Day 13 - Travelogue - Back to Tokyo - Akihabara - Shinjuku at Night

Back to Day 12 - Osaka Aquarium (Whale Sharks!), Den Den Town, Shinsekai, and MOS Burger

It was a bit hard to believe that thirteen days had already passed on my Japan trip and that it was already time to make the return trip to Tokyo.  Between travel fatigue and recovering from my foot injury, it was a a bit of a relief to be on the final leg.  Don't get me wrong, it was a really good trip and I had a great time, but I was tired at this point from being on the go all day, every day.

I had a final hotel breakfast and then headed on the subway to New Osaka Station.  This is the main bullet train station for the city where I would catch a shinkansen back to Tokyo Station.  I would stay again at the the REMM Kyobashi Hotel, which was just a few blocks from this most iconic of Tokyo train stations (it is mile zero for all long distance trains).  Staying here would also make it easy to get on the NEX Express to Narita Airport on my last day.

There is a great deal of variety in the ekiben or train bento you can buy at the larger train stations and New Osaka was no exception to this rule.  I picked something out of two large cases of ekiben at a station store.  If you're not interested in ekiben, pick up a beverage (alcoholic, if you prefer) for the trip or a sandwich from a konbini.  Taking the bullet train is like flying on an airliner with self-service and without the turbulence.  It is still about three hours to Tokyo, so a snack or a meal is a good idea.  There were also some real regional freshly prepared foods  (made at the stalls) such as steamed buns and cakes that you could buy at New Osaka in these souvenir courtyards too.  They were doing a good business when I was there.

My N700 bullet train.  The lights change from white to red depending on which end of the train is the front!

The train ride back to Tokyo was uneventful.  There was no earthquake warning drill sounding on the phones this time and I enjoyed eating my bento while watching the scenery whiz by.  The check-in at the hotel wouldn't open until later in the afternoon, but it was nice to be able to drop my luggage off.  I had held off visiting Akihabara until today and I really wanted to see how much the hub of anime otaku culture had changed in the last five years.  Many things had shutdown during the long COVID lockdown that prevented tourists from visiting.  Many businesses that depended on tourists to turn a profit went bust.  I previously posted about changes in this post.

One of the two big fridges of ekiben I had to choose from.  It was hard to choose, and I was under time pressure to catch the train.

I picked this variety bento that had all kinds of little dishes.

You had rice, tempura, pickles, veggies, rolled egg, fish, etc.  It was quite tasty, but there were a few items I didn't like as much.

The good old Yamanote Line platform at Tokyo Station that will take me a few stops north to Akihabara.

On the Yamanote Line platform were a few vending machines with the fabled tonkotsu broth drink I had been looking for since I arrived in Japan!  Figures I wouldn't find it until the last few days, but I found it.

Closeup of the tonkotsu broth drink.  It is in the hot section of the vending machine along with corn chowder, a curry soup drink, and a red bean soup drink.  Hot drinks are awesome when it is cool out!

I bought the drink and hopped on the train that was approaching.  This is an Ippudo Ramen Tonkotsu Broth.  When I was outside of Akihabara Station I took a few minutes to try it out.  The broth was delicious.  It wasn't too thin or thick, it was rich and savoury with that umami like tonkotsu broth taste.  On a cool day, this is an awesome beverage and it met my expectations 110%  Please note this is a limited edition product for the winter months.

I arrived in Akihabara as the shops opened for the day because I had taken an 8 AM train to Tokyo.  I visited the Tamashi Nations store, AmiAmi, Gamers, Animate, Kotobukiya, Liberty 7, and Mandarake.  The Tamashi Nations store was one of the highlights I wanted to see.  This store replaced the Gundam Cafe and the AKB48 cafe/store.  I wanted to wander around the area too and see what else had changed.  Toranoana had also closed on the main street too, not that I was into doujinshi.  There were no big exhibits this time for me to visit too.

Tamashi Nations just outside Akihabara Station by UDX.  Even if you don't buy anything, do take in the exhibits at this store.

Person-sized Macross Valkyrie from Macross Frontier, probably my favourite of the Macross series.

Exclusive Gundam models.

Valkyrie in Gerwalk mode with lots of weapons.

Macross Delta mechs

Macross Plus YF-21

Macross Plus YF-19.

Look at all the crazy missile trails in this diorama!

Life size Naruto statues.

Naruto and Kakashi

Sasuke and Sakura.

Get yourself a smaller Naruto action figure.

These little Jujutsu Kaisen figures and others seem to be popular.

Demonslayer mini-figures and his sword.  There are these Proplica swords for sale that come with sound effects.

Demonslayer figures.

$352 metal Mecha-Godzilla.

Gundam 00.

The main Electric Town street outside Akihabara Station.  You might say this street was the original heart of the area for otaku.  It has a different feel now.  Maybe a little less classic-anime energy, but the rebuilt Radio Kaikan is still a busy place.

Radio Kaikan on the left.  No Stein's Gate satellite on the roof here!  The interior was packed on the Saturday I went and something in my bag kept setting off the alarms between floors.  I just ignored it and kept going.

Radio Kaikan is full of different stores and AmiAmi, my favourite online store is here too!  There were piles of keychain, can badges, and other little souvenir type merchandise.  I'm more into figures so it was kind of wasted on me.  I've also mentioned the merchandise now is more cheap acrylic plastic stuff that has character art printed on it.

Stein's Gate figures!

Fate/Stay Night Saber and Saber Alter figures.

I really like this Asuna figure from Sword Art, but it is way too expensive for me.

So much Little Armory.  Little weapon models.

More Fate/Stay Night

I popped into Gamers.  It has shrunk.  There is definitely less merchandise.  Still lots of manga and other things, but not like it was before. An extra floor was just an event space now.

The regular event space higher up in the building was still there with a number of shows I don't really watch.

Gamers 2nd floor is a specialty store now.

Some signage in Akihabara.

Lots of capsule machines on the street.  More than I could see than last time.  Don't forget to visit the toy floor at Yodobashi Camera for more capsule machines.  I had already seen tons of capsule machines this trip.

UFO catcher.  A few SEGA Arcade closed in Akihabara.

Mandarake has an amazing assortment of retro toys and vinyl figures.

The machine across the street from Akiba Culture Zone doesn't sell canned ramen any more.  It only had canned oden for sale, which was the original otaku on a cold morning hot canned soup.

Lots of consignment sale boxes at Akiba Culture Zone.

The consignment sales are no longer cheap.  You used to be able to find bargains, but I found that almost everything was more expensive now.

Gundam cardboard cutout at Culture Zone.

The stores were pretty crowded on the Saturday I was in Akiba.  The sidewalks seemed full of tourists who were just walking around?  Maybe it was me this trip, but I didn't get that same thrill I used to get from just being in Akihabara.  There are definitely less stores now and they mostly carry really current stuff, so I think you need to go to Nakano Broadway or some other places now.  I think more sales have gone online, especially after COVID.  It seems more mainstream and more like a mall in atmosphere now, not like the first time I went in 2009.  Places like Animate have gone big to survive and they were undergoing a big expansion here too.  I might be getting a little jaded because I was around for the heyday with the original Radio Kaikan, so new eyes might still find this place an otaku paradise.  

Anime Figures From My 2022 Japan Trip
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Second Hand Figures

By mid-afternoon, I had seen enough and decided to head to the hotel.  After arriving at Tokyo Station I wanted to get a late lunch in the area.  I remembered there was a Sushiro in the underground mall just outside the Yaesu side of the station - basically on the way to my hotel.  Sushiro is a popular chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants and I hadn't been to it or its competitor Kura Sushi this trip.  I easily found the restaurant as I had walked by it once before.

No one greeted me at the restaurant and used the touch screen located at the front to book a table that was available immediately.  The screen showed me a table number that I just walked to and sat down.  I had not even met a staff member yet, but there were other diners at different tables.  At this point, I didn't realize this was going to be a very unusual conveyor belt dining experience.  The only thing going around on the conveyor belts were condiments.  There were no sushi plates.  Maybe this was because it was mid-afternoon or because of COVID.  I ended up using the touch screen at my table to order a number of different sushi and a special tuna platter.  The sushi came zipping out on the conveyor belt express lane and a server brought out my special order.  This was the first and last interaction I had with an employee, but I did see them cleaning tables to get them ready for the next customer.  Anyhow, the sushi was tasty and fresh and I enjoyed it, but it was a bit of an odd experience as it was a pretty automated experience.  All I needed was robot waiters to make it employee-less.  When it was time to pay, I just walked to the front and paid at a kiosk and left.  No employees again.  This was the strangest dining experience of the trip.  

Checking in at the hotel went very smoothly and quickly.  I  picked up a few snacks and drinks at the 7-11 right below the hotel too.  The room this time was slightly bigger and faced the front of the building.  It was a bit more deluxe than the first room I stayed in here, but it didn't include breakfast and was a bit more expensive (the other rooms weren't available).  Even the hotel slippers were nicer!

My tuna platter special at Sushiro.

My hotel aroom, and it even had a massage chair.

Very nice bathroom with a overhead rain shower.

The view down across the street to the big Christmas tree that played music all night.  Underneath that plaza is an underground mall (with Lawson konbini and tourist centre) that connects to the train station right under the hotel.  To the right is a fancy food store.

Piss Alley in Shinjuku.  It is full the little bars and grill places when you really get into it.  No pics in that area though!

That night, I took the train to Shinjuku to see the night lights, and visit this famous Pokemon Go battle ground located at the Yodobashi Camera there.  My foot was getting worn out again and I always seem to get hot spots on my feet in Japan (it's the humidity I think).   I still wanted to get out and about so some judicious use of tape got me going.  I walked a bit around the east side of Shinjuku to the Yodobashi.  There were people playing Pokemon Go there in the many benches outside and boy were there a lot of gyms there.  The Yodobashi Camera was smaller than I expected too.  I walked by the famouse Piss Alley full of little izakaya and bars on the  way there too.  I then walked back to the west side of Shinjuku Station where the Kabukicho, the red light district is.  The area here is full of restaurants and bars, but do watch where you go as you can get totally ripped off for hundreds of dollars.  There are touts on the street tempting you into places.  Still, this is where the most brilliantly lit up streets are, the giant Godzilla head is, and the Don Quijote department store.  I always like this area for how it lights up at night.

Yodobashi Camera.

The famous Shinjuku battleground with gyms and Pokestops so tightly packed that you can barely see the ground.  This is outside the Yodobashi Camera on the west side of Shinjuku Station.

Shinjuku Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower  building. Quite pretty at night.

Kabukicho gate and district.

Shinjuku Yasukuni Dori - main street at night.  Famous from Lost in Translation.

Don Quijote.

Kabukicho.  It is a bustling places for locals and tourists, but do be aware if your are dining or drinking out here.

Kabukicho lights.

In the middle of Kabukicho is the giant Godzilla head for the Toho Cinemas.

Another bar near Shinjuk Station by the giant 3D billboard at Alta Vista.

It was getting late and I was hungry.  I'm not one to go drinking at night by myself, so I just found a nice curry restaurant and ordered a way too big meal of tonkatsu cutlets with curry by mistake.  I was pretty full at the end of the meal.

My curry with cutlets and rice dinner.  Very tasty, on the spicier side of normal, but good.

After a late dinner I went back to the hotel to shower and crash for the night.  My last full day in Tokyo was tomorrow and I wanted to make the most out of it.

One of the newer display screen vending machines.  I kind of like the ones that physically display the drinks myself (they are actually plastic cutouts nowdays).  I suppose this is the way of the future though.

To Day 14 - Travelogue - Underground to Ginza, Shopping, Ginza GoldFish Aquarium, and Tokyo Skytree

Back to Day 12 - Osaka Aquarium (Whale Sharks!), Den Den Town, Shinsekai, and MOS Burger

The Japan Trip 2022 Posts

1. Planning My Tokyo 2022 Trip Highlights and Attractions (for Anime and Regular Tourists)
   
2. Highlights From My December 2022 Trip to Japan (with links to daily pages)
3. Day 1 - The First Night In Tokyo
4. Day 2 in Tokyo - Visiting Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Taking a Taxi 
5. Day 2 in Tokyo - Evening with Godzilla and Christmas Lights
6. Day 3 - Back to Shibuya for New Parco, Nintendo Store, Pokemon Center, Miyashita Park 
7. Day 3 -  Views From Shibuya Sky, Shopping at Tokyu Hands and Don Quijote
8. Day 4 - Nezu Shrine, Ameyoko, Ni No Kashi Candy Store, Yamashiroya Toy Store, and Ichiran Ramen in Ueno
9. Day 4 - Sensoji Shrine in Asakusa, Tokyo Midtown Christmas Illuminations, and Pokemon Store and Cafe Nihonbashi
10. Day 5 - Yokohama, Giant Gundam at Gundam Factory, Landmark Tower Shopping, Harry Potter Christmas Trees
11. Day 6 - Yokohama , Nissin Cup Noodle Museum, World Porters Mall, Landmark Tower Shopping Area
12. Day 7 - Kyoto Part 1, Kiyomizudera and Yasaka Shrine
13. Day 7 - Kyoto Part 2, Kodaiji Temple Night Illuminations and Yasaka Shrine at Night  
14. Day 8 - Travelogue - Kyoto Part 1 - To Fushimi Inari Shrine and The Mountain Summit 
15. Day 8 - Travelogue - Kyoto Part 2 - Kennin Ji Temple and Evening at Kyoto Station
16. Day 9 - Travelogue - First Visit to Nara for Deer, Pikachu Donut, Daibutsu Temple, Kasuga-Taisha, Kohfukuji Temple 
17. Day 10 - Osaka - Seeing Osaka Castle, Pokemon Center, and Dotonbori 
18. Day 11 - Seeing Himeji Castle, the Most Beautiful One in Japan, and the Umeda Sky Building
19. Day 12 - Osaka Aquarium (Whale Sharks!), Den Den Town, Shinsekai, and MOS Burger
20. Day 13 - Travelogue - Back to Tokyo - Akihabara - Shinjuku at Night
21. Day 14 - Underground to Ginza, Shopping, Ginza GoldFish Aquarium, and Tokyo Skytree
22. Day 14 - Tokyo's Underground Labyrinth 2 - Walking From Tokyo Station to Ginza
23. Day 15 - Travelogue - Museums Close Monday - Ueno Park - Narita - Flight Home

Visit My Travelogue Page