Category Archives: Anne in Japan

Anne in Japan 2014: Artnia Square Enix Café

For an anime and video game nerds such as myself, there are a near limitless number of themed cafés waiting to be dined at in Japan. Since I usually visit Osaka when I do get the chance to go to the land of the rising sun, I’ve missed out on all of the exciting themed cafés in Tokyo, of which there are many. One such café is the Artnia Square Enix café, which opened at the end of 2012 in Shinjuku. Now, I can finally say I’ve made the pilgrimage every Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest fan yearns to take!

Since Artnia is located in Shinjuku, here’s a street shot I took that evening to set the scene. While the café is actually located closer to the Higashi (east) Shinjuku station, I had some time to kill before my 8:30 meeting time with Tasmanian Twitter friend Rowan (@link6616), so I walked there from the main Shinjuku station. Did you know Shinjuku station is the busiest train station in the world, with over 3.6 million people passing through it every day? And with over 200 exits, it’s notoriously confusing to navigate!

After making my way to the calmer east side of Shinjuku, I finally located the Shinjuku East Side Tower where the Square Enix main office and Artnia café are located. After looping around the perimeter of the building in search of the egg-shaped café, I finally spotted my destination:

Forgive the poor quality photo, but the café was surprisingly difficult to photograph, and it probably didn’t help that I was there at night. Here’s the posh lit sign that greeted me on my way in:

After finally meeting up with Rowan and making our way inside, it was time to order some treats! We both decided that we’d stick to dessert… After all, it’s usually the desserts that are the most creative in themed cafés.

Here’s what it looks like inside! It’s not the most flattering picture, but it does give a sense of how big the café is… which is actually surprisingly small! I don’t think more thank 15 people could be seated at a time. The red area at the back left is actually a display room for all kind of fancy Square Enix merchandise, from Play Arts figures to prohibitively expensive Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy-inspired jewellery.
Oh, and before you ask – no, I don’t know that white guy in the photo! We just happened to be seated next to trio of foreigners.

Even though I perused Artnia’s menu on their website, I was surprised to see the special The World Ends With You and Dragon Quest menus in addition to their usual fare. While I desperately wanted to try the chocobo pancakes or buster sword parfait, the Dragon Quest limited-time menu caught my eye, as not only did it offer an adorable crème brûlée dessert, but a special gift, as well!

Actually, Rowan was so taken with this dessert special that he ordered the same thing! I think it’s safe to say that we were both thrilled by our adorable crème brûlées and the take home slime mugs they came in. The waiter even brought over a bag and box for us to use, and as you can see from the above photo, the crème brûlée itself was in a separate bowl so the cup didn’t get dirty.

As you can see, I was quite thrilled to eat the slime-shaped piece of chocolate that adorned the crème brûlée. The whole dessert was very nice, and for only about $15 for the brûlée and cup, I thought it was very reasonable! For those of you who read my recap of the Rilakkuma Café at Tower Records, I was quite unhappy with the quality/quantity of food served, considering how high the price was. While Artnia wasn’t exactly cheap, I think their prices were much more reasonable, and I left feeling very satisfied.

Of course, how could I go to the Square Enix café and not try one of their special coffees? Though you’re not able to choose what picture you get, they did ask whether I would like a Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy design. Why, Final Fantasy, of course! I believe they also do chocobo coffees, but I had no complaints with the moogle design I got. Rowan ordered a juice, and he was treated to his choice of a Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy coaster to take home.

After finishing our meal, it was time to get shopping! Please forgive the general lack of photos of inside the café itself – again, the poor lighting combined with my little point-and-shoot camera didn’t make for the best photography. Hopefully you can get an idea from the above photo what the layout of the shop was like. Overall, it was very white, modern, and pristine!
I was slightly disappointed by the selection of the shop, simply because there weren’t very many exclusive items, which is what I’m after when I go to a themed café. They did have some amazing keychain replicas of iconic dishes from the café such as the chocobo pancakes, but they were a whopping $18! On one hand, I still regret not buying one, but on the other, $18 is just too much! In the end, I walked away with just one item, this Artnia-exclusive CD as a souvenir for Mr. Sushi:
The CD is called SE Tracks 99, and as the title states, it consists of 99 tracks. At only $5, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it turns out it’s a collection of in-game creature sound effects, from chocobos to moogles and all oddities in between. Each track is only a second or two, so it’s not really something one would listen to for fun, but I still think it was a fun little souvenir!
Finally, it’s time to take a look at the slime cup that came with my crème brûlée! Here’s the adorable box it came in. As you’ll see shortly, the parts of the above design are replicated on the cup itself.
It was really hard to get a good photo of the outside, but here it is! I just love the little slime border pattern. Check out that smiling slime in the middle! It’s such a cute little detail.
And here’s the bottom of the cup! I love when there’s a little surprise like that inside. It definitely puts as smile on my face to see the little slime staring up at me when I finish off a good cuppa.
I think it’s probably already pretty clear, but I had an amazing time at Artnia! Though the store lacked in affordable exclusive goods to purchase, it definitely made up for it in the amazing selection at the café. I’d definitely make it a priority to stop by if I’m ever in Tokyo again… I still need to try those pancakes!

Anne in Japan 2014: The Game Haul

One of the best things about going to Japan is the chance to go game shopping. Last year I bought a whopping 24 games when I was in Osaka on vacation for three weeks, but this year I had to be slightly more frugal. Still, I think I came back with quite a few goodies, including some rare and very cheap finds! 

If you add it all up, I purchased a total of 13 games this trip, comprised of three PSone games, one PS2 game, one PS3 game, one PSP game, two Vita games, one GBA game, three DS games, and one 3DS game. I’m actually pretty impressed by the relatively even sampling of consoles on display in my haul overall! While I may not have bought quite as many games as I admittedly would have liked, that was largely due to the fact that three of the games purchased were significantly more than the few bucks I usually spend per game while in Japan. 

Funnily enough, one of the first game purchases I made also happens to be the one I’m most proud of! Last year I actually got a copy of The Vision of Escaflowne for about $8, but this year I managed to find the limited edition for only $15 in Akihabara, so even though I already had a copy of the game, I absolutely had to add the LE to my collection. It comes with a tarot card set and extra booklet that I’ll definitely be showing off more in-depth in a future post.

I’ll actually be giving away my extra copy of the game in my August Chic Pixel supporters giveaway, so if you’d like to be in the running, donate $5 or more to support the site and you’ll have the chance to win that and some other nifty stuff! My secretary tells me we only have two entries so far, so your chances of winning might be pretty good…

Since I’m talking about PSone games, here are the other two I picked up. The one on the left, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, is the first otome game in the series by the same name. It was only $1, so I figured I might as well pick it up! On the right however, is a game that I totally stumbled upon by accident while I was wandering around Super Potato in Ikebukuro. Titled Oujisama Lv1, it claims to have RPG elements while apparently having an entirely male cast that may or may not all have crushes on the protagonist. You guessed it: the main reason I picked this up was due to the shōnen ai vibe! After doing a quick search on Google.jp, it appears my intuition was correct, as the game originated as BL PC RPG that spawned a fan disc and sequel, as well as a manga. I can’t wait to see what it’s like!

My lone PS2 purchase was the Harukanaru toki no naka de 2 premium box, which came with some art cards in addition to the game itself. What can I say, I’m a sucker for cheap otome games!

… And then there were the slightly more expensive otome games. Uta no Prince-sama Repeat for the PSP was nearly $40, as many otome games on the PSP don’t ever drop significantly in price, but it’s one I’ve been meaning to play for a while. After watching the anime, I know I’ll probably enjoy it, even though it’s very silly!

Yet another otome game! Do you sense a theme? Beyond the Future: Fix the Time Arrows is one of the few otome games available on the PS3, and though I literally know nothing about it, I quite like the art style. For $15, that was enough to sell me on it!

Believe it or not, these two PS Vita games were my most expensive game purchases of the trip. On the left we have the self-explanatory Puyo Puyo Tetris, which I originally planned on buying for PS3 for the couch co-op but ultimately decided it would be more enjoyable on a handheld. I’ve played a little of it and so far it has reestablished the fact that I’m awful at both Puyo Puyo and Tetris.

On the right, we have a game that actually came out while I was in Tokyo, Corpse Party: Blood Drive! The Corpse Party series are pretty much the only horror games I’ve ever gotten into, but after XSEED brought the first two for PSP out in English, I’ve been hopelessly hooked. I haven’t really had a lot of time to dig into this one yet, but it’s definitely very high on my list!

It’s a sad truth that the above game, Ohanayasan Monogatari GBA, is the only GBA game I bought during my trip, despite my obsession with them. It’s getting increasingly more difficult for me to find GBA games within my price range that I don’t already own! I’d never heard of this one before running into it during one of my routine GBA section checks (of course I had to meticulously go through all the GBA games in every game store I went to), but the cover art was cute and it seems like Harvest Moon… but with flowers. Apparently there’s a DS game in the same series that actually looks cuter, so I guess I need to put that on my list of things to get eventually! 

Speaking of DS games, Pokémon Typing DS is one I’ve had my eye on for quite a while now but never wanted to spend more than a few bucks on, so I was pretty stocked to find a copy with the bluetooth keyboard (pictured in the first photo) for only $5! The bottom game is Chocobo no Mahō Ehon: Majo to Shōjo to Gonin no Yūsha, which is the Japan-only sequel to Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales game. I honestly didn’t have this one on my radar at all, but after seeing it for $5 and initially passing on it, I ended up going back to the same store and grabbing it a few days later.

The final DS game I added to my collection was another spontaneous purchase, Ore ga Omae o Mamoru (bottom). I only knew it as an otome game with some RPG elements, but apparently it’s also a Metroidvania side-scroller? I’m definitely intrigued, but I don’t remember it getting a very good reception when it came out…

Oresama Kingdom: Ikemen Kareshi o Getto Shiyo! for the 3DS (top) is actually a game I had wanted to pick up last summer, but at over $40, I ended up passing on it. I had completely forgotten about ever wanting it until I randomly ran into it in a bargain bin in Ikebukuro the morning of the day I was returning to Australia… And for only $10, I knew I had to grab it! It’s one of the rare 3DS games that requires players to hold the system as if it were a book (think Hotel Dusk on the DS), and, of course, it’s an otome game. In the case of Oresama Kingdom, I believe it’s based on a manga series aimed at elementary/middle school girls. It’s currently going for $24 at Play Asia, which is the cheapest I’ve seen it available online, if you’re interested in checking it out!

Well, there you have it – every single game I bought while I was in Japan! If there’s any title you’d like to hear more about sooner rather than later, let me know in the comments and I’ll prioritize it!

Anne in Japan 2014: Rilakkuma Café at Tower Records

And so it begins! In addition to my usual posts, August is going to be dedicated to recapping my two and a half weeks in Tokyo! I went to a bunch of themed cafés, so it only makes sense to get the ball rolling with a post about one of them. I give you… the Rilakkuma Café and collaborative exhibit in Tower Records, Shibuya!

Before I get to the real event, that is, the Rilakkuma Factory Tower Records Café itself, I’d like to briefly recap the cute Rilakkuma x Tower Records collaboration exhibit they had on another floor of the building. It was mostly just a chance for Tower Records to sell limited edition Rilakkuma merchandise, but I got a lot of cute photos!

This whole 8th floor of Tower Records was dedicated to this exhibit! I love the little streamers they hung from the ceiling. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things they had on display…

Lots and lots of merchandise! Luckily, I wasn’t really tempted by any of the collaboration designs, so I was able to save my money. Since this was only my first full day in Japan, I’d say that’s a good thing!

The best part of the exhibit by far were these great cut-outs of Rilakkuma and his buddies, korilakkuma and kiirotori. This one of them looking glam is definitely my favorite!

Does the little yellow bird have Beatles hair, or so that a beret? It’s a shame I was by myself and too shy to ask someone to take my photo, or else I would’ve gotten my picture taken with at least one of these Rilakkumas.

Hard rock bears! Forgive me if I’ve described any of these musical decades by the wrong name, I’m not to up on my popular music genres… I think the reason why I didn’t really like the designs in this exhibit that much is because Rilakkuma isn’t doing what he does best – relaxing!

I actually wasn’t able to visit the café on the same day as the exhibit, as the line was too long. I ended up coming back during a weekday when it (hopefully) wouldn’t be as crowded. I was also able to meet up with a Twitter pal, @abyssviola! It was great to finally meet her in person, and we were able to get into the café after only waiting about 15 minutes or so!

Here’s the inside of the café itself. I love the industrial look of the ceiling, but it was slightly disappointing not to see more Rilakkuma stuff around! Oh wait, I think I see one now…

At least we were lucky enough to get this big Rilakkuma plush at our table! Each table was adorned with some kind or Rilakkuma plush or another (you can see a small one on the table directly behind my head). That was about it for Rilakkuma-related decor, though.

I was too distracted with petting the Rilakkuma plush to take a picture of the menu, but you can see the different items on offer on this sign outside. Since I hadn’t eaten dinner, I decided to go with the only savory item on the menu, the Rilakkuma vegetable curry. I would’ve liked to try one of the desserts, too, but the prices were pretty steep and I was worried I might get too full from the curry, so I ordered the “Rilakkuma Irish milk” instead.

Here’s the adorable Rilakkuma Irish milk drink! I don’t remember it tasting like anything but milk, actually. But it certainly was cute!

Looking back now, this isn’t really that appetizing of a photo, but there you have it! Rilakkuma curry. I love how they fashioned the rice to look like Rilakkuma is lounging in the curry. His “pillow” was made out of an omelet, and the white and tan parts on his body were cheese.

The drink and curry cost me around $20, which in all honesty, was rather disappointing. It felt quite expensive for the amount of food given, even if it was Rilakkuma-themed, and I left the café feeling pretty hungry! I should’ve ordered a dessert! Just for comparison, I got a curry and drink at another nice local café for about $13, which, while not themed, was much more reasonable. I can understand a slight markup, but an additional $7 for the Rilakkuma “experience” seemed rather steep.

I definitely don’t regret going, but as my first themed café excursion, I was left a little underwhelmed. Luckily, I can say that this was probably just an example of an overpriced themed café, as the others I went to later on in my trip were much better value for money. Still, I’m glad to have been able to go, especially since it was only around for the month of July! Thanks to @abyssviola for joining me!

Catch-Up Corner: Tokyo Coverage 2014

I’ve been really, really bad about updating the site while I’ve been on my trip, and I feel horrible about it! I had all these grand plans to be covering things as I experienced them, but unfortunately I’ve been so busy that I’ve only had the energy to do quick Twitter and Instagram updates as I go along, for the most part. But to keep you all from thinking the site is dead, here’s a very overdue Catch-Up Corner to get you up to speed with some of the things I’ve been doing!

Me with this awesome Free! mural in Akihabara!

First of all, if you’re still not following me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook and want to keep to date with everything I’m experiencing in Japan as it happens, please consider doing so! While I’ll do more long-form coverage of some of the more standout things I’ve done over the course of the past couple of weeks once I get home in a few days, there will still be some photos/information on my social media that you probably won’t see here on the main site.

While I was initially considering doing some out-and-about video coverage, I’ve found that I’m just too shy to film most things… Luckily, I’ve been able to take a few short videos, and have posted a couple of things I filmed from my University of Tokyo dorm. The video above is an unboxing of a Gatchaman Crowds rubber strap blind box. I was so excited to find some Gatchaman Crowds merchandise!

If you only have the time/tolerance to watch one video of me today, though, make it this one – it’s an Apricotsushi Samples straight from Japan! Better yet, it’s of some random “hangover remedy” drink I was handed in the streets of Tokyo, so you’ll get to hear me talk about that whole experience, too.

Finally, I did a very short impromptu Apricotsushi Samples video of me trying lemon ginger foat ice cream on my Instagram, since it was too hot to carry it home to film properly. The video is available in two separate parts, so be sure to watch both! I suppose you also get to experience some of the summer Tokyo atmosphere – namely, cicadas and my sweaty face.

Well, there’s a whole slew of video content that will hopefully keep you busy for a little while, if you haven’t seen them already! I’ve got many more Apricotsushi Samples on the way, including posts about my various experiences, such as the Square Enix and Rilakkuma cafés. Sorry for the wait, but I hope you’ll look forward to them!

10 Places I Have to Visit when I’m in Tokyo

It’s often said that one can either be a fan of Tokyo or Osaka, but not both. Well, I’m a certified Osaka girl, so while I’ve been to Japan numerous times, I’ve only actually been to Tokyo once for two days nearly 12 years ago. Blasphemy, I know! Luckily, I have the very unique opportunity to attend a popular Japanese media workshop at the University of Tokyo for two weeks in July, so I’ll finally get the Tokyo fix I never knew I needed.

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I say “never knew I needed” because after hearing the wonderful news that I had been accepted into said program, I promptly hit up Google to see exactly what sights I’d been missing out on in the pop culture mecca of Japan. As expected, there are a lot of exciting things to see and do in Tokyo, and my planner is quickly filling up with places to go and things to eat!

Since a lot of folks were asking what exactly was making my “must see” list for Tokyo, I thought it’d be fun to compile a top 10 list of places I’m going to make sure I hit up this July. Hopefully this way I can hold myself accountable and report back in two months with how each place actually stacked up! I’m not going to include vague general destinations like Harajuku or Akihabara that are on every “must see in Tokyo” list, though, but rather very specific things that folks like me who enjoy all things nerdy and cute will probably appreciate…

Kit Kat Chocolatory Tokyo store logo
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Kit Kat Chocolatory 

Everyone knows that Japan is a haven for all kinds of amazing Kit Kat flavors, from the innocuous matcha to stranger oddities such as wasabi. In fact, Kit Kats are so popular in Japan that Nestle opted to erect the world’s first dedicated Kit Kat store, known as the Kit Kat Chocolatory, in the Seibu department store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo! The Ikebukuro store opened this past January and has teamed up with patissier Yasumasa Takagi to sell three exclusive flavors: sublime bitter, special sakura green tea, and special chilli.*

While it’s a little disappointing that the store doesn’t sell all of the various regional Japanese Kit Kat flavors (as far as I can tell), there is no way I’m going to turn down the chance to visit the world’s only Kit Kat shop! And buy a pack of each exclusive flavor, of course.

*Side note: Apparently Yasumasa Takagi made some kind of deal with Nestle, as he also appears in this bakable Kit Kat promotional video.

Amnesia otome game cafe layout
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Animate cafés

I’m cheating a little by not specifying a single store here, but hear me out. Animate is a chain of anime merchandise stores located Japan-wide, but certain branches have cafés that frequently feature anime tie-in menus and special decor. There are two located in Tokyo, one in Ikebukuro that caters to a female audience, and another in Akihabara that has recently teamed up with Good Smile Company (it only just opened on April 25th!) to offer some extra goodies for the figure-loving crowd.

While I’d definitely love to visit both, I’ll probably prioritize going to the one that is doing a tie-in with a series I’m more interested in. Since the Good Smile x Animate cafe is doing a Love Live! collaboration until July 30th, I’ll probably go with the Ikebukuro branch. However, I hear there may be some Good Smile figures that can only be purchased at the Akihabara store, so I may have to visit that one as well. Oh, decisions!

The Nutcracker Studio Ghibli Museum flyer

Ghibli Museum

The Ghibli Museum, designed by visionary Hayao Miyazaki himself, is the ultimate mecca for fans of Ghibli films and Japanese animation, so of course it would be high on my “must see” list! Not only do you get to see exclusive animation shorts that are only shown at the museum, but there is also a yearly rotating exhibit that can’t be seen anywhere else. This year’s exhibit has just been revealed (flier pictured above), and the theme is The Nutcracker! As someone who attended The Nutcracker ballet every year at Christmas as a kid, I can’t wait to see Ghibli’s interpretation of the children’s ballet classic. You can purchase tickets to the Ghibli Museum in English through Voyagin!

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Of course, another highlight of the Ghibli Museum is the Straw Hat Café! Not only is the decor to die for, all of the food is served on gorgeous Ghibli-themed plates, and if you order a coffee drink you’ll be treated with an adorable Ghibli design drawn in the foam. I’ve heard the wait can be an hour long, so it’s important to get there early!

Related: I also have to try these Totoro cream puffs I wrote about two years ago! I couldn’t bring myself to allow two Ghibli-related stops positions on this list, but you can bet your puffs I’ll be making my way to this adorable (Ghibli-supported!) patisserie come July.

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Usagi no Ehon

There are two things I love very much in life – rabbits and books. Combine the two and you’ve got pretty much a winning combination for me! That’s why Usagi no Ehon, or Rabbit Picture Book, immediately caught my eye. I’ve always been a fan of cat cafés, but I’ve yet to visit a rabbit café, and one that combines adorable rabbit-themed decor with quiet atmosphere and all kinds of picture books crowding the cafe shelves sounds too good to be true! While I might end up swapping out Usagi no Ehon for another rabbit café if it happens to be more convenient, I may just opt to make a special trip to sit with the bunnies and read some Japanese picture books. Did you know that rabbits are illegal to keep as pets in Queensland? Yeah, it’s horrible. I need my rabbit fix!

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Otome Road

I’ll tell you right now – Otome Road has always been the one major reason why I’ve been wistful to visit Tokyo. The single street in Ikebukuro is home to shops full of all a fujoshi’s favorite things, meaning it very well could the the one-stop destination for all my needs when I’m in Tokyo. So, if you’re like me and swoon over cute anime boys romancing each other or games where you play a girl who romances cute anime boys, Otome Road should not be missed! If I’m not mistaken, the Animate café in Ikebukuro is located in or around Otome Road, making them easy to see in the same trip. But knowing me, I’m sure I’ll visit Otome Road much more than once during my stay!

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Capcom x Pasela Entertainment Bar

While nearly all of the themed eating establishments I’ve seen call themselves “cafés,” I find it interesting that Capcom has opted for the more mature “bar.” Virtually all themed cafés sell alcoholic drinks anyway, but I guess Capcom wanted a slightly different angle. Not only can you eat strange Capcom-themed delicacies here such as Resident Evil zombie brains (don’t worry, it’s a cake), but the staff apparently put on a little skits from the games when they bring out your food. While I’ll sadly be missing the special Monster Hunter 10th anniversary menu, I’m sure there will be plenty of interesting food items to try and Felyne goods to buy.

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Nakano Broadway

First, I must give a huge thanks to @Richmond_Lee for providing this suggestion. Everyone always says any video game/anime nerd has to hit up Akihabara while you’re in Tokyo, but there’s just so much to see! Where would you even start? Of course, if you have days to kill, it’s fine to wander around and find all of the hidden gems for yourself, but when you’re on a tight schedule like me, it’s much more helpful to have a few specific destinations in mind.

Well, Nakano Broadway looks to be the perfect place to get my otaku shopping fix – it’s a three-story indoor market filled to the brim with rare toys, electronics, anime, manga, figures… and practically anything else a Japanese pop culture nerd could want! I like how Danny Choo describes it as an indoor Akihabara with “a lot less maids, eroge, and computer parts stores.” Sounds like my kind of place! I’m definitely going to head here for some toy, manga, and game hunting.

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Ganso Shokuhin Sanpuru-ya

You know what’s just as awesome as eating amazing-looking food? Looking at amazing-looking food. Ganso Shokuhin is a company that has been making those plastic food samples many Japanese cafés and restaurants put in their front windows for nearly 100 years, and they’ve opened a shop near Tokyo Skytree where you can look at all of their amazing creations. On top of that, they have a shop for souvenirs and kits to make your own, and demonstrations so you can learn how the pros do it! It’s worth mentioning that they have a branch located in the Tokyo Solamachi, a mall beneath the Tokyo Skytree that is the perfect place to shop for souvenirs, so I’ll probably have to take a day to visit the Skytree and get my shopping on!

Artnia Square Enix café

It’s no secret that I love nerdy themed cafés, so of course the Square Enix cafe, Artnia, would make this list. The café itself features a futuristic layout within a dome-shaped building and sells all manner of Square Enix merchandise (some that can be bought only here, of course!) in addition to the usual cafe fare. While it’d be great if Artnia is having a special menu when I’m there, I’ll be happy just to try the adorable Moogle cappuccino pictured above along with a tasty pancake set.

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Kiddy Land Harajuku 

Kiddy Land’s flagship store is five floors of so-sweet-you’ll-get-a-cavity cuteness, so of course I have to go there! I’ve been to Kiddy Land in Osaka before, but I’m sure everything else pales in comparison to the official Harajuku store. If you’re a fan of Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, Disney, or virtually anything else sparkly and kawaii, this is a dangerous stop for your wallet! I think I’m going to need a shopping list and a strict budget for this one, or else I’ll end up with a suitcase full of tiny adorable merchandise. It’s a given that I’ll have a suitcase full of amazing purchases by the end of my trip, but it’ll be hard to pace myself with all the cute there is to take in at Kiddy Land Harajuku! If you’re interested in being overwhelmed by all the cute, I definitely recommend checking out Japan Lover and Danny Choo‘s great photos of Kiddy Land.

There you have it – 10 wonderful destinations in Tokyo hand-picked by yours truly! Of course there are many more things I want to see and do while I’m there, but this is just a tiny slice of what I hope to experience. If you’re planning a trip to Tokyo, check out Voyagin for help buying tickets for all kinds of amazing experiences that normally require Japanese knowledge to access! If you have any suggestions/things you’d like to see me cover during my trip, let me know in the comments!

The Great Japanese Game Haul of 2013 – Nintendo Edition

Nearly two weeks ago I posted a piece covering the PlayStation side of my game haul from my recent trip to Japan. Now, it’s time for the (siginificantly smaller) Nintendo edition! Interestingly, all of the games I bought for Nintendo consoles were for handhelds: specifically, the DS and GBA. That’s probably not all that suprising considering they’re my favorite Nintendo consoles! 
First up is Noora and the Time Studio: The Witch of the Misty Forest, a game that has been on my “must buy” list ever since it was released in Japan in July 2011. I was lucky enough to score a used copy of the collector’s edition for under $30, which came with an artbook, soundtrack CD of “orgal” (a kind of music box-like style) versions of some of the game’s songs, art postcard, and even a telephone card! The telephone card in particular was a great find, as usually only certain stores offer telephone cards as a preorder bonus. I’m really happy to have this game in my collection, since it never came out in English and looks very similiar to the Atelier series in that it focuses on alchemy just as much (if not moreso) than combat. Expect a closer look at the collector’s edition goodies and perhaps some first impressions of the game in the near future!

Now this was a game that I had absolutely no intention of buying until I happened to run into it in a store. How could I pass up that awesome cover?! Though it’s called Digimon Story in Japan, it did have a North American release under the title Digimon World DS. Funnily enough, despite being a massive Digimon fan, this is the first Digimon game I’ve added to my collection. I can’t wait to give it a go, though! 

I mentioned in my last Japanese Game Haul post that I was rather disappointed by teh GBA game selection in Osaka, and for the most part, that wasn’t an understatement. The truth ofthe matter is, I’ve found a seller on eBay with an extremely good selection of titles and very competitive prices – so much so that I often found myself looking at a title on a shelf thinking “I could find that cheaper on eBay!” That was rather disheartening, but I found that I just needed to dig a little deeper to find the really good deals. As such, all of the titles pictured above were actually purchased in the last couple days of my trip!

Yes, the game pictured at the upper left is a Hamtaro game. I couldn’t pass up such an adorable GBA box in good condition going for a cheap price! The game pictured was actually released under the title Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak in English and was the second Hamtaro game to come out in English, even though it’s the third game in the series.

To the right of Hamtaro is Fushigi no Kuni no Angelique, or “Angelique in Wonderland.” After playing trough the original Angelique, I couldn’t pass this one up. It certainly helped that it was only about $3! While it passes up the usual dating sim formula for a board game-like permise, apparently there still are dating sim elements including character-specific endings. And if the game has an Alice in Wonderland theme, all the better!

The title at the bottom left is none other than Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. This was a bit of a splurge, not because it cost much (I don’t remember the exact price but it was under $10), but because I already own the version of it that came in Chocobo Collection for the PSone. Still, I couldn’t resist the game’s box art and the possiblity of playing it on the go!

Finally, there’s Kiss x Kiss: Seirei Gakuen, which I know absolutely nothing about aside from the fact that it’s a dating sim and it only cost me $2. Honestly, that’s good enough for me!

Now this is probably the real gem of my Nintendo game haul – a brand new copy of Tomato Adventure for only $15! If that isn’t a steal, I don’t know what is. I was especially happy to spot this on my final trip to Den Den Town since it was one of the games Bryan of The Gay Gamer suggested I pick up! Interesting trivia: Both this and Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak were developed by AlphaDream, the folks behind the Mario & Luigi games! Not bad pedigree, I’d say!

Well, this about concludes my Japanese Game Haul series! Of course, that doesn’t include the more in-depth posts I plan to do on certain games in the upcoming weeks. If there’s a particular title you’d like to see more pictures of, please do let me know! 

The Great Japanese Game Haul of 2013 – PlayStation Edition (with Giveaway!)

The time has finally come… to show off my haul of video games from my recent trip to Japan! I was originally going to throw everything together in one massive post, but it turned out to be far too unwieldy (apparently I like to write a lot… who knew?), so I’ve broken it up into two: the PlayStation edition, which you’re viewing now, and a Nintendo edition, which will come later this week. Sorry for all the “hey look what I got!” posts, but what’s a Japanese entertainment blog without excessive Japanese entertainment purchases, right?

I bought a new bookshelf specifically to hold everything I bought in Japan.
Feel free to judge

But before I begin, I’ll briefly detail my “criteria” for game purchases during my trip. I spoke briefly about my wishlist on episode 3 of Chic Pixel Plus, but I was most looking forward picking up a few GBA games to beef up my collection and a handful of random titles that are harder to find/more expensive outside of Japan. Ultimately, I was a little disappointed by the GBA game selection in Osaka (more on that in the Nintendo post), but I ended up with eight PSP games, five PS2 games, five GBA games, four PSone games, and two DS games. That’s 24 games total! Since I needed an easy way to break this up into two posts, I’ll just be going over the games I bought for PlayStation systems today.

First up are the four PlayStation one titles I picked up during my trip: Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon (Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon), The Vision of Escaflowne, Marriage, and Tamamayu Monogatari, better known as Jade Cocoon: Story of Tamamayu. Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon and Marriage were my two whim purchases – Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon was only $1 and I’ve been amassing a bit of a Chocobo game collection lately, whereas Marriage caught my eye because of the oh-so-descriptive title and the fact that the back of the box touts that it’s a dating sim that takes place after the protagonist has already married the girl of his dreams. Sure, sign me up!

The Vision of Escaflowne and Tamamayu Monogatari, however, are two titles that I’ve been wanting to add to my collection for quite a while. In particular, The Vision of Escaflowne is a game I’ve been pining for for a number of years now, so finding a copy in great condition was a real highlight of my many game store visits. And, while I’ve always wanted to play Jade Cocoon, I’ve been holding out for Tamamayu Monogatari due to its awesome cover art illustrated by none other than Katsuya Kondō of Kiki’s Delivery Service fame, so it’s great to finally have that, as well!

Next we have the first half of my PSP game haul. Final Fantasy Type-0, Pop’n Music Portable 2, and Gekka Ryōran Romance were all on my list, so no big surprises here. Actually, these three games were probably the ones that cost me the most, as none of them have really gone down in price. I looked for a used copy of Gekka Ryōran Romance (an otome game) for ages and finally settled on a new copy for around $50, only to find a used limited edition for about the same price the very next day!

Now for what I like to call the “Monster Hunter Haul”… Funnily enough, I had only planned on picking up one of the Airu Mura titles, which feature Monster Hunter‘s adorable Felyne characters in an Animal Crossing-like world, but soon after I found G I stumbled on a store that was selling the original title for only $1 new! They also had Monster Hunter Portable 2 for only $1, so against my better judgement I went ahead and bought both. 

Ao no Kiseki and Nayuta no Kiseki, however, were, without a doubt, my biggest random splurges of the trip. For those unfamiliar, they’re both part of what’s known as the The Legend of Heroes series by developer Nihon Falcom, with The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky for the PSP probably being one of the most well-known titles available in English. Well, I know next to nothing about the series aside from the fact that many of my good friends say it’s one of the best JPRG series out there, so when I saw both of these collector’s editions available for relatively cheap, I figured I’d bite. From what I understand, Nayuta no Kiseki is actually more of a spinoff that doesn’t need any prior knowledge of the series to play. Ao no Kiseki, on the other hand, is the second part of the seventh entry in the series and is preceded by Zero no Kiseki, meaning I really need to play that before diving into this one.

Above you can see two PS2 gems I grabbed – the one on the left, Love Com, is the game adaptation of one of my favorite shojo manga series. It seems like it might have some otome game elements, and for less than $5, I couldn’t pass up!

Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!!, on the other hand, is a title I’ve had my eye on for ages but never picked up. As you can probably guess from the cover, it’s an otome game, but with a twist – Love Revo puts players in the shoes of an overweight girl who wants to return to her thinner “glory days” and win the guy of her dreams. If you think that sounds rather horrible (“Lose weight and you too can get a boyfriend!”), don’t worry, I’m mainly interested in it because I’d like to see how the game handles the weight loss/relationship aspect. I don’t have high hopes, but it could prove to be an amusing train wreck. Again, at $5, I won’t consider it a major loss even if it is awful.

Next up is a little title I’ve been meaning to get my hands on for ages, Boku no Natsuyasumi 2! Well, not this title specifically, but I’ve always wanted to try a Boku no Natsuyasumi game and this is the one I ended up with. I can’t wait to give it a go!

Now these were a great deal – I managed to grab the premium boxes of both Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Unmei no Labyrinth and Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4 for only $10 total! As you can probably tell, they are entries in the same series, which is well known for being one of the few otome games that incorporates RPG elements. While I originally just wanted to pick up 4 due to it having more appealing character designs (to me), when I saw the HaruToki 3 premium box for only $5, I had to snag it, as well.

The unfortunate part of this story is that Unmei no Labyrinth is actually what’s usually referred to as a “gaiden” game, meaning it’s a side story (I believe in this case it takes the characters out of their fantasy world and puts them in a high school setting). I can’t very well play it if I haven’t played the original HaruToki 3! I guess that’s another game to add to my list…

Now here’s a game I wasn’t thinking would pick up at all, but I couldn’t pass it up when I saw a brand new copy of the limited edition on sale for only $3! So into the basket it went. Kanuchi Shiroki Tsubasa no Shou is, as you’ve probably guessed, another otome game. I don’t know much about it aside from the fact that it takes place in a fantasy setting and is broken into two games, with “white” being the first part and “black” being the second part. Since there are a lot of neat goodies in all these limited edition boxes, I’ll do a more in-depth posts on them in the future.

If it isn’t obvious by now, PS2 otome games are extremely cheap and in great abundance! Many of these titles also have PSP versions that generally go for $40 or more and are often only ports or have minor additional content. As such, I highly recommend folks interested in checking out otome games to look for PS2 titles… but be wary of eBay! Otome game prices seem to be hugely inflated there, so I’d suggest going through a friend who can buy second-hand titles from Japan and mail them to you or an import service that will help you buy from sellers on Amazon.co.jp or Yahoo Japan and ship internationally.

fuzzy stegosaurus not included

But guess what? I have one extra copy of the PS2 version of Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4 to give away to a lucky reader! All you have to do is comment on this post with “I wanna live an otome life!” for an entry into the drawing. If you’d like an additional chance to win, please share this article on Facebook or Twitter and leave me a comment linking to your post! Giveaway runs until Saturday, September 28th at 9 pm EST. Please note you’ll need either a modded PS2 or a Japanese PS2 in order to play the game, but you’re still welcome to enter even you don’t currently the have means to play it.

Well, that’s it for the PlayStation side of my game purchases in Japan… Stay tuned for the significantly smaller Nintendo side of things later this week!

Update: The giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Chalgyr for winning the random drawing! I’ll be getting in contact with you shortly. And a big thanks to everyone who entered! Keep checking back for more giveaways in the future.