Having fun

I think I'm around the halfway mark in my vacation in Japan. I made a mistake in thinking that my laptop would handle my camera's memory card without an adapter so I didn't bring the adapter or a cable. Any pics I post will have to be from my daughter's camera. Or wait until I get back home.

So far I've done most of the shopping that I want. Manga, CDs and games all accounted for. I guess I'll have to buy a full CD version of Angela Aki's "Answer" since I can't find the single of the song I want. I have found Superfly and Perfume though along with more Hikaru Utada, Wink and many others.

I've climbed the Rock Garden portion of the mountains between Ashiyagawa and Okamoto. That was two days ago and my calves are still feeling the burn.

The rainy season is still going strong. We had a very noisy thunderstorm in the wee hours of Monday morning and it is rainy strong and steady now on Tuesday morning. More later.

Shopping Day 1

I decided to take it easy today and just do some shopping in the Hankyu Tsukaguchi area. My daughter and I rode the bikes there and looked around Sun Sun Town for a while. It was surprising to see how many shops had closed down. Even the book store on the first and second floor was gone and replaced with a dental clinic.

The Wanpaku video game shop under the movie theater was still open with lots of cool used games. They had lots of old video game hardware dirt cheap too. I'll be going back for stuff like a Super Game Boy adapter for my Super Famicom and some Playstation items such as PS1 mice for 100 yen and an PS2 Eye Toy for only 250 yen.

After that we went to Book Off for a few used manga and check on CD prices. At another nearby used shop we found some Harry Potter books in Japanese (of course). Then I picked up a new Pepsi Shiso at the Lawson convenience store. Not bad to start but the aftertaste is really weird.

Then we did some shopping and walking around Tsukashin. I picked up a hiking map for the Mt Rokko area.

Dinner was karage chicken!

In Japan

Well I made it to Japan in one piece though not without a couple missteps. At Narita airport I got lost and followed the rest of the people through Immigration when I should have found my way back to a connections flight. I saw no sign properly marked though. Eventually I made my way back to the gates. Luckily I had plenty of time before my next flight.

Then in Kobe I was so tired that I rushed onto the first express train I saw and it ended up going the wrong direction so I had to get off at the next station and go back. I ended up getting to the in-law's house a little after 11pm. I haven't done any proper math but I think it took 28 hours from door to door with no sleep.

Gah! They showed Dragonball Evolutions as one of the in-flight movies! Truly horrible. Even if I paid attention to my Nintendo and couldn't hear the film, I could still feel the badness drawing my attention. At least it wasn't Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li...

6 Days

The main suitcase is mostly packed. All the clothes and gifts are in. As well as an extra sports back to use as a second suitcase on the way home. If I used it straight and empty on the way there it would be an extra $50 so I'll wait until the return trip and bring it back stuffed with books, CDs and toys.

Now I just wait until Saturday morning when I hit the airport. Actually I can't wait until Sunday morning (Sunday night in Japan) since that means the long series of flights will be over. I'll be laying down to sleep on a soft futon with the smell of tatami floors and the hint of salt water in the air.

7 Days

Packed up my hiking and geocaching gear for the trip to Japan and downloaded some more caches to the GPS. I still have to try and contact the ticket counter for the high speed ferry boat that will take me across the bay from Kansai airport to Kobe airport.

Countdown to Japan

Only 8 days left till I hit the "road" for Japan (more like air then water). I've been digging through my junk boxes trying to find my hiking trail map for the Minoo mountains but no luck. I guess I'll have to buy a new one at the ranger station. At least I found my old GPS so my daughter can use it.

I've got my passport out and packed in my carry on too. My reading material is ready as is my DSi gaming selection. Yu-Gi-Oh World Championship 2008, SNK vs Capcom: Card Fighters DS and Super Mario Bros.