I believe it. There were some really shady characters in that neck of the woods. However the Bar Champion Philipino karaoke bar is a must go for anyone considering a visit to Tokyo. Sure, we gave the howling neighborhood dogs a run for their money, but the experience is priceless. Hearing Logang1 sing Sweet Caroline was a highlight for me. "We did it all for Sweet Kaiju!!!"

Hey, its a Boston thing! Plus, who doesn't love Neil Diamond??!?

i went to a wedding recently (a sox fan) and he requested sweet caroline be played

this lady was singing along and yelled the extra parts rocky horror style like they do at the games.

i asked if she was a red sox fan, and she said that she was from NJ... and there was a bar she went to where people always sang it like that

Update:


Just an FYI. Although Mori thought the figure looked suspect because of the coloring in the auction photo, I was assured by many locals that the figure was legit and purchased at the Mandarake Akihibara store's grand reopening. My apologies to Auction_Toy for the confusion.
Rumor is, this isn't the last we'll be seeing of this colorway.

Anyhow, just a few more random shots I took during my trip. Enjoy!



Chaos eyes anyone?



A closer shot of the mini Bigaos.



A rare Baiken-painted Mechagodzilla!



Monstock shelf of metallic goodies.



Thought this guy was going to mug me in Harajuku. Truth is he waited until Shibuya.



Coming Soon! Butanohana color gid Dino set. Should go nicely with my color glow Killer and Crouching Zag sets.



Andy helped me score these from the evil candy push game. Sorry the picture is blurry, but we had to haul ass because the alarm was going off.



Wide angle shot of me with security and a Halliburton hat I won from a pachinko machine.



My tour guide takes me to the lovely Kabukicho.

Yes, the trip was great. I definitely recommend taking the time out if you can to go visit. The toy community is so tight knit and filled with so many great people. I stayed at an apartment in the cozy neighborhood of Kagurazaka provided by Sakura House properties and was very happy with the accomodations. You can rent out private apartments or shared living spaces by the month for as little as 600 bucks. The shared living apartments give you your own room with a key and lock and you share the kitchen, bathroom, etc. with your suitemates. This is ideal, as you can meet others living in Japan and make great friends you would not have made if you were cooped up in a private apartment somewhere. Super7's Tokyo Underground book is another essential tool, filled with everything you need to get you from the plane to all the great toy shops in town. The maps, by the way, are some of the most detailed you will find anywhere. I don't know how many times I dumped my lonely planet, in favor of this book, in an effort to find the nearest ATM or Seven-11 or whatnot. And send a pm to a couple of boardmembers who live in Japan and see when they might be free to hit a shop or toy fair or yakitori bar or curry house. Meeting people is what makes trips memorable and having a laugh with friends over some curry that looks like you're dumpster-diving but actually tastes delicious is an experience you'll remember forever. "I'm pretty sure it's pork, but don't quote me on that."

Yes, the trip was great. I definitely recommend taking the time out if you can to go visit. The toy community is so tight knit and filled with so many great people. I stayed at an apartment in the cozy neighborhood of Kagurazaka provided by Sakura House properties and was very happy with the accomodations. You can rent out private apartments or shared living spaces by the month for as little as 600 bucks. The shared living apartments give you your own room with a key and lock and you share the kitchen, bathroom, etc. with your suitemates. This is ideal, as you can meet others living in Japan and make great friends you would not have made if you were cooped up in a private apartment somewhere. Super7's Tokyo Underground book is another essential tool, filled with everything you need to get you from the plane to all the great toy shops in town. The maps, by the way, are some of the most detailed you will find anywhere. I don't know how many times I dumped my lonely planet, in favor of this book, in an effort to find the nearest ATM or Seven-11 or whatnot. And send a pm to a couple of boardmembers who live in Japan and see when they might be free to hit a shop or toy fair or yakitori bar or curry house. Meeting people is what makes trips memorable and having a laugh with friends over some curry that looks like you're dumpster-diving but actually tastes delicious is an experience you'll remember forever. "I'm pretty sure it's pork, but don't quote me on that."