Tokyo: Manga, Anime and Pop Culture
1994 Diary
Fri 5 Aug Siberia flight with Air France stopping at BRU (Brussels) 09.30-11.30, 14.30-0850.
Sat 6 Aug Arrived at Narita about 9am, got “limited express” to Aoto – changed to underground to Higashi-Ginza. Arrived Mariners Court – sent to Urashima. Left cases – went to Shinjuku – Metropolitan Towers and Odakyu. In the evening met Pres Nevins and Tamaki. I recollect we had some trouble recognising each other.
Shinjuku video 3min (opens in new window)
Sun 7 Aug Met Chris Swett at Mariners Court, also 2 or 3 American women. Pass tickets only valid till 8.30. Comiket. Had to wait to 10 to start buying. Left c. 11.30 for hotel and freshen up then Hibiya Park (quiet). Yoyogi Park had closed road with bands, dancers etc, all along it. Really strange transvestite/androgynous rock band, also fellow with yellow hair – poss. In TV or J.book photo? Evening – crashed out.
This is the day we found a Japanese SDF ship having an open day at the docks nearby. I asked if we could board and found it was OK. Got a souvenir leaflet of the “Shirane” and some video footage.
Comiket video 20sec Warship video 43sec Yoyogi Bands Video 16min
Musicians in Yoyogi Park:
Mon 8 Aug Comiket 5.30 am and people are already streaming across bridge in hundreds! We went to the Shounen day. Didn’t buy much. Found that Comiket had already paid for our rooms. Made way to Asakusa. Had difficulty locating the train station! Finding that having lots of luggage was a Really Bad Idea. Had lunch in dept. store restaurant ( point to the plastic food kind of thing) and got train to Nikko. I used some of my Japanese to ask for the platform number.
Taxi to Minshuku – Narosara Lodge. Had shower. Superb evening meal with beer. Watched TV. Went to bed early (again).
I used my Japanese to tell our hosts that Japanese food was fine with us.
Suburban train 51sec
