Kit Kat Korner

When the world's first Kit Kat store (as in, the chocolate), popped up on my radar a few months ago, I was pretty thrilled! Awesome, right? A store dedicated to one of the world's favorite chocolate bars, right in Tokyo! I was pretty stoked.
 The idea might seem strange, but what you might not understand is that Kit Kat is hell of big here in the Land of the Rising Sun. They're considered lucky, even! "Kit Kat" sounds very close to the Japanese way of saying "Certain Victory." There's a space on the back of the chocolate bar where you can write "to" and "from". Japan's even got exclusive flavors, and, believe it or not, strawberry and green tea are amongst the most common of the special varieties.
 So you can imagine my delight going to the Kit Kat store! I had in mind to try a whole bunch of the crazier ones. Apple and pineapple and whatnot. And, lo and behold! Here's the Kit Kat Chocolatory!

And...that's about it! It's literally just what you see in that picture. Not a huge amount of different ones to choose from, I'm afraid. They just feature three flavors at a time and change it once in a while. There was chili pepper and cream cheese when I went. Well shit, it's not like I wanna go every month and pick up the new ones one at a time.
 So that's the Kit Kat store. You can either go, or not! It won't make much of a difference in your day, let alone your life, I'm afraid.

An Hour at the Sanja Festival

 It came as a near miss this year too. With all my attention focused on the move, I came close to forgetting about one of the biggest festivals in Tokyo - the Sanja Matsuri. By the time I managed to free myself to get there, the big event was all but over, but I did manage to catch some of the magic of the festivities.

 Sanja Matsuri is held in honor of the three founding priests of the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, and is celebrated through the worship of three portable mikoshi shrines, over the course of three days. The first day (a Friday) is dedicated to dance, the second (Saturday) to the 100 lesser shrines, and the third (Sunday) to the three main shrines. It's a wild, bustling affair and certainly is crowded, with an estimated 2 million visitors coming in during the combined three days of the festivities.

 I unfortunately caught only the very end of said festivities, having shown up on Sunday evening, but managed nevertheless to catch sight of an important event - the return of the main mikoshi to Sensoji Temple, hoisted upon the backs of men and women chanting as they carried it back to its starting point.

 Against the light of the Sky Tree in the night sky, it's a good reminder of the sharp contrast between modern times and tradition in Japan. I couldn't help but feel inspired by the chants of the mikoshi carriers, heard from such a long distance away and echoed by the surrounding crowd, as they marched towards and eventually through the kaminarimon - the thunder gates. Really, it sounds as epic as it looks.

 I followed them a certain distance through said gates and the musical float too, with the musicians inside banging drums and piping flutes. One of the musicians even had a little girl on her lap, who no doubt will be expected to carry the tradition through one day.

 Unfortunately, I can't go without saying that I did miss the best of Sanja Matsuri, which is also known for having yakuza transporting their own mikoshi on the second day of the festival while displaying their tattoos to the public (a rare occurrence), and its Geisha performances ranking among some of the best in Japan.
I'm crossing my fingers, though, and hoping I won't get sidetracked from next year's festivities.

Leaving the Fort

The time has finally come for me to bid farewell to Hermit Fortress, and to step into my spacier, more luxurious apartment in Senkawa!
 I'll be sure to share pictures of the new apartment, something I very seldom did previously. It's got a very modern, almost artsy feel to it, you'll see. I've been shopping for furniture and deco. I'm cut out to make this place look like a proper lair, with giant frames on the walls and whatnot. I think it'll be fun to live in.
 In the meanwhile, though, it may be a while before I set up a proper internet connection, so updates may slow down until I'm fully settled.
 But moving to a new part of Tokyo allows easier access to a whole bunch of different things, and I'm pretty excited to go check out some of the zanier things I've only ever heard of and never had a chance to see in my new area.

A Quick Look at Enoshima

On Basil's last full day in Tokyo, we opted for a visit to Kamakura, and stumbled upon the chance to rent bicycles, allowing us to hit all the major attractions in record time and go out a little farther than I had had the chance to previously. And, as it so happens, just a 20 minute bike ride out of Kamakura is the fairly well-known Enoshima, which I've been recommended to visit time and time again.

Enoshima's a small yet well known island connected to land by means of a long bridge. It enjoys a fair number of Japanese tourists, in great part due to its beaches, but also because it's a pretty scenic getaway spot, and it's fairly close to Tokyo.
 The center of Enoshima is quite elevated, with a number of residences and shops at its bottom, soon giving way to temples (the most notable one being the Enoshima Shrine, almost a straight line from the main bridge), and a number of touristy attractions at the top.
 If you happen to be a lazy ass (or have a genuine handicap), there are even a few escalators to bring you to the top, for a price - a concept I was unaware even exited.

Once at the summit, though, a wide open plaza awaits, complete with Enoshima's trademark watchtower, allowing you to gaze out at the sea. The number of visitors also brings around performers on sunny days, which are a nice way to relax and kill time.
 Obviously, this is merely the island in a nutshell, and I have been informed that there are a number of other things to do on the island, such as relax on rocky plates in the ocean, or go spelunking in caves where there are Buddhist statues. Given the time, I'll definitely have another visit!

Western Village - The Theme Park That Was

When it comes to Haikyo, I usually opt for the overnight option. I'm comfortable going at it in the dark, away from the eyes of those who would think me suspicious. But I admit there are sometimes when the place in question is too interesting, or unique not to see in the light of day. Let me take you through my first time exploring an abandoned theme park. This is Western Village.

Millo, myself, Nana, Basil.

 Coming along with me for the trip this time around are a few familiar faces. There's Basil, my guest here in Tokyo (who, by the time this has been posted has returned to Canada), but also Millo and Nana, who have each been to one of my previous raids (Kappa Hotel and Nichitsu Ghost Town respectively.) It's a fun team and one I'm glad was willing to trail along on this crazy adventure.
 Going in, I knew close to nothing about the Western Village theme park - but I did know where to find it. Geographically speaking, it's only one train station away from Kinugawa, where the Kappa Hotel was located, in the mountainous Tochigi prefecture. I had a picture of Google Maps to guide me.
 Getting into Western Village was not an issue. All it took was a little climbing and we were already in - and in a place so deep in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, there was no risk of any one seeing us. And once we were in, the fun was set to begin.

That's the old Georgia state flag! No racism intended!

They're kinda dorky looking.

 Western Village was a theme park that delivered on exactly what its name implied. Just as the nearby Edomura theme park (which is still running) is based on the Japan of the olden days, Western Village mirrored it in being based on America's Wild West.
 In its heyday, cowboys strolled around, interacting with the park's visitors. Animatronic puppets, powered by pistons and other sorts of clockwork, could be spotted inside practically every one of the park's numerous buildings. And they still can, though they haven't moved since 2007.

 The beautiful thing about Western Village in its state of abandonment is that everything that could've been taken away has been kept exactly where it was by the park's staff. Of course, this is nothing unusual when it comes to Haikyo, but this is a theme park. It was nothing short of amazing to open a door and find what could have easily been 30 to 40 different costumes strewn about the room, dusty, but otherwise completely undamaged by the elements or moth or rat. It was time to dress up.

Everything we needed to take these pictures were found on spot.

 A light reflecting screen here, a fire extinguisher there, and as many props as we wanted to use.
There were so many combinations possible and I felt like I could have spent hours dressing up with the team and taking zany pictures. The park was ours - where else would we have ever been able to shoot off fire extinguishers just for the sake of creating the haze we needed for a nice shot? Haikyo is a thing of beauty. Hell, I even dressed up as one of the park's mascots. That costume was intact too.
We found the largest building in Western Village to be a large hall full of two meter tall teddy bears, standing around and wearing all sorts of patriotic clothing. Stars and stripes in abundance, really. The second floor was filled with what was once fare games, and the third was somewhat of an Indian (as in, Native American) museum. But upon exiting the building through the other side, we came upon Western Village's defining feature: an enormous replica of Mount Rushmore. The entire thing was hollow rather than made of stone, and it's only truly dawning upon me as a write how much effort must have gone into the opening and maintenance of this park that would eventually just be abandoned and left to sit in silence.
 I resolved to do yet another thing that couldn't be done if the park were still running today, and stood upon the head of George Washington victoriously.

God I feel like I've lived.

 Western Village may not be as immense as Disney Land or FujiQ Highland, but it's no tiny little fairground either. Arcades, gigantic dining halls, a haunted house, watchtowers, a ranch, a kids' train line, and a mini-golf course are all included in the package, and that's really just the half of it. It's no wonder our day went by so fast.
 In the end, though, it doesn't take a genius to guess what did the park in - location, location, location. Take into consideration that the two aforementioned theme parks are both much closer to Tokyo than Western Village was. With such powerful competitors, how could this theme park ever hope to stay in business while operating from a tiny town in Tochigi prefecture? Kids will choose Disney over cowboys any day of the week, and this park used to count only on its theme to tide visitors over. Notice that there are no roller coasters or thrill rides in Western Village. The place probably ran into debt and stumbled into bankruptcy shortly after.
 Looking only at the facts, it may not be long until the neighboring Edomura park finds the same problems. And I may chance to climb upon its remains after the fall. 

Gundam Front

Anyone who's ever had an ounce of interest in Japanese animation (and a whole tonne of people who don't) has heard of Gundam. Before Dragonball and Sailor Moon took the world of animation by storm, Gundam was already going strong, with its powerful stories of human drama and giant god damn robots. Though I've never been a fan of the franchise, there is without a doubt some respect to be given to a 45 year old series that still manages to bring more fans around its table.

The "life-sized" Gundam at Odaiba Diver City.

However, my good friend Basil is a longtime fan of the franchise, and so we delved into the heart of the beast. Here, in Odaiba, lies the Mecca of Gundam fans - Gundam Front, where not only goods are sold and displayed as if in a museum, but a towering "life-sized" Gundam is put on display for all to see at the very doorstep of Diver City, the mall in which the Front is located.

I do like this!

The Gundam Front is to the Gundam series what the Ghibli Museum is to Ghibli movies, though much smaller. Not only are there informative displays with large size figures of the flagship robots, but original artwork of the series' creator are put up for all to admire.
 The interior of the Gundam Front itself looks like that of a space vessel from out of the series, so it's enjoyable to walk around within the small complex's halls, dimly lit with neon lights so representative of the sci-fi setting of the anime.

You'll surely get the ladies now.

There are also a couple of interactive displays allowing for fans to pose inside the cockpit of a Gundam robot, or next to the forerunner characters of the series, though I think few would disagree that the main highlight of the Front is the large dome room purposefully built as a theater for the projection of a Gundam battle, in the same way planetariums do their projections. Sadly, photos are not permitted in the dome (and the subtle ones I took are just a terrible mess.) Personally, I found the whole thing hard to follow, but what do I know of Gundam anyway.

Is this the feeling called lust?

And of course, at the very entrance of the Gundam Front is a store where figurines of the series' robots are sold, amongst a whole other bunch of related paraphernalia. Posters, pillows, postcards, coffee mugs and even Gundam-shaped cookies and cakes. You name and they have it. Every overseas' fan knows that these cost a fortune outside of Japan. Well, they cost a fortune inside of Japan too, but at least they're all concentrated in this one spot, which is sure to please many.


The Gundam Front isn't free to enter (costing 1200¥ for adults) but I guess that ain't much of a detractor for full-blown fans. For the rest of us, it's at least fun to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Milestone: 2½ Years

You can compare with my other Milestones!

2½ Years : Summary


Status:

Job: Children's Fitness Teacher, Pro-Bono Cultural Ambassador
Financial status:  Good

Location:
As of mid-May, I'll be moving!

City: Tokyo
Ward: Itabashi-ku
Train station: Senkawa
Residing in: My apartment, yet to be named.



Cast of Characters:

Major Characters:

Ken Tanaka
Aala Kansali of Tunisia
Jean-Paul "Papa Lo"  the French Laotian
Millo, Julian of France
Dario Lupoli of Italy

Minor Characters:

Nana Takeuchi, the Bawss
Eri Karasawa, who works a different location
Erika Mochizuki (and Maxine!)
Kuniaki "Forest" Mori
Kazue Inoue 

Retired Characters:

Sofie Monrad of Denmark
Julian "Shank" Einschenk of Germany
Anton "Foxboy" Jermaine of England
Rodrigue Zapha of France

Clement Sanchez of France


Top Five Highlights:
(since last milestone)

- A Visit to NHK Studios
- Tokyo Disneyland
- The Penis Festival
- Kappa Hotel and its Onsen
- The Robot Restaurant


Still to Come:
- An Island Trip
- The Abandoned "Western Village"
- A Cafe with Goats
- The Sanja Festival
- The Giant Monster Bar