Harajuku is awesome. One of my favourite places in Japan.

Ginza is a bit of a shopper's paradise too, though that area is expensive. Walking in to Brioni and pretending for a moment you can afford one of those suits? Priceless.

Oh and Venus Fort is a must-see shopping mall, if only because it is so quaint.

I never thought Japan was a really expensive place. I'll admit I'm no expert on the matter, as I haven't been there, but from what I've saw (mostly on NHK World), prices for food, entrance fees into tourst areas, ect. seem comparable to what we pay here (in the U.S.) for that kind of stuff.

i watched all 3 seasons. its too bad that the original director left after season 2. then they came out with the 3rd season which was painful to watch. gargoyles is something that will never happen again. just like ABBA.

back on topic. you know japan started the whole near field communication craze? yes you can pretty much purchase a soda at a soda machine using your phone. same goes for buying boarding tickets at the subway station.

Journeys in Japan was on today. Ehime Prefecture was the destination today.

Matsuno was the first city in the prefecture visited

The first stop in the city was Osakana-Kan Aquarium. It features fresh water fish only. They have 120 kinds of fish from around the world, including all local kinds. I've always liked aquariums, so I'd like to go there. As eels are a big attraction here, they also had a segment on eel catching.

The next stop was Suehiro Restaurant. The eels from the area are considered a delicacy, and this restaurant is an expert in eel dishes. It looked really good.

The final thing done in the city was Canyoning. They highlighted this popular activity. sliding down the local river's rapids.

They then went to the city of Ozu.

The first stop in this city was Ueda Shokuhin Honpo. A shop that sells dried fish. The dried fish are simmered, flavored, then eaten (a soup can also be made). Looked really good.

The next stop was Garyu Sanso. A traditional villa that overlooks the local river. It was beautiful. It also has a teahouse on the grounds, which has the best view of the river (it's built on stilts, over the river).

They then showcased Ukai Cormorant Fishing. A local tradition, Cormorants (a type of bird) are trained to catch fish for their owners. The birds are teathered to the fisherman, and they dive into the water to catch the fish. It's done at night.

Imagine-Nation was on tonight.

WHF2012 (World Hobby Fair 2012) was highlighted. They said Pokémon White 2 & Black 2, and Mario Tennis Open were huge hits.

New Nintendo 3DS game, RuneFactory 4, was highlighted.

They highlighted the works of Norifusa Mita. He's a manga artist who has made various popular baseball manga. One of his works was even adapted into a video game (they showed some gameplay from the DS title).

They then interviewed upcoming artist Mitsuo Toyama.

On tonight's Tokyo Eye, they highlighted Akihabara.

They first visited a souvenir shop that had figures, shirts, cups, and other collectables. I noticed such series/franchises as Gundam, Batman, Star Wars, Final Fantasy, Spider-Man, and One-Piece.

They visited a weapons shop, which has replicas of armor and weapons from around the world. They have even given props to movie sets, or replaced damaged ceremonial armorment for nobility.

They visited the exclusive venue of the Idol group AKB48 (they then interviewed a couple of the group's members).

Then they went to an Idol noodle shop. You can purchase a bowl of instant ramen, and while it's cooking you get to chat with an aspiring idol.

They went to a traditional European style Cafe. The waitresses all wear traditional clothes, and visitors can sip tea and read from the establishment's wide array of books (with a large number of manga being available).

They visited an establishment that gives you the "dorm experience". For thirty minutes, you can hang out with the female workstaff in a dorm like setting (playing games, eating snacks, or just chatting).

They then went to a "drag king" cafe, where the staff is made up of women dressed as males. In an interview with one of the workers, they said they like that Akihabara is very accepting.

The last stop was a sushi restaurant in the area. It's much like any other sushi restaurant, except that the chefs are all young women (it's explained that female sushi chefs are a rarity). You can get some unique rolls here, such as one that looks like a panda.

One of the hosts even dressed up as Goku (from Dragon Ball Z) for a bit.

They went to a traditional European style Cafe. The waitresses all wear traditional clothes, and visitors can sip tea and read from the establishment's wide array of books (with a large number of manga being available).

You mean a maid cafe? hahaha. I love Akihabera for that stuff.

I take it they didn't go to the top floor of the costume/ manga/ game shops.

Or Super Potato.

Well, the program was only 30 minutes, so they probably couldn't fit anymore in (also, this isn't the first time they've covered the area, so they've probably talked about some other stuff before).

It would break broadcast law to take cameras to the top floor of those stores.

I kid you not. I saw things in those shops that I will never unsee.

Akihabera has a very dark little corner where Japan's cockroaches like to gather and socialise. It's only a matter of time before someone pulls out one of those bug bombs. I hope.

Super Potato, however, is divine. Buying the original game guide to the original Dragon Quest for 100 yen just because I could? Priceless.

i was just now reminded of these guys — y'all learning about Japan, enjoy this video :3

@theblackdragon I wouldn't be so scared of that if I didn't just realise... for that video to be on YouTube, people actually had to do that.

there's better videos out there, y'iknow. Japanese TV shows are amaaaaazing in terms of crazy stunts :3

@TBD why no women

@Otaku: Because not everything in Japan is female and cute? Because there's more to life than pining for a pretty girl? Because not all of us spend our lives mooning over what we'll never have? Because Japan does not exist solely to amuse you? Seriously, pick your answer. :/

Is this why Otakus like Japan so much? This is the culture they want to know about?

It was a joke I know there more to it then women

Wow, that actually sounds really disturbing.

I'm going to assume it's insanely perverted (and even then, I'm probably underestimating the issue).

I'm going to assume it's insanely perverted (and even then, I'm probably underestimating the issue).

This is an understatement.

I'm so curious now.