Cool new Tokyo store: Mon Stock

Mon Stock is a great new store (opened in March 2007) with an awesome boss - Isao Komatsu. The store sells cups, vintage clothes, sofubi, and lots of other cool toys!
All the Anraku stuff is display only, from Isao-san's collection.

Road Blog! Tokyo pics

A few random pics from Tokyo.

This strange display is in my hotel lobby. Kind of hard to read, but the small sign says "Do not sit down! Do not take it! Do not touch it!" Beyond the fact that I can't get around my head who would come up with such a bizarre lobby display, I have to wonder how many people would be compelled to fondle or steal a plastic watermelon...

Everything is cool in Tokyo, including security guards. Notice the twin cameras mounted on their helmets (clearer in the second pic). Robo guards!

This is not to demonstrate a prediliction for looking at business people's backsides but to show an interesting fact of modern Japanese life. With sweltering heat in the summer time, nobody wants to wear a suit. In fact, the government has even officially sanctioned wearing short-sleeved shirts without ties, so the air cons can be used less often, which saves a massive amount of electricity.

OK, well, fashion and formality die hard, so even though few people wear suits, quite a few still carry jackets around.

Spotted this at my feet on a sidewalk and thought it was funny.

All aboard the Poketrain!

I've seen some weird stuff in Japan, but being in this train on the Yamanote line, where EVERYTHING was Pokemon related, kind of freaked me out!

Pokemon ramen anyone???

Thrashout!

Cool new wall display - loads of art. Lamour Supreme's Smogun piece is AWESOME.

This display case just gets more insane all the time.....I uploaded a largish pic, so click on it to check it out for more detail.

Couple of the folks who make it all happen!

Some more random Tokyo shots....
Hard gay's take on what "Love is"....!

2007 Summer Wonder Festival @ Tokyo Big Site

Part of the line:

The opening of the doors (ie, the Otaku Dash):

Real Head:

Upcoming figures and a custom:

Max Toy figures and shirts at the Miracle Toy booth:
Cronic:

Koiwa-san (Cronic) and Nerd One:

Pon De Leon!
Quite a nice display!
Gargamel Microman:

Blobpus:

Vinyl Junkies:

Road Blog!! Checkin' in from Osaka

Just arrived a couple of hours ago and went straight to Umeda to meet my buddy John, Got here a bit early, so I had my favorite Osaka meal: tamago don and Suntory beer at a shop next to Charactics (not open today, unfortunately). Best tamago-don I've had, and always nice with Suntory in a chilled glass. One of those coin restaurants, where you buy tickets from a machine and hand them to someone, who then gets yer grub. Nice working class feeling and very good (and super reasonably priced) food!

Myth #1 about Japan: It's expensive. My meal cost less than 500 yen. :)

Tonight I head to Tokyo on the overnight bus. Less than 5,000 yen for a pretty long haul!

Right after I arrive at Shinjuku station, I'll be hot footing it to the Big Site for Wonderfestival!!

For now, Shinsaibashi and Namba await!

Road Blog = FUN!