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Dec. 7th, 2018 02:16 amAlright, I'm back from my 2nd trip to Japan. I ain't gonna lie, this trip ended up being more about getting stuff than actual sight-seeing. A bunch of the more cultural things that I was looking forward to turned out to be unavailable or would have required sudden and drastic (and expensive) changes in my travel plans. I'll save them for next time!
Tidbits and morsels:
-Once again I procured a big stack of doujinshi. Only 4 were duplicates of what I already have, and they were from the 100 yen bins, so no big deal.
-Had to get another suitcase (again) because that much doujinshi would have put my main suitcase over the weight limit. At least this time I got something I could nest inside the larger suitcase for future trips.
-Got a used SLR film camera because it was cheap. It was a nice one back in its day. Judging by the condition, it didn't seem to be heavily used, guilty only of being a film camera in the age of digital. For that crime it was sentenced to a junk shop in the remote corners of Nakano Broadway, where I bailed it out for 1000 yen (about $9), a mere shaving of its original price. After almost 30 years, it still works! It also works with some of the lenses and external flash that I already have, which is important. I'll have a better idea of its condition when I get some rolls developed.
-Got a used lens to go with it anyway, 5000 yen. It also works! Mostly. I had to partially disassemble it because it came with a good bit of dust on the inside, and I didn't get all of it out. I figured the worst that could happen is if I broke it, I'd be out $45. The clerk told me in English that it was junk, there was no warranty, and no returns. It sounded like he encountered angry gaijin in the past. I told him I was rolling the dice, which got a good laugh and suddenly he was more friendly.
-5000 yen got me a "good enough" lens. They were available for less, much less. I kinda regret not buying the lens for 100 yen (or about 90 cents). Given that prices on lenses start in the hundreds of dollars, and don't really depreciate as fast as camera bodies do, by the time it gets down to less than a buck, there's probably not much left in it. For example, they had a macro lens that was obviously missing parts, and they still wanted $30 for that.
-35mm film is trickier to find in the US. I mean yeah, I can still stroll into Walmart and get the stuff, but there's not much to choose from. They have one type, in a 3-pack, and that's it. If I want a real choice I either have to get it online or from a dedicated camera shop. Also finding places to develop them (and return the negatives) is getting tricky. Most of the chain stores will develop them but if you want the negatives back, you're out of luck. (That said, I'll admit that film photography is more challenging and less forgiving than digital. I'm not getting rid of my T3i anytime soon.)
-It seems that used camera hunting in Tokyo is going to be my jam in future trips. I'm going to need a bigger carry-on bag for all the cheap camera gear I'll be bringing back.
-Got a new tablet, an 8" NEC. Fancy enough to do what I want without being too fancy to drive up the price (or get in its own way). It can play full HD video, has a headphone jack, microSD slot, standard microUSB port for charging. The stuff I need. Big enough to watch video, small enough to pick up with one hand. The specs say the microSD card tops out at 64GB but I put a 256 in and it works fine.
-A friend of mine told me to get a look at Tokyu Hands, which is supposedly a DIY paradise with all kinds of tools. Kinda underwhelming, really. Given where I work and what I do there, I dare say I have a severely unfair advantage when it comes to tool and hardware procurement, with access to resources not available to the general public. To their credit, of the tools they did have, they were at least good quality (but nothing I couldn't find online or in Akihabara Radio Center).
-Got a pile of denpa music CDs, new and used. It was disheartening to see KOTOKO titles in the used pile for 100 yen, but at the same time, irresistable. They even came with DVDs. And a MOSAIC.WAV CD for 50 yen. Meanwhile I got the latest Picolony Nauts, #6. I couldn't find that online anywhere. My only hope was to drill down into the depths of Toranoana.
-Got the rest of the KonoSuba anime on BD, most of it from the used shelves. Now that I have the full set on import BD, that will summon a North American release soon.
-No, I didn't buy any laserdiscs while there. I didn't look too hard though.
-Holy estrogen, Batman! I may have been the only male on some of the floors at the Animate in Ikebukuro.
-Found some more accessories for my Hioki meter, one of which was incredibly hard to find, even online. But in Akihabara, the shopkeeper had it there like he was expecting me.
-Got a robot toy kit for my nephew. He's 10 years old and into things like building robots. He's also into Lego, which will make Christmas shopping for him very easy for the next few years.
-All but lived off of katsu curry. It was delicious and cheap. Full meal for less than $6. As I've said in a previous entry, the Japanese like their food the same way we do: Fast and cheap.
-Upon arrival to the US, I spent way more time walking from the airplane to Customs than at Customs. Anything to declare? No? Ok, good to go. Yay for Global Entry.
-It snowed while I was away. It snowed while I was away for my first trip to Japan too. I think that's a coincidence. If my next trip takes place in May and it still snows, then there's a bug in reality's firmware.
General observation: There's something about international travel that's a confidence booster.
Tidbits and morsels:
-Once again I procured a big stack of doujinshi. Only 4 were duplicates of what I already have, and they were from the 100 yen bins, so no big deal.
-Had to get another suitcase (again) because that much doujinshi would have put my main suitcase over the weight limit. At least this time I got something I could nest inside the larger suitcase for future trips.
-Got a used SLR film camera because it was cheap. It was a nice one back in its day. Judging by the condition, it didn't seem to be heavily used, guilty only of being a film camera in the age of digital. For that crime it was sentenced to a junk shop in the remote corners of Nakano Broadway, where I bailed it out for 1000 yen (about $9), a mere shaving of its original price. After almost 30 years, it still works! It also works with some of the lenses and external flash that I already have, which is important. I'll have a better idea of its condition when I get some rolls developed.
-Got a used lens to go with it anyway, 5000 yen. It also works! Mostly. I had to partially disassemble it because it came with a good bit of dust on the inside, and I didn't get all of it out. I figured the worst that could happen is if I broke it, I'd be out $45. The clerk told me in English that it was junk, there was no warranty, and no returns. It sounded like he encountered angry gaijin in the past. I told him I was rolling the dice, which got a good laugh and suddenly he was more friendly.
-5000 yen got me a "good enough" lens. They were available for less, much less. I kinda regret not buying the lens for 100 yen (or about 90 cents). Given that prices on lenses start in the hundreds of dollars, and don't really depreciate as fast as camera bodies do, by the time it gets down to less than a buck, there's probably not much left in it. For example, they had a macro lens that was obviously missing parts, and they still wanted $30 for that.
-35mm film is trickier to find in the US. I mean yeah, I can still stroll into Walmart and get the stuff, but there's not much to choose from. They have one type, in a 3-pack, and that's it. If I want a real choice I either have to get it online or from a dedicated camera shop. Also finding places to develop them (and return the negatives) is getting tricky. Most of the chain stores will develop them but if you want the negatives back, you're out of luck. (That said, I'll admit that film photography is more challenging and less forgiving than digital. I'm not getting rid of my T3i anytime soon.)
-It seems that used camera hunting in Tokyo is going to be my jam in future trips. I'm going to need a bigger carry-on bag for all the cheap camera gear I'll be bringing back.
-Got a new tablet, an 8" NEC. Fancy enough to do what I want without being too fancy to drive up the price (or get in its own way). It can play full HD video, has a headphone jack, microSD slot, standard microUSB port for charging. The stuff I need. Big enough to watch video, small enough to pick up with one hand. The specs say the microSD card tops out at 64GB but I put a 256 in and it works fine.
-A friend of mine told me to get a look at Tokyu Hands, which is supposedly a DIY paradise with all kinds of tools. Kinda underwhelming, really. Given where I work and what I do there, I dare say I have a severely unfair advantage when it comes to tool and hardware procurement, with access to resources not available to the general public. To their credit, of the tools they did have, they were at least good quality (but nothing I couldn't find online or in Akihabara Radio Center).
-Got a pile of denpa music CDs, new and used. It was disheartening to see KOTOKO titles in the used pile for 100 yen, but at the same time, irresistable. They even came with DVDs. And a MOSAIC.WAV CD for 50 yen. Meanwhile I got the latest Picolony Nauts, #6. I couldn't find that online anywhere. My only hope was to drill down into the depths of Toranoana.
-Got the rest of the KonoSuba anime on BD, most of it from the used shelves. Now that I have the full set on import BD, that will summon a North American release soon.
-No, I didn't buy any laserdiscs while there. I didn't look too hard though.
-Holy estrogen, Batman! I may have been the only male on some of the floors at the Animate in Ikebukuro.
-Found some more accessories for my Hioki meter, one of which was incredibly hard to find, even online. But in Akihabara, the shopkeeper had it there like he was expecting me.
-Got a robot toy kit for my nephew. He's 10 years old and into things like building robots. He's also into Lego, which will make Christmas shopping for him very easy for the next few years.
-All but lived off of katsu curry. It was delicious and cheap. Full meal for less than $6. As I've said in a previous entry, the Japanese like their food the same way we do: Fast and cheap.
-Upon arrival to the US, I spent way more time walking from the airplane to Customs than at Customs. Anything to declare? No? Ok, good to go. Yay for Global Entry.
-It snowed while I was away. It snowed while I was away for my first trip to Japan too. I think that's a coincidence. If my next trip takes place in May and it still snows, then there's a bug in reality's firmware.
General observation: There's something about international travel that's a confidence booster.
