Daijoubu

I’ll be honest: I don’t have what could be called a “real job” right now, which means no money to go to the anime dreamland of Japan. Three friends were all going, but there wasn’t much I could do but wish them well, as they went off to explore Akihabara, the Ghibli Museum, Nakano, and various sites in Tokyo and Kyoto. (WAAAAH T_T) But that’s OK, I can go in the future and I didn’t mind so much when this other friend, “Greguto,” was there teaching English for two years. Of course, Greguto was not a 100% otaku type, so while he did visit sites like the Ghibli Museum and became a frequenter of maid cafes, I don’t think he necessarily got out of it all that a truly dedicated Akibakei might. And he was working and stuff too a lot of the time. But these guys know their stuff: they were posing for pictures at such sites as Washinomiya Shrine and Todai! (Waaaah) I can only imagine the incredible purchases they made! I both anticipate and dread more updates!

So where else would I go in Japan? Beyond Tokyo there are some more distant spots that would also combine otaku-culture and culture-culture.

Well, a lot of great anime/manga relate to the Meiji Restoration, so let’s make our way to Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. There we can go to The Museum of the Meiji Restoration! What an amazing place that would be; just read this description:

Located by the Kotsuki River, this is a high-tech gallery where visitors can learn everything there is to be learned about the Meiji Restoration. In the basement hall, various techniques using sound, light, and robots serve to present a three-dimensional experience of the Meiji Restoration. On the first floor, exhibits give instruction on all aspects of the people, things and events of Satsuma.

The Meiji Restoration and robots???? I LOVE YOU JAPAN!!! And then you can become a truly embarrassing ugly-otaku-gaijin. Get out your old Rurouni Kenshin cosplay and go to the perfect backdrop for a photo-shoot at the Museum Meiji-Mura, also in Kagoshima! That’s right, its an ENTIRE VILLAGE of relocated Meiji-era buildings! And if you are a fan of Saigo Takamori, you can go to the Saigo Nanshu Exhibit Center! What’s that you say? Your favorite figure from the Bakamatsu is Sakamoto Ryoma (he appears in Peacemaker Kurogane)?? Well, we can just jump from Kyushu to Shikoku and visit the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in Kochi! A visit to the museum would be great, but it looks like its too late to see a special exhibition about him at the Kyoto National Museum (WAAAAH T_T)

If samurai are not your thing, perhaps you will accompany me to some Go related sights!! A few years ago, I was obsessed with Hikaru no Go and it would be cool to check out the Tokyo HQ of the Nihon Ki-In (Japanese Go Association)! Then it’s off to Hiroshima prefecture to visit Innoshima, birthplace of the Go Master Honinbo Shusaku (where there’s a Shusaku Museum and it looks like something big is being constructed!)

OK, one more idea (and this is still just the tip of the iceberg): “Do you know Oyashiro-sama? Yes, Hinamizawa!” Of course, I am referring to Shirakawa-go. Wouldn’t it be awesome to go there to the real Hinamizawa!!