What I saw was something taken directly from an old samurai movie. A very neatly raked stone garden, small bonsai trees complementing its surroundings, black wooden floors and a shrine maiden sweeping the floor with a bamboo brush. She had long black silken hair and wore the red and white clothing very elegantly. At first I didn't see her face, but when she turned around I saw how beautiful she was. I wanted to take a picture but I couldn't move my hands. When she lifted her eyes and looked in my direction I unconsciously skipped back a step so she wouldn't see me. It might seem silly but some things I feel are better not stored as a picture, only as a memory.

Expenses

• Monster Energy drink 200 yen
• Whinnie the Pooh red tea 147 yen

Portable bidets and toilets that sings for you while it sprays your butt

 During one of our classes we came into the subject of Japanese culture and things we most likely never will see in Europe. One of our teachers showed ut this small flask and asked us to guess what it was. We opened the lid, pressed the cap, twisted it, smelled it, turned it upsidedown and shook it but we couldn't figure out what it was.

A portable bidet. You fill it with water, extend the nozzle, press the bottle and a stream of water would shoot out. This is apparently not that uncommon among Japanese who travel abroad a lot to bring with them. This was one of the more odd toiletries I have seen and was very sceptical about its use. Our teacher suggested that we should try using one of the more modern toilets in Japan with a built-in bidet next time we get the chance.

First time I visited Japan and I saw the toilet in the hotel bathroom I thought it was a joke. At least ten different buttons with clear pictograms of what functions it sported except one with music notes. It couldn't be the button for making noise to hide the sound when using the bathroom, that one I already tried. My previous button experiments told me to either sit down or face away from the toilet trying an unknown button so I pressed the button and backed away. It started singing. The toilet started to sing for me and I can't remember how I reacted, but I must've not tried it again.

I asked my teacher about why a toilet would sing for you and apparently parents in Japan sang for their kids when they went to the bathroom so they wouldn't feel uncomfortable about any sound they made. Huh, never heard about that in Sweden.

When I came back home I did as my teacher recommended and tried the automatic toilet and the bidet function and was ready to defend my honor and life in case the seat would become sentient and overthrow humanity. I was pleasantly surprised and felt much cleaner than normal. I think it will feel strange not having that when going back to Sweden.

Expenses

• None, you can't put a price on knowledge even if it is about butt hygiene

Tried a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo

 One of my housemates, Ruri, is studying Chinese at the moment and decided to put her already great skills in Chinese to use and invited me and Shin, another housemate, out to try real Chinese food. 

The restaurant is located not many stations from where we live and when you see it you won't notice it is a restaurant until you actually enter. The entrance was, just like for many other stores in Tokyo, a simple staircase down to a nicely decorated dining area. The atmosphere was very pleasant with lots of little details in wood on all the tables, chairs and wood carvings on the wall. The owner greeted us heartily and showed us where we would sait and where to place our umbrellas. It was a typhoon right next to Tokyo that day so it was wonderful to get under a roof.

Since we left the house Ruri had over and over advised me not to choose any of the spicier dishes since most Europeans might find them uncomfortably strong. I like spicy food, but thought it would be better to actually listen to her advice and choose between the level one spicy dishes.

The meals were not in sets so we had to order several different kinds of dishes which made it possible to mix our food as we pleased. By recommandation from both Ruri and Shin I chose the ribs with a secret herb blend which we were not allowed to bring home. I can't remember exactly what the different dishes were and I was still not used to hearing Japanese being spoken that fast. But there was lots! Much more than we could eat.

There is no doggy bag culture in Japan so we couldn't bring home any of the leftovers much to my disappointment. I guess that is well enough, now we have even a greater reason to return.

When the dishes came out I couldn't stop simply smelling the different plates. I was also smart enough to listen when I was warned about the spicier dishes. One of the plates had a chicken soup with vegetables of some kind and it left a burning sensation on both the tongue and lips after each bite, but I couldn't stop eating. I am normally a very fast eater but this time I ate much slower than normal just to properly taste the different dishes for as long as possible.

Since Ruri was studying Chinese we mainly talked about China, its' culture and food comparing it to what we have in Europe and Japan. Real Chinese cuisine will leave an impression on you whether you like it or not.

Expenses

• 2000 yen for the best Chinese food I have eaten so far

A few notable links for the frugal visitor

You may or may not have heard that Tokyo can be quite expensive to live in. This is true, but you know where to look you can save lots of money on your trip if you know where to look. I recently found a few links that can help you on your way:

TokyoCheapo: If you want lots of tips and advice on how to save money, this is a great site. Or if you don't want to save money but just be able to shop more for less I urge you to have a look around on their page.

Khaosan Tokyo: How about free living quarters? They are currently looking for cleaning staff and offer free lodgings for anyone willing to stay for more than 28 days. You get the weekends off so you can explore Tokyo. Not a bad deal.

Tokyo Free Guide: If you easily get lost or want help to find the hot spots around Tokyo, Tokyo Free Guide lets you book a multilingual guide for free.

You wouldn't download a car...

 I saw a 3D printer for the first time! In Yodobashi department store in Akihabara they show cased a small 3D printer making little chess pieces and houses in plastic. It looked pretty cool and of course it would be fun to have one of those. But then what would I do with it? What to make? If you are into plastic figurines or models you can make those and paint. That would be super cool. For those playing with Warhammer 40K and similar models, how will this affect the businesses?

I also found a name tag with my dear Swedish flag on it. Maybe I should've bought it to show what kind of foreigner I am. But what if they still haven't realized I am a foreigner? It might be a shock for them after my attempts to blend in. I wouldn't want that. Nah, I better go and keep staring wistfully at a 3D printer.

Expenses

• Nothing new

A revisit of Yoyogi park

I have been to Japan four times this one included and I have visited Yoyogi park every time. More precisely, everytime I visited the park I thought that the Meiji shrine was all it was, but it seems ithat is only a third or so of the entire area.

I decided to give it another go and try to get out from the normal path and find some of the less common places. I left the house at 12 and got to the entrance of the park in no more than half an hour.

The temperature stayed at a wonderful 31 degrees during the entire trip and even though I was in the land of the rising sun I wished it hadn't risen that high. I stuck to the shadows when possible and hydrated pretty regularly. A 2 liter water bottle costs only 100 yen so you won't get poor when buying water. The tap water seems drinkable, but doesn't taste all that well, especially if you pour hot water directly. My advice is to only brush your teeth in it.

But since I was at the park I decided to visit the Meiji shrine just for old times sake. I didn't take too many photos as there seemed to be a wedding going on and I didn't want to disturb the guests.

When you walk along the path to the Meiji shrine you will see several small paths leading to other parts of the forest areas and a long line of straw wrapped sake barrels on one side and on the oppposite side you will see a long line of western style barrels of what I guess was wine, offerings to the late emperor Meiji and empress Shokan by Japanese brewers from all over the country.

I also found the path to Kiyomasa's well which is known for its great quality and people claim that their luck increased after drinking from it.

To get there you first have to buy an interesting looking ticket for 500 yen. The shape is like a diamond from a card deck and green flowers printed on it. This lets you get into a little more secluded area with lots of forest around you, small trampled paths and signs pointing to different locations.

One thing you really have to watch out for is the suzume bachi, swallow wasp. It is the size of your thumb and can both bite and sting you. If you get stung once you should be alright, but if you get stung twice there are risks of heart seizures. Luckily, since they are so large they can be heard from a distance, they are easy to avoid.

Another animal that was much more common in that areas was spiders. I don't know how venomous or dangerous they are, but their size and webs were pretty big. The paths around the garden were clear of webs and such so I think the staff makes sure there are no accidents.

A friendlier insect buzzing around was the tonbo, dragonfly. It zipped around the ponds teasing the koi fishes. They were still a bit annoying as they liked to stay in your face.

There was also a renovated model of an old tea house with a view of the south pond, but no one was allowed to enter.

Last time I was here I saw lots of huge Japanese crows and hoped I could take a few photos but they were nowhere to be seen. I thought they would've been good for my blog.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere despite the temperature, but there were so many tourists around the area talking so it didn't feel that calm as I had hoped. But it is definitely worth a visit to have a look if you are passing through.

When I finally reached the well there was a long line of tourists waiting to be the next one to take a photo of the well and drink from it or at least dip their hands in it. The whole spectacle took away the spirit of a magic well, like if people were queueing to get a golden egg from the goose. But hey, it is a tourist spot, it should be expected. I took a quick photo and looked at the poor well being milked for what it's worth.

Expenses

• Ticket to Kiyomasa's well 500 yen

A monkey show

 Went for a walk today and met this dapper gentleman. He was entertaining the kids (and me) with handstands, ball balancing, jumping and a little two man show. Today is a dayoff in Japan and the Laqua center was full of people riding the Merry-go-round, riding the roller coaster, shopping, eating all kinds of great food and of course, enjoying some street performers. I got stuck at the kids show simply because, well it's a freaking monkey!

I also discovered that the shopping center didn't have two floors, but six with each floor having stores and an increasing wonderful view over the city. The weather was also a little colder, but not by much. A t-shirt was still enough, but I feel I am getting used to the humidity and temperature in Japan.

The Korakuen area has loads of different restaurants, there is a particular Korean resturant I want to try sometime. I miss kimchi and bulgogi.

I already finished my homework, but it is kind of meditative to practice writing kanji.