*Haruka is often also referred to as Haruka-chan, where "-chan" is a suffix which expresses that the speaker finds the person endearing.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

妹

妹 [いもうと (imouto)] - younger sister. When referring to sisters, you would write it out as "~姉妹".

彼女

彼女 [かのじょ (kanojo)] - she/her. It can also refer to one's girlfriend.

責任感

責任感 [せきにんかん (sekininnkan)] - a sense of responsibility. "責任" means "responsible" and "~感" means "a sense of". "~感" can be mixed with wide varieties of kanji to express feeling or emotion.

• 義務感 [ぎむかん (gimukan)] - a sense of duty.
• 焦燥感 [しょうそうかん (shousoukan)] - restlessness.
• 親近感 [しんきんかん (shinkinkan)] - a familiarity or affinity.

強く

強く [つよく (tsuyoku)] - to be strong. Note that the kanji can have a different meaning when used with a different kana suffixes (送り仮名 okurigana). The plain adjective is 強い [つよい (tsuyoi)].

• 強める [つよめる (tsuyomeru)] - to increase/emphasize.
• 強いる [しいる (shiiru)] - to enforce/insist.

成績

成績 [せいせき (seiseki)] - grades/performance/result.

優等生

優等生 [ゆうとうせい (yuutousei)] - an honor-roll student. The antonym for "優等生" is "劣等生" [れっとうせい (rettousei)].

電子工作

電子工作 [でんしこうさく (denshi kousaku)] - electronics or electric work. "電子" means electrical and "工作" means arts & crafts.

得意

得意 [とくい (tokui)] - to be skilled or gifted in a particular field. "得意" is also used when someone talks or behaves in a prideful manner. It may also refer to customers or clients when used with "お~" or "~先".

• 得意分野 [とくいぶんや (tokuibunya)] - one's field of expertise.
• 得意がる [とくいがる (tokuigaru)] - to boast about something.
• 得意先 [とくいさき (tokuisaki)] - a client or a customer. Usually refers to a regular customer who frequently buys product/service from you.

だが

だが [daga] - a sentence connector that means "but", "however" or "nevertheless".

的外れ

的外れ [まとはずれ (matohazure)] - to be off track/point. "的" means "target" and "外れ" means to "miss".

行動

行動 [こうどう (koudou)] - action/behavior.

多い

多い [おおい (ooi)] - to be in abundance.

いたずらっ子

いたずらっ子 [いたずらっこ (itazurakko)] - a prankster. When you break it down, "いたずら" means "prank/mischief" and "~子" means child. "~子" can also be mixed with different kanji to create a new meaning.

• 江戸っ子 [えどっこ (edokko)] - a true-born Tokyoite.
• 駄々っ子 [だだっこ (dadakko)] - a spoiled brat.
• ぶりっ子 [ぶりっこ (burikko)] - a girl trying to act cute and innocent.

~でもある

~でもある [~demoaru] - to also be something.

Keywords from previous MoeManga posts are as follows.

• 良い
• 人知れず
• 戦う
• 戦士
• ~こと~
• 一員

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 003: Lucky Kitty
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

Don Quijote [ドン・キホーテ] (known in Japan as just "Donki") is a chain of stores in Japan which sell pretty much anything and everything - the following photos of their Akihabara store shows you exactly what I mean with hardly any wall space visible.

Whether you are after daily life products or otaku goods - Donki is certainly worth dropping in when in Akihabara - just walk along Chuo Dori street - you can't miss it.

The same building is also home to the At Home Maid Cafe.
〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田4丁目3-3
View location with Google Maps

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Today was Day One of Asia's biggest anime event - Anime Festival Asia which is being held in Singapore at the Suntec Convention Centre. This is the first time we are having the exhibition hall open for 3 days. We expected attendance to be fair given that its still a school day - we were wrong.

We sold out of our white full print Mirai Suenaga T-shirts - BUT are having more shipped in for tomorrow morning as we speak - should have some Sat morning!

The Exhibition hall was packed and expect the hall to be 3 times (at least) the number of people today - make sure to bring some sort of armor as you are most likely to end up being squashed ^^;

The maid and butler cafe was packed and we've already been having a great time on stage with some of our Anisong artists which include MAY'N and LiSA.

The organizers SOZO x ZEPP X Dentsu have really done a great job on a slick, spic n span event so far built upon 6 years of producing AFA around Asia.

Will leave you with a wall of photos as I need to go and get some kip - we got an early morning tomorrow.
I'll either be on the main stage or mini stage MC'ing or at my booth so please do drop along.

If you don't see me for any reason remember that you can come and see me at Culture Japan Night this Monday - free entry when you wear any Mirai Suenaga T-shirt ^o^

Today's MoeManga idea was contributed by Ryan Huff! If you would like your 4koma ideas turned into fully illustrated MoeManga strips then check out this post.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

かわいい

かわいい [kawaii] - cute/adorable. The kanji for "かわいい" is "可愛い" and its katakana form is "カワイイ". "かわいい" can be combined with other adjectives like below:

• カッコかわいい [かっこかわいい (kakko kawaii)] - cool and cute at the same time. "カッコ" is short for "格好いい" [かっこいい (kakkoii)] which means "cool".
• キモかわいい [きもかわいい (kimo kawaii)] - disgusting but cute at the same time. "キモ" is short for "キモい" which means "disgusting".
• エロかわいい [えろかわいい (ero kawaii)] - sexy and cute at the same time. "エロ" is short for "エロい" which means "sexy" or "erotic".

猫

猫 [ねこ (neko)] - a Japanese word for "cat". Its katakana form would be "ネコ".

幸せ

幸せ [しあわせ (shiawase)] - happy/lucky/fortunate. Its antonym "unlucky" is written as "不幸せ" [ふしあわせ (fushiawase)] or "不幸" [ふこう (fukou)].

むにっ

むにっ [muni] - a derivative for "むにゅ" which is an onomatopoeia commonly used when you press something soft or squishy.
Like with "むにゅ", the pronunciation is a quick "moon-ni" and not "mun" as in "munchy".

にゃーん

にゃーん [ny-an] - cat's meow.

無視

無視 [むし (mushi)] - to ignore. "Mushi" is pronounced like "sushi".

ぷいっ

ぷいっ [pui] - an onomatopoeia commonly used when someone turns their head away and looks in another direction to show disinterest. Its pronunciation is a quick "pooie" but doesn't mean poo ^^;

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 00B: Haruka Suenaga
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

The world's largest robot trade show - the International Robot Exhibition 2013 - was held at Tokyo Big Sight recently and today we take a lookie at the many types of machines that change and aid our lives - industrial, recreational and support/assistive robots. Approximately 100,000 visitors and 334 exhibitors gathered for the 4 day event and this year marks their 20th anniversary.

A report on some of the exhibitors at the show in the video below.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

As you know, I'm now producing robots and have been networking with many in the industry while learning as much as I can to help me roll out our up n coming product Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll.

I've got a backlog of photos taken in robotics shops and at other events that I owe you which I'll post soon together with the latest n greatest on Smart Doll.
The next Smart Doll update includes 2 surprises:-
1.Outer Space
2.Battle arenas
^o^

I'll likely be setting up Mirai Robotics as a separate company and will need a few engineers who are willing to move to Japan to work on our projects - if you have a portfolio of robotics projects then I'd love to see your ninja skills.

This post contains a poll, click here to view.

And as for our Mirai Suenaga Smart Doll - she couldn't make it to this year's Robot Exhibition as she's preparing for her first ever public motion demo at Comic Fiesta 2013 ^o^

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

This photo taken yesterday at Narita Airport when arriving back to Tokyo from Singapore. Its as if our Mirai-chan is welcoming us back to Japan - which is exactly what she will be doing officially from now.

Yep - our Mirai Suenaga is now officially a mascot for Japan in a collaboration with Japan Tourism ^o^

I've been working with the Japanese government for a few years now and this year I was appointed as a member of METI's (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) "Creative Industries Internationalization Committee" [クリエイティブ産業国際展開懇談会] (CIIC).

Through my relation with METI, I hooked up with the folks at the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport - this photo taken recently at the one of their offices in Kasumigaseki.

Soon after our first meeting - we started to formulate our first collaboration. This photo taken at the JNTO offices in Ginza.

Announced at AFA13 and Culture Japan Night Singapore, our first collaboration will be a series of printed maps of Japan. As you know, our Culture Japan mascot character Mirai Suenaga was born and bred in Japan - through the map she will guide you to her favourite spots throughout the Land of the Rising Sun.

This photo shows the WIP version of the map so far which is subject to change - some of it (esp the food) are just placeholders.

If there is something you feel should be on the map then please leave a note below!

The Japanese government and I will be distributing these free printed maps globally starting this December.
Following this map of Japan will be the Greater Tokyo Version.

JNTO and I are going through a list of ideas of how Mirai-chan can contribute to the amount of inbound visitors to Japan. As it stands - Japan is still very low on the list of countries that folks want to visit and we want to change that.

There are many misconceptions of Japan which may be contributing factors - things like "Japan is expensive" "Japan is radioactive" to "its difficult to get around in japan" etc. Are there any other reasons that you hear around you as to why folks don't particularly fancy Japan as a place to visit?

If you have any good ideas then do share in the comments - if your answers are of Ninja level then you should be working for us ^^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

This photo taken yesterday at Narita Airport when arriving back to Tokyo from Singapore. Its as if our Mirai-chan is welcoming us back to Japan - which is exactly what she will be doing officially from now.

Yep - our Mirai Suenaga is now officially a mascot for Japan in a collaboration with Japan Tourism ^o^

I've been working with the Japanese government for a few years now and this year I was appointed as a member of METI's (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) "Creative Industries Internationalization Committee" [クリエイティブ産業国際展開懇談会] (CIIC).

Through my relation with METI, I hooked up with the folks at the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport - this photo taken recently at the one of their offices in Kasumigaseki.

Soon after our first meeting - we started to formulate our first collaboration. This photo taken at the JNTO offices in Ginza.

Announced at AFA13 and Culture Japan Night Singapore, our first collaboration will be a series of printed maps of Japan. As you know, our Culture Japan mascot character Mirai Suenaga was born and bred in Japan - through the map she will guide you to her favourite spots throughout the Land of the Rising Sun.

This photo shows the WIP version of the map so far which is subject to change - some of it (esp the food) are just placeholders.

If there is something you feel should be on the map then please leave a note below!

The Japanese government and I will be distributing these free printed maps globally starting this December.
Following this map of Japan will be the Greater Tokyo Version.

JNTO and I are going through a list of ideas of how Mirai-chan can contribute to the amount of inbound visitors to Japan. As it stands - Japan is still very low on the list of countries that folks want to visit and we want to change that.

There are many misconceptions of Japan which may be contributing factors - things like "Japan is expensive" "Japan is radioactive" to "its difficult to get around in japan" etc. Are there any other reasons that you hear around you as to why folks don't particularly fancy Japan as a place to visit?

If you have any good ideas then do share in the comments - if your answers are of Ninja level then you should be working for us ^^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Anime Festival Asia heads back to homeland in Singapore - AFA13 had yet another incredible turnout - more content, more guests and for the Culture Japan booth - more upgrades.

Our first sales booth was actually this time last year at AFA12 - since then we have set up store at various anime events around the world and have been learning and gaining experience as we go along.

At each event we do things like study the flow of people, see how long it takes to process 1 transaction, how long it takes to set up, how the layout and graphics in the booth convert new customers etc etc - we learn from mistakes & successes and implement improvements in the next booth.

The layout of our AFA13 booth has been the most optimal so far which took a minimal amount of time to setup. We included a screen at the top and used a Short Throw Projector to show some Smart Doll ads - videos ran on a small android device.
The screen was a wee bit washed out due to the hall lighting but we think we may have a solution which we will be implementing at Comic Fiesta in Malaysia next month.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Our Culture Japan Singapore team!

And this is what we get when we arrive - a shell scheme built to our specifications - we then decorate and fill up the stocks.

Setting up is always fun. We find team members in each region mainly from those who regularly comment on this site - its easy to build trust with folks who have been part of the community.
If you are interested in helping out in future events then let me know!

Oh - and the new orange T-shirt that Mirai-chan is wearing is made by Murasaki.me.

Going to leave you with a wall of photos taken around our booth. Thanks to everybody who dropped by ^o^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Anime Festival Asia heads back to homeland in Singapore - AFA13 had yet another incredible turnout - more content, more guests and for the Culture Japan booth - more upgrades.

Our first sales booth was actually this time last year at AFA12 - since then we have set up store at various anime events around the world and have been learning and gaining experience as we go along.

At each event we do things like study the flow of people, see how long it takes to process 1 transaction, how long it takes to set up, how the layout and graphics in the booth convert new customers etc etc - we learn from mistakes & successes and implement improvements in the next booth.

The layout of our AFA13 booth has been the most optimal so far which took a minimal amount of time to setup. We included a screen at the top and used a Short Throw Projector to show some Smart Doll ads - videos ran on a small android device.
The screen was a wee bit washed out due to the hall lighting but we think we may have a solution which we will be implementing at Comic Fiesta in Malaysia next month.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Our Culture Japan Singapore team!

And this is what we get when we arrive - a shell scheme built to our specifications - we then decorate and fill up the stocks.

Setting up is always fun. We find team members in each region mainly from those who regularly comment on this site - its easy to build trust with folks who have been part of the community.
If you are interested in helping out in future events then let me know!

Oh - and the new orange T-shirt that Mirai-chan is wearing is made by Murasaki.me.

Going to leave you with a wall of photos taken around our booth. Thanks to everybody who dropped by ^o^

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

*Kanata is often also referred to as Kanata-chan, where "-chan" is a suffix which expresses that the speaker finds the person endearing.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

ひとつ上

ひとつ上 [ひとつうえ (hitotsu-ue)] - someone who is 1 year older. When you break it down, "ひとつ" means "one" and "上" means up/above. Often used when describing the person's age. When referring to someone younger, you would change "上" [うえ (ue)] to "下" [した(shita)].

• みっつ上 [みっつうえ (mittsu-ue)] - someone who is 3 years older.
• ひとつ下 [ひとつした (hitotsu-shita)] - someone who is 1 year younger.

先輩

先輩 [せんぱい (senpai)] - a senior or a superior at work or school. When calling someone who is your senpai, you would add "~先輩" at the end of their name. A junior on the other hand is called "後輩" [こうはい (kouhai)].

• かなた先輩 [かなたせんぱい (Kanata-senpai)] - senior Kanata.

報道部

報道部 [ほうどうぶ (houdou-bu)] - the news club. When you break it down, "報道" means "news/press/coverage" and "~部" means "club/department/section.

• 軽音部 [けいおんぶ (keion-bu)] - light music club.
• 剣道部 [けんどうぶ (kendou-bu)] - kendou club.

ディレクター

ディレクター [でぃれくたー (direcutar)] - the director.

担当

担当 [たんとう (tanntou)] - the manager.

厳しく

厳しく [きびしく (kibishiku)] - to be strict/severe. The plain adjective is 厳しい [きびしい(kibishii)].

指導

指導 [しどう (shidou)] - to advise/coach/lead/guide.

心優しい一面

心優しい一面 [こころ やさしい いちめん (kokoro yasashii ichimen)] - a kind or compassionate side. This is a compound word made up by the following three words:

• 心 [こころ (kokoro)] - heart.
• 優しい [やさしい (yasashii)] - kind/generous.
• 一面 [いちめん (ichimen)] - side/aspect.

知っている

知っている [しっている (shitteiru)] - to know/understand/realize. The plain verb is 知る [しる (shiru)].

Keywords from previous MoeManga posts are as follows.

• 人知れず
• 戦う
• 戦士
• ~こと~
• 一員

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 003: Lucky Kitty
• MoeManga 00B: Haruka Suenaga
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

How many of you playing KanColle? Would your fave character be Shimakaze? If so then this Nendoroid of her will tickle your DFC fancy - photos taken at the GSC offices the other day.

The set includes 3 "Rensouhou-chan", "half-damaged" optional body and special effect parts. More details below:

• Product Name: Nendoroid Shimakaze (ねんどろいど しまかぜ)
• Series: Kantai Collection ~KanColle~
• Height: Approximately 100mm in height
• Spec: Painted ABS&PVC non-scale articulated figure with stand included
• Sculptor: JUN (E.V.)
• Retail Price: 4,500 yen (tax included)
• Release Date: April 2014

Check out Goodsmile Company for more details.

Pre-orders may or not be available at one of the following trusted online retailers - I hear many folks had a hard time reserving her.

• http://1999.co.jp/eng/
• http://amiami.com
• http://hlj.com
• http://jlist.com
• Amazon Japan

Folks who want to checkout Shimakaze in action first can checkout this post on KanColle (Kantai Collection).

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

Held for the first time in Tokyo last year, Dollism Plus Tokyo is back on a much bigger scale.
For those who are not beknowist, Dollism Plus focuses on Kaigai BJD's - non-Japanese Ball Jointed Dolls - mainly from Korea and China.

There were many dealers at the event who were selling the usual clothes and accessories too.
I went along and bumped into a load of folks who didn't know me as Danny - but as "Mr Smart Doll" ^^;

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

Held for the first time in Tokyo last year, Dollism Plus Tokyo is back on a much bigger scale.
For those who are not beknowist, Dollism Plus focuses on Kaigai BJD's - non-Japanese Ball Jointed Dolls - mainly from Korea and China.

There were many dealers at the event who were selling the usual clothes and accessories too.
I went along and bumped into a load of folks who didn't know me as Danny - but as "Mr Smart Doll" ^^;

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

Its been a while since we had a Places to visit in Japan post. Today we visit a Shinto Shrine called Nikko Toshogu [日光東照宮].
Built in 1617, Nikko Toshogu is dedicated to the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate - Ieyasu Tokugawa. Today its one of the most popular tourist attractions for Japanese and foreigners alike to go to take in the sights of a truly historic and traditional Japan - its also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To get to Nikko Toshogu - use the following methods - copy pasted from the official site.

1. By Train

Asakusa to Tobu Nikko (Kegon Limited Express) Time required: Approx. 1 hour 50 min.
Asakusa to Tobu Nikko via Shimoimaichi (Kinu Limited Express + Local) Time required: Approx. 1 hour 50 min.
Asakusa to Tobu Nikko (Tobu Railway Rapid) Time required: Approx. 2 hours 5 min.
Shinjuku to Tobu Nikko (JR Nikko Limited Express) Time required: Approx. 2 hours

2. By Car

From the Tohoku Expressway Utsunomiya IC, take the Nikko Utsunomiya Road and exit at Nikko Interchange.
Proceed 2 km from Nikko Interchange.

In this post I'm going to cover more than just Toshogu - going to take a look at our weekend in Nikko starting from the traditional ryokan lodgings that we stayed at called Heikenosho [平家の庄].

I think it cost about 10,000 yen per person which included dinner, breakfast and access to their onsite hot spring onsen.

A Ryokan is basically a traditional Japanese hotel.

Placed outside many Japanese establishments are the racoons that you see on either side of the path. These are called "Tanuki" [たぬき] and are said to not only bring in good luck but to also protect the business.

The entrance inside - also includes a Maneki Neko cat for even more good fortune.

Inside the lodgings - filled with traditional Japanese ornaments.

A load of Hina Dolls line one side of this room.

Our room for the night - very traditional and typical layout for a ryokan room.

While its not used today - many moons ago a kettle would be hung from the hook above that metal tray which would be filled with charcoal.

Been meaning to get some of those lights for the office - they are called Tourou [灯籠].

Our Yuki-chan joins us for the weekend.

After leaving our stuff in the room, we head out to a very small town nearby.

Probably one of the quietest towns we've visited.

Sato-chan - the mascot for the pharmaceutical company Sato Seiyaku. He can typically be found outside pharmacies and is usually dressed up according to the season.

Inside a convenience store grabbing some drinks. Even in our neck of the woods, paraffin heaters are used - a paraffin tanker truck would come by once in a while playing a jingle.
The purpose of a kettle being placed on top is not to boil it but to provide moisture in the room.

I'm sure I saw this in Silent Hill or something.

Back at the ryokan for dinner - when you check in they will ask what time you want to eat as they need to prepare everything for you.

Looks like Yuki-chan is hungry too.

The restaurant is on the premises too - full of traditional atmosphere.

When we arrive, we have some nomnoms waiting for us.

Main course is DIY style.

Yuki-chan doesn't like the heat ><

Our Soya soup is cooked in cooking paper like so.

Looks like Yuki-chan is full - time to go for a dip in the hot springs.

The ryokan grounds are quite large and you need to cross a small bridge to get to the hot springs.

Snap.

The public baths are seperated between men and women - if you want to see what it looks like inside then check out the Ikaho Onsen post.

By the time we get back to our room - the beds have been made for us by the hotel staff. They typically don't have double beds but that hopefully should not be a problem as you can just drag the futons next to each other.

Time to head out to see what the area looks like at night.

We discover a load of igloo thingies.

Hardly anybody about though.

Discover a vending machine with a "2" sticker covering the first digit which usually means one thing - prices went up by 100 yen for those drinks.

Back at the ryokan - the view from our room.

Bikkle - a yogurt based drink with a nostalgic taste - one of the first drinks I tasted when first visiting Japan.

Yuki-chan about to fall asleep.

Gorgeous sunny morning the next day.

And this is what the ryokan grounds look like from our room by day.

Heading off to Toshogu.

Stopping by a nearby dam as one does.

A view that inspires the thought "SOON."

Our usual trusty steed is the Mirai Itasha Ver2.

Mirai Nendoroid and Mirai Figma keep us company all the time.

Arrival at Nikko Toshogu.

Before entering the shrine, one should purify themselves using these steps at the fountain usually located at the entrance.

If you like taking photos then you are in for a treat at Toshogu. You will need to bring the zoom lens to capture details of the buildings and a wide angle too capture the scenery. All these photos taken on the Sony NEX 5N.

Toshogu is one of the places to visit on the Japan Map that Japan Tourism and Mirai Suenaga are making together.

Remember to beautifully use the restroom.

The 3 wise monkies who hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil.

Lots of stairs to climb at Toshogu.

"People bear heavy loads throughout life. One must go as far as they can so one should not rush" is my poor attempt at translating. If you can do better then let us know in the comments ^^

The Omikuji fortunes which didn't turn out so fortunate - these are usually tied to a fence so that the bad fortune doesn't come true.

Ema [絵馬] - tiles of wood which you write a wish on.

See the hazy part in the middle of the photo? Its actually a cloud of pollen. I didn't know but the Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) tree is usually planted in high concentrations around shrines. This is particularly bad for wifey and I who suffer from hay fever. We were pretty much sneezing and drizzling for the entire day ><

If you are a hay fever sufferer too then you may want to avoid visiting Nikko Toshogu during March.

More about hay fever in Japan in this post.

Time to head back to Tokyo.

Sometimes our car navigation goes on the blink so we use our trusty droid + Google maps.

Stop to fill up with gas while watching somebody else get their car washed. We cant do this with our car as the stickers would start to peel ><

We arrive at Koshigaya Laketown - one of Japan's largest shopping malls which is on the way home.

The mall is huge - too huge for little kids to walk around so they got these little push cars for them.
Hmmm. Maybe I should make some for my Smart Dolls ^^;

Checking out the latest trends in the toys section.

1/3 scale doll sized DS goodies.

Anime style mannequins.

We went at a time when they were showing Wreck-it Ralph in the theaters. It was called Sugar Rush though and came out months after the US release.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Looking around for nomnoms. Japanese plastic food so cool.

Interesting how 99% of Japanese park their cars facing outwards while 99% of US folks park their cars facing inwards.

Back to Tokyo. Vroom Vroom.
More places to visit in Japan listed up below.

• Japan Donki
• Ikaho Onsen
• Melonbooks
• Kobe Tetsujin
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Japan Alps
• Shibuya in the Summer 2013
• Shinjuku in the Summer 2013
• Akihabara Shops 10
• Hobby Tengoku
• View more

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Its been a while since we had a Places to visit in Japan post. Today we visit a Shinto Shrine called Nikko Toshogu [日光東照宮].
Built in 1617, Nikko Toshogu is dedicated to the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate - Ieyasu Tokugawa. Today its one of the most popular tourist attractions for Japanese and foreigners alike to go to take in the sights of a truly historic and traditional Japan - its also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To get to Nikko Toshogu - use the following methods - copy pasted from the official site.

1. By Train

Asakusa to Tobu Nikko (Kegon Limited Express) Time required: Approx. 1 hour 50 min.
Asakusa to Tobu Nikko via Shimoimaichi (Kinu Limited Express + Local) Time required: Approx. 1 hour 50 min.
Asakusa to Tobu Nikko (Tobu Railway Rapid) Time required: Approx. 2 hours 5 min.
Shinjuku to Tobu Nikko (JR Nikko Limited Express) Time required: Approx. 2 hours

2. By Car

From the Tohoku Expressway Utsunomiya IC, take the Nikko Utsunomiya Road and exit at Nikko Interchange.
Proceed 2 km from Nikko Interchange.

In this post I'm going to cover more than just Toshogu - going to take a look at our weekend in Nikko starting from the traditional ryokan lodgings that we stayed at called Heikenosho [平家の庄].

I think it cost about 10,000 yen per person which included dinner, breakfast and access to their onsite hot spring onsen.

A Ryokan is basically a traditional Japanese hotel.

Placed outside many Japanese establishments are the racoons that you see on either side of the path. These are called "Tanuki" [たぬき] and are said to not only bring in good luck but to also protect the business.

The entrance inside - also includes a Maneki Neko cat for even more good fortune.

Inside the lodgings - filled with traditional Japanese ornaments.

A load of Hina Dolls line one side of this room.

Our room for the night - very traditional and typical layout for a ryokan room.

While its not used today - many moons ago a kettle would be hung from the hook above that metal tray which would be filled with charcoal.

Been meaning to get some of those lights for the office - they are called Tourou [灯籠].

Our Yuki-chan joins us for the weekend.

After leaving our stuff in the room, we head out to a very small town nearby.

Probably one of the quietest towns we've visited.

Sato-chan - the mascot for the pharmaceutical company Sato Seiyaku. He can typically be found outside pharmacies and is usually dressed up according to the season.

Inside a convenience store grabbing some drinks. Even in our neck of the woods, paraffin heaters are used - a paraffin tanker truck would come by once in a while playing a jingle.
The purpose of a kettle being placed on top is not to boil it but to provide moisture in the room.

I'm sure I saw this in Silent Hill or something.

Back at the ryokan for dinner - when you check in they will ask what time you want to eat as they need to prepare everything for you.

Looks like Yuki-chan is hungry too.

The restaurant is on the premises too - full of traditional atmosphere.

When we arrive, we have some nomnoms waiting for us.

Main course is DIY style.

Yuki-chan doesn't like the heat ><

Our Soya soup is cooked in cooking paper like so.

Looks like Yuki-chan is full - time to go for a dip in the hot springs.

The ryokan grounds are quite large and you need to cross a small bridge to get to the hot springs.

Snap.

The public baths are seperated between men and women - if you want to see what it looks like inside then check out the Ikaho Onsen post.

By the time we get back to our room - the beds have been made for us by the hotel staff. They typically don't have double beds but that hopefully should not be a problem as you can just drag the futons next to each other.

Time to head out to see what the area looks like at night.

We discover a load of igloo thingies.

Hardly anybody about though.

Discover a vending machine with a "2" sticker covering the first digit which usually means one thing - prices went up by 100 yen for those drinks.

Back at the ryokan - the view from our room.

Bikkle - a yogurt based drink with a nostalgic taste - one of the first drinks I tasted when first visiting Japan.

Yuki-chan about to fall asleep.

Gorgeous sunny morning the next day.

And this is what the ryokan grounds look like from our room by day.

Heading off to Toshogu.

Stopping by a nearby dam as one does.

A view that inspires the thought "SOON."

Our usual trusty steed is the Mirai Itasha Ver2.

Mirai Nendoroid and Mirai Figma keep us company all the time.

Arrival at Nikko Toshogu.

Before entering the shrine, one should purify themselves using these steps at the fountain usually located at the entrance.

If you like taking photos then you are in for a treat at Toshogu. You will need to bring the zoom lens to capture details of the buildings and a wide angle too capture the scenery. All these photos taken on the Sony NEX 5N.

Toshogu is one of the places to visit on the Japan Map that Japan Tourism and Mirai Suenaga are making together.

Remember to beautifully use the restroom.

The 3 wise monkies who hear no evil, speak no evil and see no evil.

Lots of stairs to climb at Toshogu.

"People bear heavy loads throughout life. One must go as far as they can so one should not rush" is my poor attempt at translating. If you can do better then let us know in the comments ^^

The Omikuji fortunes which didn't turn out so fortunate - these are usually tied to a fence so that the bad fortune doesn't come true.

Ema [絵馬] - tiles of wood which you write a wish on.

See the hazy part in the middle of the photo? Its actually a cloud of pollen. I didn't know but the Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) tree is usually planted in high concentrations around shrines. This is particularly bad for wifey and I who suffer from hay fever. We were pretty much sneezing and drizzling for the entire day ><

If you are a hay fever sufferer too then you may want to avoid visiting Nikko Toshogu during March.

More about hay fever in Japan in this post.

Time to head back to Tokyo.

Sometimes our car navigation goes on the blink so we use our trusty droid + Google maps.

Stop to fill up with gas while watching somebody else get their car washed. We cant do this with our car as the stickers would start to peel ><

We arrive at Koshigaya Laketown - one of Japan's largest shopping malls which is on the way home.

The mall is huge - too huge for little kids to walk around so they got these little push cars for them.
Hmmm. Maybe I should make some for my Smart Dolls ^^;

Checking out the latest trends in the toys section.

1/3 scale doll sized DS goodies.

Anime style mannequins.

We went at a time when they were showing Wreck-it Ralph in the theaters. It was called Sugar Rush though and came out months after the US release.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Looking around for nomnoms. Japanese plastic food so cool.

Interesting how 99% of Japanese park their cars facing outwards while 99% of US folks park their cars facing inwards.

Back to Tokyo. Vroom Vroom.
More places to visit in Japan listed up below.

• Akihabara Shops 12
• Japan Donki
• Ikaho Onsen
• Melonbooks
• Kobe Tetsujin
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Japan Alps
• Shibuya in the Summer 2013
• Shinjuku in the Summer 2013
• Akihabara Shops 10
• View more

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

*Eiji is often also referred to as Eiji-kun, where "-kun" is a suffix which expresses that the speaker finds the person endearing.

MoeManga Japanese Learning

Here are some of the keywords you may want to remember for your Japanese studies.

同じ

同じ [おなじ (onaji)] - same/similar.

高校

高校 [こうこう (koukou)] - short for "高等学校" [こうとうがっこう (koutou gakkou)] which means "high school".

三年生

三年生 [さんねんせい (sannen-sei)] - third grade student. In Japanese high school, seniors are called third grade students.

天才

天才 [てんさい (tensai)] - genius/gifted.

メカニック

メカニック [めかにっく (meka nikku)] - the mechanic.

どんなに~でも

どんなに~でも [don nani ~ demo] - no matter what/how. "Don na" is usually followed by an adjective or verb. "Demo" may change to "temo" depending on the adjective or verb that comes before it.

• どんなに好きでも [どんなにすきでも (don nani suki demo)] - no matter how much you love it/her/him.
• どんなに辛くても [どんなにつらくても (don nani tsuraku temo)] - no matter how painful.
• どんなに面白くても [どんなにおもしろくても (don nani omoshiroku temo)] - no matter how interesting/funny.

仕事

仕事 [しごと (shigoto)] - work/occupation/business.

大変

大変 [たいへん (tai hen)] - difficult. You can also add "大変" in front of an adjective to emphasize the situation.

• 大変厳しい [たいへんきびしい (taihen kibishii)] - extremely strict.
• 大変喜ばしい [たいへんよろこばしい (taihen yorokobashii)] - delightful.

楽観的

楽観的 [らっかんてき (rakkann-teki)] - optimistic. Its antonym "pessimistic" is "悲観的" [ひかんてき (hikan-teki)].

こなす

こなす [konasu] - to overcome/finish/to have a good command of something.

オタク

オタク [おたく (otaku)] - otaku/geek/nerd/enthusiast.

度

度 [ど (do)] - level/strength/temperature.

Keywords from previous MoeManga posts are as follows.

• 人知れず
• 戦う
• 戦士
• ~こと~
• 一員

More MoeManga listed up below:

• MoeManga 00C: Kanata Hoshikawa
• MoeManga 003: Lucky Kitty
• MoeManga 00B: Haruka Suenaga
• MoeManga 00A: Mirai Suenaga
• Introducing MoeManga
• MoeManga 001: Lost your phone?
• MoeManga 002: Brain Power
• View more

Learn more Japanese Kanji with Moekanji Japanese Kanji Learning Cards >>

Find out more about the Mirai Millennium girls >>>

You know what a Fukubukuro is because you read about it in the Japan Lucky Bag post - I just read through your comments under that entry and had a few giggles ^^;

Anyway, I got just the thing for those of you who have always wanted to get hold of those Fukubukuro but haven't chanced upon the opportunity so far.

Those good folks at J-List just happen to have some for those of you who fancy your chances.

J-List currently have 4 different types of Fukubukuro all filled with goodies as follows:-

Fuku-Bukuro 2014 -- Doki Doki Random Set
( http://www.jlist.com/product/FUKU14-WAK )

Fuku-Bukuro 2014 -- DX Anime Toy Set
( http://www.jlist.com/product/FUKU14-TOY2 )

Fuku-Bukuro 2014 -- Lucky Anime Toy Set
( http://www.jlist.com/product/FUKU14-TOY1 )

2014 Fuku-Bukuro -- Japanese Bento & Traditional Item Set
( http://www.jlist.com/product/FUKU14-TB )

Most Fukubukuro to be honest are usually filled with stuff that does not make you feel fortunate but the goodies I've inspected so far from J-List are pretty legit - you will see them in the office sooner or later at one point in the Desk Diary posts ^^;

Or if you are going to have to get somebody a prezzie anyway then order a Fukubukuro for them which saves you from having to choose something specific.

However for those of you who don't fancy your chances then J-List is going to give one of these Fukubukuro away to a fortunate reader - all you have to do is check out those links above and let us know which Fukubukuro you want by copy pasting the link and name of the Fukubukuro in the comments - make sure you add something that makes J-List giggle as that will be the person they choose.

J-List will choose one witty commentator in 2 weeks time and send you your lucky bag.
I'll contact you first by the email you used to register your account and ask for your snail mail address which I will forward onto J-List (and CC you). They will then send you your Fukubukuro in time for Christmas.

If you are not keen on the Fukubukuro then J-List have got a load of other stuff currently at 12% off all orders with up to 50% off on many items. Items like anime and health related mags such as:-

Push! Illustration Carnival
( http://www.jlist.com/product/APA671 )

E2 vol. 40 ~ Etsu
( http://www.jlist.com/product/APA934 / RESERVE http://www.jlist.com/product/RESERVE136 )

Dengeki Moeoh Dec 2013
( http://www.jlist.com/product/APA918 / RESERVE http://www.jlist.com/product/RESERVE101 )

Megami Magazine Dec 2013
( http://www.jlist.com/product/APA928 / RESERVE http://www.jlist.com/product/RESERVE51 )

NyanType Dec 2013
( http://www.jlist.com/product/APA929 / RESERVE http://www.jlist.com/product/RESERVE131 )

J-List also give away these anime glasses with each order - perfect for those who prefer to look discreet by not wearing expensive sunglasses.

NyanType Dec 2013.

Unbreakable Machine Doll on your watch list?

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Arpeggio of Blue Steel.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Enjoying Kill la Kill?

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Freezing Vibration...

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Looks like Mikasa playing with some "water."

This post contains a video, click here to view.

The Chuunibyou girls.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Looks like we have a Kancolle casualty.

Megami Magazine Dec 2013.

E2 vol. 40 ~ Etsu.

Dengeki Moeoh Dec 2013.

The calendar that comes with this issue of Dengeki Moeoh.

Illustrated by Shirahne Nao-sensei ^o^

Push! Illustration Carnival - 100% ecchi ^^

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

Mentioned it back in August but Volks is about to close their pre-orders for the Hatsune Miku Dollfie on the 1st of December. If she tickles your fancy then prob best to place your order soon.

Miku DD will cost 65,100 yen and be released around August 2014.

These photos taken recently at the Volks Hobby Tengoku store in Akihabara.

And here is the CM.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

And this is the Senbonzakura outfit that you can order at the same time.

If you get along to Akihabara before the 1st of December, you will see her all over the gaff.

So how many of you ordering DD Miku?

And this is what the DD Miku display looks like at the Volks store in Seoul - photo by Toel-uru.

「創作造形©ボークス・造形村」©1998-2010 VOLKS INC. All rights are reserved.
「創作造形©ボークス・造形村」©2003-2010 VOLKS INC. All rights are reserved.
スーパードルフィー®、ドルフィードリーム® はボークス社の商標登録であり、その全ての権利を所有しています。

Read more about Mirai Suenaga >>>

Its that time of the month again - time to check out the latest n greatest in the holy land in this week's instalment of Akihabara Shops. Compared to last time however, the temperature has dropped quite a bit ><

Today we take a lookie at stores like Volks Hobby Tengoku, Sofmap, Akihabara Gashapon Kaikan, G-Tune : Garage, Akiba Culture Zone, Kotobukiya Store, Sega Game Center, Animate, Yodobashi, Lammtarra and other small stores situated in the back alleys.

First up is Volks Hobby Tengoku - a store filled with tons of Gunpla, dolls, figures and anime merchandice. Detailed coverage report lives here.

Custom Dollfie Dream DDH-05 in a wedding gown.

Another custom Dollfie Dream - the head mold for this one is DDH-06.

Dollfie Dream Asuna - released at the previous Dolpa.

Tons of optional body parts available for your Dollfie daughters.

If your Japanese can do with a bit more ninja juice then firstly you need the help of Moesensei.
Secondly, Hede-san can also help you out if you are looking for something particular too.

Mmmmmm - the smell of fresh new figures.

MG scale Wing Gundam Proto Zero (Endless Waltz).

This is what our first floor currently looks like too ><

Ichika Takatsuki 1/7th scale figure by Good Smile Company. How many of you are familiar with Ano Natsu?

Just about every anime character gets the Beach Queens treatment!
Mirai only managed a Figma and Nendoroid ><
But then again I guess she did skip the scale figure and went directly for the robot form ^^;

1/24 scale Itasha plastic model kit featuring Kongou Kai 2 from Kantai Collection.

Dakimakura brides - say goodbye to those ronery nights.

Which do you take to be your bride?

Mirai Senki Sleipnir [未来戦姫スレイブニル] illustrated by Ninoko-sensei.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Sword Art Online mini-posters.

Nendoroid Mikoto Misaka by Goodsmile.

Grabbing another whiff of fresh new figures at Sofmap.

Anime trading card games (TCG).

And now moving onto Sofmap's educational software floor.

The ladies from Maou no Kuse ni Namaiki da! 2 [魔王のくせに生イキだっ！2] covered in what seems to be shampoo.
Released by Luxury on October 25th.

Try not to step on the girls when walking.

More cuties from the eroge Koi ga Sakukoro Sakura doki [恋がさくころ桜どき] out on April 25th, 2014.

Illustration by Tsubasu Izumi-sensei.

Imouto no Okage de Motesugite Yabai [妹のおかげでモテすぎてヤバい] illustrated by Akane Ikegami-sensei - out on November 29th.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Eroge Magicalik Skyhigh [まじかりっくスカイハイ] by whirlpool. Out on December 20th, 2013.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Color contacts for cosplayers by Qualite.

New rice burger noms by Mos Burger.

Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan has loads of gachapon with a wide variety of goodies - some cute and some ecchi.

These ecchi gachapon figures - 500 yen each.

G-Tune Garage located in one of the back alleys of Akihabara specializes in gaming computers.
〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田 3-13-2
View location with Google Maps

This post contains a poll, click here to view.

Jobs released in Japan on November 1st.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Cute tapestry spotted at Akiba Cultures Zone 2nd floor - illustration by karory-sensei.

Collectible Star Wars busts.

And now moving on to the Kotobukiya Store.

Durarara Izaya Orihara 1/8th scale figure by Alter.

More Beach Queens figures by Wave.

Kudryavka Noumi Beach Queens figure.

Lamp Miku figure by Alphamax.

Insane BRS figure by Goodsmile.

Super Sonico Koakuma Nurse ver figure by Orchid Seed.

Are you bored of your tissue box that you use every evening? If so then you need ita-tissue box covers.

Shiki Ryougi 1/8th scale figure by Kotobukiya.

Cu-poche figure series on display.

Cu-poche Tomoe Mami.

Cu-poche Kaname Madoka.

Dark Angel Olivia 1/8th scale figure from Shingeki no Bahamut.

Tales of Viva Matsuri event was held at Kotobukiya Store 5F featuring a load of artwork from the Tales Series. Events like these are held regularly at the store.

Sega Game Center - a must visit place for UFO catcher fans.

Snow Miku plushies.

Super Sonico plushies.

Bipedal walking robots on display at Tsukumo. If you love robots then check out the International Robot Exhibition post for more.
If you want your own then wait just a bit more till Summer 2014.

This ad here says you can become an idol for only 1,000 yen per hour.

Used manga can be picked up for cheap - these are 50 yen each or 3 for 100 yen.

How many of you buy used manga or comic books? Or do you prefer new ones instead?

Megami Magazine, Famitsu and Card Gamer. Some of these recently reviewed.

Colonel Sanders and parts of Akihabara are already in the festive mood.

For folks who need their soul looking into.

Huge Little Busters billboard spotted outside Sofmap.

Looks like an interesting pattern on the wall. Wonder what it could be?

Looks like a bowl of pears to me. If you disagree then go to Melonbooks to check it out.

Etsu and Dengeki G's Festival.

Kadokawa's Comptiq magazine featuring Kantai Collection.

Kantai Collection guidebook - Kancolle Chinjufu Seikatsu no Susume Vol.1.

Speaking of moe battleships, how many of you are watching Arpeggio of Blue Steel this season?

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko Vol.7.

Unbreakable Machine Doll light novels.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Infinite Stratos (IS) clear files.

Women's fashion magazine "Spoon" featuring Kyoukai no Kanata.

How many of you are playing God Eater 2? - released on November 14th.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Lammtarra - from the outside it looks like a DVD store but on the inside its a "DVD" store.

Striped lolita pantsu.

Of late, you can find products like these which are supposed to simulate the "scent" of school girls and otokonoko - these ones by Tamatoys.

Looks like shelves filled with some sort of sauce - I guess this would be comparable to the ketchup and mustard shelfs that you would find in a supermarket.

Speaking of which...

Previous installments of Akihabara Shops listed up below.

• Hatsune Miku Doll
• Japan Donki
• Melonbooks
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Akihabara Shops 10
• Hobby Tengoku
• Akihabara Shops 9
• Akihabara Shops 8
• Akihabara Shops 7
• Akihabara Shops 6
• View more

• Hatsune Miku Doll
• Japan Donki
• Melonbooks
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Akihabara Shops 10
• Uchimizu 2013
• Hobby Tengoku
• Akihabara Shops 9
• Akihabara Shops 8
• Akihabara Shops 7
• View more

Find out more about the Culture Japan girls >>>

Its that time of the month again - time to check out the latest n greatest in the holy land in this week's instalment of Akihabara Shops. Compared to last time however, the temperature has dropped quite a bit ><

Today we take a lookie at stores like Volks Hobby Tengoku, Sofmap, Akihabara Gashapon Kaikan, G-Tune : Garage, Akiba Culture Zone, Kotobukiya Store, Sega Game Center, Animate, Yodobashi, Lammtarra and other small stores situated in the back alleys.

First up is Volks Hobby Tengoku - a store filled with tons of Gunpla, dolls, figures and anime merchandice. Detailed coverage report lives here.

Custom Dollfie Dream DDH-05 in a wedding gown.

Another custom Dollfie Dream - the head mold for this one is DDH-06.

Dollfie Dream Asuna - released at the previous Dolpa.

Tons of optional body parts available for your Dollfie daughters.

If your Japanese can do with a bit more ninja juice then firstly you need the help of Moesensei.
Secondly, Hede-san can also help you out if you are looking for something particular too.

Mmmmmm - the smell of fresh new figures.

MG scale Wing Gundam Proto Zero (Endless Waltz).

This is what our first floor currently looks like too ><

Ichika Takatsuki 1/7th scale figure by Good Smile Company. How many of you are familiar with Ano Natsu?

Just about every anime character gets the Beach Queens treatment!
Mirai only managed a Figma and Nendoroid ><
But then again I guess she did skip the scale figure and went directly for the robot form ^^;

1/24 scale Itasha plastic model kit featuring Kongou Kai 2 from Kantai Collection.

Dakimakura brides - say goodbye to those ronery nights.

Which do you take to be your bride?

Mirai Senki Sleipnir [未来戦姫スレイブニル] illustrated by Ninoko-sensei.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Sword Art Online mini-posters.

Nendoroid Mikoto Misaka by Goodsmile.

Grabbing another whiff of fresh new figures at Sofmap.

Anime trading card games (TCG).

And now moving onto Sofmap's educational software floor.

The ladies from Maou no Kuse ni Namaiki da! 2 [魔王のくせに生イキだっ！2] covered in what seems to be shampoo.
Released by Luxury on October 25th.

Try not to step on the girls when walking.

More cuties from the eroge Koi ga Sakukoro Sakura doki [恋がさくころ桜どき] out on April 25th, 2014.

Illustration by Tsubasu Izumi-sensei.

Imouto no Okage de Motesugite Yabai [妹のおかげでモテすぎてヤバい] illustrated by Akane Ikegami-sensei - out on November 29th.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Eroge Magicalik Skyhigh [まじかりっくスカイハイ] by whirlpool. Out on December 20th, 2013.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Color contacts for cosplayers by Qualite.

New rice burger noms by Mos Burger.

Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan has loads of gachapon with a wide variety of goodies - some cute and some ecchi.

These ecchi gachapon figures - 500 yen each.

G-Tune Garage located in one of the back alleys of Akihabara specializes in gaming computers.
〒101-0021 東京都千代田区外神田 3-13-2
View location with Google Maps

This post contains a poll, click here to view.

Jobs released in Japan on November 1st.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Cute tapestry spotted at Akiba Cultures Zone 2nd floor - illustration by karory-sensei.

Collectible Star Wars busts.

And now moving on to the Kotobukiya Store.

Durarara Izaya Orihara 1/8th scale figure by Alter.

More Beach Queens figures by Wave.

Kudryavka Noumi Beach Queens figure.

Lamp Miku figure by Alphamax.

Insane BRS figure by Goodsmile.

Super Sonico Koakuma Nurse ver figure by Orchid Seed.

Are you bored of your tissue box that you use every evening? If so then you need ita-tissue box covers.

Shiki Ryougi 1/8th scale figure by Kotobukiya.

Cu-poche figure series on display.

Cu-poche Tomoe Mami.

Cu-poche Kaname Madoka.

Dark Angel Olivia 1/8th scale figure from Shingeki no Bahamut.

Tales of Viva Matsuri event was held at Kotobukiya Store 5F featuring a load of artwork from the Tales Series. Events like these are held regularly at the store.

Sega Game Center - a must visit place for UFO catcher fans.

Snow Miku plushies.

Super Sonico plushies.

Bipedal walking robots on display at Tsukumo. If you love robots then check out the International Robot Exhibition post for more.
If you want your own then wait just a bit more till Summer 2014.

This ad here says you can become an idol for only 1,000 yen per hour.

Used manga can be picked up for cheap - these are 50 yen each or 3 for 100 yen.

How many of you buy used manga or comic books? Or do you prefer new ones instead?

Megami Magazine, Famitsu and Card Gamer. Some of these recently reviewed.

Colonel Sanders and parts of Akihabara are already in the festive mood.

For folks who need their soul looking into.

Huge Little Busters billboard spotted outside Sofmap.

Looks like an interesting pattern on the wall. Wonder what it could be?

Looks like a bowl of pears to me. If you disagree then go to Melonbooks to check it out.

Etsu and Dengeki G's Festival.

Kadokawa's Comptiq magazine featuring Kantai Collection.

Kantai Collection guidebook - Kancolle Chinjufu Seikatsu no Susume Vol.1.

Speaking of moe battleships, how many of you are watching Arpeggio of Blue Steel this season?

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko Vol.7.

Unbreakable Machine Doll light novels.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Infinite Stratos (IS) clear files.

Women's fashion magazine "Spoon" featuring Kyoukai no Kanata.

How many of you are playing God Eater 2? - released on November 14th.

This post contains a video, click here to view.

Lammtarra - from the outside it looks like a DVD store but on the inside its a "DVD" store.

Striped lolita pantsu.

Of late, you can find products like these which are supposed to simulate the "scent" of school girls and otokonoko - these ones by Tamatoys.

Looks like shelves filled with some sort of sauce - I guess this would be comparable to the ketchup and mustard shelfs that you would find in a supermarket.

Speaking of which...

Previous installments of Akihabara Shops listed up below.

• Hatsune Miku Doll
• Japan Donki
• Melonbooks
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Akihabara Shops 10
• Hobby Tengoku
• Akihabara Shops 9
• Akihabara Shops 8
• Akihabara Shops 7
• Akihabara Shops 6
• View more

• Hatsune Miku Doll
• Japan Donki
• Melonbooks
• Akihabara Shops 11
• Akihabara Shops 10
• Uchimizu 2013
• Hobby Tengoku
• Akihabara Shops 9
• Akihabara Shops 8
• Akihabara Shops 7
• View more

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