V2's lucky star'd pilgrimage to tokyo!

[V2]

a few days ago i was blessed on attaining one of my life's goals - a trip to the land of the source of it all - gundams, anime, bukakke and japanese girls.

i'd like to share the photos and knowledge i've attained from the experience.

but first off, i'd like to give an expression of great thanks...

for their kind help on my inquiries related to my "pilgrimage":
protofrom-S
thunderbreak
wildstar
japutra
seele01
mhuu
jennifer see
helen
janice

the bloggers and websites (for references):
darkmirage of www.darkmirage.com/
windbell of www.moeside.net
AS of animesugoi.animeblogger.net/
"the f00l" of textfiend.net/zerohero
akiba-ch.com/map/
www.akiba.or.jp/english/map/index.html
www.dannychoo.com
www.japan-guide.com

it wouldnt be possible without their great help.

[V2]

narita airport greeting banner:

(the chick infront is married, mind you... but she's still pretty)

the first second i stepped out of the airport, it was freakin' cold. it was already spring but the temperature in tokyo was going from 15-20 degrees C.

i had to get an airport limousine (bus) towards tokyo city air terminal and get a taxi to further proceed to my hotel. taking a taxi absolutely expensive as takes 50 minutes from the narita airport to the TCAT (tokyo city air terminal).


the hotel i stayed in is a business-type hotel - which is definitely cheaper than most hotels (67 USD per night). the one nice thing about it is that its just one station next to my main target - akihabara (kodenmacho station, hibiya line).


as you can see, its pretty small. but for me, as long as the toilet is clean and there's a tub to dip on (im a sucker for spas and saunas), im pretty content with it.


and this is the rental car i used to get around tokyo:

(i wish!)

[V2]

in regards to tranportation, going around tokyo is VERY CONFUSING as you can see from just their subway maps:


some observations:
- there are numerous "lines" in all the railways going in and out of tokyo.
- there are stations that "link" each line to each other, but you'll have to walk for it (transfer stations from one line to another takes 800 meters - my foot were aching on the first 2 nights i had to dip them in hot water and massage them, then apply salonpas for therapy). so remember, if you're going make sure you bring the SOFTEST and THICKEST rubber shoes you have or get one (i brought walking shoes that had had thin soles - a fatal mistake).
- lowest rate is 160 yen and most expensive rate goes around 500+ yen. if you're going to go hopping around tokyo, you'd best get the "one day economical ticket" for 710 yen. thats for the metro line - for both toei and metro you pay 1000 yen. and that only covers two major railways - not to mention the other lines like JR, yurikamome, etc.
- the trains are clean and quite fast. there are announcements that mention the station names in japanese and english. so make sure you pay attention and dont fall asleep or get distracted.


but 5 years in the dreaming, 2 months in the planning and 1 month in the financing, i had come prepared with research and the will - it is one of my goals, after all:

[V2]

by the way, to anyone who's going soon feel free to ask for my guides and references.

[V2]

one of my planned iterinaries in tokyo was to check out the parks and aquariums so i had to check out ueno park which is just north of tokyo (ueno station).

ueno park is quite huge as i was walking around it (i'd estimate 4 megamalls combined?!) and left my feed numb. the entrance is quite cheap, the displays (animals, etc.) were well maintained and there were a llot of people going there from all walks of life (cute/sexy schoolgirls, hawt MILFs and sexy foreign caucasians).

note: due to the mass number of pics, the rest can be found here.


some of the shots:



the local animals (i love that cat!):




sakura trees and whatever:



local shrine:



the actual inside of the park itself:


aquarium:




that gator is just 3 feet from the path:



non-teenage non-mutant non-ninja turtles:

reptiles and snakes:



trout and salmon?:



birdies galore:





the sign says it all:




rhinos and hippos:


yes, it is gnawing through that steel post!


giraffes, zebras and that horse-like species:



very cute!:




nope, the sign says you cant borrow it and use it for murder purposes!:



more birdies and horny goats:






yaoi love knows no species boundaries:



if this duck were in manila, it would either be dinner or would go dashing away:


will post part 2 later.

[archaznable]

wow congrats on the trip to the land of the Rising Sun .... ;D ;D ;D LOL i laughed on the word bukakke that you said on the first post. And the penguin sign board. how long was your trip there?

[RainerO]

Congrats on attaining your goals, but when you've mentioned regarding bukakke it was somehow "bold" hehehe...Cheers!

[PilapZ]

congrats on the trip amigo! ;D

looking forward to seeing more pics. ;D

[mykeleleng]

Congrats V2.
U've achieved one of your life's goal. That must have been a really great accomplishment for yourself. Naks.

i love your Pixs and their captions. LOL.. Birdies and Horny goats..
Can't wait for the next part..( toys nmn?

[kingferic]

congrats on your trip V2!

amazing pics of the landmarks you've seen there...

[V2]

arch: yep i was silently laughing maniacally when i saw signboard. if the caretakers only knew! i spent 8 days on tokyo.

rainero: the "b" word in the ordinary sense means something fairly normal in japanese culture but i think we're more familiar with the "other" kind of meaning it has... heh.

mykeleleng: yep, i guess it was a great achievement on my part. the toys are soon to come since im not thorugh sorting them out... heh.

anyways here's part 2:

note: due to the mass number of pics, the rest can be found here.

flowers and trees:




sea eagles:


more birdies:





anteaters and some:



monkeys and such (yaoi warning!):



very cute prairie dogs:


a cute red panda:


a panda doing its "thing":


elephants:


and that is one big piece o' s#it:


polar bears:



the seals and the penguins:



asian black bear that climbs the tree like its balls are on fire (no, really!):

yaoi!!!

and they're pretty good climbers too:


cute ferrets:


wild dogs or something:


lions:


bblgrrrrrrrrrraaaaaah!:


a gorilla (milo-powered! hopefully he wont be banned when he engages in gundam 00 talk or else he'll smash your face in...):



and yes, its green:


a monorail - your lifesaver when you feet are too numb when you're too tired to walk around ueno park (i think i walked 15 kms in 4 hours):


another shrine and other landmarks:


and some sleeping guy on a bench (reminds me of bumfights):

[V2]

sunshine city:
a mall that also has an aquarium found on the top floor. i think in some anime references (like futakoi) this was the place where couples can eat ice cream on the top floor. there's also a stage here where people can watch shows and such (sentai, etc.).



big crabs (the long-legged one is a specialty found in hokkaido):


a show involving a talented seal:





there is a farm or petting zoo:




reminds me of the dino-riders series:


this guy reminds me of that "i-like-to-move-it-move-it!" guy from the magadascar movie:


a penguin - habitat section (nope, no jackasses here...):


isnt this the "mine?! mine?! mine!? mine?!" from finding nemo?:


an ocean sun fish - a rare fish that the japanese people are proud of. (i dont know why the heck it keeps bumping itself on that side of the wall though... poor thing):


some rare (prehistoric?!) dead fish found at the bottom of the ocean:

[archaznable]

Wow 8 days sure is isn't enough to have a tour in Tokyo ... did you come accross on a life size Zeta Gundam standing there Nasukogen in Ibaraki Prefecture? I don't know were that Zeta Gundam life size statue is right now lol maybe he already flew to Argama ... ;D

[V2]

isnt that the one near some sort of train station? nope. the biggest zeta i came across was just the jumbo grades...

[V2]

ikebokuro area (sunshine city, mandarake, lashinbang and animate local branch)


an arcade in ikebokuro showing UFO prize catchers:



lashinbang - a good shop thats recommended for 2nd-hand items, doujins and such for good prices:


mandarake:


k-books ikebokuro branch (warning! there are yaoi doujin sections here! i learned it the embarassing way):


animate ikebokuro branch:


so many GFFs!!!:


of all the things i had to see, it had to be this:


impact model gurren lagann:


shinki displays:


figures:




in action! offshoot series' knightmare frames - yummy!:


DVD advertising the new "imagin DVD" from the den-o series:


books and mangas galore: