Tourism by Matt S. Yeah, it wouldn’t be a trip to Japan without spending time in Akiba, the Mecca to otaku, nerds, geeks and weeaboos the world over. Despite the city’s reputation for being the place where sweaty socially-awkward men go to indulge their fantasies, Akihabara is actually a vibrant…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. One of the features of Tokyo Game Show over the years has been the booth ‘babes,’ or women and men that are dressed up in costume (or, often, dressed down to as little as possible) in order to manage the booths, help players get into the…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. One of the features of Tokyo Game Show over the years has been the booth ‘babes,’ or women and men that are dressed up in costume (or, often, dressed down to as little as possible) in order to manage the booths, help players get into the…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. This is my third Tokyo Game Show, and this year it’s the biggest the show has ever been, with a bustling indie game area, dedicated VR and eSports sections, and hall after hall hosting all of the biggest developers and publishers. TGS is so large that…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. Japan can be exhausting. The energy of the city, as well as the sheer number of things to do, means that often, even when you’re out for a relaxing day in a beautiful area like Hakone, you find yourself walking… and walking… and walking. A quick…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. Over the weekend I went along to the Hatsune Miku Magical Mirai 2016 concert and exhibition and OH MY GOD I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER ALL OVER AGAIN. I won’t retread what I wrote in my piece on the concert last year. Please do read…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. There was a moment where I was sitting in comfortable leather chairs in a lounge that was unoccupied by anyone but myself and my wife, swirling 21-year old Japanese scotch around in a glass, where I came to the realisation that I was really relaxed. I…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. To the Japanese, Hakone is something of a retreat from the bustling city life of Tokyo, and as such it is an absolutely essential trip to take for a very different kind of Japanese experience. Last year I did a drive through of Hakone just to…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. One of the comments that I get frequently from people about Japan comes when I tell them that I can’t eat seafood. “But how do you survive?” they ask, or something along the lines of “but aren’t you missing out on the best food that Japan…
Read MoreTourism by Matt S. Here we go. My first “real” day in Japan, and I decided to spend it visiting museums and galleries. But not in the way you might expect. This is serious otaku stuff I was getting up to; I went to an exhibition celebrating 30 years of…
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