Going to try to bring you Akihabara more often through photos so that you can see the current trends in the current otakusphere - whats hot, whats on sale and what new shops there are.
If you visit Japan and head to Akihabara in Tokyo once a year, you will notice that a bunch of shops would have gone missing - only to be replaced by new ones - competition is fierce in Akihabara and only those with the right selection at the right price at the right location get to live on to see another year.

To get to Akihabara, get off at Akihabara station [秋葉原駅] on the JR Yamanote line.
More Akihabara related photo posts listed up below.

moo

Mirai Nendoroid! Pre-orders open now.

Mirai Nendoroid poster ^o^

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Robotics;Notes [ロボティクス・ノーツ] is an upcoming science fiction anime adapted from 5pb and Nitroplus's [ニトロプラス] visual novel Robotics;Notes. The anime will be directed by Nomura Kazuya [野村和也] (Sengoku Basara 2) and produced by Production I.G [プロダクションIG] (Ghost in the Shell, Eden of the East).
Robotics;Notes will begin airing 2012/10/12 1:15 AM on Fuji TV's noitaminA [ノイタミナ] slot.

The story takes place in the year 2019 and follows the members of a Robotics Club as they try to finish building a giant robot. As a story that takes place in the same world as Steins;Gate and Chaos;Head, however, not all is as it seems.

Main Characters

• Yashio Kaito [八汐海翔] voiced by Kimura Ryohei [木村良平]
  
• Senomiya Akiho [瀬乃宮あき穂] voiced by Nanjou Yoshino [南條愛乃]
  
• Hidaka Subaru [日高昴] voiced by Hosoya Yoshimasa [細谷佳正]
  
• Koujiro Frau [神代フラウ] voiced by Nazuka Kaori [名塚佳織]
  
• Daitoku Junna [大徳淳和] voiced by Tokui Sora [徳井青空]
  
• Airi [愛理] voiced by Kugimiya Rie [釘宮理恵]

If the videos below were eaten, try this search query on YouTube.

There is a poll embedded in this article.

Following images taken from yand.re.

Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo Ne [お兄ちゃんだけど愛さえあれば関係ないよねっ] (You're My Brother, But That Doesn't Matter as Long as we Have Love!), also known as "Oniai" [おにあい] is a light novel adaptation being produced by SILVER LINK [シルバーリンク] (Baka and Test [バカテス], Kokoro Connect) and directed by Kawaguchi Keiichiro [川口敬一郎] (Mayo Chiki!, Nyan Koi!).
Oniai begins airing 2012/10/05 at 11:00 PM JST on AT-X.

Himenokoji Akiko and Himenokoji Akito are twins who have been reunited after being separated for six years. Akiko aggressively tries to pursue a relationship with her brother, but her affections are constantly being rejected and now she has competition to deal with as well.

Main Characters

• Himenokoji Akito [姫小路秋人] voiced by Ohsaka Ryota [逢坂良太]
  
• Himenokoji Akiko [姫小路秋子] voiced by Kido Ibuki [木戸衣吹]
  
• Nasuhara Anastasia [那須原アナスタシア] voiced by Chihara Minori [茅原実里]
  
• Sawatari Ginbei Haruomi [猿渡銀兵衛春臣] voiced by Shimoda Asami [下田麻美]
  
• Nikaido Arashi [二階堂嵐] voiced by Kitamura Eri [喜多村英梨]

The ED is Lifeる is LOVEる!! and will be performed by the 4 main gals. You can hear the song being played in the PVs above. Lifeる is LOVEる!! will be due for a 2012/10/31 release, but until then you can loop the PVs until you memorize the lyrics. The OP is SELF PRODUCER by Chihara Minori, and will be available 2012/10/24. Until then you can check it out below.

Following screenies taken from the PVs that have been released.

K is an original animation project created by the GoRA, 7 masked authors, who have carefully drawn up a story that includes the unique writing ability of each of the 7 members. The animation is done by 'GoHands' [ゴーハンズ] , the same studio behind Mardock Scramble. The show is directed and features character designs by Shingo Suzuki [鈴木信吾], and features music from Mikio Endo (Guilty Honey) and animation direction by Makoto Furuta (Seitokai Yakuiindomo)
K begins airing 2012/10/05 1:30AM JST on MBS.

The story is set in a slightly different modern day Japan where there are 7 Kings, each with their own feuds and alliances. A young high-school student, Isana Yashiro, somehow finds himself involved in a battle between people with unbelievable powers.

Main Characters

• Isana Yashiro [伊佐那社] voiced by Namikawa Daisuke [浪川大輔]
  
• Yatogami Kuroh [夜刀神狗朗] voiced by Ono Daisuke [小野大輔]
  
• Neko [ネコ] voiced by Komatsu Mikako [小松未可子]
  
• Suoh Mikoto [周防尊] voiced by Tsuda Kenjiro [津田健次郎]
  
• Munakata Reisi [宗像礼司] voiced by Sugita Tomokazu [杉田智和]

The OP is KINGS by angela which will be available 2012/10/24. You can have a listen in the video below. The ED is Tsumetai Heya, Hitori [冷たい部屋、一人] by Komatsu Mikako [小松未可子]
There is also loads of K goodies to check out on the official website.

Me and King Records (the folks handling the release of K) at Anime Festival Asia Indonesia on stage talking about K ^^;

Busy as usual ^^;
Been working on the launch of MiraiClock3 for the android (and iOS version update), filming and production of Japan Mode (broadcast date delayed), a new line of Mirai merchandise and production of what will become the flagship product for my company - involves 3D production, moulds and a huge factory line ><

Also preparing for my trip to New York Comicon and AFA Singapore soon after.

Preparing posts for this site do take a while (which I dont have that much time to do these days ><) so I've been updating my social networks much more often - my Twitter real time on the move in Tokyo, Facebook and my Instragram ID is "dannychoo".
There is a poll embedded in this article.
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Anyway, its been a reaaaally long time since we took a look at this end of the office. In the previous instalment we only took a look at changes in the lounge area - today we look at whats going on where all the work goes on. Some of these photos go quite a way back and slowly catch up to the present.

I do try to keep the office as clean as possible. There is not much time left and I dont want to waste sand by needlessly looking for stuff. But sometimes...

...things get out of hand ^^; This usually happens when it gets toooooo busy.

It's all a mess again ^^;

Comrade Yoshimi is raiding my stash of figures!

Up until I got these trainers, I always wore leather shoes but I really needed something that I could walk around in for a long time without doing in my spinal hernia. Saw these bright orange Reeboks in our local shopping arcade and quickly nabbed them ^^;

That useful hole in the ceiling continues to deliver goodies - anything here that tickles your little fancy? This was before the bike got Itarized.

Got myself an AirDaki (Air Dakimakura) and a pump...

...and this is what its for - to display the Mirai-chan dakimakura in the corner. Not comfy to hug though ^^;

I was going to release this DMYO version of Mirai Suenaga but other projects of much higher priority cropped up.
How many of you own a dakimakura anyway?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Got one of these torso hangers...

...so that Mirai's Summer Uniform looks more curvy.

Now the Dakimakura and school uniform look much better on display - very important for events!

Needed some mobile juice so got myself a fancy looking GumPlus - unfortunately it didn't fancy working so returned it...

Got myself a Powerbank instead - been working well so far.
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Old MacBook Pro bit the dust and was completely out of warranty - served me well though. Before chucking it out, I remove the memory and destroy the HDD with a hammer ^^;

Looking for stuff to throw away. I'll keep my XBOX so out goes the box although there is a really nice cutie on it! I tend to only keep boxes for stuff that I'm not sure I'll keep long term.
Many folks save boxes in the event of a move but moving services in Japan are just incredibly fantastic and take great care in looking after and wrapping your goodies.

Going through old magazines and found a cutie who needs identifying!

Did you know that Good Smile Company make toilet paper too?

More stuff from the ceiling - Dakimakura of the heroines from the Yuzusoft game Dracuriot. This page shows the full length (censored) illustrations. If you like these illustrations then you will like this version of Mirai Suenaga illustrated by Kobuichi sensei.

Got the Fiio E10 USB DAC/Amp for my iMac (about 7,800 yen). iMac owners will know what a pain it is to plug in and out the headphone socket on the back - with this USB device, I can leave the headphones plugged in and route all the sound from the internal speakers to the headphones via the freeware SoundSource.

USB powered, compact and looks cool too ^^

Spent half a year filming my morning TV show on Tokyo MX TV called Check Time.

Another daughter joins the ranks who hailed from Dollfie World. If you are looking for a particular girl - ping Natalie at Dollfie World *before* a Doll Party or After event and let her know what you want - she will try her best to get whatever you want.

This is Aoi Ver2. Its incredible that just a minor change of makeup can completely transform the look - so cute!

Picked up a couple of USB Key Drive's from Amazon at 980 yen each to manage some of my workflow.

A cheerleader joins the office.

My last Beng Beng ;-;

Recently been dabbling in BJD stringed dolls too - got this lovely lady from Iplehouse who is the YID Basic Girl Erica. Dollfies are great and all but stringed BJD's are awesome too. Will be posting more from the BJD scene.

The first Dollfie Dreams that came out were stringed - interesting to see how they pretty much used the same mould and just replaced the string with an inner skeleton.

Got this 64GB Micro SD card Class 10 for my Galaxy S3 - currently 5,180 yen from Amazon which is about a few 1000 yen cheaper than when I first got it a few months ago ^^;
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Photo taken some time back in Spring before the Summer heatwave hit us ><

Prezzies from Mr ceiling.

Spent a lot of the Summer filming Japan Mode.

Reina-chan eating toast *and* ramen at the same time.
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While I speak, read and write Korean, I cant type without looking at where Hangul is on the keys - picked up these keyboard skins while in Seoul recently.

Then I got the "You Wa Shock" when I placed the skin over my keyboard - does not fit because my MacBook Air has the Japanese keyboard layout...

Scalpel knife to the rescue - just cut off the other keys which didn't contain any Hangul anyway.

Other side of the office behind me.

Thinking of making the Ita Curtains seasonal.

Some new additions to the figure shelves.

The cable boxes help a lot - used to look really bad under here!

Put the cable box on a polystyrene block which makes dusting a wee bit easier.

The mousepad you see there was a production sample - the final production ones looked like this but are currently sold out.

More of the lounge area and how I stuck up the TV and sound bar on the wall in the previous instalment.

Much bigger than the previous office but gets cramped when a few of us are working here.

Woofer that goes with the sound bar.

Regarding the Mirai Summer Uniform for dolls, the factory I was working with previously didn't produce the quality that I was looking for. Each time a sample came back with changes, something else would look completely different!
The reason why it takes me ages to release a product is because I need the quality to meet expectations. Its difficult to make a perfect product at launch as they always evolve over time - but at least I must try to get it as close to perfect as possible - even if it means keeping customers waiting.

Recently however, I've found another factory - met the boss at Dollism Plus Tokyo and am working with them from scratch with learnings from my previous experience.

I took a risk (cash and time wise) to work with the previous factory but things didn't turn out as I hoped. However, I dont see the exercise as a loss but more of a gain - a learning that I would not have gained if I didn't do anything. I learned about the processes involved in making doll clothes overseas, materials that are available in different regions, expectations of the factories and wot not.

Remember - if there is something that you want to venture out to do - results are brought about by doing anything as something always leads to something and nothing will always lead to nothing.

This is just an example of a small risk with relatively small gains for now - the bigger risks tend to harbour bigger gains - will talk about that in a different post.

Cutie Shinobu Oshino.

Will need lot more space for the Mirai Merchandise corner by the end of this year ><

E-Mount lenses for my Sony NEX-5N which I've been using since last December - taken photos for a review and uploaded them but have not had time to write the post ><

Downloaded that free clock app for the PS Vita - works nice as a desk clock. The cog wheels move as the seconds tick.

I guess some folks would call these "the real boys toys" ?

Dracu-riot!

That jacket stains ><

Reina-chan enjoying her new Moekana T-shirt - human ones come first though.

Ryomo in Mirai's Solar Marine gear.

Saber in Mirai's Maid Uniform.

Mami covering up her Mammies.

Black Rock Beast - such a cool figma.

Some of my fave Nendoroids.

Probably the best looking scale Yui figure to date?

The Blue Snowball permanently attached to the Mac for Skype and TV narration.

Still the best Tamaki Kousaka figure out there. Released a while back by Max Factory.

Plant and figure life.

Moved the iMac to the corner of the desk - much easier to remove cables from the back and the desk feels like its got more real estate for me to play with. Another reason why I moved it here was because my girls were melting sitting on the window ledge ^^;

Priority of the Itamado project also fell too ><

1/7 scale Alisa Ilyinichna Omela [アリサ・イリーニチナ・アミエーラ] from God Eater Burst. Manufacturer is Plum and was released in July. Had no idea who she was but when I saw her at the previous Wonder Festival, I had to pick her up! I usually buy figures because of their looks - not because of the character. I've seen so many crap figures of characters I like but would not touch with a barge pole.
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Heard of God Eater Burst before but didnt take too much notice of it - kinda looked like Monster Huner which I'm lousy at. Now that I've seen more of it however, I'll probably download through PSN to play on the PS VITA.

More fave figma's.

The Gundam shelf is back.

Lots of work goes on behind me too.

Some doll guests come over from time to time - can you guess the owner?

Yohco from Kawaii Otaku pops over for a visit!

Winner of Cosplay Tale Version-san also pops over for a visit.

Printed a huge tapaulin banner at Prio - delivered the day after submitting data - awesome service! This illustration by Iizuki Tasuku-sensei.

Back of the banner.

Everything can be taken apart and stuck in the provided carrier bag.

Was so pleased with the quality and service that I ordered a Winter and Solar Marine version too! Recently used them at the latest Culture Japan Night in Tokyo.

Very recent photo of the figure and doll corner.

And another snap taken just the other day.

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Psycho-Pass [サイコパス] is an original sci-fi thriller being produced by Production I.G [プロダクションIG] (Ghost in the Shell, Eden of the East). It is being directed by Shiotani Naoyoshi [塩谷直義] (Blood-C: The Last Dark) and written by Urobuchi Gen [虚淵玄] (Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero).
Psycho-Pass will broadcast on Fuji TV's noitaminA [ノイタミナ] slot at 2012/10/12 12:45AM JST.

The story takes place in the near future where it has become possible to quantify a person's emotions, desires, tendencies, and psychological state into an index called a "Psycho-Pass." In order to ensure public safety, "enforcers" hunt down those with a high potential to commit crime and "monitors" accompany the enforcers in order to neutralize them if they become potentially criminal themselves.

Main Characters

• Kogami Shinya [狡噛慎也] voiced by Seki Tomokazu [関智一]
  
• Akane Tsunemori [常守朱] voiced by Hanazawa Kana [花澤香菜]
  
• Ginoza Nobuchika [宜野座伸元] voiced by Nojima Kenji [野島健児]
  
• Masaoka Tomomi [征陸智己] voiced by Arimoto Kinryuu [有本欽隆]
  
• Kagari Shusei [縢秀星] voiced by Ishida Akira [石田彰]
  
• Kunizuka Yayoi [六合塚弥生] voiced by Itou Shizuka [伊藤静]
  
• Karanomo Shion [唐之杜志恩] voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki [沢城みゆき]
  
• Makishima Shogo [槙島聖護] voiced by Sakurai Takahiro [櫻井孝宏]

The OP is abnormalize by Ling Tosite Sigure [凛として時雨], and is slated for release 2012/11/14. You can hear a preview of the song in the second PV above. The ED is Namae no Nai Kaibutsu [名前のない怪物] (Monster with no Name) by EGOIST and will be available 2012/12/05.
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Shotengai [商店街[しょうてんがい]] - a street which has a concentration of shops and restaurants which is usually located near a train station. A shotengai typically includes:-

• supermarkets and grocery shops
  
• restaurants, cafes and kissaten
  
• izakaya
  
• pachinko parlors
  
• pharmacies
  
• medical clinics
  
• massage parlors
  
• barber shops
  
• game centers
  
• bakeries
  
• post offices
  
• book shops
  
• clothes shops
  
• convenience stores
  
• koban (police boxes)

The first photo is taken in my hood - this is the Palm shopping arcade - the longest indoor shotengai in Tokyo. Get off at Musashikoyama station [武蔵小山駅] and you will be right at the entrance. Ping me on Twitter before 11:30 AM and if I'm free we can go for lunch ^^;

The following photos taken of Shotengai all around Tokyo.

Shotengai are one of the nicest things I love about Japan - they have such a warm fuzzy peaceful feeling to them - and convenient to grab stuff too ^^;
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Girls und Panzer [ガールズ&パンツァー] is an anime set in a world where Sensha-do (戦車道), the way of tanks, is a traditional martial art practiced by women of all ages. The anime is directed by Mizushima Tsutomu [水島努] (Another, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume) and produced by Actas [アクタス] (Mazinkaizer SKL, Moetan). It has begun airing 2012/10/09 at 1:00AM JST on Tokyo MX.

Nishizumi Miho leaves her hometown to attend Ooarai Girls' School in order to avoid a going to school with Sensha-do classes, but soon finds herself commanding a tank crewed by her friends.

Main Characters

• Nishizumi Miho [西住みほ] voiced by Fuchigami Mai [渕上舞]
  
• Takebe Saori [武部沙織] voiced by Kayano Ai [茅野愛衣]
  
• Isuzu Hana [五十鈴華] voiced by Ozaki Mami [尾崎真実]
  
• Akiyama Yukari [秋山優花里] voiced by Nakagami Ikumi [中上育実].
  
• Reizei Mako [冷泉麻子] voiced by Iguchi Yuka [井口裕香]

There is a poll embedded in this article.

Following scans from the folks at yand.re.

Every time I sort through photos for a post, I always come across this set which I've been meaning to upload for ages!
Had the honor of being the speaker for Asia's biggest advertising agency Dentsu at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival last year.

I worked with Dentsu for about half a year on the presentation which was about Anime culture and in the process also got to work with the folks who created the Original Macross Movie "Do you remember love."

Cannes, France. Picking up my speaker pass.

Been rehearsing many times back in Japan - today we just do a technical rehearsal to see if everything works when connected together.

If you are going to give a presentation, its very important to rehearse and speak aloud - when reading in your mind, you dont make mistakes, but when you speak, you will come across areas which you stumble upon.
How many of you have given a talk infront of a large audience and how did it go?

The advertising industry still uses tapes and DVD's - hence all the equipment.

All my presentations are done on a Mac on Keynote.

Even without a WiFi connection, you can pair the iPhone with an iPad over Bluetooth and use it as a controller. Probably OK for smaller audience prestations but when presenting infront of thousands, I prefer push button controllers - too much room for error on the iPhone - accidentally hit the home button, call from screaming client, lost connection and wot not.
Also, if the image size in the presentation is large, the iPhone will try to download it to show a thumbnail which can take a while.

This is Kagami Akira [鏡明] - one of the top guys at Dentsu and also a sci-fi writer. He is currently my boss for this project.

There is only one thing I miss about the iPhone now that I'm an Android user - the suite of office applications such as Keynote.

A peek in the auditorium.

A load of huge name brands presenting over the period of the festival.

Its the day of my talk - going though last minute bits n bobs.

Preparing backstage.

While folks from the previous talk clear out, we set up our equipment.

Yuki-chan is a popular girl.

Given a large audience, you cant expect every single person to be listening - some maybe fidgeting on their mobile device (another term for when somebody's hand moves around suspiciously in their trouser pockets), busy digging nose or they could even be asleep ^^;

Its important to stay focused when you spot this and remember one thing - the people who are not paying attention dont matter - people who *are* listening *do* matter. Focus on the folks who are listening or what will end up happening is that your performance drops on stage and you could end up making *everybody* fall asleep ^^;

This rule can be applied in real life - people who dont get it dont matter - people who do get it do matter. Dont waste time trying to make people care - focus your time on people who already do care.

I've been through quite a few slide remotes but have been looking for some heavy duty ones like the one one I'm holding here - been trying many search terms with no luck ><

Interviews and photos after the talk which went well!

My younger sister came to France to visit us.

Younger sister cant be tipping Yuki-chan forwards.

Free drinks are good!

Everybody loves Yuki-chan.

Caption this photo.

Somebody trying to chat up my younger sister.

Presentation is done - time to chill out with a photo session of Yuki-chan.

I must go. My planet needs me.

Time to look around the festival hall and exhibits.

Is that Ken?

And a load of clever ad campaigns. Any of you interested in working in the advertising field? How about in anime advertising?
If you can show me something interesting with the materials in this post then I would hire you. I'm looking for something clever rather than just something that looks good.

Does "FAAP" mean to do it for longer periods?

Heading back to the hotel - next stop is Germany before heading onto Los Angeles.

With comrades at Dentsu.

Going through the brochure stuff back at the hotel.

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In general, folks in Tokyo really care about appearances. There are many types of fashion styles that can be discovered throughout Tokyo but you can keep up with the most fashionable trends in places like Harajuku and Shibuya. Today we take a gander at recent fashion trends in Harajuku.

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Have always wanted to visit the Big Apple but never had the opportunity to visit. That opportunity came about with an invite to speak at the New York Comic Con that takes place today (Friday) through Sunday at the Javis Center.

I'm speaking tomorrow (Saturday), October 13, 2:45 - 3:45 pm at room 1A06 and before that I will be moderating the panel for Asakawa Yuu (the voice of Megurine Luka) today (Friday), October 12, 2:45 - 3:45 pm at room 1A23.

Also, Good Smile Company are at NYCC too at booth #3021 where Moekana will be on sale too!

Arrived in New York just a couple of days ago and slowly getting over jetlag. The city is just how I imagined it would be and more - just like the movies! Tokyo is great and all that but New York is a mighty fine city too!

Zooming back in time to Tokyo 3AM - early morning flight ToT. When I first started to travel, I would carry everything including the kitchen sink - then realised over time that I only really needed 20% of what I took - I travel much lighter these days.

Next time when you travel, take note of what you took and what you actually used on your trip - dont get into the comfort zone and take stuff "just in case" - if you find that you need something then I'm sure you can get it at your destination. The extra stuff that you take "just in case" is a hassle and waste of your precious time - time that you dont have!

Arrival at Haneda airport - no public transport at this time of the day at all so we take a taxi. Two pieces of luggage between wifey and me.
Just a note for you to not touch Japanese taxi doors - they are controlled by the driver.

Haneda is located in Tokyo and where possible you should choose it as your destination airport - unless flights arrive very late at night as you will have to get a taxi to head into the city - which is not too bad anyway.
We see folks sleeping over night at Haneda as they have early morning flights.

Morning brekkie with Psy at the business lounge.

Our trusty steed. Our plane seemed to have flown faster that any previous flights from Tokyo. Normally takes us 9 hours to get to Seattle but after 5 hours the plane was already over Canada.

Travelling on American Airlines today - very roomy business class and seats which fold fairly flat for a long kip.

Brekkie was good! Some sort of hot coconut sauce for the pancakes.

Good Morning New York.

JFK Touchdown. Driver takes us downtown.

Arrive about 6:30AM at the hotel - way to early to check in (all rooms full too) - dump bags and head out.

Lovely city.

Food everywhere on the street corners.

Huge brick buildings are lovely to look at.

New York has some crazy high skyscrapers.

At the Japan Foundation office - they are the folks who brought me over. They are a government funded body whose mission it is to propagate Japanese culture and language in the US. They also run Japanese language courses too.

Time to explore the city.

Traffic warden dances as she directs traffic.

Exploring Central Park.
Risu [りす] = Squirrel.

Seen that bridge in Home Alone.

Prepping the skating rink - I hear it gets quite cold in the city during Winter

Safety in numbers.

I'm still a Mac user but a lot of the magic has gone since I switched to Android ^^;

No superheroes visible in the streets today.

Convenient censoring at the Rockefeller Center.

It was Columbus Day - a load of festivities on the streets.

I understand that shoe shining is a job but I dont think I could ask any other human to clean my shoes for me.

Nice one ^^;

"Special"? How does this compare to parking prices where you are?

Times Square - just like the movies!

Zit underneath my nose just before a talk! How old do I have to be to stop getting zits? ^^; As a teenager I used to have a major zit problem. Do you have any anti zit secrets that you want to share with fellow readers?

How to blend in with the locals - walk around with a cuppa Starbucks.

A stroll around the Times Square area.

"...."

Then its time to venture underground. The trains are nothing like the beaten up graffiti trains that I've seen in the movies - although the conditions of the trains do vary depending on the line you take apparently. A comrade mentioned that some carriages many moons ago would have bullet holes in the window ^^;
What are the conditions of the subway like in your neck of the woods?

Arrival at Canal Street.

Exploring China Town seeking noms.

One of my most fave Chinese dishes - Wonton Noodles - the noodles do tend to have an odd smell but taste great. Not been possible to find decent tasting Wonton Noodles in Japan. Whats your fave Chinese dish?

Nice name and branding of that Hong Kong Station restaurant.

America's Mickey Mouse looked quite different that I originally imagined.

Looks like Yu Gi Oh is quite popular over here?

I'll bring the amor next time I'm in New York ^^;

Something to carry around with you or stick down your underpants?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Then its time for some sweets. I noticed that when I order tea in the US, all I get is a cup with one of those instant teabags - In some cases I need to fill up with hot water myself ^^;

Back on the trains heading to hotel - should be checking in time soon.

I never was a Tekken fan - never got the hang of those combos.

Like these retro posters on the streets.

Finally able to check in.

Bag of travel gadgets. Before I travel I would use to run around the house unplugging stuff to take on the trip - and when getting back, I would waste time plugging everything back in.
This time round I prepared this case which will just keep these adapters and wot not in it. When I get back to Japan, I'll leave everything in the case which I can just pick up in a few weeks time when I travel to Singapore.
This does mean that I need to buy extra adapters but the time saved is well worth it.

Charging up our gear.

Sweet Yuki-chan is accompanying us this time.

Bought a SIM card to make local calls but I didn't jailbreak my old iPhone 3GS properly ToT
The Galaxy S3 is unlocked but I need to keep my Japanese phone with the original number as I need to be accessible.

Still veeeery jetlagged, slept until the evening and then ventured out to Times Square again to see what it looks like at night - our hotel is located a block away from there.

Even at about 12:30AM, the city is lively. Many police on the streets too so one can feel safe out n about at this time.

Many places open at this hour too including apparel shops.

I hear that some of these street food vendors can be quite delicious...

...but it depends on which one you choose ^^;
I notice that many folks in the US like to burn their meat until its charcoal black?! In Japan, I have visitors who come over from the US - when I take them to Yakiniku (meat that you grill yourself), I always see them grill it until its black - is that normal?!

Folks on the streets ask money for food, some ask because they need some weed and are very open about it ^^;

1 pack of nuts is 2.50 USD. I order 1 and hand over 10 USD.
The guy hands me the bag of nuts and continues as if our transaction is done - looks like he is hoping that I forgot about the change.
I stay there and he realizes that I have not forgotten about my change. He hands me another bag of nuts and gives me 6 USD change - he then continues to mix his nuts...

My observation of mobile usage in New York City - most folks use an iPhone - followed next by the Galaxy S3. But iPhone usage is waaaay more than the Galaxy.
What phone is the most popular in your region based on your observation - and not from news.
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Some of the architecture on the modern buildings are really nice.

And just like the movies - there is always steam coming up from underground - why is that? Is it hot springs?!

Grabbing some noms before heading back to the hotel.
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

As promised from last time, I'm going to try to bring you regular photos from Akihabara so that you can see the trends in anime, eroge, games, hardware and so on. Today we focus a bit on eroge and PC hardware.

To get to Akihabara, get off at Akihabara station [秋葉原駅] on the JR Yamanote line.
More Akihabara related photo posts listed up below.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Photos taken at Culture Japan Night Tokyo Summer 2012 which took place at the Good Smile Company Cafe in Akihabara!
A load of comrades came along where we enjoyed a load of cosplay and figure/doll displays. Nitroplus, Dolk (the BJD folks), Obitsu and Animate also came along to display goodies and to network with readers and other industry folk.

The next Culture Japan Night will be on November 12th (Monday) from 3PM - 8:30PM in Singapore. Good Smile Company will be having a figure display and there will be special guests. More details soon but for now just mark your calendar!

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

I think we can safely say that the worlds most awesome Black Rock Shooter Beast cosplay is by this lovely lady - Vensy from the US who currently studies at the Otis College of Art and Design. The costume took 8 months to make and cost between 2000 - 3000 USD.

Take a look at the following photos by Joseph Chi Lin and FiverRings.
Vensy does a ton of orther incredible cosplay which you can check out on her Facebook Fan Page.

I was able to meet Vensy at AX 2012 - a very down to earth lady with a charming personality - dont be shy to say hello if you see her at an event!

Did I forget to do a post about Anime Expo 2012? No because here it is! Only a couple of months late though ^^;
It was my 3rd year back at AX and it was great to get together with old comrades and meet new ones. AX as usual was filled with a load of anime, cosplay, games, guests, stage events, panels, live artists including LiSA and this year we included a fashion show.

Mirai Suenaga was featured together with the AX official character Max on the official artwork and we had 3 Mirai Itasha too.
As of this year, I'm part of the AX team working to bring in as much contents as possible and am currently wheeling n dealing some hush-hush big surprises for next year.

If you have any requests for 2013 then add/vote in the poll - we are listening!
There is a poll embedded in this article.

And check out all the Anime Expo coverage listed up below.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Update - just to let you know that this project has raised 121,000 USD - just a wee bit more to go! You can be part of this project by chipping in 1 USD.
We also uploaded an interview for the project too.

KickStarter - the platform that enables creative folks to crowdsource cash to make their ideas into a reality. Anime Studio Production IG has decided to embrace the platform for a project called Kick Heart.

Here I am with Yoshiki Sakurai (Ghost in te Shell, Evangelion, Blood +) to my left and on his left is the big boss of Production IG Ishikawa-san. The skills I gained during my Ninja training have enabled me to play a very low-key part in this project - all which will be revealed later on ^^;

Check out the pitch video below.

The KickStarter page for this project lives here and has already collected a few thousand USD - the aim is to gather 150,000 USD. Details about the project below copy pasted from the KickStarter page.

A love story between two people that each have a secret to hide. One a pro-wrestler, the other a Nun. Losing never felt so good.

The Story

Kick-Heart is a love story between Romeo, a successful pro-wrestler, and Juliet, a nun who lives a secret double-life as a female pro-wrestler. Romeo's secret is that he enjoys taking a beating in the ring, while Juliet feels invigorated when facing her opponents as a wrestler. When the two meet in the ring, the fireworks fly. Their story is set in the colorful backdrop of the professional wrestling world. Will Juliet reveal her true identity to the one she loves? Will Romeo be able to share his secret to the world?

The film is directed by one of Japan's most innovative and original animation directors, Masaaki Yuasa.

Why Kickstarter?

During the mid 80’s and 90’s Japanese animation directors, such as Mamoru Oshii, pioneered a new era of animation. Their films inspired animation fans around the world, including many well known Hollywood film directors.

Recently in Japan, its been very difficult for the next generation of innovators to create more artistically driven projects-- mainly because of the economic situation in Japan. Most of the focus has been put on creating projects that carry less risk-- such as remakes of older animation projects or well-known established properties.

So we had an idea: What if we use Kickstarter as a platform to connect the fans across the globe who want to see cutting-edge animation, with highly skilled anime directors? By using crowdfunding to help support and promote these talented directors, we can enable them to push the boundaries of anime to inspire others to innovate alongside them.

This is a bit of an experiment for us, and we are trying to see if is possible to make these types of artistically driven films with the help of crowd-funding. If this goes well, we would definitely like to pursue more projects like this in the future.

About the Film

Kick-Heart will be a 2D animated short film that will be approximately 10 minutes in length and will be written and directed by Masaaki Yuasa. This film has just recently completed pre-production and layout.

During the campaign, we will be providing live updates during production and backers will get exclusive access to:

• Production Artwork
  
• Storyboards
  
• Production blogs
  
• Interviews with Production I.G staff

The Goal

Our goal is raise a minimum of $150,000 for this project. After the film is completed, we plan on submitting it to film festivals around the world.

Here is how we intend to use the funds:

• Increase the quality of animation
  
• Increase the overall duration of the animation
  
• Help offset the current production costs
  
• Manufacturing costs for backers rewards (Blu-ray,Print materials etc)
  
• Digital distribution costs for backers downloading the film
  
• Festival Submission Fees

About the staff

Masaaki Yuasa, Director

Massaki Yuasa has been involved in many notable projects such as Crayon Shin-can, Hakkenden, My Neighbor the Yamadas, Samurai Champloo, leading up to his directorial debut with Mind Game. His animation is cherished by the people who are familiar with his work and his style of animation is unlike anything being made. His work plays with themes of slapstick comedy and human drama. His drawings at first glance may look unrefined, but this intentional look becomes very dynamic and expressive when they are brought to life using hand-drawn Japanese animation.

Mamoru Oshii, Project Consultant

Mamoru Oshii, is considered one of Japan’s most famous and influential directors. He has written and directed such films as Patlabor 2, Ghost in the Shell, Avalon, Innocence and Skycrawlers and is known as a pioneer in the Japanese animation industry. He has received and been nominated for numerous awards, including the prestigous Palme d'Or and Golden Lion. Oshii-san has graciously offered to help advise and consult on the film.

Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, CEO Production I.G

Ishikawa founded Production I.G with popular character designer Takayuki Goto in 1987. The company has since produced a number of acclaimed feature films, OVA (original video animation), TV shows, and video games. Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, and Blood: The Last Vampire, have earned critical acclaim in Japan and all around the world. Innocence, directed by Mamoru Oshii in 2004, has been the first Japanese animation feature ever to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Festival de Cannes.

Have a look at the storyboard and concept artwork - if you think this project is worth your cash then head over to KickStarter and pledge!

So what do you get for pledging your hard earned moolah?

PLEDGE $5 OR MORE
[ The Schoolboy ] : Our sincere gratitude

PLEDGE $15 OR MORE
[ The Monkey flip ] : "Kick-Heart" Standard Definition (480p) Digital Download

PLEDGE $30 OR MORE
[ The Pumphandle Drop ] :"Kick-Heart" High Defintion (720p) Digital Download

PLEDGE $45 OR MORE
[ The Cobra Clutch ] :"Kick-Heart" HD Digital Download (720p) ＋ Character Designs PDF + Digital Storyboard PDF + Background Art PDF

PLEDGE $60 OR MORE
[ The Pile Driver ] :"Kick-Heart" Blu-ray (1080p) + "Making of Kick-Heart"(480) + "Kick-Heart" HD Digital Download (720p) + Character Designs PDF + Digital Storyboard PDF + Background Art PDF

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE
[ The Russian Legsweep ] "Kick-Heart" Blu-ray (1080p) + "Making of Kick-Heart" ＋ "Kick-Heart" HD Digital Download (720p) + Character Designs PDF + Digital Storyboard PDF + Background Art PDF ＋ Special "Silver Sponsor" website credit + Limited Edition postcard set (8 cards) featuring artwork from the film.

PLEDGE $250 OR MORE
[ The Spinning Spinebuster ] "Kick-Heart" Blu-ray (1080p) + "Kick-Heart" HD Digital Download (720p) + "Making of Kick-Heart" Digital Download (720p) + Character Designs PDF + Background Art PDF +Digital Storyboard PDF + 1 Giclee "Kick-Heart" illustration print signed by Masaaki Yuasa ＋ Special "Gold Sponsor" website credit

PLEDGE $10,000 OR MORE
[ The Michinoku Driver II ] :A private tour of Production I.G + A dinner with the Kick Heart’s Director, Masaaki Yuasa, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the CEO of Production I.G and Mamoru Oshii, director of Ghost in the Shell) + Travel and Accomodation(1 night) in Tokyo + Blu-ray (1080p) + "Kick-Heart" HD Digital Download (720p) + "Making of Kick-Heart" Digital Download (720p) + Character Designs PDF + Background Art PDF + Digital Storyboard PDF +1 Giclee Background Art Print Signed by Yuasa ＋ Special "Platinum Sponsor" website and film credit

If all of this works out then it could also mean that you get to decide what you want more of - a second season to a particular anime title? Or how about your voice heard by the producers? Maybe bring back that dead character or bump off somebody that got on your nerves in the previous season?

Head over to the KickStarterproject page to keep an eye on the latest developments.

All images are © 2012 Production I.G

009 RE:CYBORG is the upcoming movie in the Cyborg 009 series. The story takes place after the events of the Cyborg 009 manga amidst a spree of worldwide bombings of skyscrapers in major cities. Written and directed by Kamiyama Kenji [神山健治] (Ghost in the Shell S.A.C, Eden of the East), the movie is being produced by Production I.G [プロダクションIG].

The film is made with 3D cel shaded to look like traditional 2D animation. 009 RE:CYBORG is set to begin screening simultaneously in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Korea on October 27, 2012.

I've been working with Production IG on various projects and was invited along to the pre-premiere event for industry folks.

Arrival at Wald9 cinema in Shinjuku.

That chair from the movie is asking to be sat in!

The chair is called Dive Gear and is used by the heroine in the movie.

A load of sounds start to whirr...

...my photo gets taken...

...and the photo is automatically uploaded to Facebook somewhere - see if you can find this photo!

Just about everybody from the anime and game industry is here! I managed to bump into comrades at Google, Ascii Media Works and Good Smile Company.

Only 1 screen was planned but because so many people showed up, they quickly setup another screen - a total of two screens for industry folks. This screen slowly filling up - took this snap but didnt realize that Takashi Okazaki is smiling at the camera ^^;

The following photos for those of you who also work in the anime industry - see who you can spot!

Good Smile Company folks near the back.

Its the Max Factory Boss Max Watanabe ^^;

Movie is in 3D but these glasses were not quite designed for folks who already wear glasses...

Producer of 009 Tomohiko Ishii comes on to give a talk.

Then Director Kamiyama Kenji comes on to greet us.

Ishii-san looks like Ichiro ^^;

After the movie, we venture around Wald9 - a load of 009 stuff on display.

Tis my first time here. They got a load of Japanese movies on including anime such as Madoka, Tiger Bunny and more. Do they show Japanese anime movies in the cinema where you are?

Some TV interviews going on.

A 009 themed cafe.

The 009 drinks!

Bumped into blogger Fumi-san who now works at Google - I met her when I first appeared on a Japanese TV show called Blog TV. Little did I know that a few years later I would produce and direct my own TV show in that same studio...

Also bumped into Fukuoka Toshihiro - we worked together to bring Hatsune Miku to the US and are now working to bring her to...

Fumi-san tries out the Dive Gear.

Fukuoka-san cant leave without giving it a whirl too^^
BTW, the Worldwide Otaku Report that we are working on is still in the works - hope for a release this year.

This photo taken together with the producer of 009 RE:CYBORG Ishii-san at AFA Malaysia - he is a mutual friend of Fukuoka-san.

With the boss of Production IG Ishikawa-san at AFA Malaysia for their stage show segment.
We recently worked together on their KickStarter venture Kick Heart.

I've been working with IG as an advisor on the project for a while now and its so exciting to see the movie completed.

Following are screenshots from the trailers that can be seen online.

Ivan Whisky, a cyborg possessing psychic powers such as telepathy, psychokinesis and instant teleportation.

Jet Link, a cyborg with the power to fly at Mach 5 speeds.

Françoise Arnoul, a cyborg with enhanced hearing and sight, who is also able to access information from networks around the globe.

Albert Heinrich, a cyborg whose entire body is a deadly weapon.

Geronimo Jr., a cyborg with incredibly thick skin and superhuman strength.

Chang Changku, a cyborg who can blow fire and heat rays from his mouth.

Great Britain, a cyborg who can rearrange his cells in order to transform into other substances.

Pyunma, a cyborg who is able to breathe underwater and sustain depths of up to 10km.

Joe Shimamura, a powerful cyborg possessing all the technology developed for the other 00 cyborgs.

Main Characters

• Cyborg 009: Joe Shimamura [島村ジョー] voiced by Miyano Mamoru [宮野真守]
  
• Cyborg 001: Ivan Whisky [イワン・ウイスキー] voiced by Tamagawa Sakiko [玉川砂記子]
  
• Cyborg 002: Jet Link [ジェット・リンク] voiced by Ono Daisuke [小野大輔]
  
• Cyborg 003: Françoise Arnoul [フランソワーズ・アルヌール] voiced by Saito Chiwa [斎藤千和]
  
• Cyborg 004: Albert Heinrich [アルベルト・ハインリヒ] voiced by Ohkawa Toru [大川透]
  
• Cyborg 005: Geronimo Jr. [ジェロニモ・ジュニア] voiced by Tanzawa Teruyuki [丹沢晃之]
  
• Cyborg 006: Chang Changku [張々湖] voiced by Masuoka Tarou [増岡太郎]
  
• Cyborg 007: Great Britain [グレート・ブリテン] voiced by Yoshino Hiroyuki [吉野裕行]
  
• Cyborg 008: Pyunma [ピュンマ] voiced by Sugiyama Noriaki [杉山紀彰]

The movie is visually a joy to watch which comes complete with an intriguing story - dont go to the toilet during the show or you may loose track of whats going on! Director Kamiyama has done a fab job and fans of his previous works such as Ghost in the Shell SAC and Eden of the East will love this flick.

Will give you details of its overseas broadcast soon but you can also keep an eye on the official English site, the 009 English Facebook or the 009 English Twitter account.

If you do get to watch the movie then watch right up until the end of the credits - you will see me in there somewhere ^^;

Filming for Culture Japan at Yashio High School to cover their Kyudo (Japanese archery) after school activities.
One of the things I admire about Japanese students is the way they spend time after school hours. Many of them practice the Bukatsu [部活] (after school activities) and then some of them head off to Juku [塾] (cram school) and/or go to Arubaito [アルバイト] (part time job) after.

When I was a student back in the UK I had various part time jobs (mainly restaurant work) and thoroughly recommend all students to gain life experience through work outside of studies. One may think they are too busy with studies to have a part time job but that's the point - learning how to tackle a busy schedule while trying to make some moolah at the same time. Its best to get this experience while young rather than later on in life.

Studying while trying to make money on the side will teach you how difficult it can me to make a living when you leave school - its not easy! But with your learnings, you will already be a step ahead of your peers and armed with the experience, you should easily be able to deal with the ups n downs of making a living in society.
Relying on somebody for steady income maybe the easy way out now but it will be tough in the future. The only person you should rely on for money is yourself.

But as for after school activities - we didn't have them back in the UK and most students just went home to watch TV or go to the arcades to play games like Sidearms - but for me it was more like "watch other people play Sidearms" as the bullies would always take any money I had.

Kyudo [弓道] is the Japanese art of archery and is literally translated as "the way of the bow." Kyudo is one of the oldest forms of traditional Japanese martial art and is about spirit, purity and concentration.

Yashio High has a fair share of boys n girls who take Kyudo activity. For the first few months, they practice the strides used to enter the Kyudo hall (dojo) and also use this item you see here to practice the poses needed to shoot the arrow and also strengthen their muscles.
For this reason, many Kyudo students drop out of the activity as they don't get to shoot any arrows until they complete what may seem like mundane training.

After the many months of training however, students then get to shoot arrows. Here they line up at the back of the small dojo and take turns to shoot the targets.

In the dojo there are two sensei and senior students helping the other students.

The expression and actions of the students change when its their turn to shoot. They stride and position themselves on the shooting spot while continuing to look at their target. Their movements are slow and graceful. They usually carry two arrows as you can see this lady doing.
The ladies wear a black Muneate [胸当て] which protects their oppai from being struck by the bowstring.

Then its my turn ^^; Sensei helps me get geared up into my Kyudo-gi [弓道着].

The black bottoms are called Hakama [袴]. I love the design especially the V-openings on the side.

My Ninja attire also has a similar design with the V-openings on the side too.

And now its time for footwear. Shoes are not allowed in the dojo and instead "Tabi" [足袋] is worn. It feels like a hard cloth shoe. Ninja footwear is also Tabi but the soles are made of rubber.

The name of the school and student is embroidered into the sleeve and hakama. This form of embroidery is called Shishu [刺繍]. Today my name is Yamashita [山下] ^^;

Folks who are interested in picking up their own Kyudo gear can get along to Hasegawa Kyuguten [長谷川弓具店]. Nearest station is Shirokane Takanawa [白金高輪]
Address and phone number below.
東京都港区三田4-8-34
03-3451-7440

Rough cost below:-
Top, hakama, belt and tabi :15,000 yen
Kake (glove) : 23,000 yen
Arrow : 15,000 yen
Bow : 30,000 yen - 40,000 yen

Next up is the glove - without it there would be a lot of severed fingers all over the place.

The glove is called Kake [かけ] and is made of leather. I was given a brand new one which was really stiff.

Sensei gives me a crash course in how to hold the arrow.

Kake is the word for the glove but Mitsugake is used to describe a 3 fingered archery glove. Yotsugake would be a four fingered archery glove.

Tsuru [弦] are bowstrings and these are spare ones wrapped up in a Tsurumaki [弦巻き].

Kake are stored on these shelves. You can see which ones belong to the ladies as you can see the Muneate - the black breast plate.
I really like the design of the muneate but only the ladies wear them - would be very odd for a bloke to use one ^^;

A large percentage of students injure themselves when they shoot off their first arrow - either the arrow clips their cheek or the bow string slaps their face or arm. The medical boxes here are used when such injuries happen.

Right, I'm all geared up and ready to receive some training. My sensei for the day is the lovely Mayumi-san who you can see here.

First up, Mayumi-san shows us how its done. She peacefully takes 3 strides over to the shooting spot and positions herself in place. All her movements are graceful and even though there is chit chat going on in the background, you can feel a aura of silence and serenity surrounding her.

Now we've seen how its done, its my turn. First I need a bow and some arrows. Bows are of different length depending on the height of the archer.

Arrows come in different lengths and weights too depending on the style of shooting and distance to the target.

Mayumi gives us a some chalk which makes it easier to handle the bow and arrow.

Next up Mayumi gives us a crash course in holding the bow, loading the arrow, aiming and positioning myself into place at the shooting spot. The place where one stands to shoot arrows is called Sha-i [射位].

Now its time to try it on my own. As with many things, it looks easy - until one tries it out for themselves ^^;

No beginners luck this time round - the only time I managed to hit the target was when the arrow bounced off the grass and hit a different target ^^;

When I was just about to fire off the arrow, I could feel my heart pumping and hear a piercing silence around me. Kyudo is also known as the Ritsuzen [立禅] or the "Standing Zen" which encompasses everything from the control of breathing, listening, sight and movement.

Some guidelines on shooting. I really enjoyed Kyudo and would love to find time to learn it. There are not many schools which teach Kyudo as an after school activitiy due to the space that's needed to hold a dojo and shooting range. Many students choose Yashio High School because they have the Kyudo facilities.

Going to have a look at some more of the students practicing.

Whenever the arrow hits the target, all the students would shout "Sha!" together. Sha meaning "Shoot" [射].

After a while the area around the targets become filled with arrows. The students would then shout "Onegaishimasu" which means its safe to go out and retrieve the arrows.

The Kyudo activity went on until about 19:00 where many of the students then took off to the part time jobs that they had.

Yashio High School has brought up a load of Kyudo students who have won many tournaments across Japan.

Then its time to gather for the group photo.

"Sha!"

Sensei looks up some narration that we need for the show.

Narration is read by our lovely Mayumi-san.

Kyudo wear is folded up neat n tidy at the end of the day.

The targets are removed and the earth mound is then flattened out for the next day - this is also the responsibility of the students. Students in Japan also clean and sweep the classrooms too which I think is a great way to teach responsibility and ownership.

The targets take a rest until the next day ready to be shot at.

Snap with Mayumi-san at the front of the dojo.

Back in my days at high school there were no sporting activities at all but we did do some rounders in secondary school. I was also lousy at football - I would always be the last one that each team picked and had the pleasure of the other students constantly aiming the ball at my face to break my glasses - as you can see I had a "fun" time during my younger school days.

Anyway, what sporting activities does/did your school offer? If they don't, do you do any sports in your own time?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Playing around with the AR Drone at the end of the day. You can see what photos it took in this post.

Thanks to the headmaster and everybody at Yashio High School - see you again soon!
Other Japanese high school related coverage below with more to come.

Located in the North of Japan is Sendai - the capital city of the Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai is the setting for anime titles like Kannagi and Sengoku Basara and was also the biggest city to be hardest hit by the 2011.03 earthquake.

The first photo is of daimyo Date Masamune who founded the city back in 1600 - his statue can be found at the Sendai Castle ruins on Mount Aoba.

We spent a few days in the city after covering the recovery efforts of the earthquake and tsunami - citizens were doing their best to bring back life into the region by celebrating the Tanabata Festival.

Before we proceed, just want to apologise for the exposure of these photos being too high ><

At our hotel. A bathroom that looks like this is called a "Unit Bathroom" - small and convenient for houses (yes they come in houses/mansions too) but everything in the unit gets damp - including towels and toilet paper ><

After hotel checkin, we head out to explore town. Some folks here preparing for the firework festivities that are to take place later on that night.

There are many establishments in Japan where you can spend time with ladies - and give them your monies.

Lots of Shotengai to explore in Sendai city.

On the day before the Tanabata Festival, tall bamboo are in place ready to hold the Fukunagashi.

Lots of small cozy restaurants in the area.

Smaller restaurants that have been around for a while tend to have much more character.

In the smaller places to eat, you can find a shelf of manga to read at no extra cost - just make sure to put them back in the slot that you found them.

Bacon veggie curry! Was still an iPhone user back then ^^

Partner in crime.

The Apple store in Sendai.

Loads of "Yatai" [屋台[やたい]] stalls out in about during festival time.

Folks reserving a spot for the fireworks - little do they know that they wont be able to see much from here ><

At the park nearest to the firework display - many gathering to reserve their spot.

Nobody can escape the lovely smells of nom nom from the surrounding yatai stalls.

If you ever attend the Sendai fireworks then dont wasting hours doing what everybody else is doing - trying to secure a spot in the park - because if you do then all you will see are bright lights behind trees ^^;

We escape from the park to a bridge with a clear view of the fireworks which you can see in the following episode of Culture Japan.

Melon Milk!

I love construction signs in Japan.

The Tanabata Festival is in full swing on the day after the fireworks.

Exploring the area around Sendai station. Uniqlo is everywhere! Do you have Uniqlo where you live?
There is a poll embedded in this article.

Buying tickets for a ride on the subway.

Trains in Sendai are the same as Tokyo but there is something about them...

Japan is a bicycle culture and many folks have their own habits riding their 2 wheeler - not all folks are cultivated with good manners however and posters like this one try to remind folks that they can be a nuisance.

Arrival at Aoba Castle which is the same as Sendai Castle. Dont expect to see a fully fledged historical castle here though as there are only ruins.

The castle is not that easy to get to - you need to take a the Loople Sendai bus from Sendai station which takes about 20 mins. We got there by car though.
[gmap=38.253282, 140.856780]

These are Omukuji fortunes - which did not turn out too fortunate which is why they are tied to this fence so that they dont come true - its understandable when a fortune says "You will be haunted by 9 spirits who will tear you apart and feed you to rabid rabbits."

This is an Ema plaque where one would write their wishes - some folks do some incredible artwork on them like this!

This person who is just about to graduate says...

Let me start by saying thanks - I got the job which means that I'm able to stand at the entrance to my dream. Please look after the people I meet and this world too. I will do my best!

On the grounds of the castle ruins are folks dressed up in traditional Japanese armor.

The founder of Sendai City - Date Masamune. In modern times he can be found on game consoles giving naughty people what they deserve in Sengoku Basara.

Nice view of the city from the top of the ridge.

This is just about whats left of the castle. Although I hear that some more was made inaccessible after the 2011.03 earthquake.

A closeup of what they once wore to battle.

At the castle shop before heading back to Tokyo.

We stop off at a service station to fill up on gas for the car and ourselves. They had a Taito Station arcade for folks who wanted to offload some cash.

Some Initial D arcade action.

Warning signs for folks who are using the carpark.

Sonic Blast Heroes - the best part of the game is that you get a very cute girl to come up to you to explain the rules - check out the video below.

Nom nom time - raw meat!

Mirai-chan cant wait to tuck in too.

The raw meat is actually cooked by ourselves on the grill - yakiniku style.

Purikura machines of late do a lot of enhancing - make your skin blemish free and eyes bigger.

The journey from Sendai is along 5 - 6 hour drive. We stop off at night at another service station for gas and noms.

Most service stations have one of these huge Death Star plan style screens. They let us know which areas are congested with traffic.

Service stations have everything that the traveller needs - including some Anpanman.

They also have magazines for drivers who like to keep one hand on the wheel and the other hand on the "gear stick."

Folks waiting for their freshly made ramen.

Black bean tea!

Vroooom! Time for some Ridge Racer music. Ridge Racer R4 for the original Playstation has some most incredible music which I still listen today when I drive.

Back to base. Left all the girls at home for this trip.

Here we have an awesome looking Black Rock Shooter figure - but the most awesome thing about her is that she's 95% made out of paper and fully articulated with exchangeable parts with electronics too @.@
This is the work of Plus Kareha - the last time we saw his work was over a year ago when he showed his his paper Aegis.

This Black Rock Shooter took about a year to make and cost between 5,000 yen and 7,000 yen for the materials consisting of matt paper, ink and some cloth. The body has 13 ball joints (also made out of paper) and the Rock Canon comes complete with an LED inside.

Have a look at the following photos with a surprise at the end!

Surprise desu! Plus Kareha-san is in the middle of making our Mirai Suenaga. Completed so far is the head and some of her Biostream Boots which is worn with the Solar Marine uniform.

It will probably be another year as he is doing the construction after work hours - I cant wait! Currently plan to feature his work on Culture Japan Season 3.

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