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I was a little underwhelmed by Akihabara when I visited but I think it was so hyped up that there was really no way it could have lived up to expectations. That said, I still had fun shopping for dumb souvenirs.
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Aug 1, 2018 16:34
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My first time in Tokyo I loved wandering around Akihabara and if you are into anime/games you can pick up some interesting items. People watching is good and lots of times there are some nerd events going on in the area. Same goes for Ikebukuro and Otome road. I also love going into Japan's huge stores like Yodobashi camera, almost never buy anything but just find it fun to do. The retail experience is a dead in the USA but is a live and well there!
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Aug 1, 2018 16:45
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nielsm posted:You must visit all the meido cafes. Avoid super budget rental car companies, so basically: Toyota rent a car, Nissan rent a car, budget rent a car, times rent a car, orrix rent a car are all good. No left turn on red. Triangle with 止まれ or とまれ = stop sign. Stop before all train crossings. Diamonds mean there is a crosswalk ahead of you and can mostly be ignored except when a person is crossing it. Find out how tolls work. On highways, except in major cities, mostly obey the passing lane rules. And finally, double check you are used to Japanese traffic signaling. So 3 default unprotected lights, and a possibility of 3 more protected lights going in each direction (except still watch out for pedestrians sometimes!!)
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Aug 1, 2018 17:11
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Kiddyland is good for weeb shopping too, plus it's close to Meiji-jingu which I think is a must-visit for Tokyo. When I visited they had a display of Attack on Titan/Rascal the Raccoon toys right at the entrance. I remember bursting out laughing because it's such a bizarre combination.
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Aug 1, 2018 17:14
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Gonna spend 2 weeks between Korea and Japan. What's a good split for days between the two of them?
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Aug 1, 2018 17:49
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Injuryprone posted:Gonna spend 2 weeks between Korea and Japan. What's a good split for days between the two of them? I'd say 14 or so in Japan.
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Aug 1, 2018 19:51
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Stringent posted:I'd say 14 or so in Japan. I agree completely. The wife wants to do half and half as she doesn't know Korea is one big mall.
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Aug 1, 2018 21:15
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My wife is awesome 
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Aug 1, 2018 21:34
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I understand that, outside of Seoul and Busan, it's pretty hard to be a tourist in SK Husband and I stayed in Seoul for a 2-day layover between Japan and elsewhere and I feel like we would have needed another 1-2 days to do the city justice. No idea about Busan.
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Aug 1, 2018 21:44
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I did a week in Korea with a friend. We flew into Busan and out of Seoul, and used the (very cheap) national rail pass inbetween. Busan was cheap and nice, great view from the mountain top and some temples still exist. I got a cell phone charm at a temple there that has lasted more than 10 years and is on my phone right now. Gyeongju was tiny but awesome. Rent a bike and ride around. The national museum was closed the day we visited so please plan around that. Andong just some normal little town it felt like Japan. We took a bus to Hahoe village to see the masks and walk around the old houses. Seoul is huge and busy and we just let my friend's friend take us to all the places. The museums were great and we finally got some food that wasn't bibimbap. In summary, 5 days Busan - Gyeongju - Seoul is a solid first trip.
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Aug 1, 2018 23:10
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Korea's not bad, might be fun to do a day or two there to get some quality Korean food, but Japan is better than Korea in just about every possible way imaginable so I'd try to spend as much time in Japan and as little time in Korea as possible, while still being able to do a few interesting things in Korea I guess
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Aug 2, 2018 00:54
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Pththya-lyi posted:I understand that, outside of Seoul and Busan, it's pretty hard to be a tourist in SK Your understanding is incorrect. Post what you like to do and I can give Korea suggestions. Gyeongju should be on your list regardless.
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Aug 2, 2018 00:57
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Injuryprone posted:I agree completely. The wife wants to do half and half as she doesn't know Korea is one big mall. It's actually one big restaurant
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Aug 2, 2018 01:45
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She's been watching alot of Korean dramas lately so I imagine she wants to go to cafes, eat, and shop...so I'm pushing 5 days max there.
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Aug 2, 2018 01:46
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Injuryprone posted:She's been watching alot of Korean dramas lately so I imagine she wants to go to cafes, eat, and shop...so I'm pushing 5 days max there. better still 
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Aug 2, 2018 02:10
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The Great Autismo! posted:Korea's not bad, might be fun to do a day or two there to get some quality Korean food, but Japan is better than Korea in just about every possible way imaginable so I'd try to spend as much time in Japan and as little time in Korea as possible, while still being able to do a few interesting things in Korea I guess Pro-Nippon Gaijin discovered.
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Aug 2, 2018 02:15
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Grand Fromage posted:Your understanding is incorrect. I have brought shame to my ancestors Injuryprone posted:She's been watching alot of Korean dramas lately so I imagine she wants to go to cafes, eat, and shop...so I'm pushing 5 days max there. Are any of them period dramas? You'll want to hit at least one of the royal palaces in Seoul
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Aug 2, 2018 02:45
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Went to Roppongi last night hoping to get drunk on a weeknight with some random expats and hopefully cute girls who speak English, instead was met by empty bars everywhere and random dudes every ten feet asking me to go into strip clubs. I screwed up the train too so it took forever to get to and from Shinjuku and the whole night was a big fail. Help me SA, why did I gently caress up and will it be just as much of a waste on Fri/Sat? e: also jesus gently caress it is hot right now e: e: also gyukatsu motomura shinjuku is tits. KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD fucked around with this message at 08:34 on Aug 2, 2018 |
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Aug 2, 2018 08:27
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Went to Roppongi last night hoping to get drunk on a weeknight with some random expats and hopefully cute girls who speak English, instead was met by empty bars everywhere and random dudes every ten feet asking me to go into strip clubs. I screwed up the train too so it took forever to get to and from Shinjuku and the whole night was a big fail. Help me SA, why did I gently caress up and will it be just as much of a waste on Fri/Sat? Jesus Christ.
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Aug 2, 2018 08:51
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Bite me knuc
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Aug 2, 2018 09:21
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KOTEX GOD OF BLOOD posted:Went to Roppongi last night hoping to get drunk on a weeknight with some random expats and hopefully cute girls who speak English, instead was met by empty bars everywhere and random dudes every ten feet asking me to go into strip clubs. I screwed up the train too so it took forever to get to and from Shinjuku and the whole night was a big fail. Help me SA, why did I gently caress up and will it be just as much of a waste on Fri/Sat? You missed Jumanji basically. One of the few places actually busy on a weekday. Roppongi gets worse very year. If you just want girls to talk to find a Hub or something. If you have other end goals or type of place in mind post it and you'll get better recommendations.
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Aug 2, 2018 09:34
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Yeah Roppongi actually doesn’t have that much going on on weekdays unless you are out past last train and going to a club. A-life also tends to have a crowd weekdays sometimes. Honestly if you want to hang with randos and talk to girls on a weekday Shibuya Hub is legit probably the best single place.
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Aug 2, 2018 09:49
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Also Roppongi is not really great *any* night unless you know where to go. The random places by the strip with all the touts (from the station exit down to don quihote) are not reliably good. For clubs 1 Oak and A-life, but they peak around 1-2am. Also come to think of it there’s a decent weekday crowd in Rigoletto in Hills too but it’s fairly annoying imo.
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Aug 2, 2018 09:52
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So where do you go for anime now (in Tokyo) if Akiba is nothing but Mandarin-speaking luxury goods stores? I was last there in 2014 and there were already like 3 Chinese department stores so I can see how they might have completely dominated by now.
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Aug 2, 2018 10:50
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You should, perhaps, request a goon meet.
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Aug 2, 2018 11:03
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Nakano Broadway or just the Internet
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Aug 2, 2018 12:00
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Akiba is fine for nerd poo poo. Or go to Taipei they have a mandrake store there with official translated goods
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Aug 2, 2018 12:01
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Akihabara was good back in like early 2000s, when Japanese consumer electronics were ahead of the rest of the world. Now the electronics are pretty much whatever same Apple/Google/Samsung/etc as anywhere else. All that's left is anime and idol crap, yippee edit: the DIY electronics places are still pretty good, if you need a transistor or something zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 14:16 on Aug 2, 2018 |
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Aug 2, 2018 14:14
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a bad experience in roppongi?!?!? You should go seek out a "golden guy"
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Aug 2, 2018 15:51
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Real talk go do Nouryousen if you wanna drink on a weekday: https://www.nouryousen.jp/sp/ Just go to takeshiba passenger pier at like 6:30 sharp on a weekday and they should have tickets. Fri-Sat tends to sell out in advance but you can do it on weekdays and sundays same day usually. All you can drink on a boat and lots of girls in Yuakata and poo poo
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Aug 2, 2018 16:04
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Hi Akihabara has a couple of things still going for it: 1) e-earphones - there's one in Shibuya I think but they have a really large selection of headphones including audiophile headphones for gawking at and possibly trying 2) high end audio shops - which apparently sell to a lot of ryokans in the middle of nowhere because a lot of folks like to gawk at mcintosh equipment 3) board game shops 4) tonkatsu - there's a couple of really good tonkatsu shops near akihabara 5) arcades - if you happen to be closer to there than shinjuku, but sometimes he ones in akihabara can have a few less people because there are so many 6) transistors/cheap sketchy tech parts behind the main areas, if you know where to find them but yeah its a place you should probably go to if you know you want to go there
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Aug 2, 2018 18:19
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i sort of did wish that the tax free counters at depaato in japan had fewer people lining up at it. I bought an expensive teapot and walked to the tax free counter from Ginza Mitsukoshi, and then was like 'gently caress this poo poo I'm not standing in that 1 hour line' and walked away. That would have been 1 hour to not pay like a 3$ tax.
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Aug 2, 2018 18:20
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i think i was emptying out my wallet getting dumb stuff like kitkats at the airport, and the cashier started to pull out the duty free paperwork. nope, nope, nope, nope.
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Aug 2, 2018 19:35
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Duty free paperwork takes two minutes tops?
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Aug 2, 2018 20:14
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not when there is a line of 70 chinese people ahead of you
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Aug 2, 2018 20:32
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ntan1 posted:Hi Akihabara has a couple of things still going for it: Gimme the tonkatsu places. I don't go to akiba much anymore and only with friends who wants to go there and I want options other than Mos Burger atm.
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Aug 2, 2018 22:42
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As long as Taito HEY! is in Akiba and I can get my 90s shmup nostalgia on, it will be a-ok in my books. Then you can finish off by going to French Toast Factory in Yodobashi Camera to regain those much needed carbs and calories the growing Goon Body needs
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Aug 2, 2018 22:46
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How long are you meant to hold onto those duty free receipts they staple into your passport for anyway? Just once you make it through arrivals when you get home I assume? I only ever had it done for clothes shopping in 109 Men's, never occured to me to look for them in department stores.
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Aug 2, 2018 22:53
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Yeah all of the old nerd poo poo is still in akihabara, but there’s just a bunch of tourists and department stores too. Pc parts are often cheaper in akihabara and there’s more variety, including used stuff.
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Aug 2, 2018 23:07
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Stumbling Block posted:Gimme the tonkatsu places. I don't go to akiba much anymore and only with friends who wants to go there and I want options other than Mos Burger atm. Marugo or Manpei. There are a couple of others too iirc.
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Aug 2, 2018 23:46
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