Tokyo - Akihabara

[squirmelia]

Tales of tainted rice scrolled across the sign at the end of the carriage on the Narita Express. I was feeling sleep deprived but excited at being in Japan, and spent the journey to Tokyo mostly staring wide-eyed out of the train window at a dull sky.

After changing trains at Tokyo station, I arrived at the Khaosan Tokyo Ninja hostel, laden with rucksacks that I could barely carry, and met fluffymark there before heading to Shinjuku.

It rained that day and although the views from the Metropolitan Government Building #1 were somewhat spoilt, Akihabara was quite the opposite.

The neon signs of Akihabara Electric Town were reflected in the puddles that night, making even the pedestrian crossings glow in vivid pinks, blues, greens and reds, as people carrying see-through umbrellas waited to cross. I wandered around, imagining the otaku that perhaps frequent the area during the day, as I glanced at the brightly-coloured signs with anime characters on them, Neon Genesis Evangelion figurine vending machines, maid cafes, futuristic buildings, and the Cosplay shops that tell you: "No goods, no life."

Comments

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

as people carrying see-through umbrellas
on glowing poles? ;o)

Envy!

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Everything was glowing that night, including the poles.

[lokicarbis.livejournal.com]

You said the other week that you don't post very often...

...based on this post, I'm happy to report that quality has triumphed over quantity. If all your posts are as poetic as this one, they'll be well worth waiting for :)

[kiwi-dan.livejournal.com]

I want to visit japan again! :(
Would be cool to stay in a 'Ninja' hostel!
What was Khaoan Tokyo Ninja hostel actually like?

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I want to visit Japan again as well! (Yeah, I know I've only just left, but there's so much more I want to see.)

fluffymark and I shared a bunkbed room. The first night we stayed there, our room was quite small and noisy from traffic. The second time we stayed there, it was a bit bigger and a lot quieter. The hostel had free coffee and internet, and a fairly large kitchen and lounge area. They also a Wii games night on the Friday night, I think, but we didn't go to that. The hostel was very close to a station, which made it convenient for me with very heavy bags to carry. The woman working there was very friendly and let us leave our bags there when we went to Kyoto and Koyasan for a few days.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

needless to say, I am really fucking not happy at being stuck inside my office instead of being blinded by neon signs in exciting foreign climes with my friends right now. Sigh!

Anyway Akihabara is full of fucking geeks.

I AM SO JEALOUS OBV

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Neon signs, mmm.

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

Akihabara looks stunning in that picture!
I wanna go back now.... *pines*

Do they still have live lobster vending machines in Nakano?

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I want to go back too!

I didn't look for live lobster vending machines, but they sound quite scary!

[xgray.livejournal.com]

today, i shall listen to the lost in translation soundtrack in your honor. :-)

[ptdc.livejournal.com]

^_^

[turnedoffneon.livejournal.com]

a ninja hostel?! amaaaaaazing.