26 October 2012
The real Otaku?
Otaku is the Japanese term for people with obsessive interests. In Western culture its nerds. But in Japan its cool. In modern culture Otaku could just be called JAPAN! As when we think of Japan we think of crazy Japanese things which the Japenese themselves call Otaku (confused yet?). An easier way to think of it - toys for people who are too old to play with toys.
Akihabarababrabrbabrabara is where most people go to when they want to see this. I read that the Nakano Broadway is the real centre of Otaku in Tokyo.
As is my style, I walked there, its only about an hour each way from my hotel, it goes through some up market but not new suburbs, which have real supermarkets and fruit shops. Quite unlike anything I have seen in Tokyo previously.
Once at Nakano its like mini Shinjuku.
The Broadway itself is an undercover walkway. Of course its not Otaku enough to be at ground level, you have to go up various nonsensical stair cases to get to where the cool/nerdy kids are. Follow anyone with an inexplicably large back pack. What do these guys need to carry around with them everywhere? Its the same in Australia actually.
The 3 upstairs floors are a maze of record stores, comic stores, dvd stores, maid cafes and pretty much the same as Akihabara but smaller stores and no brand name chain stores. I guess thats what makes it more authentic.
Some of the stores have done things like this one to stand out from the crowd. However Den-Den town in Osaka, which I visited in February is a lot more exciting!
One store I found excellent, and unique to Japan (I know theres one in Osaka too) is this place, which sells among other things, second hand in ear monitors. You wouldnt hear of this in Australia for health reasons.
Away from the broadway is the regular narrow laneways with interesting restaurants. Many of them are quite un inviting, you cant see in them. I find this strange and it prevails across Japan.
I eventually decided on a place, having not much idea what was inside. Despite being a fairly nice looking restaurant, you still order via a ticket issuing machine. Thankfully this one has pictures and its very easy.
These machines are very popular in Japan. My theory is employees who handle cash are entitled to a higher pay rate, so the owners of such stores installed a machine instead.
My dinner is Japanese style curry with a rice filled omelette. It was quite good, but not spicy enough. I was longing for the curry I had in Kobe. The amount of bowing going on in the store was ridiculous, they chased me down the street bowing when I left, probably making fun of me!
Oh yeah, FOOD PICS ARE BACK!
Back in Shinjuku now and its Friday night and packed out. The red light district of Kabuchiko is my route home, its amusing to see all the Yakuza boys who run the place in their suits and fancy shoes. They mostly have funny hair styles with blonde streaks and long fringes that make them look like Duran Duran at their peak.
Despite them looking like a gay boy band, I dare not take their photo!
My hotel room is small. Really small. Its also $65. It has everything I could need and really fast internet. The bed seems excellent. Its the second smallest hotel room I have been in (London Kings Cross wins that prize).
But when I think about it, why would I need any bigger just for me? Sydney needs rooms like this for $65. I would stay in one every week.
The bathroom doesnt really have anywhere to keep all my beauty products. It takes a lot of effort to present myself as spectacularly as I do.
Finally, I have banned chocolate from this trip. So I bought a dessert cup from 7/11. Its red bean with glutinous rice balls and cream. I could do without the cream but other than that, fantastic!
The sad part - I forgot to get a spoon from the convenience store, and my room doesnt even have a tea spoon. What to do. I assumed my best Macgyver and used the end of the disposable tooth brush Qantas gave out on the plane which I hadnt used yet. It worked and made me eat it slower and enjoy it more.