Last month I was lucky enough to purchase tickets to Madeon’s Good Faith tour in Tokyo (held at Akasaka Blitz). The event was so popular that tickets sold out in a matter of 10 minutes, but fortunately through a lot of refreshing on the Lawson Ticket site I was able to buy a standing ticket. The standing tickets are the best in my opinion, because you’re able to get close to the stage and dance!
Though I lived in America for many years, this was the first time I had ever seen Madeon live. His performance was such an emotional ride that it’s hard to describe with words, but I was filled with nostalgia and inspiration as I watched him pour his every being into his music. The visuals were stunning, and perfectly matched the theme of each song. In addition to songs from Good Faith, he sang nostalgic songs like Shelter and played a number of live edits that took careful precision and timing. In fact, he put so much into this performance that he was nearly out of breath at the end, but he kept on singing for all of us.
Some of my favorite visuals are the ones shown below:
Good Faith has a lot of highs and lows, and the visuals were carefully designed to reflect that. Similar to Porter Robinson’s shows, the visuals shift with the feeling of the song. Some of them are very complex with intense motion, while others are very still and soft. The show really is a trip and I think everyone can find something that they relate with here [as he intended].
If you haven’t listened to Good Faith yet, please take the chance to when you have time. You won’t be disappointed. My favorite song is “Miracle” because it deals with working out a lot of complex emotions (fear, anxiety, hopelessness), but delivers a powerful meaning. All of the songs are beautiful and combine a mixture of piano, synth, and electronic sounds. Seeing him play on the piano nearly brought me to tears because it was so beautiful.
A few weeks after returning to Japan from my aesthetic adventures in Taiwan, I decided to go to Nagoya City and attend an event called Touch & Go that some of my favorite artists were playing at. Before getting boozed up and meeting friends, I wanted to explore somewhere that I had never been to before within the area. Since most of Nagoya’s major attractions can been seen in 2-3 days and I had already seen them all, I decided to go somewhere on the outskirts of Aichi prefecture that was still on the way there from Tokyo. My research led me to an amusement park named Laguna Ten Bosch (also called Lagunasia). Not wanting to miss out on yet another aesthetic adventure, I decided to arrive around 5pm so I could catch the winter light shows and practice night photography with my GoPro. I was not disappointed by the beautiful floral displays and flashing neon lights:
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About Laguna Ten Bosch/Lagunasia
Lagunasia is a amusement park/waterpark/spa that is geared towards younger ages but has attractions that everyone can enjoy. What caught my attention specifically is its brilliant winter illuminations. Since I have lived in Japan for over 4 years now, I have already seen a large variety of what this country has to offer, but I had never seen illuminations in Nagoya before. During the winter season, the outdoor waterpark is transformed into a brilliant display of Christmas decorations and lights that produce a mirror-like effect when they flicker at night:
I was amazed to see the different flowers that were in bloom during this time of year (which was January)! While walking to the garden area shown in the video above, I walked on a transparent bridge where I could see flowers planted below my feet. It truly was a unique experience. I saw a cosplayer doing a photoshoot here, so I knew I had come at the right time! Most of the light shows start around 6pm and last until the park’s closure at 9pm. You can see detailed information regarding the light shows on their official website.
Access & Entrance Fees
Compared to other amusement parks in Japan, entrance to Lagunasia is actually quite affordable. Admission only is around $20 USD, and $40 if you want unlimited rides. Because I have been to so many amusement parks already, I opted to pay the cheapest option for entrance only. There are a number of roller coasters, bumper cars, and water rides that looked fun, but in the winter I think it’s best to go the cheapest route since not all attractions are open. I was able to get a discounted nightpass as well (I believe the price changes with the season because it is not listed on their website, but I am unsure).
To get here from Tokyo takes approximately 2 hours and 25 mins. I rode the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Toyohashi Station. Then I took a local train to Mikawa-Otsuka Station. The ride was very easy compared to other trips that I have done, and getting to where I needed to be in Nagoya only took an hour and a half on local trains.
See the Access page of the Laguna Ten Bosch website for more information.
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I thought it was funny that random cutouts of Boku no Hero Academia were placed around the park. It must have been part of a collaboration, but it was very subtle.
So is it worth it?
I give this amusement park an overall positive review because a lot of effort was put into the 3D mapping and light shows here. However, unless you really love amusement parks or have extra time to kill in Nagoya, I would first recommend checking out Universal Studios in Osaka or Lego Land (also near Nagoya). I will review these in separate posts when I have time. These places both have more attractions and are easier to access than Lagunasia, so they are better to see first in my opinion.
If you have been living in Japan for a while like me and are looking for something new to see, or are close to the Nagoya area, then this is it! This is the perfect day trip or getaway from Nagoya City. The lines are minimal here–you can easily ride all the rides you want within a few minutes. The illuminations are great for practicing photography and I had a lot of fun experiencing them. You may find yourself getting bored if you come too early, so I would recommend coming here in the afternoon so you can catch the light shows (the winter seems the most elaborate, but they change year-round).
I would come here again with a friend if the opportunity presented itself~
Visiting Songshan Ciyou Temple on the first day of the 2020 and wishing for another year of adventure.
After eating hotpot out of a toilet bowl, I decided to spend my first night of the new year in Taipei stopping by the local temples and shrines like the natives do. In Japan there is the tradition of hatsumode (初詣), which is the first trip to a Shinto or Buddhist shrine on January 1st. I asked my Japanese friends what they normally wish for, and they said they usually wish for necessary things like good health, success in their career, and happiness in life. I am fortunate to have all of these things, so I usually wish for more adventures and exciting encounters. Essentially, I wish to never grow bored or complacent in life. I want to keep exploring the world and advancing at a steady place. Though I will admit, a little love would be nice too!
The majority of Taiwan residents observe the Chinese New Year which occurs later in the month (this year it starts on January 5th, 2020). However, I noticed there were a lot of people here that still visited to the shrines in order to pay their respects. I have mentioned before here that I am not particularly a religious person; I believe we are all our own gods and what we perceive the world as is our customs or religion. Despite this, I enjoy visiting temples and shrines all over Asia. You get a sense of peace and clarity from being outside a temple versus crammed in a western church. I enjoy seeing the intricate architecture and learning about the culture as well. That is why you will see me at a lot of shrines despite me being an atheist–I enjoy immersing myself in culture as much as possible. And in order to fully grasp a culture, you must start at its origin.
Songshan Ciyou Temple
Songshan Ciyou Temple was by far my favorite temple in central Taipei. I loved how the lighting captured the beautiful illustrations on the temple walls at night, and there were multiple floors that you could climb and see different deities. The temple is dedicated to Mazu who is the goddess of the sea despite it being located near the heart of the city. Many people pray for her divine protection and it is a great place to witness Taiwanese tradition:
I loved the unique carvings of the pillars and the beautiful gold statues inside. I was really overcome with awe since this was my first time ever exploring a temple in Taiwan. The temple even had a tiny mascot! It felt a lot like exploring a temple in Japan, but it had a slightly different atmosphere. I spent quite a long time here soaking in the culture and trying to read what I could about its history. It really is an amazing place to see!
Conveniently located next to this temple is the Raohe Street Market. This is a great first street market experience as well because it is one of the biggest in Taipei! I found a lot of interesting foods there like stinky tofu fries, dinosaur hamburgers, fried squid with mayonnaise… the list goes on and on. I have been to a number of night markets in Asia already, but I like seeing the unique foods and characteristics each one has!
Confucius Temple
Confucius Temple was the 2nd temple I visited during my stay in Taipei. I came here during the morning of January 2nd and was surprised to see people dancing and doing yoga here! It reminded me a lot of what I had seen in Vietnam actually. This temple had a more open feel than others that I have been to in Asia and is really worth visiting.
As many people know, Confucius was one of the most influential teachers in Chinese philosophy. I took a number of Asian studies classes in university and actually agree with some of his theories; such as we should make education widely available and cultivate ourselves. The quote: “If you want to change the world, first change yourself” is a good example of Confucian theory. I try to practice this when I travel abroad so I can improve my life and [ideally] the lives of others. I believe that change is something that usually comes with dedication and time much like the ancient sage does.
The most interesting part of this temple is there is actual a chariot driving simulation game you can play in one of the chambers! This is the first time I had ever seen anything like this at a religious ground, and I fully support the use of interactive technology:
Dalongdong Baoan Temple
Right next to the Confucius Temple is the Taiwanese folk religion temple Dalongdong Baoan. It is dedicated to the Taoist saint Baosheng Dadi who sadly I do not know much about. However, I loved the aesthetic of the temple. It had an outdoor garden and a beautiful dragon statue that spits water into a pond full of koi fish:
Right around the corner is street lined with palm trees, lanterns, and tiny shops. Even in January this town had an extremely tropical vibe to it that made me happy to be here! I will be writing more about Taiwanese culture in my future posts. Please look forward to reading them.
Korea will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first country I ever felt truly “lost” in. When I first visited Japan during my study abroad trip, I already had a basic grasp on the language and had the ability to ask for help and directions if needed. Other Asian countries I’ve been to like Hong Kong and Thailand attract a great amount of foreign business and tourism, so there’s always some English guidance even if you don’t speak the native tongue. Korea also attracts a number of foreigners, but it’s not really a place known for its beaches or resorts so outside of Seoul (and even within the city) there is limited English support.
Korean people are very educated and usually have a basic understanding of the English language, but those who do not go on to higher education usually don’t have much of a reason to study it (much like Japanese people). Knowing absolutely no Hangul before coming to Korea made me experience an initial language barrier for the first time in my life, so I had to learn to think quickly on my feet and also always have my translation app at hand. It was a bit frustrating at first and I regret not taking more time to learn basic Hangul, but not comprehending any of the language also made my trip a fun challenge while learning about a new culture. I am very fortunate that people here were extremely kind to me. An example: When I was too jetlagged to figure out how to get back the deposit on my subway card, a kind Korean man helped me work the machine so I could receive my change. After he suggested we exchange contact information in case I needed help. I sensed now ill will from his actions so I did so. I am happy that I can feel safe at all times in this country.
Getting back to the story, I have visited Korea a total of three times: Once during the new year of 2018 visiting Seoul and Busan, again during 2018 for Golden Week exploring Jeju Island, and once again in 2019 for eye surgery (I will talk more about my operation next year).
In this article I would like to talk about one of my favorite glitches in the human paradigm fashion/avant-garde galleries: Adererror. I stumbled upon this place while hunting for aesthetic things near Hongik University, and boy was I in paradise! From cassette tapes to “Dad fresh markets”–this place had it all!
Dad fresh market!
Dad fresh market?! you ask, wondering if they are selling actual paternal figures at this display. Fear not, because “Dad” actually stands for Day After Day which is popular designer soap brand sold on the first floor of this store. I am sure the English-speaking visitors get a kick out of this when they first see it (I sure did).
Here are more fantastic sights of the latest 2019 display:
The neon blue “THE BLUEST BLUE” sign immediately made me think of in the blue shirt. I opened a closet to find 3 TVs flickering with images of owls. One room was filled with a broken popcorn machine. Another room was completely upside down. Was that an iPhone glued to the bathroom door? And who put the plant in the bathtub!? All these sights made the Dad fresh market seem like a normality.
The 2018 display also raised some questions:
FLOWRS. IN. URINALS. SOAPINTOILET. Using tissue boxes as wallpaper? Plants climbing ladders. Mattresses chilling with speakers. More neon signs and pressed pink rocks. What is the true meaning of “Day After Day” anyway? Add all of these questions with my inability to comprehend Hangul, and you have complete sensory overload. The best part was that I was enjoying every second of this. Being in a foreign country without having any idea how to speak the language, and stumbling upon a place as unique as this–it was like a fantasy come true.
Clothing aside (which I was almost too memorized to look at, but I did do some browsing), Adererror is a masterpiece. And to think this was just the beginning of my wild adventures in Korea. TO BE CONTINUED…
On the first day of 2020, I have decided to fly to Taipei from Tokyo and embark on yet another wild adventure! A year ago I was at a Full Moon Party in Thailand, but this year I have decided to focus on hiking and photographing the various destinations in this country. Fortunately the western new year isn’t widely celebrated in Taiwan due to the country honoring the Chinese New Year (which occurs later in January), so everywhere I want to go to will be open. The dates I have chosen are 1/1 – 1/9 which should give me enough time to see everything I want.
Taiwan has been on my radar for a long time because not only is it cheap to fly there (I only paid $250 for a roundtrip flight), but also it has great hiking destinations and a number of my favorite Tokyo producers have played there. The weather is much warmer than Tokyo, and it has a high speed rail so it’s much faster to get around places compared to other Asian countries. I am super excited to try the delicious food, meet both new and old friends, and also try out the GoPro Camera that I just bought!
During the last week of December there are an endless amount of parties going on in Tokyo. On December 30th I am watching my friends of Trekkie Trax play at THE BASS, and the 31st I am watching them play again at ageHa Countdown 2020. My flight leaves around 11:30am on the 1st which I booked through Scoot airlines. I’ll have just enough time to run back to my apartment to get my luggage at 7am and make it to the airport. There is no better way to go out than seeing the homies play twice. Japan is usually quiet during the first week and a half of the new year, so overall this is a power move.
January 1st
I will arrive to Taipei around 3pm and begin exploring as much of the city as possible. There are a number of places I wish to see such as the Songshan Ciyou Temple, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, and Confucius Temple. I also wish to eat at the Modern Toilet Restaurant and try some street food. I noticed that there are a number of vegetarian and vegan options as well. I will be staying at Come Inn Hostel for around $15 a night. All accommodations in Taiwan are quite affordable so I will be spending most of my money on traveling around the country.
There is also an infamous bar called “The Fucking Place” (操場) where I am super excited to drink at. It became a meme on my timeline when a Tokyo DJ got really lit there and I am stoked to experience it myself.
January 2nd
I booked a really cheap bus tour to Jifuen and Shifen (the famous lantern-filled village that inspired Spirited Away), and Yehliu Geopark through Get Your Guide. Every website I’ve read recommends these places so I’d like to tackle them the first full day I’m here. I’m sure they will be breathtaking and amazing! I’m excited to light a lantern and see it burn bright in the sky.
At night I will be taking a two hour train ride to Hualien Station and staying in a cheap hostel called Cave. I will be waking up at 7:30am the next morning to explore the famous Taroko Gorge.
January 3rd
One of the most famous national parks in Taiwan is Taroko Gorge, so I have decided to spend a full day hiking here. There are a number of tours available, but a lot of the private ones are super expensive. I decided on the highly-rated Better Taroko Gorge Tour, because it starts very early to avoid the crowds and you have the option of paying in cash. It’s a group tour but I think I will enjoy it since the tour organizer that I’ve been corresponding with is friendly. If I don’t like the people I can always just use my headphones to ignore them. I am very stoked to see the Eternal Spring Shrine, learn about the culture of this region of Taiwan, and have some delicious Aboriginal food.
At night I will be taking a train back to Taipei and seeing Night Tempo at Club FINAL. By coincidence, he and Neon City Records will be having an event during the same time that I’m here. I haven’t seen senpai in almost a year, so this will be a lovely reunion!
January 4th
When I wake up I plan on heading straight for the beach. I was informed it may be too cold to swim, but I’m not opposed to trying. I am planning to see Laomei Reef and Baishawan Beach since they are two of the most photogenic places. I will likely be tired from hiking and partying the previous day, so this will be my recovery day. I will also check out the night markets in Taipei if I have time.
January 5th
After spending a day recharging, I will be taking the high speed rail to Kaoshiung City and exploring all of the famous sights. First I want to see the street art and warehouses at Pier 2, then I will take a boat to the scenic Cijin Island that is only 5 minutes away from the port. I plan on renting an electric bike (like I did in Jeju, Korea) and traveling along the island to the Rainbow Church and doing photography. This island is very long and rectangular, so seeing it in one day is doable. I will be staying at Legend Hotel Pier2 which is right near the beach too!
At night I plan on seeing the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and stopping by J.C.co Art to try their realistic-looking dog cakes. Kaoshiung is in southern Taiwan so I’m sure there will be a number of interesting things to see.
January 6th
When I feel satisfied with my sightseeing in Kaoshiung, I will head to the nearby Taichung City via train. I’m most looking forward to seeing the Rainbow Village here. There’s also a Sea of Flowers in Xinshe, the Cultural Heritage Park, and numerous hiking spots around here. I’m going to play it by ear and see how energetic I feel. I may end up just going to the Rainbow Village and a couple of breweries. I will be staying at Loosha Hostel which is once again central and affordable.
January 7th
On this day I will be traveling to the lovely Sun and Moon Lake and taking the ropeway up to the mountains. I will also be spending the majority of my day at Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. This has the tallest free-fall ride in Taiwan and also has a waterpark. I’m not sure what the weather will be like, but I went to a similar park in Sentosa, Singapore and had an absolutely lovely time. Regardless of how warm it is, I should be able to get some amazing shots while I’m here so I’ll be happy. The lake is very large and also has frequent cruises.
January 8th
This will be my last full day in Taiwan, so I will head back to Taipei and resolve any unfinished business I have here here. I plan to hike up Elephant Mountain, take a bus trip to the cat village, and also see the Golden Waterfall. After this time I should feel extremely satisfied with all the places I have been. Hopefully I get some good GoPro footage too.
January 9th
I will be heading back to Tokyo very early in the morning. January is filled with amazing events in Japan. I will be traveling to Nagoya the same weekend for another Pasocom Ongaku Club / in the blue shirt event, and also seeing Madeon in the same week. I am excited for what 2020 has to bring!!
Pasocom Ongaku Club performs live at ONDO in Hiroshima, Japan.
At the beginning of the month I traveled all the way from Tokyo to Hiroshima in order to attend two events that were part of Pasocom Ongaku Club’s Night Flow Album Release Tour. The first was held at Mondo Cafe in Fukuyama, and the second was at a food and music venue called ONDO in central Hiroshima. in the blue shirt—who is one of my favorite indie electronic producers in Japan—was also a part of this Hiroshima tour so I was ecstatic to go on this trip!
Hiroshima is typically a place where people go to visit historical sights, so before my arrival I had no idea what the nightlife was like. I was pleasantly surprised to see how interactive the music scene is here. Not only did the quality of music and talent of the artists exceed my expectations, but I also have fond memories from both events because they connected me with a lot of different people. I also had the experience to see rare parts of Japan, so coming here was worth all of the time and effort.
In my previous articles, I covered how to travel around Hiroshima and Fukuyama, so in this article I will be writing a detailed report on the music producers that I saw here.
Who is Pasocom Ongaku Club?
Pasocom Ongaku Club (パソコン音楽クラブ in Japanese; also stylized “Pasocom Music Club” in English) is a unit formed in 2015 focused on creating desktop music (DTM) of the new age. They have an adorable dog mascot named Maron (マロン) that appears in a lot of their photos and merchandise. Pasocom Ongaku Club have performed at numerous venues in Japan and utilize modules and digital synthesizers like the Roland SC series and Yamaha MU series to create 90s style music. They have also participated in music production and remixes with other artists, commercials, and a wide range of other activities. ⇢ Official Website
A Brief Timeline of Pasocom Ongaku Club’s Releases:
2015: The unit was formed and started uploading DTM tracks on their Soundcloud.
2017: Released their first major album “PARKCITY” on Maltine Records. Also self-released a miscellaneous album “SHE IS A“.
2019: “Night Flow” and “Night Flow Remixes” were released with critical acclaim. Arranged “Pokémon Shiritori” (ポケモンしりとり)━the ending for the latest Pokémon anime based on the games Sword/Shield. The group of children singing the lyrics to their song are called “Pokémon Ongaku Club”.
One of the most popular Pasocom Ongaku Club songs out right now is “reiji no machi” which features lovely vocals by Inoue Warabi:
I first saw Pasocom Ongaku Club in 2018 at a music/Q&A event called “ゆパ交流戦” in Osaka. I was very impressed by their music production method and how they sang through what looks like a talk box to record some of their vocals.
Saw Batsu, in the blue shirt, ゆnovation and Pasocom Music Club in Osakadai night at an underground music conference. It was very fun, I had never seen someone play a show with a melodica before!!!! 🎶 #ゆパ交流戦pic.twitter.com/8sNjGP7YKc
The event was held again this year [2019] with a slightly different lineup. I could not attend the event this year because I was in Korea, but the highlights were uploaded to in the blue shirt’s YouTube channel.
Who is in the blue shirt?
Born in 1991, “in the blue shirt” is the solo project of a trackmaker named Arimura Ryo who currently resides in Osaka. He started creating music in 2012 and also has managed sound production for commercials and web advertisements. Released his 2nd album, “Recollect the Feeling” in April of this year. Recently he has been organizing a recurring trackmaker/DTM workshop event called “Potluck Lab” and working on his own vlog series tentatively titled “Travels in the blue“. ⇢ Official Website
2012: First started producing music━early demos and samples of his work can be found on his Soundcloud.
2013-2014: First EP “Impasse” was released. Worked on various compilations and remixes; most notably a remix of Porter Robinson’s “Flicker” on “Re:Flicker“.
2015: “toward morning” is self-released, and mini-album “Cyanotype” is released on Maltine Records.
in the blue shirt also released a remix of “reiji no machi” on “Night Flow Remixes”:
The First Night: At Mondo Cafe
After seeing all of Hiroshima’s major sights, I arrived at Mondo Cafe in Fukuyama around midnight. This was my first time ever going to a music event in Hiroshima so I was a bit nervous by myself, but I was happy to see that some of my friends I had met at Kyoto Metro were here too! It had been several months since I had last saw them so drinking together and catching up was a very pleasant time. Some nice boys from Hiroshima also bought me drinks and I was grateful for their hospitality.
Though I didn’t know many of the local Fukuyama DJs, all of them had great talent. The night was a mix of DTM, disco house, electronic, indie, and funk music. During the event I tried to make conversation with other people, but the music was so good I didn’t want to leave the dancefloor!!
Pasocom Ongaku Club’s set consisted of their own custom intro, hit tracks Night Flow, and some nostalgic tracks from PARKCITY like “oldnewtown”. It was very refreshing to see how much they had improved since I first saw them over a year ago! I recommend their music to everyone.
in the blue shirt’s set consisted of many different genres; his own songs released on Sensation of Blueness, Recollect the Feeling, and toward morning were mixed in with songs from other international artists. He also played “Don’t Wanna Fall in Love” by KYLE, “Nishio 2” by Lemaitre, and “Whatever You Want” by 95 Royale━which is one of my favorite house tracks of all time! This is one of the best in the blue shirt performances I had ever seen!
By the end of the night I was filled with happiness and inspiration from all of the amazing tracks I had danced to that night. It was extremely hard to sleep, but I managed to get a few hours in before the next event on Sunday.
The second event was on a Sunday evening so it started early around 6pm. Much like Mondo Cafe, this event space was very homey but well-suited for the event. Most of the people from last night also came here, so I had the chance to talk to some of the DJs and also see my friends again. I was very grateful for everyone’s kindness and the hard work put into this event. It felt more like a house party than a club event!
What made this event extremely unique was that Pasocom Ongaku Club dropped “Pokémon Shiritori” in one of their sets for the very first time. The composition of this song is brilliant because they sampled the Pokémon Center healing SFX. You can see the video I captured of it (this is one of my most-viewed videos):
Additionally, the VJ here was very talented. The series of flashing logos and animations was the perfect level of stimulation for this kind of event. The lighting at Mondo Cafe was ambient and soothing, but I liked the way ONDO was set up even more.
in the blue shirt’s set was once again filled with a high level of energy and precise mixing of multiple genres. This set had his famous song “Seven Bridge” on it that made the club go insane as well as several tracks that I did not recognize. I am now even more excited to hear the new EP he is working on! I was really fortunate to talk with him and buy one of the few remaining vinyls of Recollect the Feeling. He signed it with my name on it too! I left the venue with a very good feeling.
Afterwards, I went to a lovely Chinese restaurant with some of my female friends. It was so nice to catch up after all this time had passed and share these moments together.
The last supper in Hiroshima.
Address
音楽食堂 ONDO
〒730-0026 Hiroshima, Naka Ward, Tanakamachi, 6−3, 音戸温泉ビル
Final Remarks
Traveling around Japan for music events has been extremely rewarding for me. I’ve learned much about the world, the people, and the culture of different prefectures of this country through music, and I’ve still got much to learn! I go to clubs and events in Tokyo almost every week, but the atmosphere of the venues in Hiroshima and Kyoto are much more welcoming. The artists and listeners are able to connect so much more freely with this type of event. I will cherish all of the memories that I made here.
I do not have any big trips planned for the rest of the year, but I am planning to go to Nagoya in 2020. Please stay tuned for more updates, and thank you always for reading. ♡
Over the weekend I traveled to Hiroshima Prefecture for the Pasocom Ongaku Club Nightflow Tour at two locations in rural Japan. The events touched my heart so I will be writing a detailed report about their music in a future post, but first I wanted to point out two amazing places I found along the way while backpacking!
Next to Hiroshima Prefecture lies Okayama Prefecture, which is less than an hour away by shinkansen (bullet train). I have traveled here before to explore Kurashiki, a famous canal town that attracts a lot of tourists, but here are some other off the beaten path recommendations I have for those who are visiting the area:
Shinju: The Okonomiyaki Serving Robot Restaurant
In this area of Japan, okonomiyaki–a pancake usually served with bacon, fried noodles, and vegetables–is an extremely popular dish. The name “okonomiyaki” literally means “to one’s liking” so you can usually customize your order with other ingredients (such as seafood) or ask for a vegetarian version as well.
At Shinju, the extremely hardworking “NUMBER-ONE-ROBOT” will serve the ingredients you order directly to your table so you can cook the okonomiyaki yourself! Wearing an adorable Disney hat and greeting you in a friendly tone, this robot does everything it can to make you feel welcome:
I decided to order the seafood okonomiyaki set with noodles. I’ve had this dish before, but it’s been a long time since I prepared it on a hotplate myself. The kind staff taught me the correct way to flip the pancake batter on the noodles to create the perfect okonomiyaki. If you are unsure of how to do this, they will be sure to assist you (it’s actually quite easy once you get the hang of it):
After about 10-15 minutes of cooking, we ended up with this delicious result:
The perfect seafood okonomiyaki with fried noodles, shrimp, octopus, and squid.
Not only is okonomiyaki delicious, but it’s also the perfect hangover food. Overall the service here was above average and the staff even sat down and talked to me for a while. I told them all about the event and how much I enjoy backpacking in Asia because it’s generally very safe to travel here.
The joke of the day was how the robot here resembled the robot on the Pasocom Ongaku Club Promotional flyer (drawn by Satoshi Kurosaki):
This was the best okonomiyaki restaurant I have ever been to, so I recommend it to literally everyone!
Remember when the dinosaurs invaded rural Japan? I remember, because I was there!
On the way back to Hiroshima for the 2nd event I was going to, I decided to stop by Kasaoka, Okayama, because it is the closest major city near the border. Here I was elated to find a park full of dinosaurs outside of the Horseshoe Crab Museum! Unfortunately I didn’t have time to go inside the museum, but I had a ton of fun photographing the dinosaurs in the park (which is free to visit).
I really find it odd that someone decided to put these dinosaurs all the way out here in rural Japan. What inspired this park, and are there deeper secrets buried here in Kasaoka that are waiting to be discovered? I will be searching for more places to visit like this in the future because I simply find them fascinating. There’s so much more to discover in Japan than simply Tokyo–epic finds are literally everywhere.
One of the best perks of living in Japan and being a gamer is having the ability to attend the amazing pop-up cafes that are available here for a limited time only. During my stay here, I have been fortunate enough to been able to dine at both the Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal Cafes held at two different locations. Making a reservation for these cafes can sometimes be a bit difficult as they are quite popular, but I will be sharing my experience in this post to hopefully help and inspire other people to come and visit!
The Original Persona 5 Cafe at Pasela Resorts (Shibuya)
If you’ve played the game, you’ve probably seen a building called “Pasela Resorts” located on the map. That is because ATLUS had a collaboration with the popular karaoke chain Pasela Resorts in Shibuya from 10/14/2016 – 11/23/2016 with the series. The original Persona 5 Cafe was located on the 2nd floor of this location and required winning an in-person lottery to attend (meaning it was so popular at the time that you could not make a reservation online).
This was quite a heart-racing lottery, but I was determined to win! I remember arriving at 10am, lining up with around 100 or so other people on a 6 floor spiral staircase in front of the cafe, and drawing a ticket from a box. Fortunately, I drew a winning ticket! However, many people were unable to win. I went on a Saturday morning due to my hectic work schedule at the time, but perhaps if you went on a weekday you would have a better chance.
Even though I went alone, I had a ton of fun! I ordered the Ann and Joker drinks as well as the Leblanc curry and dessert pizza. Being in a room surrounded by other Persona fans filled my heart with joy. This was one of the first themed cafes I had been to, so it really left a good impression on me.
Persona 5 Royal Cafe at SEGA Collab Cafe (Akihabara)
3 years later I made it to the Persona 5 Royal Cafe in Akihabara–but this time with friends! Since this was a collaboration held at the SEGA Cafe, the reservation process was much easier. Online reservation in advance was possible, but you could also look at the cafe’s available seats and walk in on the day you wanted to go if there was space. That is what we did as a group of six, and we all managed to sit together! Between all of us, we were able to order almost every item on the menu and swap coasters. This time they had coasters of both the new P5 art and chibi versions of the characters given randomly with every purchase of a drink or food item. This cafe lasted from 11/2/2018 – 12/1/2018. Though I have not played the game yet, I am super excited to now!
If you have missed the dates for these cafes, fear not! Whenever a new game, movie, or even musical are announced, usually these cafes pop up and you can always search for the special merchandise online. I hope to attend many more Persona Cafes and events in the future, as it is one of my favorite series that has taught me much about how social relationships can affect you and the world around you!
Laugh of the Day
On our way up to the SEGA Cafe, we noticed a very special claw machine game filled with dozens of Anns… and one sole Ryuji! What a lucky fellow–if only it were Morgana instead!
Metsä Village from the Moomin series in Hanno, Japan.
Last week I took a day trip to the magical fairytale-like village of Metsä in Moomin Valley, Hanno, Japan, with a few of my friends visiting from outside the country. Based on the popular comic strip and animated series created by Finnish author Tove Jansson, this friendly Moomin-themed park offers a day of relaxation, theater shows, and fun exhibits for visitors. Though I have lived in Japan for over 4 years now, this is one of the few theme parks I had yet to visit because it is roughly an hour and a half outside of central Tokyo. Though it was a bit of a long journey, I had a lot of fun venturing through this valley with my friends because it captures the spirit of the series.
Like in the series, the big blue Moominhouse is the first thing you’ll see once you enter the park! There are shows performed every 2 hours with dancing mascots, and many shops and restaurants you can enter. We ordered the following food at the cafe and were very impressed with the taste. Both the rice and latte art iced coffee were amazing!
My favorite park of Moomin Valley was the museum with multiple floors and interactive technology. There are a lot of animated exhibits you can see and play with here, as well as a maze that looks like a story book. I had a lot of fun getting lost in it and meeting all of the different Moomin characters:
Overall I thinking coming here was worth the experience, but I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any amusement rides. However, if you are a fan of the series, or if you have lived in Japan for a while and are looking for a different experience, I would recommend checking it out. Moomin Valley combines both nature and technology with makes it a memorable trip.
Pros:
Only 1500 yen entrance fee (very cheap compared to other theme parks)
Beautiful scenery and not very crowded
A great combination of nature and technology
Cons:
Targeted at younger children and families
Additional fees required to enter some attractions
No rides like in other amusement parks (not very action-packed)
Here is some footage I caught of the Moomin theater show. My friends and I were extremely impressed when they started riding the hover boards):
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend M3, one of Japan’s biggest interactive multimedia events that is essentially the Comiket of music. M3 is a great opportunity for aspiring artists and record labels because they are able to rent a booth and distribute their music in addition to connecting with other artists and fans. I like this kind of event because it preserves the culture of physical music distribution and a lot of the music sold here is unavailable online so you won’t be able to find it elsewhere. The same goes for the merchandise (such as hats and bags) as well. There is also a space where you can freely listen to select music with your own headphones or have the option of renting some. It’s very exciting to wander around here because you can literally see the happiness of people as they connect with the artists they love.
Getting to M3
M3 takes place at Tokyo Ryutsu Center, which consists of six exhibition stalls and a conference center with multiple floors. This complex is actually really close to Haneda airport, so I rode the local Tokyo-Monorailtowards Haneda-Airport Terminal 2 to reach it. The event goes from 11:00 – 15:30, and I arrived at 11:30 just to avoid the initial crowds. My timing was perfect because it only took me around 5 minutes to register and I was able to visit the 3 booths that I wanted. The entrance fee is 1500 yen, plus it includes a guide with all of the participants listed and a map which is quite handy.
Navigating M3
The floorplan of M3秋2019.
Navigating M3 is quite daunting at first, because each booth is identified with a letter and a series of numbers. The booths are placed side by side and there’s a lot going on so it’s really easy to walk past the one you’re looking for. Not only do they use all 26 letters of the English alphabet in the booth naming system, but they also use Japanese hiragana and katakana consonants and vowels as well. There is very little English guidance and I don’t think much of the staff speaks English, so I would strongly recommend researching the artists/circles you’re interested in and finding exactly where their booth is placed before you come here. It is extremely fun to wander around, but sadly there is not enough time to fully experience each and every artist’s music as this is only a one day event. I would advise you to plan ahead so you can make the most of your time here.
Buying Music at M3
The CD I was most interested in buying was TVR Compilation Vol. 1, which is from a relatively new independent label in Asia. One of my favorite artists who I’ve written about before; in the blue shirt, has released a rare song that is only obtainable at M3.
Here is the preview of the compilation that was uploaded a few weeks before:
Fortunately when I arrived there were multiple copies of the compilation I wanted, and the people running the booth were quite friendly and gave me an extra CD along with my purchase so it was an extremely good experience. The compilation was only 1000 yen and was more than worth the cost. All of the artists on the compilation have experience in the music industry, so it was quite the noteworthy compilation.
The first time I ever saw in the blue shirt at Lounge Neo in 2017, he played the song 「Dreamin’ of You」as an exclusive song in his set. I’ve wanted the song for the longest time but I could never obtain it until now. Finally in 2019 it was officially released as a part of this compilation, and I am very happy to officially have it in my collection now!
In addition to TVR’s booth, I also checked out the booths for Miraicha and Lipgloss Records. I bought some merch for my friends overseas who couldn’t be here, and also picked up the Departure CD early that a lot of artists I know have collaborated on. While I was here I saw so many familiar names of Japanese artists like IOSYS and ave;new that I listened to in high school through the internet, so I felt extremely nostalgic even though it was my first time here. I had an amazing time even though I was only here to purchase a few things. It truly felt like a dream to be here.
Closing Remarks
Overall M3 is a really friendly event that is perfect for networking and sharing music. All of the music and merch is extremely affordable (most CDs are sold for 1200 yen on average), and I like knowing that all of the profits go to the artists and record labels (in addition to the booth rental fee). M3 is quite comparable to Comiket, but not as big and daunting. The size of the event center was enough to accommodate all of the artists and crowds of people, so I was relieved that I didn’t have to deal with long wait lines or commuter traffic on the trains. All of the artists I talked to were happy to meet me, so I left the event center with an extremely good feeling. If you love Japanese music as much as I do, please consider checking M3 out!
*M3 is a seasonal event, so you can check the latest information on their official website here.
