{"id":34361,"date":"2014-07-10T10:43:49","date_gmt":"2014-07-10T14:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animenation.net\/blog\/?p=34361"},"modified":"2014-07-10T10:43:49","modified_gmt":"2014-07-10T14:43:49","slug":"tokyo-revisited-day-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animenation.net\/blog\/tokyo-revisited-day-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Revisited Day 17"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Oh<\/a><\/p>\n

My final full day of 2014 in Tokyo began with a walk down the street to the bank to exchange a final hundred dollars. Along the way I snapped daytime photos of two of the restaurants that I\u2019d eaten eat during the previous week. Then I stopped in at the Somo Somo 100 Yen store primarily to pick up some hard plastic re-sealable boxes that I could use to transport home delicate collectables within my suitcase. Once again, even though this was a small 100 yen store, I was impressed by its selection and some of the odd, unexpected items it stocked.
\n<\/p>\n

\"desktop<\/a>
Desktop card display stands & laptop sleeves<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"PC,<\/a>
PC, cell phone, Nintendo DS cables & accessories<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Onigiri<\/a>
Onigiri molds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cookie<\/a>
Cookie stamps<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Chopsticks\"<\/a>
Chopsticks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A cute rubber grip for removing hot plates from the microwave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Folding<\/a>
Folding fans (sadly, made in China)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A brush for cleaning sink faucets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Stackable<\/a>
Stackable plastic tote boxes for manga tankouban<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Tent<\/a>
Tent stakes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I purchased a 100-yen children\u2019s toy gun as a souvenir gift for a firearms-loving friend back home because the toy was entirely black with no orange safety-tip that all American-issued toy guns need to have these days.<\/p>\n

\"all<\/a><\/p>\n

Jon & I decided to try lunch at Burger King, to give me a perspective on Japan\u2019s BK compared to America\u2019s version.<\/p>\n

\"Yotsuya<\/a><\/p>\n

Even before entering the restaurant, I knew what I had to order. The menu board read in Katakana \u201cGarlic Meat Monster,\u201d while the official Romanized name was \u201cGarlic Meat Beast.\u201d I was amazed that in Japan, where practically all food serving sizes are half the size of American portions, Burger King offered a monstrous burger that shamed anything that its American counterpart offered. The \u201cGarlic Meat Monster\u201d consisted of a Whopper beef patty, a regular sized hamburger beef patty, and a teriyaki chicken breast with vegetable toppings sprinkled with garlic chips. Even with my American appetite, the entire meal with Coke and fries was nearly more than I could finish.<\/p>\n

\"Garlic<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Garlic<\/a><\/p>\n

I was also impressed by the restaurant\u2019s plush leather couch seating, reserved for parties of 3 or more, and the restaurant\u2019s \u201cSubway\u201d style kitchen that allowed patrons to watch their burger being prepared.<\/p>\n

\"Plush<\/a><\/p>\n

After lunch, Jon & I split company. I headed to Nakano Broadway to make my final purchases, primarily for friends. On the first floor I discovered a telephone card shop that had two Dirty Pair<\/i> phone cards for 3,000 yen each. I\u2019m pleased that I had the colorful one but a bit saddened that I didn\u2019t own the black colored one because $30 was more than I was interested in paying for a phone card. However, I did score by browsing the store\u2019s bargain bins, securing three shitajiki<\/i> (one over-sized and double-sided), three plastic Idolm@aster plastic bookmarks, a Carnelian illustrated metal band-aid case, and an empty sleeve for Miami Guns<\/i> telephone cards for about a dollar-fifty.<\/p>\n

\"Card<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dirty<\/a><\/p>\n

\"card_shop_purchases\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I passed by a neat whiteboard open for public illustration.<\/p>\n

\"in<\/a><\/p>\n

I also passed by a neat Alien<\/i> iron sculpture with imbedded colored lights that flashed alternatingly.<\/p>\n

\"Alien<\/a><\/p>\n

Picked up a nice, large Heisei Gamera stamped \u201cBandai 1994\u201d for 800 yen to take home to my friend.<\/p>\n

\"1994<\/a><\/p>\n

By sheer coincidence, I discovered that Gainax had opened a temporary promotional art exhibit for its current Magica Wars ~ Mahou Shoujo Taisen franchise.<\/p>\n