panic

[motorbike]

I have plane tickets to Tokyo.

Comments

typos. where is my mind.

[mythos]

Awww you won't get shivved, they love pretty blond girls over there. We had one in our group and the worst is just some gawking, some very nice people might actually come up and ask where you're from, and you might have sketchy dudes trying to talk to you too :Db

Also, try to go to the Kinokuniya main store in Shinjuku, because it's effing huge.

[motorbike]

It IS nice to blend in while traveling, because that's a little safer, but obvs non-local coloring makes this impossible..... Lol now I will be disappointed if I look too Russian to be hassled or asked questions. Actually I know that palais, who is very pretty, once heard someone across a busy square be like SUGOI BURONDO!!!!! + commotion.

I love Kino even here, the way on top of books they sell what seems like every trinket or fashion-type thing in current style. I will have to check out the huge store. But I think I will just be overwhelmed by everything I kind of suddenly want but know I have no use for :')

[oberstein]

Pfft, you won't get shivved. The moment someone gives you a stink-eye you'll probably have at them in English or Russian or rapid-fire English-Russian hybridrant.

Have fun!

[motorbike]

I'll be coming straight off of a monthlong Moscow stint, so I will probably have forgotten how to speak English properly. You know how your brain toggles fluencies over long stays? I am going to not understand ANYTHING in Japan hahaha

[oberstein]

Yo, barkeep, je faim le borscht onegaishimasu.

[motorbike]

da kore is ya on chaque jour ne

[faisdodo]

I live in Japan

[motorbike]

Thank you so much, this is so helpful! I will bring tissues and a jacket. What's the temperature like? Will defs check out Harajuku etc, and museums. Though Roppongi..........

The tail thing is happening over there too? I keep seeing it at events in LA. I can't even laugh, I am just reminded of sweaty conger otakus. NEVER EVER. Especially not 2 tails at once ;A;

Hopefully I won't have to speak my terrible terrible Japanese until I've got up the nerve;;;;; Or never! Never would be great. I will just eavesdrop on people speaking it correctly. Maybe I could learn some cool idioms! I like 「口から先に生まれた」, like "this person doesn't shut up"　and「芋を洗うよです」like "it is very crowded here" :'3

[faisdodo]

I assume it will be like 40's? (farenheit)... seasons have been a little crazy this year. winter came really, really late... so maybe it will stay colder longer this year?

yeah, the tail thing is pretty terrible. it usually appears on the most boring stereotypically-dressed Japanese girls with big hair, big eyelashes, pirate boots and short shorts. Like this: http://www.mihosuzuki.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/animal-tail-fashion.jpg

I don't know any good idioms. But you should grumble the potato one loudly on a train. :)

[motorbike]

hahaha oh my goooosh this girl is even carrying a Vuitton bag. This ensemble looks pretty terrible ngl...... But even to dress like a hip non-stereotype one evidently has to look NUTS with like a million clothes on at once but also be immaculately put together. What is the deal.

[thawrecka]

I remember all the food at convenience stores being tasty and cheap and conveniently microwaved for me.

[motorbike]

I know there are specials around closing hours where you can get the bento meal things for 1/4 price etc. But you can't walk and eat or stand and eat. You must go eat shamefully at home (?) or something lolol

[motorbike]

Not that I ever stand and eat or walk and eat, I guess it's intuitively declasse or something

[thawrecka]

Also a great way to get food on your clothes. When I went there was a family mart right next to my hotel so it was a pretty great set up.

[dinghy]

for clothing, harajuku is the main beat. lots of shops + laforet (hip mall). shimokitazawa is a little out of the way but it's kind of the hipster area of tokyo, has a lot of interesting shops. nakameguro is another option for like "cool tokyo" vibe. if you want doujinshi, ikebukuro's "otome road" area is good and book-off has lots of cheap used manga/books/games whatever. between eating and shopping, you will be supes busy!

other fun things: karaoke, shrines/temples, people watching! you won't be shanked but people might say ROSSIA?? at you (this happens to me a lot, at least).

[motorbike]

Ahhhh thanks, this is great. Yes. I want to check out Tokyo Silverlake and be scoffed at by a whole new section of fancy hipsters!

And yes I want doujinshis. Should I go to Mandarake? I want to but I am also under the impression that it's challenge to find anything there if you're a newbo...... maybe back issues of EDITH at least? hmfffff

I am going to people watch SO MUCH. And I want to go to a shrine! HIE SHRINE? The one with all the Torii. I hope that area is not ridics far away!

[dinghy]

I've only been to Mandarake and K-Books and I like K-Books better tbh-- it's not as fujoshi dungeon-y but Mandarake is bigger. It's not really impossible to find things, just time consuming because it's usually labelled into vague categories of either "Character Uke" or popular circles and you have to go through them all. They have a map in the store of what area different fandoms are in, though, so you can just reference that for your needs.

Hie Shrine is in Chiyoda-ku, near Tameikesanno Station. It's not terribly far away but kind of a random office area (kind of where I work!). Meiji Shrine is the big one near Harajuku so you could hit that one but it's not that pretty IMO? If you like torii and you end up in Ikebukuro, there's a shrine that's kind of close called Kishimojindo that was in Shiina Ringo's Kabukicho no joou PV. It's not as impressive as Hie Shrine but maybe worth it if you're in the area.

If you have any other questions, just let me know!