I know I haven't really talked too much about my latest Japan trip here. I kinda had to split my Comiket duties with PW and OtakuUSA, so they had first dibs on any con reports. The Comics Week piece was essentially a Comic Market primer of sorts. Knowing that the readership of PW might not be familiar with Comiket, let alone doujinshi, I tried to break down the event in a simple manner. Looking back I might have been a bit too casual for an industry magazine but I think I got a number of key points through about the magnitude of the event. But that is the rub really. Comiket is such a huge event that 1000 (or so) words really doesn't cut it. My first draft actually went into a bit of detail about the big three doujin events and covered a lot more about the weekly doujin events that happen all over Japan (and is spreading to Korea and Taiwan) but my editors and I agreed that would have been overload, so that was left out.
So will you get more about Comiket? Well we recorded part of a Maki with Khursten. That should be out next week with some Manga the Complete Guide launch party audio. There should be another write up for Otaku USA in Issue 4 or 5 (I think I'd rather have one in time for Winter Comiket so that would be #5... What do you think??). Doujinshi info is slowly trickling out of here. We got one issue of the Manga a la Carte out with another coming either this Wednesday or Thursday. To be honest this is kinda eating away at me because I am holding some of your books as I fight my blogger's block. The next few a la Cartes will be covering doujinshi from licensed mangaka, Icarus artists, comedy manga and a tribute to Classic Milk + Peace and Alien (who says I don't read yaoi @_@). I wonder what the doujinshi will be like at YaoiCon's artist alley?
Any who, the point of this post or this series of posts is two-fold. First I wanted to get you all acquainted with Morning Magazine (image top right). In case you don't read seinen this magazine is one of the premier men's manga publications in Japan. While their editors say the magazine isn't genre specific, the titles that have come out of this magazine tend to have a flair for the dramatic and often deal with general social issues - food, business, entertainment, politics... history. Basically reading Morning is like reading about Japanese culture and lifestyle from a seinen (mature and pretty gender neutral) perspective. In its 25 year history have made a huge impact on manga history as well as pop culture. Vagabond (on the right) and OL Evolution (second from the bottom) have both received Tezuka Cultural Awards. Vagabond also received the Japan Media Arts Award in 2000. Miyamoto kara Kimi e from Arai Hideki (creator of the World is Mine) won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1992. And Satou Shuuhou's Say Hello to BlackJack picked up a Japan Manga Award in 2004. Number of its properties have been adapted for film and TV. And it boasts one of the most diverse list of artists in its relatively young history.Some names you should be familiar with are:
Moyoco Anno - Anno-sensei's works have received acclaim world wide. While the mangaka and writer made her splash in the world of josei manga with titles like Happy Mania (Shodensha/TOYKOPOP), she has branched out to work on titles for practically every demographic. Anno's English language catalog reflects that perfectly as she has seinen from Kodansha/Viz in Flowers and Bees, magical shoujo from Kodansha/Del Rey and of course the previously mentioned josei dramedy Happy Mania. Her latest work is the seinen publishing manga Hatariki Man (top left). Soon to debut as a TV drama, Hataraki Man follows the life struggles of a magazine editor (could Anno be speaking from her own experience in the publishing world??).
Inoue Takehiko - The creator of Slam Dunk is best known for his fascination for basketball, but he has created a masterpiece in the award winning Vagabond. Inoue's art can only be described as stunning. And in this manga there are moments where he really just lets his panels do all the talking.
Kawaguchi Kaiji - This seinen mangaka might not be that well known in the west, but his titles are definitely something that often inspires conversation amongst manga enthusiasts. Kawaguchi's EAGLE ~the Making of an Asian-American President~ (Shogakukan/Viz) is a perfect example of how this mangaka can take politics and social issues and make these topics even more scandalous than they really are. Zipang (on the right) tackles WWII and gives it a sci-fi twist as a meteorological phenomena helps the Japanese Naval destroyer Mirai change the course of history by altering events prior to the Battle of Midway. Kawaguchi's leads always have unbelievably strong personalities with great sense of morality (almost to a fault). For that reason, I feel he follows the Koike theory of manga like no other.Matsumoto Taiyo - You cannot be a western otaku right now without running into Matsumoto's Tekkon Kinkreet. While not his best work, this is possibly the best introduction to this mangaka's unique art style and intense story-telling. Matsumoto has had a couple works published in English. No. 5 sadly was never finished by Viz (originally from Shogakukan). Viz also released his one-shot short story-collection Blue Spring and will be releasing the film adaptation of his sports title Ping Pong. Matsumoto is not currently working for Morning but worked with them on called STRAIGHT a few years back.
Toume Kei - This mangaka's work made something of an impact in the States not too long ago. While she is best known for her work on Lament of the Lamb (Gentosha/TOYKOPOP), she also made some noise with her Morning title Kurogane (Del Rey). Sadly, I think her art still impresses manga fans, while her writing still needs a lot of work.
Taniguchi Jiro - While most of Taniguchi's translated work comes from nouvelle manga pub Fanfare lately, there was time when he was a regular with Viz. His works have a great sense of realism to them and his narratives often revolve around social issues (from the very broad as when he covered Japan pre-WWII in Times of Botchan or very the very personal and intimate in Walking Man - Fanfare/Futabasha & Fanfare/Kodansha in that order). Taniguchi's works can show a lot of variety though. Depending on who he works with he could have an utlra-violent title (Benkei in NY - Shogakukan/Viz) or an intense battle with nature drama (Summit of the Gods - Shueisha/Fanfare). Walking Man is an example of a Morning series from Taniguchi. He has actually worked with Morning quite a bit in his career. Icaro, Good Luck City, and Chikyu Hyoukai Jiki are the rest in case you really needed to know.
Yoshinaga Fumi - ??? One of the newest Morning artists is the wonderful Yoshinaga Fumi. I say wonderful because she is capable of doing so much more than BL and josei. In her josei title Antique Bakery she displayed a passion for food that could only be described as obsessive. The amount of detail she put into those little pastries came from a personal fascination for "good eats". In her third food related manga (second for seinen readers), Yoshinaga dabbles with food on a very personal level - by having her characters cook at home!! What Did You Eat Yesterday? is only available once a month in Morning but it packs more than enough foodie excitement to satisfy the hunger of most cooking manga freaks.
Expect more about this in the near future... And start begging Dallas now for this title (and when you do have him give the translation to foodie translator Satsuki Yamashita...)
So there you go. A little bit about Weekly Morning. In the coming weeks we will look at the individual stories in this magazine to let you know why you should start off your manga week right with this mag. By the way, the manga you see in this post are all from artists licensed in the States or titles that have been done in English. What you haven't seen copies of OL Evolution at your Borders? You say you have never even heard of the legendary office chief Shima Kosaku (bottom left)? You best get a copy of Jason Thompson's Manga the Complete Guide
later this week then!! Okay so what's part two?
Well I thought I should try to give you all a little look at the previous week and the coming week. Kinda like what the MangaRecon and AkibaBlog do. Might help you see what is coming down the line and might help me stick to my review schedule. This is also a good place for you to send in review requests and any comments about the blog. I have kinda been in a bit of a funk lately, so I think a little re-organizing might set me straight. Expect the program schedule to get back on track soon. Info on the Yomi's should be coming out by the end of the month. And who knows, I might finally migrate the MC to WordPress afterall... (ah the anxiety!!) Call it a self-motivation tool and an organization tool wrapped up into a neat bundle revolving around Morning Magazine.
Why Morning?
It is an extension of the SEINEN UP program. But the real reason is that I get the magazine in the mail every week from Japan... More on that story next week. So expect a little men's manga and a little bit of what's going on at the MC every Monday. Please try to enjoy it with your coffee and curry right after reading the MangaBlog or the Icarus Blog.
So what to expect in the near future...
Well I told you what is coming from me as far as Comiket and Manga a la Cartes are concerned. (Ahh, now you see that's how... yadda yadda yadda). Expect audio reviews for Tanpenshu, Black Dog, Banya and King of Cards. I will also take a look at Akita Shoten's Play Comic magazine later this week. Either this week or next Eva should have a look at another novel from DrMaster - Onegai Twins. And I am sure Julie will surprise me with another Manga Maniac Cafe review on Sunday. I will be going to the Manga Complete Guide party on Friday. I hope to record some audio while I am there. And I might have some AX audio ready for this weekend as well.
Ah nice to have a schedule and be busy again. See you next week.
Comiket happened last month and I apologize for keeping my Japan reports to a minimum while I was away. In many ways this last trip was more about research and studying than it was a vacation. I spent a lot of time going through genres that I was not familiar with. I got to go to the "International" Manga Musuem in Kyoto to look at their huge library of manga to see how other manga scholars shelve, categorize and promote the manga experience. I even had a chance to speak with some insiders, from various sides of the creative process, about comics and where it is now and where it is going.
I'll share a little something about "the evolution of manga" in the very near future. I would like to consider that as my industry wrap-up. In the meantime I want to bring back an old favorite of mine... the Manga a la Carte. A candid look at the different channels that make up your 24-hour manga infotainment system. In the past week looked at maids, brokeback manga, manga mascots and uniform manga looking at these genres through doujinshi as well as published manga. There is a wide-world of comics out there and while I love what DH, DMP, Viz, TP and the rest are doing most of them are only giving you a small sample of what is available.
If you have been reading the MangaCast for a while you possibly have figured out that I have a thing for people in uniform. Looking at my taste in manga athletes, firemen, chefs, Maids, and nurses make up a good chunk of what I read... You know what my obsession is much deeper than I had imagined. Having accepted my problem, I thought I would share with you one uniform sub-genre that is taking the wotaku world by storm...
MILITARY!!!
Military manga is not a new genre it has been around for ages in the magazines of seinen and shounen manga. And it is not new to translated manga either. Some of my all-time favorite translated manga come from this genre - Apocalypse Meow (one of ADV's best titles), Who Fighter (Dark Horse), Pineapple Army (Viz), Spriggan (aka STRIKER; Viz), Black Magic M66 (Dark Horse), Gundam the Origin (Viz)... But what we haven't seen out here is the new wave of military might from Japan! Military Moe!!
If Sonoda Kenichi's manga and Tarantino's movies have taught me anything its that girls with guns are exponentially hotter than guns or girls alone. Because of Sonoda I have gone to my share of gun shops. I have held them in my hands before. They are cut, slick and I imagine powerful (never shot a real one before) but they lack any innocence. They are often dark, heavy and in away scary. Give a gun to a girl though and all of a sudden that weapon seems to be approachable and almost sexy!
Oh and before you start thinking I am a gun advocate... I am not. I am against the public owning handguns. I only support rifles for sporting purposes under licensed regulation. I just think they look good in magazines...
Monthly Arms Magazine published by world famous hobby enthusiast publisher Hobby Japan is possibly at the core of all this military moe. Who else would dress up a Japanese woman in a wild west outfit (and not Osaka wild) give her a peacemaker and then cash in on pathetic otaku like myself. Arms Mag does everything that a guns otaku would need. They breakdown guns and ammo scientifically; in a way that can only really be appreciated by freaks like Sonana-sensei. They have features on pop culture that feature weaponry (the May issue on the right has an in depth look at the latest Metal Gear Solid release from an arms freak perspective). And on top of that they have photo gallery featuring guns and then there is one with the model on the cover. All kidding aside Arms Mag also has some decent journalism as well. They had one of the more revealing pieces on American mercenary company Blackwater I have ever seen.
What if 3D isn't your cup of tea, then Arms has 2D weapon of mass hysteria. Maritan is the US Marines... Yes US Marines! Their unofficial manga mascot. For little while now Maritan, kinda like Moetan, has been busy teaching the world English but because of her military background she talks like a Leatherneck! In her webcomics she generally hangs out with pals Armytan, Navytan, and JSDFtan being moe while overusing the word F*CK. A little childish but then again using Engrish and the American military industrial complex as a vehicle to make laughs is genius.
So in the end if you like you can read the mag for the articles or if you are a loser like myself subscribe to feed your moe!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Military themes are huge in doujinshi. While the number of military only doujin events are not that high, the military genre is quite large at major events like Comiket, Comitia, Sunshine Creation and some of the Comic City events. A number of the circles that create these doujin often come to events in costume and have flags all over their booths.
I'll add video I recorded from that section tomorrow but for now here is some doujinshi that kinda show how much variety there is within the military doujin world...
from left... (right click view image to see a larger version)
Fate Metal Jacket by circle Age Zero. This doujin has the women of Fate/stay going through a tough regimen of military training. A drill sergeant beats discipline into them and in the end one of the trainees mentally goes MIA!
The one in the middle is a fun parody of MediaWork's Dengeki Daioh (the mag that had Azumanga and currently runs Gunslinger Girl). This magazine has had its share of gunslingers throughout the years. Most of them were male before this decade. Now that bishojo moe is in, it is young women that are packing heat. In Comic GunGirl all of the stories are about bishojo and their guns. This is a gun + bishojo doujin anthology that has been going on at Comiket for a couple years now. They feature comics, prose and gun information. Its actually pretty well done. So much so, I almost feel MediaWorks should try this.
Finally we have the latest in the infamous Haru Hilter series from Dempa no Tomo. In HaruHitler 1944 HH bites off more than she can chew as she is finally caught and brought to justice. Cameos include Teresa from Full Metal Panic! as Eisenhower, Kaname also from FMP! as General Patton, Saber from FATE/stay as Rommel, the cast of School Rumble fought for Germany when the Allies stormed Normandy, and the Lucky Star girls... Well they are just around to be made fun of.
Good clean fun. A little weird and at times covered in gun powder but still relatively harmless. Just like most otaku. Use your rights and enlist some military manga today!
PS... Thanks to Brian P for letting me hold on to the doujin I got for him while I worked on this post! They are going in the mail tomorrow bro. Enjoy!
I'll share a little something about "the evolution of manga" in the very near future. I would like to consider that as my industry wrap-up. In the meantime I want to bring back an old favorite of mine... the Manga a la Carte. A candid look at the different channels that make up your 24-hour manga infotainment system. In the past week looked at maids, brokeback manga, manga mascots and uniform manga looking at these genres through doujinshi as well as published manga. There is a wide-world of comics out there and while I love what DH, DMP, Viz, TP and the rest are doing most of them are only giving you a small sample of what is available.
If you have been reading the MangaCast for a while you possibly have figured out that I have a thing for people in uniform. Looking at my taste in manga athletes, firemen, chefs, Maids, and nurses make up a good chunk of what I read... You know what my obsession is much deeper than I had imagined. Having accepted my problem, I thought I would share with you one uniform sub-genre that is taking the wotaku world by storm...
MILITARY!!!
Military manga is not a new genre it has been around for ages in the magazines of seinen and shounen manga. And it is not new to translated manga either. Some of my all-time favorite translated manga come from this genre - Apocalypse Meow (one of ADV's best titles), Who Fighter (Dark Horse), Pineapple Army (Viz), Spriggan (aka STRIKER; Viz), Black Magic M66 (Dark Horse), Gundam the Origin (Viz)... But what we haven't seen out here is the new wave of military might from Japan! Military Moe!!
If Sonoda Kenichi's manga and Tarantino's movies have taught me anything its that girls with guns are exponentially hotter than guns or girls alone. Because of Sonoda I have gone to my share of gun shops. I have held them in my hands before. They are cut, slick and I imagine powerful (never shot a real one before) but they lack any innocence. They are often dark, heavy and in away scary. Give a gun to a girl though and all of a sudden that weapon seems to be approachable and almost sexy!
Oh and before you start thinking I am a gun advocate... I am not. I am against the public owning handguns. I only support rifles for sporting purposes under licensed regulation. I just think they look good in magazines...
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Monthly Arms Magazine published by world famous hobby enthusiast publisher Hobby Japan is possibly at the core of all this military moe. Who else would dress up a Japanese woman in a wild west outfit (and not Osaka wild) give her a peacemaker and then cash in on pathetic otaku like myself. Arms Mag does everything that a guns otaku would need. They breakdown guns and ammo scientifically; in a way that can only really be appreciated by freaks like Sonana-sensei. They have features on pop culture that feature weaponry (the May issue on the right has an in depth look at the latest Metal Gear Solid release from an arms freak perspective). And on top of that they have photo gallery featuring guns and then there is one with the model on the cover. All kidding aside Arms Mag also has some decent journalism as well. They had one of the more revealing pieces on American mercenary company Blackwater I have ever seen.
What if 3D isn't your cup of tea, then Arms has 2D weapon of mass hysteria. Maritan is the US Marines... Yes US Marines! Their unofficial manga mascot. For little while now Maritan, kinda like Moetan, has been busy teaching the world English but because of her military background she talks like a Leatherneck! In her webcomics she generally hangs out with pals Armytan, Navytan, and JSDFtan being moe while overusing the word F*CK. A little childish but then again using Engrish and the American military industrial complex as a vehicle to make laughs is genius.
So in the end if you like you can read the mag for the articles or if you are a loser like myself subscribe to feed your moe!
Military themes are huge in doujinshi. While the number of military only doujin events are not that high, the military genre is quite large at major events like Comiket, Comitia, Sunshine Creation and some of the Comic City events. A number of the circles that create these doujin often come to events in costume and have flags all over their booths.
I'll add video I recorded from that section tomorrow but for now here is some doujinshi that kinda show how much variety there is within the military doujin world...
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
from left... (right click view image to see a larger version)
Fate Metal Jacket by circle Age Zero. This doujin has the women of Fate/stay going through a tough regimen of military training. A drill sergeant beats discipline into them and in the end one of the trainees mentally goes MIA!
The one in the middle is a fun parody of MediaWork's Dengeki Daioh (the mag that had Azumanga and currently runs Gunslinger Girl). This magazine has had its share of gunslingers throughout the years. Most of them were male before this decade. Now that bishojo moe is in, it is young women that are packing heat. In Comic GunGirl all of the stories are about bishojo and their guns. This is a gun + bishojo doujin anthology that has been going on at Comiket for a couple years now. They feature comics, prose and gun information. Its actually pretty well done. So much so, I almost feel MediaWorks should try this.
Finally we have the latest in the infamous Haru Hilter series from Dempa no Tomo. In HaruHitler 1944 HH bites off more than she can chew as she is finally caught and brought to justice. Cameos include Teresa from Full Metal Panic! as Eisenhower, Kaname also from FMP! as General Patton, Saber from FATE/stay as Rommel, the cast of School Rumble fought for Germany when the Allies stormed Normandy, and the Lucky Star girls... Well they are just around to be made fun of.
Good clean fun. A little weird and at times covered in gun powder but still relatively harmless. Just like most otaku. Use your rights and enlist some military manga today!
PS... Thanks to Brian P for letting me hold on to the doujin I got for him while I worked on this post! They are going in the mail tomorrow bro. Enjoy!
Day Three... Line WarsTook me literally a month to get over FuyuComi and finally I have enough strength to share the final day with you all. Day Three of Comiket is by far the worst day to be there. An industry rep friend of mine who was going to attend the event warned ahead of time to hook up with her on the first two days because day three is just to H for her. H in this sense meaning to hentai, hardcore fans and hellish lines!
On Sunday, the con turns into a war zone were the most popular circles come out to sell there wares in large numbers. The con is impacted so much by these big names that the convention floor actually shrinks a bit. The organizers take out a couple of rows from each hall to make room for the long lines that the popular circles will generate. Obviously the lines that wrap around the exterior of the building are not taken into consideration but those circles right on the cusp of big time can have relatively huge followings as well.
Today is also a unique day for Comiket because this is the day when original comics and novels are sold.
Day 3
Tokyo Big Site
Ariake, Tokyo
Dec 31, 2006
10:00-16:00
East 1,2,3
-Original Shonen
-University Manga Circles
-Manga News and research
-Anime and manga characters (for male readers)
-Other
East 4,5,6
-Anime and manga characters (for female readers)
-Leaf & Key ~ AQUAPLUS, ToHeart, Utawarerumono, MOON., Air, Kanon
-Gal Games ~ idolm@ster, FutaKoi, TsuyoKiss, KimiKiss, Happy*Lesson, Princess Maker, Sakura Wars...
-TYPE-MOON ~ Tsukihime, Fate/, MeltyBlood
West 1,2
-Original Shojo ~ including clothing, accessories, dolls
-Doujin Soft ~ games, web browsers, OS, digital mascots, Higuarashi no Naku Koro ni
Listen to Side Dish Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
HENTAI!!! Everywhere! I got in lime early this morning to hit as many talbes as possible before giving the Ninja a tour of the place.
 The book on the left is by a favorite of mine Paradise D. On the right... Well I like TYPE-MOON >_< |
 If there is PatLabor anywhere I am there. I actually was invited to a PatLabor only con in March after talking up the series with the artist of this book for 10min or so. Don't mind the Zero no TsukaiMa doujin, m'kay. |
 Hmmm ARIA... Shounen, shoujo, pet manga I don't care really. But look at Rin on that other book. Maid Saber who?? |
 Seriously I buy these strictly for Harima. The young thug gets the girl in all of these. Honestly, there are four more with these three. The artist had a set of ten on sale. I had to show patience after noting his email address. |
 BashaMichi doujinshi. These two are actually pretty tame. The one on the left is basically a day in the life of an employee. The other is like a BashaMichi encyclopedia. With instructions on how to wear the uniform. How to greet customers. Menu info.... |
 I had to toss in two from Shushushu. These were purchased on Day two and I was shocked to see how short her line was. Even more amazing were the number of licensed BL artists lined up side by side at the event. |
That's it!! Finally. I'll be giving you a couple more A La Carte looks of these books in the future. And I think I still have uneventful audio from Nakano and Ikebukuro to share. But this should wrap up Comiket... I think.
On to the NEXT STAGE....
NYCC
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country.
Going through all the goods again and I almost forgot just how much was spent over the New Year's weekend. Not only was it taxing financially but the body and mind took a hit as well.
Comiket is one of those events that really changes people's perspectives. The size is overwhelming. The amount of people can make the show feel almost dangerous. And the energy that is flowing, you know the bloodlust, is pretty intense. People go to these events with a purpose and the DJs I will be showing off today show some of that off.
Doujinshi is much more than just fan comics. I guess you can say comics were the start. But DJs have expanded to novels, crafts, cds, video games and so much more. Was my IkkiTousen curry doujinshi?? No, but there were some Sengoku Rance senbei to be found.
I didn't buy any music and I left the craft and stamp buying to Erin. But this is only the tip of the iceberg really. Anything can be a doujin (photo albums and cosplay costumes anyone). And as Noah and Erin found out the weirder the more likely people will want it.
I think you guys are starting to figure out my tastes by now. Taste in manga and video games as well as aesthetic. Please don't hate me.
Comiket is one of those events that really changes people's perspectives. The size is overwhelming. The amount of people can make the show feel almost dangerous. And the energy that is flowing, you know the bloodlust, is pretty intense. People go to these events with a purpose and the DJs I will be showing off today show some of that off.
Doujinshi is much more than just fan comics. I guess you can say comics were the start. But DJs have expanded to novels, crafts, cds, video games and so much more. Was my IkkiTousen curry doujinshi?? No, but there were some Sengoku Rance senbei to be found.
 I'll be posting the comic that came with this later but these are the contents of a Fate/Stay grab-bag (bag image coming later). Let's see original wash cloth, two-sided mini-poster and tissue packet. Maybe better suited for NatsuComi but still pretty nifty. |
 These two are manga but they are travel journal manga. The person who drew these basically is sharing her trips to Shanghai and Hong Kong to Comiket attendees in manga format. If you need her recommendations for eats pick one up! |
 Train CDroms. Basically the artist/cameraman filmed the routes of these two Kansai train lines. A little narration and some stats are included on the CDrom but really this is for the Denshi out there. Like me! |
 CDroms containing (from the top left clockwise): Fate/Stay mahjong game, fate/stay plug-in where actresses replace the cg in the PC game, ero Comet-san and AzuDai wallpapers for PC, and Maison Ikkoku ero-game. |
 These might look like Seiyuu DJs but in reality they are booklets from the Tokyo Univ Anime Club detailing their favorite seiyuu's work over the last few years. No real comics in these its just data and reviews about their acting and the significance of their parts on the shows they worked on. |
 Even the pros can make DJs that are not typical DJs. This is a Range Murata 2007 calendar available at the event for $22.50 (and now at Mandarake for around $60). I think I will be giving this one away as a gift to a listener but can I think of a question hard enough to ask? |
I didn't buy any music and I left the craft and stamp buying to Erin. But this is only the tip of the iceberg really. Anything can be a doujin (photo albums and cosplay costumes anyone). And as Noah and Erin found out the weirder the more likely people will want it.
I think you guys are starting to figure out my tastes by now. Taste in manga and video games as well as aesthetic. Please don't hate me.
Happy Coming of Age Day! Well it was yesterday, but today is really the day when 20-year-olds formally become adults. You see yesterday at local district offices and some shrines there were events commemorating the occasion. But the real parties are being held in bars and karaoke boxes where new 20-year-olds are taking advantage of their new rights to drink and smoke!! So today those new adults are feeling the pain of becoming seijin... They have their first hangovers! Welcome to the party kids! By the time you reach my age (29) you will wish your livers and joints were still 19.
I could possibly use something warm right now is starting to get darn cold in Japan. I was able to deal with temps around 9 degrees for a couple weeks (oh and thats celcius) but in Saitama the mercury is creeping down. And in a way I am not really feeling up to going out anymore because of it. Kinda sad when I think about how short my time left here is now. Monja-yaki is not warm enough to get me out from under the kotatsu. Not when I have a Fate/Stay mahjong doujinshi video game to beat.
So while I wait for my hosts to get off from work so I can go meet them in Shin-Okubo for some audio equipment hunting and maybe some karubi with OB, I'll give you some doujinshi images (and maybe some more audio). Hey, I have a little time. I can take either the Saikyo-sen or the Shonan_Shinjuku-sen and walk around Shinjuku for a bit. Hmmmm.
Let me know if you want more from these. I'll see if I can scan a page or two (when I can find a scanner).
Today I will post images of the stuff you guys requested me pick up while at the con. I have to say you guys have great taste. At the same time, I hope you understand I had to wait in the cold for most of these cause most of these circles are quite popular. At least it wasn't raining or snowing.
Oh and if you a curious about the book next to the G2 Project... That is a pack-in with Issue #1 of the new Dengeki Gao magazine.
More pictures later.
I could possibly use something warm right now is starting to get darn cold in Japan. I was able to deal with temps around 9 degrees for a couple weeks (oh and thats celcius) but in Saitama the mercury is creeping down. And in a way I am not really feeling up to going out anymore because of it. Kinda sad when I think about how short my time left here is now. Monja-yaki is not warm enough to get me out from under the kotatsu. Not when I have a Fate/Stay mahjong doujinshi video game to beat.
So while I wait for my hosts to get off from work so I can go meet them in Shin-Okubo for some audio equipment hunting and maybe some karubi with OB, I'll give you some doujinshi images (and maybe some more audio). Hey, I have a little time. I can take either the Saikyo-sen or the Shonan_Shinjuku-sen and walk around Shinjuku for a bit. Hmmmm.
Let me know if you want more from these. I'll see if I can scan a page or two (when I can find a scanner).
Today I will post images of the stuff you guys requested me pick up while at the con. I have to say you guys have great taste. At the same time, I hope you understand I had to wait in the cold for most of these cause most of these circles are quite popular. At least it wasn't raining or snowing.
 For lurker MA who never comments or listens to the podcast: Haruhi doujinshi... Mmmm Nagato!! Oh and there is a Haruhi pillow also. Save that for another photo. |
 For Sales Manager ADS: Possibly all the RuroKen hentai at the con. RK had a small showing again this year. |
 reader CS had a request that I had to suffer to get: He wanted PLUM. I got in line at 10:04am (4 minutes after doors opened) and I was already #100+ in a line 3 people wide! |
 For the LDP: More from our favorite bakery. Kaedeko works at the Antique now!!! |
 For reader KdG: Some DJs from Takanaga Hinako. And these newest ones are not about Ashita no Joe. Shock!! |
 For listener PT: Not purchased at Comiket but he wanted the last Genshiken with DJ/CDrom pack-in. Happy Holidays!! |
Oh and if you a curious about the book next to the G2 Project... That is a pack-in with Issue #1 of the new Dengeki Gao magazine.
More pictures later.
Had a great time back home in Kansai. So much food that was devoured. And too much Osaka Kanjyo Strutting to really talk about here. Osaka is a good place for manga shopping and it is also the setting for a more than a handful of great comic cons. Sadly in Kansai time flies when you are hitting the streets of Nipponbashi looking for Kame Ramen.
So I have been bad lately. Should be working on the latest Toranoana rankings. But the Tiggers took the week off (I will do the MesseSanoh list instead later). Should be doing another con alert. But there are cons tomorrow so I will wait.
Instead I'll give you some doujinshi images. Let me know if you want more from these. I'll see if I can scan a page or two.
Was anyone else disturbed by the trim on the BrokeBack DJ... Did it remind anyone else of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service??
More pictures later.
So I have been bad lately. Should be working on the latest Toranoana rankings. But the Tiggers took the week off (I will do the MesseSanoh list instead later). Should be doing another con alert. But there are cons tomorrow so I will wait.
Instead I'll give you some doujinshi images. Let me know if you want more from these. I'll see if I can scan a page or two.
 Ohh Hikaru and Akira! The perfect move!! |
 Jarred will be enjoying the NekoPunch of Hajime no Ippo DJs in a few weeks. |
 Got to take notice of the original doujinshi. Very stylish and umm the writing is, cough, great. |
 One of my favorite artists Endo Okito of Little Witch fame and his circle 70th Generation doujins. Damn so so tasty!! |
 DJ artists have too much fun with the ambiguity of Kino's gender. So in both of these Kino is packing heat. In one on top you also get to see Hermess as a human... His new body is that of a she-male! And Kino still gets to ride on top!! |
 And last but not least the lightly requested... BrokeBack Manga!! This is the real deal not the stuff discussed at NYCC 06! |
Was anyone else disturbed by the trim on the BrokeBack DJ... Did it remind anyone else of Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service??
More pictures later.
Got there darn early on Saturday to go shopping for a few of you. I get two requests for hentai but 6 for BL.... I hope you all know I love you after this. Got there early enough to be right near the bottom of the steps to the bridge. And I only needed to get there at 6:00am!! Fortunately there was nikuman and hot cocoa to be had at the conbini near the station. There was a great time had in the cold but seriously today was not a day for me. Today was a one of the...
Day Two... Fujoshi Wars
So you might be like Erin and not know what a fujoshi is. Simple translation would be a female otaku. But there might be more to that. Fujoshi are often BL fans and they are those who populate places like Otome Road and Comiket on day two. They drag around suitcases sometimes about their size filled with doujinshi and they do not give a darn who they run over as long as they get to their Prince of PENIS doujin. Yeah it was scary on Saturday.
I mean the train wotaku were scary. The military section with all the OG wotaku in their random military outfits was scary. My copy of Haru-hitler's Melancholy is real scary. But the line that bisected East Hall 123 to get to some HnG dounjinshi took the cake. Fujoshi... don't mess with them and never give the impression that you might be cutting through their lines. KOWA!!
Day 2
Tokyo Big Site
Ariake, Tokyo
Dec 30, 2006
10:00-16:00
Fan Comics Shonen Jump (Other)
-Monthly Jump, Super Jump, VJump and Comic Bunch (Coamix): Hikaru no Go, Yu-Gi-Oh, DEATH NOTE, Home Tutor Hitman REBORN, D. Grayman, Muhyo and Rosie, Gintama, City Hunter, Angel Heart, Brave Story, YudeTamago, Nero
Fan Comics Shonen Jump (sports)
-Mr Fullswing, Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk, Eyeshield 21, Rising Impact, Whistle!
-Prince of Tennis
East 4,5,6
-One Piece
-NARUTO
History
-Kabuki, Three Kingdoms (outside of the games)
Fan Comics Novels
-Mystery, drama, Tolkien: Twelve Kingdoms, Maria-sama ga Miteiru, Toki ga Kakeru Shojo
Music (Western/Indie)
-DaPump, w-inds, FLAME, Lead, WaT, GLAY, L'Arc en Ciel, B'z, access, TMR, TMGE, Bump of Chicken, Gorillaz: HipHop, F4, VisualKei Bands
Music (Male Idols)
-Gackt, Kinki Kids
Original Novels/Art
-Setting and Genre need not be specific/short stories and songs also
West 1,2
Original JUNE
Tokusatsu, SciFi, Fantasy
-Tokusatsu media, American Comics, Hayakawa SciFi, MediaWorks Bunko: Ultraman Series, Kamen Rider Series, Super Sentai Series, Choseijin Series, Batman, Aduma Hideo, of the Stars Series, Kino's Journey, Shakugan no Shana
TV, Film and Arts
-Samurai, Jidai Dorama, Dance, Theater, Musical, Takarasaka (women's theater): Female Idols, Female Actress/Artists, Comedians, Asian Film Stars, Real Person SLASH
Rail, Travel, Military
-Bike, Bus, Cars, Motor Sports, Rails, Planes, Travel Guides, Military themes: Toys, food, plastic models, garage kits, paper crafts, camera, analog electronics
Sports
-Soccer, Baseball, F1, Sumo: Gambling, Horse Racing, Pachinko, PachiSlots
Money spent today...
$230!!! Not bad but not the most spent this weekend. Spent too much on tetsuko (train otaku) CDrom doujinshi and some more Bashamichi uniform manga. Remember some of these books... the Rurouni Kenshin books and the couple Yoshinaga Fumi books are not mine they are yours (you know who you are). Pictures are going to be sent soon. The rest was spent on the mandatory HnGo BL, some Ippo BL for Jarred and a real BrokeBack Mountain parody dj that has the cast dressed up like sheep!! Email me if you want to see that. I can also send you some Shonan Junai Gumi BL images... Those two are for me!!
Listen to Side Dish Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
On to the next stage:
Etchi!! From loli to shota and tentacles and baku-nyuu its all under the same roof. Luckily the other roof has the yuri and crafts. Can't have the dj factions fighting right?
communications. huh no one can here their cells indoors and its too cold to talk outside
money....... broke!! hope you all pay me back
gear........ left in the hotel
schedule.... was fine until the audio got messed up.
checklist... how could Ailein leave by noon when she was only "selling" novels (she wasn't even at her booth at 11:00a (took a break to go shopping according to her table mate)
Sleep....... yeah I thought about it. maybe tomorrow
Pretty sure there is more...
Press Pass... Got it. Remind me to send comiket copies of the podcast.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Day Two... Fujoshi WarsSo you might be like Erin and not know what a fujoshi is. Simple translation would be a female otaku. But there might be more to that. Fujoshi are often BL fans and they are those who populate places like Otome Road and Comiket on day two. They drag around suitcases sometimes about their size filled with doujinshi and they do not give a darn who they run over as long as they get to their Prince of PENIS doujin. Yeah it was scary on Saturday.
I mean the train wotaku were scary. The military section with all the OG wotaku in their random military outfits was scary. My copy of Haru-hitler's Melancholy is real scary. But the line that bisected East Hall 123 to get to some HnG dounjinshi took the cake. Fujoshi... don't mess with them and never give the impression that you might be cutting through their lines. KOWA!!
Day 2
Tokyo Big Site
Ariake, Tokyo
Dec 30, 2006
10:00-16:00
Fan Comics Shonen Jump (Other)
-Monthly Jump, Super Jump, VJump and Comic Bunch (Coamix): Hikaru no Go, Yu-Gi-Oh, DEATH NOTE, Home Tutor Hitman REBORN, D. Grayman, Muhyo and Rosie, Gintama, City Hunter, Angel Heart, Brave Story, YudeTamago, Nero
Fan Comics Shonen Jump (sports)
-Mr Fullswing, Captain Tsubasa, Slam Dunk, Eyeshield 21, Rising Impact, Whistle!
-Prince of Tennis
East 4,5,6
-One Piece
-NARUTO
History
-Kabuki, Three Kingdoms (outside of the games)
Fan Comics Novels
-Mystery, drama, Tolkien: Twelve Kingdoms, Maria-sama ga Miteiru, Toki ga Kakeru Shojo
Music (Western/Indie)
-DaPump, w-inds, FLAME, Lead, WaT, GLAY, L'Arc en Ciel, B'z, access, TMR, TMGE, Bump of Chicken, Gorillaz: HipHop, F4, VisualKei Bands
Music (Male Idols)
-Gackt, Kinki Kids
Original Novels/Art
-Setting and Genre need not be specific/short stories and songs also
West 1,2
Original JUNE
Tokusatsu, SciFi, Fantasy
-Tokusatsu media, American Comics, Hayakawa SciFi, MediaWorks Bunko: Ultraman Series, Kamen Rider Series, Super Sentai Series, Choseijin Series, Batman, Aduma Hideo, of the Stars Series, Kino's Journey, Shakugan no Shana
TV, Film and Arts
-Samurai, Jidai Dorama, Dance, Theater, Musical, Takarasaka (women's theater): Female Idols, Female Actress/Artists, Comedians, Asian Film Stars, Real Person SLASH
Rail, Travel, Military
-Bike, Bus, Cars, Motor Sports, Rails, Planes, Travel Guides, Military themes: Toys, food, plastic models, garage kits, paper crafts, camera, analog electronics
Sports
-Soccer, Baseball, F1, Sumo: Gambling, Horse Racing, Pachinko, PachiSlots
Money spent today...
$230!!! Not bad but not the most spent this weekend. Spent too much on tetsuko (train otaku) CDrom doujinshi and some more Bashamichi uniform manga. Remember some of these books... the Rurouni Kenshin books and the couple Yoshinaga Fumi books are not mine they are yours (you know who you are). Pictures are going to be sent soon. The rest was spent on the mandatory HnGo BL, some Ippo BL for Jarred and a real BrokeBack Mountain parody dj that has the cast dressed up like sheep!! Email me if you want to see that. I can also send you some Shonan Junai Gumi BL images... Those two are for me!!
Listen to Side Dish Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
On to the next stage:
Etchi!! From loli to shota and tentacles and baku-nyuu its all under the same roof. Luckily the other roof has the yuri and crafts. Can't have the dj factions fighting right?
communications. huh no one can here their cells indoors and its too cold to talk outside
money....... broke!! hope you all pay me back
gear........ left in the hotel
schedule.... was fine until the audio got messed up.
checklist... how could Ailein leave by noon when she was only "selling" novels (she wasn't even at her booth at 11:00a (took a break to go shopping according to her table mate)
Sleep....... yeah I thought about it. maybe tomorrow
Pretty sure there is more...
Press Pass... Got it. Remind me to send comiket copies of the podcast.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Very uncool of me not to do a Con Alert a day early. Even worse is how I am now doing one a day late. But as a few of you know I got up pretty early... Not as early as promised, but early, to get into line hell. It was a cold exhilarating experience to say the least. Fortunately, I was prepared. Had me my maps with me. I had a pocket heat warmer and some cocoa to warm the body. Tunes to warm the soul and long socks to keep the blood lust warm before the hunt.
Took a couple picks of the crazy line outside. But the rest is me wasting away as the day and cold wear me down. Ran into some great PatLabor fans who appreciated a mad-fan like myself (added a note on a PatLabor only convention that's coming in April to my books) and while going through the ravaged RPG section I ran into some ninja. Yeah a complete day...
Day One...
Join me as I struggle throughout the afternoon buying stuff, carrying heavy bags and hiking through the palace of fandom Tokyo BIG SIGHT on Day One of the 71st Comic Market! It's a soundscene/soundsampo (and its coooooold) so beware of the heavy breathing and crowd noise cause there are no panels at ComiKet just VA events and CosPlayer shoots!
Day 1
Tokyo Big Site
Ariake, Tokyo
Dec 29, 2006
10:00-16:00
East 123
Games (Figthing)
-Capcom Vs Series, Street Fighter, Vampire series, KoF, Samurai Spirits, Mark of the Wolf, Guilty Gear, Psychic Force, Virtual Fighters, Dead or Alive, Variable Geo, Power Stone, Rumble Fish
Games (Other)
-Action, Shooting, Simulation, Adventure, Puzzle, Quiz , Sound Puzzle: pop'n music, Doko demo Issho, Resident Evil, Valkyrie Legends, Three Kingdoms
Anime (Other)
-Maho Shojo, Ghibli, Slayers, .hack, Sailor Moon, PokeMon, Lupin, Megaman
Anime Sunrise
-Super Robot Wars, Big O
Renai Games
-BL Games, Otome Games, Koei NeoRomance Series: Tokimeki Girls Side, Gakuen Heaven
East 456
Fan Comics - GanGan (SquarEnix)
-GanGan, Young GanGan, Stencil, GFantasy, MagGarden, ZeroSum, ComicREX magazines:
Fullmetal Alchemist
Ookiku Furikabute
Fan Comics - Kodansha
-Morning, Evening, Afternoon
Gundam
-All Series
Fan Comics Shonen
-Sunday, Champion, CoroCoro, BonBon, Gao, Ace, Rush, Dragon Age, Tezuka Osamu, Takahashi Rumiko, Ishinomori Shuutarou
Fan Comics Shojo
-Shojo Magazines, Horror Magazines
FC Seinen
-Young King, Young Champion, Young Animal, Young Sunday, Young Jump, Business Jump, Birz, Gum, Daioh, 4koma manga
West 1&2
Games Misc
-Board Games, Table RPG, Trading Card Games (including original game starter set sales)
Online Game
-MMPORPG, Play by Web, Play by e-Mail: Diablo, Star Ocean, Ragnarok Online, FFXI
RPG
- Suikoden, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Ogre Battle, Shining Force, Atiller Series, Summon Night
SquarEnix RPG
-Final Fantasy, Xeno, Saga, Front Mission, DragonQuest, StarOcean, Tales of Series
I almost did not survive physically and financially after day one. I wonder what day two will bring!?!
Listen to Side Dish Here (later cause i cant connect to the server on a cell phone):
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
On to the next stage:
FUJOSHIIIII!!1
communications. huh
money....... hardly any left!!
gear........ frozen
schedule.... still working on it
checklist... done
Sleep....... none
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Took a couple picks of the crazy line outside. But the rest is me wasting away as the day and cold wear me down. Ran into some great PatLabor fans who appreciated a mad-fan like myself (added a note on a PatLabor only convention that's coming in April to my books) and while going through the ravaged RPG section I ran into some ninja. Yeah a complete day...
Day One...Join me as I struggle throughout the afternoon buying stuff, carrying heavy bags and hiking through the palace of fandom Tokyo BIG SIGHT on Day One of the 71st Comic Market! It's a soundscene/soundsampo (and its coooooold) so beware of the heavy breathing and crowd noise cause there are no panels at ComiKet just VA events and CosPlayer shoots!
Day 1
Tokyo Big Site
Ariake, Tokyo
Dec 29, 2006
10:00-16:00
East 123
Games (Figthing)
-Capcom Vs Series, Street Fighter, Vampire series, KoF, Samurai Spirits, Mark of the Wolf, Guilty Gear, Psychic Force, Virtual Fighters, Dead or Alive, Variable Geo, Power Stone, Rumble Fish
Games (Other)
-Action, Shooting, Simulation, Adventure, Puzzle, Quiz , Sound Puzzle: pop'n music, Doko demo Issho, Resident Evil, Valkyrie Legends, Three Kingdoms
Anime (Other)
-Maho Shojo, Ghibli, Slayers, .hack, Sailor Moon, PokeMon, Lupin, Megaman
Anime Sunrise
-Super Robot Wars, Big O
Renai Games
-BL Games, Otome Games, Koei NeoRomance Series: Tokimeki Girls Side, Gakuen Heaven
East 456
Fan Comics - GanGan (SquarEnix)
-GanGan, Young GanGan, Stencil, GFantasy, MagGarden, ZeroSum, ComicREX magazines:
Fullmetal Alchemist
Ookiku Furikabute
Fan Comics - Kodansha
-Morning, Evening, Afternoon
Gundam
-All Series
Fan Comics Shonen
-Sunday, Champion, CoroCoro, BonBon, Gao, Ace, Rush, Dragon Age, Tezuka Osamu, Takahashi Rumiko, Ishinomori Shuutarou
Fan Comics Shojo
-Shojo Magazines, Horror Magazines
FC Seinen
-Young King, Young Champion, Young Animal, Young Sunday, Young Jump, Business Jump, Birz, Gum, Daioh, 4koma manga
West 1&2
Games Misc
-Board Games, Table RPG, Trading Card Games (including original game starter set sales)
Online Game
-MMPORPG, Play by Web, Play by e-Mail: Diablo, Star Ocean, Ragnarok Online, FFXI
RPG
- Suikoden, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Ogre Battle, Shining Force, Atiller Series, Summon Night
SquarEnix RPG
-Final Fantasy, Xeno, Saga, Front Mission, DragonQuest, StarOcean, Tales of Series
I almost did not survive physically and financially after day one. I wonder what day two will bring!?!
Listen to Side Dish Here (later cause i cant connect to the server on a cell phone):
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
On to the next stage:
FUJOSHIIIII!!1
communications. huh
money....... hardly any left!!
gear........ frozen
schedule.... still working on it
checklist... done
Sleep....... none
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Okay still running a couple days late, but I blame not mastering time travel and the Comiket blisters on my feet.
Got to do a FutoMaki a couple days back in our old Tokyo studio... The Akiba UDX. While hanging out in front of the train stating I took a look at a magazine a couple MangaCast-ers want to simply port over to English. Yeah all of it from the DMC Official Special Edition CD Jacket to the Berserk ads at the end of the book.
This week we look at:
Hakusensha's
Young Animal
01号 2007
300Y/354pgs
Every Other week
Detroit Metal City
Futari Etchi
Haggun
Chokotto Sister
Holyland
Aaaa My Detective Office
VF-Outsiders Historyー
Cestas
Yubisaki Milk Tea
Koroshiya.
Yuria 100shiki
Itsuka Kachigumi！
Ni-daime wa Cosplayer
Mitamura-kun
Magical Strawberry
Aquarium Baka #1
Our Picks
DMC ~ Just do it kids... Go to DMC!!
VF ~ Everyone needs a good outsider in their life and this one knows nothing but a good battle!
Yuria ~ With maids and princess all the rage now, will the next fad be Dutch Wives?? Yuria might help kick that off.
Ni-Daime ~ Forget dutch maids. How about a yakuza leader who cosplays ToHeart and ChinaDress!? That is possibly the best of all worlds. Now if she could only cosplay DMC someday!
Listen to FutoMaki Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
Subscribe to the MangaCast at
email at mangacast@gmail.com
Oh and the comiket audio is coming. Kinda tricky working in the future like this.
Got to do a FutoMaki a couple days back in our old Tokyo studio... The Akiba UDX. While hanging out in front of the train stating I took a look at a magazine a couple MangaCast-ers want to simply port over to English. Yeah all of it from the DMC Official Special Edition CD Jacket to the Berserk ads at the end of the book.
This week we look at:Hakusensha's
Young Animal
01号 2007
300Y/354pgs
Every Other week
Detroit Metal City
Futari Etchi
Haggun
Chokotto Sister
Holyland
Aaaa My Detective Office
VF-Outsiders Historyー
Cestas
Yubisaki Milk Tea
Koroshiya.
Yuria 100shiki
Itsuka Kachigumi！
Ni-daime wa Cosplayer
Mitamura-kun
Magical Strawberry
Aquarium Baka #1
Our Picks
DMC ~ Just do it kids... Go to DMC!!
VF ~ Everyone needs a good outsider in their life and this one knows nothing but a good battle!
Yuria ~ With maids and princess all the rage now, will the next fad be Dutch Wives?? Yuria might help kick that off.
Ni-Daime ~ Forget dutch maids. How about a yakuza leader who cosplays ToHeart and ChinaDress!? That is possibly the best of all worlds. Now if she could only cosplay DMC someday!
Listen to FutoMaki Here:
As always, be aware that the review might contain spoilers.
Subscribe to the MangaCast at
email at mangacast@gmail.com
Oh and the comiket audio is coming. Kinda tricky working in the future like this.
I am really playing with fire right now but such is the life of a blog maintainer. Content doesn't grow on trees. And with offices in three continents and on two coasts of the US making sure....
BUT DAMN THAT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE!!!!!! HOLY CRAP AGAIN!! And two back to back!
I might be pressed to get the hell out of here fast because the earth is pissed with me right now. Content can hold off when the ground is alive beneath you.
Where will I hit first? Maybe Akihabara. Diving into manga and dj stores might calm my nerves while bankrupting me! Let me catch my breath, as my heart rate drops from 150 back to its normal 72 beats per minute. WOW!!! No biggie but these mini-quakes could mean business in the future. Gah!
And yes Brigid I did get E'S previews in the mail today. Scary!!
Side Trips Part Dos.....HELLA WALKING!!!
Akihabara - West Akihabara
West Akihabara what is there to find out there. Well this is where things get a little hard core if you ask me. Start at Radio Kaikan and walk west past the Dell Bldg and Gamers to the main avenue that runs through Akiba - Chuo-dori. Cross the street and you are in West Akiba. It goes as far south as the river two blocks away and goes as far north as Suehirocho Station. The blocks to the west of Chuo-dori here are filled with computer and electronics shops. Many of them were actually featured in Densha Otoko movie. And when crossing the street one of the first things you will notice is a huge Sega arcade (cool thing about this place is that they at one time had a cosplay shop on the top floor near the stair well. I wonder if it is still there??). The Club Sega will be are starting point for tonight's Akiba Walker!!!
MelonBooks
SotoKanda 1-10-5 Hirose Honsha Bldg FL Bl
11:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5295-7060
manga, doujinshi, dj software, magazines
On Chuo-dori to the north of the Club Sega is a wonderful place called MelonBooks. This is a manga heaven really. A comfortable green place located in the basement floor of the where manga is everywhere and in large quantities. Books are stacked up in a very active manner. Cool signs direct shoppers to the books the place is pushing and the books the staff is pushing. There is a new books section, a doujinshi corner and even a place where they have leaflets for up-coming manga conventions. Yeah, I often go underground when I am in the area to pick melons... They in turn take my green in large quanities...
A couple other notes about MelonBooks... They have an online DJ service where online shoppers can download doujinshi and doujinshi software... Always about the green with Melon isn't it.
They also have a ladies *cough*BL*cough* shop, called Livert. Unfortunately I don't think they are in Akiba but if you happen to be in Osaka or Sapporo you could be in luck.
YellowSubmarine RPG Shop
SotoKanda 1-11-6 Kogure Bldg 7fl
12:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5297-5402
game related manga/mooks, card games, board games
This wouldn't be a conclusive manga walker without another pit-stop at a Yellow Submarine. These tend to be known as hobby shops. Actually if you read Maniac Road and remember the couple chapers where the gang obsesses over tanks, ships and military replicas... They possibly got their inspiration from Yellow Submarine. But at the RPG Shop they focus on games. And not only that they have mooks, guide books and the occasional game related manga. Actually here is a tip for you all. Many of the better video game shops have at least a corner dedicated for those items. If you look closely you might find some cool artbooks or anthology collections (more often than not without shrinkwrapping).
To get to the YellowSub RPG shop head north from the Melon Books towards the intersection. They are on the 7th floor of the Kogure Bldg.
By the way if you do go there for games, particularly card games, there is a DUEL ROOM!! Get your game on!!
Comic Island
SotoKanda 1-8-7 Kamibayashi Bldg 301
12:00-20:00
Tel: 03-3253-0017
manga, doujinshi used, seinen comics
Go around the block that has MelonBooks and YellowSub. You will pass by a huge Laox store. On the same block as the Laox but on the opposite side of the block is Manga Road!! I would suggest going to the ATM across the street from the Laox before going here. You will most likely also need to get a bank loan to get out of here alive. There are manga shops back to back to back. When the Comiket catalogs went on sale the cosplayers were out in full effect. All these shops had special sales and the competition was fierce. Or so I was told.... Ahem.
The first place you will notice is Comic Island. This place is actually across the street from the behind of Laox. And it is towards the start of this alley I call Manga Road. In the Kamibayashi Bldg is this little shop that looks more like a record shop than a manga store. The doujinshi are not stacked cover out here. For the most part in the used section they are spine out!! This gives the place a look that boggles the mind. Thousands of copies are stored in a small space and the genres covered are pretty diverse for ero-hon. And as they note on their site they don't do doujinshi for women and they don't do magazines. Its a tank and "seinen" (mature) island.
Akibaoo 4
SotoKanda 1-8-10 PowHouse B1fl
11:00-20:00
Tel: 03-5207-6226
doujinshi goods - dj comics, dj cds, dj games
A couple doors down is Akibaoo~. These guys are very interesting. They actually have a number of stores in this strip. Each one specializing in a different fandom element. Actually if an otaku needs to shop for anything they could do quite well just shopping at the Akibaoo~ stores because they sell everything from manga and dvds to household electronics and small appliances. And looking at their site they are advertising canned goods and instant noodles also!! Your hikikomori one-stop shop??
At the Akibaoo~ 4 you will find every manner of doujinshi format. That means fan comics, original doujins, doujinshi software, doujinshi CDs and doujinshi goods. Okay what does that all mean? Like most doujinshi comics, DJ goods/CDs/games are parodies of existing properties. They are done by fans the properties/genre for fans. Some are original goods as well and this part of doujinshi culture is increasing taking up more of the floor space at doujin conventions. The quality of these items can be top notch. Especially when it comes down to figures, comics and CDs. Games can be pretty cool also but many of these are pretty simple or not a litle clunky.
I recommend passing by a shop like this to get familiar with DJ culture. As I said in my recordings from NatsuComi, Comiket is not limited to manga it is anything you can imagine.
Sinjuku Shoten Comic Akihabara Store
SotoKanda 1-8-6 Maruwa Bldg 2fl
10:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5294-3222
manga, magazines, doujinshi, av, seinen manga
A door or two away is Sinjuku Shoten. Yeah, it is spelled Sinjuku. This place is another manga/dj specialty shop. However, this place does sell regular manga and even non-adult titles. Woah! New and used manga can be found here. And if you go to their website you can order doujinshi, cosplay doujinshi and dj software. They only ship in domestic though.
Do!Books
SotoKanda 1-8-3 Nomizu Bldg 4fl
11:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5289-8460
seinen manga, magazines
And only a couple buildngs over on the fourth floor of the Nomizu Bldg is Sansei's Do!Books. If there is a place in Akiba I can imagine Simon from Icarus hitting its Do!Books. A full floor of nothing but seinen manga. Adult comics and even adult novels are sold here by the truck load. These guys also sell adult magazines that are not of the manga kind. Do!Books boast 10,000 volumes of manga in their shop. I won't doubt it. Best thing about Do!Books is how many books have samplers for otaku to flip through. I wonder if they have invested in glasses glare remover and laminating machines to protect their stock from all those nose bleeds.
Oh and Simon if you are reading... Do!Books has info on Tuna Empire's latest - Lyrical Ririnka!! (From Shuppan)
Anime Recycle Nagomi
SotoKanda 1-5-7 Takara Bldg 3fl
12:00-20:00
Tel: 03-3257-0753
doujinshi comics, doujinshi CG games, doujinshi CDs, telephone cards, posters, figures, PC soft, anime goods
On the same road but a block to the west in the Takara Bldg is Anime Recycle Nagomi. As the name suggests this place is a new/used shop. This and Akibaoo~ are the places to hit to find the real rare dj stuff in this strip. A good number of DJ circles sell items here and this place also has a lot of used items on sale so it could be a treasure chest for otaku.
Comic Toranoana #2
SotoKanda 1-9-8 Kimura Bldg 2-4fl
10:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5226-2055
manga, novels, pc games, doujinshi, dj software, seinen comics
On the building behind the Club Sega is one of a couple Toranoana in Akiba. Toranoana... These guys always suck me in. Those orange aprons and tiger accessories talk to me.
At this shop, on the second floor of the Kimura Bldg, manga hunters can find new manga, lots of light novels, manga magazines and a good number of doujinshi. Toranoana provides the top 10 DJ list we post every week. Their doujinshi tend to come from popular circles doing popular genres. But on occasion you will run into the random dj with mini-backpack packed in... Yeah, that's why I like those Tiggers!
Tachibana Shoten
SotoKanda 3-13-5 Marui Bldg 2+3fl
10:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5297-2695
AV, seinen manga, seinen novels, doujinshi, dj soft, magazines, adult anime, pc games
Keep on going north on Chuo-dori past YellowSub. Actually two blocks north of that (a block north of the Nippon Express Bldg) is where another favorite is located. Tachibana Shoten does a lot right. But like many book stores in Akiba they cater to the guys. Their floor plan is very well organized. They have videos on the 2nd floor; manga and doujinshi are located on the second floor. Signage is huge and effective. And their pack-ins are as ero-i is the books they sell.
Mandarake Akihabara
SotoKanda 3-11-2 Rock2 Bldg 5+6fl
11:00-20:30
Tel: 03-3252-7007
toys, figures, used/new doujinshi, hobby,
And way out getting pretty close to the fringes of west Akiba is Mandarake. Yeah Mandarake! It isn't the one in Shibuya or the Mandarake Mall in Nakano Broadway but I think many of you know what Mandarake means. This is the wotaku shop. Bundles of manga. Toys! Model kits! Wall to wall stuff! Stacks and stacks of used DJs and they are spines out! New books are also given a nice chunk of floor space. Cases of figures and game cards tease people as well. Mandarake you might be on the fifth floor of this building but you still rock my world!
I'll get a map for you all tomorrow. Right now I need to rethink this E'S thing...
The west side of Akiba is not only filled with ero-manga but there are plenty of places to eat as well. And when you talk about food and drinks in Akiba you have to mention the maid cafes!! Yeah they are all over the place on this side of the Chuo-dori. You don't have to look hard really. Maids are hanging out passing leaflets and many of these places have pink frilly logos calling otaku to their businesses. I have to say, I have still never been to one. Maybe this winter will be the first?
I will also recommend a great maguro place next to the river on the way to Ochanomizu. Good portions of tendon and other tuna related dishes. Also on that route ot Ochanomizu/Jimbocho is a great curry place that looks over the river. Cool place to hang out at night before you go play pool a few doors down. You know prepare the mind before hitting Club Sega and the karaoke bars.
Oh and I cannot forget all the mangakisa right. There are some around the Yellow Submarine. Actually there are a few of these around this area. A theme you might have noticed already, but I really recommend looking up at the signage on sides of buildings. Many of the gems in Tokyo are not on street level. They are either underground or a few floors up. Neo-Tokyo is now for the manga hunter!
On to the next stage:
Tomorrow I will cover the north side of Akihabara. This one features more Toranoana (this one has a cafe in it!!) and watch out for Akiba Cross. Yeah thats where I recorded all my shows last summer. Ground zero for the modern Akiba Walker.
communications.
money.......
gear........
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email (mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Sad to say one of our friends has canceled due to work conflicts ;_; so we are looking for another lunch date... There could be curry!!!
BUT DAMN THAT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE!!!!!! HOLY CRAP AGAIN!! And two back to back!
I might be pressed to get the hell out of here fast because the earth is pissed with me right now. Content can hold off when the ground is alive beneath you.
Where will I hit first? Maybe Akihabara. Diving into manga and dj stores might calm my nerves while bankrupting me! Let me catch my breath, as my heart rate drops from 150 back to its normal 72 beats per minute. WOW!!! No biggie but these mini-quakes could mean business in the future. Gah!
And yes Brigid I did get E'S previews in the mail today. Scary!!
Side Trips Part Dos.....HELLA WALKING!!!Akihabara - West Akihabara
West Akihabara what is there to find out there. Well this is where things get a little hard core if you ask me. Start at Radio Kaikan and walk west past the Dell Bldg and Gamers to the main avenue that runs through Akiba - Chuo-dori. Cross the street and you are in West Akiba. It goes as far south as the river two blocks away and goes as far north as Suehirocho Station. The blocks to the west of Chuo-dori here are filled with computer and electronics shops. Many of them were actually featured in Densha Otoko movie. And when crossing the street one of the first things you will notice is a huge Sega arcade (cool thing about this place is that they at one time had a cosplay shop on the top floor near the stair well. I wonder if it is still there??). The Club Sega will be are starting point for tonight's Akiba Walker!!!
MelonBooks
SotoKanda 1-10-5 Hirose Honsha Bldg FL Bl
11:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5295-7060
manga, doujinshi, dj software, magazines
On Chuo-dori to the north of the Club Sega is a wonderful place called MelonBooks. This is a manga heaven really. A comfortable green place located in the basement floor of the where manga is everywhere and in large quantities. Books are stacked up in a very active manner. Cool signs direct shoppers to the books the place is pushing and the books the staff is pushing. There is a new books section, a doujinshi corner and even a place where they have leaflets for up-coming manga conventions. Yeah, I often go underground when I am in the area to pick melons... They in turn take my green in large quanities...
A couple other notes about MelonBooks... They have an online DJ service where online shoppers can download doujinshi and doujinshi software... Always about the green with Melon isn't it.
They also have a ladies *cough*BL*cough* shop, called Livert. Unfortunately I don't think they are in Akiba but if you happen to be in Osaka or Sapporo you could be in luck.
YellowSubmarine RPG Shop
SotoKanda 1-11-6 Kogure Bldg 7fl
12:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5297-5402
game related manga/mooks, card games, board games
This wouldn't be a conclusive manga walker without another pit-stop at a Yellow Submarine. These tend to be known as hobby shops. Actually if you read Maniac Road and remember the couple chapers where the gang obsesses over tanks, ships and military replicas... They possibly got their inspiration from Yellow Submarine. But at the RPG Shop they focus on games. And not only that they have mooks, guide books and the occasional game related manga. Actually here is a tip for you all. Many of the better video game shops have at least a corner dedicated for those items. If you look closely you might find some cool artbooks or anthology collections (more often than not without shrinkwrapping).
To get to the YellowSub RPG shop head north from the Melon Books towards the intersection. They are on the 7th floor of the Kogure Bldg.
By the way if you do go there for games, particularly card games, there is a DUEL ROOM!! Get your game on!!
Comic Island
SotoKanda 1-8-7 Kamibayashi Bldg 301
12:00-20:00
Tel: 03-3253-0017
manga, doujinshi used, seinen comics
Go around the block that has MelonBooks and YellowSub. You will pass by a huge Laox store. On the same block as the Laox but on the opposite side of the block is Manga Road!! I would suggest going to the ATM across the street from the Laox before going here. You will most likely also need to get a bank loan to get out of here alive. There are manga shops back to back to back. When the Comiket catalogs went on sale the cosplayers were out in full effect. All these shops had special sales and the competition was fierce. Or so I was told.... Ahem.
The first place you will notice is Comic Island. This place is actually across the street from the behind of Laox. And it is towards the start of this alley I call Manga Road. In the Kamibayashi Bldg is this little shop that looks more like a record shop than a manga store. The doujinshi are not stacked cover out here. For the most part in the used section they are spine out!! This gives the place a look that boggles the mind. Thousands of copies are stored in a small space and the genres covered are pretty diverse for ero-hon. And as they note on their site they don't do doujinshi for women and they don't do magazines. Its a tank and "seinen" (mature) island.
Akibaoo 4
SotoKanda 1-8-10 PowHouse B1fl
11:00-20:00
Tel: 03-5207-6226
doujinshi goods - dj comics, dj cds, dj games
A couple doors down is Akibaoo~. These guys are very interesting. They actually have a number of stores in this strip. Each one specializing in a different fandom element. Actually if an otaku needs to shop for anything they could do quite well just shopping at the Akibaoo~ stores because they sell everything from manga and dvds to household electronics and small appliances. And looking at their site they are advertising canned goods and instant noodles also!! Your hikikomori one-stop shop??
At the Akibaoo~ 4 you will find every manner of doujinshi format. That means fan comics, original doujins, doujinshi software, doujinshi CDs and doujinshi goods. Okay what does that all mean? Like most doujinshi comics, DJ goods/CDs/games are parodies of existing properties. They are done by fans the properties/genre for fans. Some are original goods as well and this part of doujinshi culture is increasing taking up more of the floor space at doujin conventions. The quality of these items can be top notch. Especially when it comes down to figures, comics and CDs. Games can be pretty cool also but many of these are pretty simple or not a litle clunky.
I recommend passing by a shop like this to get familiar with DJ culture. As I said in my recordings from NatsuComi, Comiket is not limited to manga it is anything you can imagine.
Sinjuku Shoten Comic Akihabara Store
SotoKanda 1-8-6 Maruwa Bldg 2fl
10:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5294-3222
manga, magazines, doujinshi, av, seinen manga
A door or two away is Sinjuku Shoten. Yeah, it is spelled Sinjuku. This place is another manga/dj specialty shop. However, this place does sell regular manga and even non-adult titles. Woah! New and used manga can be found here. And if you go to their website you can order doujinshi, cosplay doujinshi and dj software. They only ship in domestic though.
Do!Books
SotoKanda 1-8-3 Nomizu Bldg 4fl
11:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5289-8460
seinen manga, magazines
And only a couple buildngs over on the fourth floor of the Nomizu Bldg is Sansei's Do!Books. If there is a place in Akiba I can imagine Simon from Icarus hitting its Do!Books. A full floor of nothing but seinen manga. Adult comics and even adult novels are sold here by the truck load. These guys also sell adult magazines that are not of the manga kind. Do!Books boast 10,000 volumes of manga in their shop. I won't doubt it. Best thing about Do!Books is how many books have samplers for otaku to flip through. I wonder if they have invested in glasses glare remover and laminating machines to protect their stock from all those nose bleeds.
Oh and Simon if you are reading... Do!Books has info on Tuna Empire's latest - Lyrical Ririnka!! (From Shuppan)
Anime Recycle Nagomi
SotoKanda 1-5-7 Takara Bldg 3fl
12:00-20:00
Tel: 03-3257-0753
doujinshi comics, doujinshi CG games, doujinshi CDs, telephone cards, posters, figures, PC soft, anime goods
On the same road but a block to the west in the Takara Bldg is Anime Recycle Nagomi. As the name suggests this place is a new/used shop. This and Akibaoo~ are the places to hit to find the real rare dj stuff in this strip. A good number of DJ circles sell items here and this place also has a lot of used items on sale so it could be a treasure chest for otaku.
Comic Toranoana #2
SotoKanda 1-9-8 Kimura Bldg 2-4fl
10:00-21:00
Tel: 03-5226-2055
manga, novels, pc games, doujinshi, dj software, seinen comics
On the building behind the Club Sega is one of a couple Toranoana in Akiba. Toranoana... These guys always suck me in. Those orange aprons and tiger accessories talk to me.
At this shop, on the second floor of the Kimura Bldg, manga hunters can find new manga, lots of light novels, manga magazines and a good number of doujinshi. Toranoana provides the top 10 DJ list we post every week. Their doujinshi tend to come from popular circles doing popular genres. But on occasion you will run into the random dj with mini-backpack packed in... Yeah, that's why I like those Tiggers!
Tachibana Shoten
SotoKanda 3-13-5 Marui Bldg 2+3fl
10:00-22:00
Tel: 03-5297-2695
AV, seinen manga, seinen novels, doujinshi, dj soft, magazines, adult anime, pc games
Keep on going north on Chuo-dori past YellowSub. Actually two blocks north of that (a block north of the Nippon Express Bldg) is where another favorite is located. Tachibana Shoten does a lot right. But like many book stores in Akiba they cater to the guys. Their floor plan is very well organized. They have videos on the 2nd floor; manga and doujinshi are located on the second floor. Signage is huge and effective. And their pack-ins are as ero-i is the books they sell.
Mandarake Akihabara
SotoKanda 3-11-2 Rock2 Bldg 5+6fl
11:00-20:30
Tel: 03-3252-7007
toys, figures, used/new doujinshi, hobby,
And way out getting pretty close to the fringes of west Akiba is Mandarake. Yeah Mandarake! It isn't the one in Shibuya or the Mandarake Mall in Nakano Broadway but I think many of you know what Mandarake means. This is the wotaku shop. Bundles of manga. Toys! Model kits! Wall to wall stuff! Stacks and stacks of used DJs and they are spines out! New books are also given a nice chunk of floor space. Cases of figures and game cards tease people as well. Mandarake you might be on the fifth floor of this building but you still rock my world!
I'll get a map for you all tomorrow. Right now I need to rethink this E'S thing...
The west side of Akiba is not only filled with ero-manga but there are plenty of places to eat as well. And when you talk about food and drinks in Akiba you have to mention the maid cafes!! Yeah they are all over the place on this side of the Chuo-dori. You don't have to look hard really. Maids are hanging out passing leaflets and many of these places have pink frilly logos calling otaku to their businesses. I have to say, I have still never been to one. Maybe this winter will be the first?
I will also recommend a great maguro place next to the river on the way to Ochanomizu. Good portions of tendon and other tuna related dishes. Also on that route ot Ochanomizu/Jimbocho is a great curry place that looks over the river. Cool place to hang out at night before you go play pool a few doors down. You know prepare the mind before hitting Club Sega and the karaoke bars.
Oh and I cannot forget all the mangakisa right. There are some around the Yellow Submarine. Actually there are a few of these around this area. A theme you might have noticed already, but I really recommend looking up at the signage on sides of buildings. Many of the gems in Tokyo are not on street level. They are either underground or a few floors up. Neo-Tokyo is now for the manga hunter!
On to the next stage:
Tomorrow I will cover the north side of Akihabara. This one features more Toranoana (this one has a cafe in it!!) and watch out for Akiba Cross. Yeah thats where I recorded all my shows last summer. Ground zero for the modern Akiba Walker.
communications.
money.......
gear........
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in Hall West3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email (mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Sad to say one of our friends has canceled due to work conflicts ;_; so we are looking for another lunch date... There could be curry!!!
Houston... We have a problem!
Only 14 days to FuyuComi and I am getting nervous. Not because of my lack preparation and I sure have enough experience going to these parties. The butterflies in my stomach are busting through chrysalids of indecisiveness! My friends there are just too many decisions to make as far as shopping is concerned before, during and after this event!!
I discussed the catalog not too long ago. And as I said it is a good idea to get it early to plan out your method of attack. I like to map out a route which I try to follow from East 123 through East 456 taking me through dinning row before closing the day in West 1234. Simple plan that usually gives me time to hit the major circles early and the often boring industry hall last. All of that will changes this year with some must have industry items for sale only at the con. Tie in a final day on New Year's Eve and I know there will be New Year's presents in all those swag bags!!!
As you can see the con has thrown my tested method for Comiket shopping delight for a tailspin. But the real horrors lie before and after the con.
What happens before?
-Well I need to get a printed catalog/CDrom.
Where can people get those?
-Practically everwhere ( Massive List behind the Cut )
Side Trips.....HELL YES!!!
Akihabara - Radio Kaikan and South Akihabara
One of the great advantages to having so many options before and after is that smart manga travelers will use every available moment for acquiring more manga. More cheap manga. More diverse cheap manga!!
Ever want that rare set of U-Jin manga that you always thought existed but never seen in person or scan-land you might run into it in a freaky-geeky place called AKIHABARA!!! Yeah, I remember when I would have to go to places like Shibuya for otaku experience shops. And if I needed used books I had to go to Jimbocho. But over the last 10 years or so Akiba has evolved into a fanboy's heaven. Or as DrMaster/MediaWorks have stated with their books, Ahihabara is home to the Maniac Road.
You can find old Akihabara everywhere with the old electronic good shops of Ishimaru Denki and LOaX. The old vibe is also in the halls of the Radio Kaikan where you can get all sorts of gadgets. Have a need for walkie-talkies or maybe some old 8-track deck you could possibly find it in this building. Need surveillance cameras to protect your ero-hon doujinshi from the SO then pass by one of the shops here. And what about that space heater for the 6 tatami mat sized room you are staying in just go down to the alleys around Chuo-Dori and go nuts. There are musen shops, pasocon parts places mixed in between the otaku shops and manga/internet kissa that have overtaken the place recently.
So you are not interested in buying an old Apple IIc... ?Are you serious?! You traveled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles and your really want to jump, no DIVE into the manga lifestyle. Well I can help you with that. HEHEH!!!
Everything everything that is Akiba-kei starts at one place...
Radio Kaikan
SotoKanda 1-15-16
In front of the Electronic Town Exit
Seven floors of mania crammed into a building parallel to Akihabara Station. If you leave the station on south gate of the Electronic Town Exit there is no way to miss this building. Though I will admit finding the entrance is not as obvious as one might think. As I noted earlier, much of it is dedicated to radio and A/V shops. Huge chunks of it is also devoted to hobby heaven Yellow Submarine. And if you look closely you will find a piece of ga-taku heaven...
KBooks Akihabara
Radio Kaikan 3fl
11:00-20:00
03-5297-5065 manga
03-5295-1517 dj
used books, original goods
You know K-Books is more of a Otome Road deal for me. However, if you find yourself stuck between seemingly endless cases of Voltoms figures and a hall filled to the gills with Vietnam era inspired resin kits, I would say hitting the stacks at K-Books might help you feel normal. CDs, DVDs, manga, doujinshi and most of the 60,000 volumes in stock for the fanboys!!!
If you escape from Radio Kaikan in one piece, you might want to take the safe route and head on south. Turn south as if going to Mansebashi or Kanda Station from the Kaikan and you will reach the furthest south extremes of Akiba. Here most of the old skool places (IE shops that still sell Famicom games!!) are under the train tracks but there are still a couple places to check out.
Shosen BookTower
Kanda 1-11-1 Sakumamachi
11:00-19:30
Tel. 03-5296-0054
manga, mooks, light novels, magazines, seinen manga
The BookTower is where I go to just get books. Manga and magazines are on the top floor and they have almost every publisher available. They also separate the floor by demographic so the girls don't have to go into the ero-manga section if they don't want to. Tons of mooks here and if you need to find an art book they have that as well. However, what sets this apart from Shosen's BookMart (which has a large number of art books and older manga) is the hobby floor. Train books, the model kit instruction books and knitting books for everyone.
Lammtarra MEDIA WORLD AKIBA
SotoKanda 1-15-2 Miosu Honkan Bldg
10:00-22:30
03-5207-5656
manga, doujinshi, games, dvd, costumes
The BookTower is on the outer rim of Maniac Road. Closer to Ground Zero is Lammtarra. Actually you will run into a couple of these along the main strip but just south of the train station along Chuo-Dori is this place that doesn't look like a manga shop but secretly it is that and much more. Inside is an otaku's dream. But really like many places around here it caters to the otaku with a capital "wo". This place has manga and DJs. But on the first floor there are games of the popular and more um mature persuasion. Go up stairs and there are adult DVDs and PC games.... Wotaku!
Gamers
SotoKanda 1-14-7 Takarada Bldg
in front of Radio Kaikan
11:00-21:00
03-5298-8720
manga, videos games, anime, cd, card games, hobby, character goods
Need to feel at home in a crowded manga shop, Gamers does that with ease. Located right in front of the Radio Kaikan and next to the Dell Tower, Gamers is as close to the heart of Akiba as it gets and it really has a comfortable accessible feel to it that can appeal to the ladies as well. I have never seen the staff wear dice in their pig tails and I cannot remember the last time I saw someone get a Me-kara-beam there!! (disappointing) But Gamers has practically all the right pieces laid down in a floor plan that is just damn evil!! Top floors are the character goods and cards... Manga Magazines on the first floor... So yeah you have to go through the CDs, ero-games, tankoubon and DVD boxsets while making your way to the top/bottom.
Interesting note about this Gamers... They will be open from 9:00-26:00 on New Year's Eve!! Only Dejiko can make the clock go to 26:00!
Around this area are a couple SEGA arcades. Really great places for gaming of all sorts. You can find some really interactive games at these places - Top Skater!! And the competition can get pretty intense especially at night or on weekends.
Looking for places to eat. Well, I seem to look track of time in Akihabara so I forget to eat when I am there. Honestly that is a good thing since I need money for shopping in the basement levels of Asobit City (oh hush...), but under the station there are a handful of eateries. Among them are some of the first curry & coffee places I can remember in this area. I also found the Pepper Steak shack under Sega GIGA good for cheap eats of the beefy kind. Sorry, no Maid Cafe that I know of here. Those are in North and East Akiba ^_^ (so wait for tomorrow for those).
Got a map for you, real cheap but if I have time I'll spice it up. Here are the locations we covered today.
On to the next stage:
communications.
money.......
gear........
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in HalWest3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email (mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Sad to say one of our friends has canceled due to work conflicts ;_; so we are looking for another lunch date... There could be curry!!!
Only 14 days to FuyuComi and I am getting nervous. Not because of my lack preparation and I sure have enough experience going to these parties. The butterflies in my stomach are busting through chrysalids of indecisiveness! My friends there are just too many decisions to make as far as shopping is concerned before, during and after this event!!
I discussed the catalog not too long ago. And as I said it is a good idea to get it early to plan out your method of attack. I like to map out a route which I try to follow from East 123 through East 456 taking me through dinning row before closing the day in West 1234. Simple plan that usually gives me time to hit the major circles early and the often boring industry hall last. All of that will changes this year with some must have industry items for sale only at the con. Tie in a final day on New Year's Eve and I know there will be New Year's presents in all those swag bags!!!
As you can see the con has thrown my tested method for Comiket shopping delight for a tailspin. But the real horrors lie before and after the con.
What happens before?
-Well I need to get a printed catalog/CDrom.
Where can people get those?
-Practically everwhere ( Massive List behind the Cut )
Side Trips.....HELL YES!!!Akihabara - Radio Kaikan and South Akihabara
One of the great advantages to having so many options before and after is that smart manga travelers will use every available moment for acquiring more manga. More cheap manga. More diverse cheap manga!!
Ever want that rare set of U-Jin manga that you always thought existed but never seen in person or scan-land you might run into it in a freaky-geeky place called AKIHABARA!!! Yeah, I remember when I would have to go to places like Shibuya for otaku experience shops. And if I needed used books I had to go to Jimbocho. But over the last 10 years or so Akiba has evolved into a fanboy's heaven. Or as DrMaster/MediaWorks have stated with their books, Ahihabara is home to the Maniac Road.
You can find old Akihabara everywhere with the old electronic good shops of Ishimaru Denki and LOaX. The old vibe is also in the halls of the Radio Kaikan where you can get all sorts of gadgets. Have a need for walkie-talkies or maybe some old 8-track deck you could possibly find it in this building. Need surveillance cameras to protect your ero-hon doujinshi from the SO then pass by one of the shops here. And what about that space heater for the 6 tatami mat sized room you are staying in just go down to the alleys around Chuo-Dori and go nuts. There are musen shops, pasocon parts places mixed in between the otaku shops and manga/internet kissa that have overtaken the place recently.
So you are not interested in buying an old Apple IIc... ?Are you serious?! You traveled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles and your really want to jump, no DIVE into the manga lifestyle. Well I can help you with that. HEHEH!!!
Everything everything that is Akiba-kei starts at one place...
Radio Kaikan
SotoKanda 1-15-16
In front of the Electronic Town Exit
Seven floors of mania crammed into a building parallel to Akihabara Station. If you leave the station on south gate of the Electronic Town Exit there is no way to miss this building. Though I will admit finding the entrance is not as obvious as one might think. As I noted earlier, much of it is dedicated to radio and A/V shops. Huge chunks of it is also devoted to hobby heaven Yellow Submarine. And if you look closely you will find a piece of ga-taku heaven...
KBooks Akihabara
Radio Kaikan 3fl
11:00-20:00
03-5297-5065 manga
03-5295-1517 dj
used books, original goods
You know K-Books is more of a Otome Road deal for me. However, if you find yourself stuck between seemingly endless cases of Voltoms figures and a hall filled to the gills with Vietnam era inspired resin kits, I would say hitting the stacks at K-Books might help you feel normal. CDs, DVDs, manga, doujinshi and most of the 60,000 volumes in stock for the fanboys!!!
If you escape from Radio Kaikan in one piece, you might want to take the safe route and head on south. Turn south as if going to Mansebashi or Kanda Station from the Kaikan and you will reach the furthest south extremes of Akiba. Here most of the old skool places (IE shops that still sell Famicom games!!) are under the train tracks but there are still a couple places to check out.
Shosen BookTower
Kanda 1-11-1 Sakumamachi
11:00-19:30
Tel. 03-5296-0054
manga, mooks, light novels, magazines, seinen manga
The BookTower is where I go to just get books. Manga and magazines are on the top floor and they have almost every publisher available. They also separate the floor by demographic so the girls don't have to go into the ero-manga section if they don't want to. Tons of mooks here and if you need to find an art book they have that as well. However, what sets this apart from Shosen's BookMart (which has a large number of art books and older manga) is the hobby floor. Train books, the model kit instruction books and knitting books for everyone.
Lammtarra MEDIA WORLD AKIBA
SotoKanda 1-15-2 Miosu Honkan Bldg
10:00-22:30
03-5207-5656
manga, doujinshi, games, dvd, costumes
The BookTower is on the outer rim of Maniac Road. Closer to Ground Zero is Lammtarra. Actually you will run into a couple of these along the main strip but just south of the train station along Chuo-Dori is this place that doesn't look like a manga shop but secretly it is that and much more. Inside is an otaku's dream. But really like many places around here it caters to the otaku with a capital "wo". This place has manga and DJs. But on the first floor there are games of the popular and more um mature persuasion. Go up stairs and there are adult DVDs and PC games.... Wotaku!
Gamers
SotoKanda 1-14-7 Takarada Bldg
in front of Radio Kaikan
11:00-21:00
03-5298-8720
manga, videos games, anime, cd, card games, hobby, character goods
Need to feel at home in a crowded manga shop, Gamers does that with ease. Located right in front of the Radio Kaikan and next to the Dell Tower, Gamers is as close to the heart of Akiba as it gets and it really has a comfortable accessible feel to it that can appeal to the ladies as well. I have never seen the staff wear dice in their pig tails and I cannot remember the last time I saw someone get a Me-kara-beam there!! (disappointing) But Gamers has practically all the right pieces laid down in a floor plan that is just damn evil!! Top floors are the character goods and cards... Manga Magazines on the first floor... So yeah you have to go through the CDs, ero-games, tankoubon and DVD boxsets while making your way to the top/bottom.
Interesting note about this Gamers... They will be open from 9:00-26:00 on New Year's Eve!! Only Dejiko can make the clock go to 26:00!
Around this area are a couple SEGA arcades. Really great places for gaming of all sorts. You can find some really interactive games at these places - Top Skater!! And the competition can get pretty intense especially at night or on weekends.
Looking for places to eat. Well, I seem to look track of time in Akihabara so I forget to eat when I am there. Honestly that is a good thing since I need money for shopping in the basement levels of Asobit City (oh hush...), but under the station there are a handful of eateries. Among them are some of the first curry & coffee places I can remember in this area. I also found the Pepper Steak shack under Sega GIGA good for cheap eats of the beefy kind. Sorry, no Maid Cafe that I know of here. Those are in North and East Akiba ^_^ (so wait for tomorrow for those).
Got a map for you, real cheap but if I have time I'll spice it up. Here are the locations we covered today.
On to the next stage:
communications.
money.......
gear........
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in HalWest3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email (mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Sad to say one of our friends has canceled due to work conflicts ;_; so we are looking for another lunch date... There could be curry!!!
Want to continue to remind you all that I'll be treating people to the TrainMan movie this week (most likely Tues or Wednes night) if you are interested send me an email. I would expect people standing in line to see some manga on film... Don't bankrupt me. Heh.
Okay as I noted in the last one of these, most of the real big stuff should be taken care of by now. With only 19 days left you should already have your plane tix and your room/couch booked. And you should be looking into means of transport earnestly also. From here on out we look at the little things. So you might not need any of this but my experience says otherwise.
catalog.....???
The ComiKet Catalog is by far the most important thing you need for this specific event. You know for reasons I will explain later this is possibly something I would like to get as soon as possible. However, attaining a copy early when you are not in Japan is kinda tricky (not impossible but you need some hook-ups).
Why is this so important? Well let me put this plainly... Three reasons. First, in theory this is your admission. Comiket is really a free con. Huh? Yeah, but considering the amount spent at an event like this and the booth fees from the industry and circles nothing is really free. Attendees are asked to buy a catalog, either before the event or at the con, to help out with costs. The phonebook sized catalog could be purchased as a book or on CD-Rom (Win/Mac). And if you happen to be going early they just went on sale this past week (but don't worry the books don't sell out).
Second, given the fact that there are around 35,000 circles at this event getting a head start could help make shopping easier. At an event of this size where very few of these are present for more than one day knowing where and when makes the process easier (well as easy as an event with 350,000 attendees can get). Basically there is a complete turnover every morning. So if you are looking for a specific circle and don't know where they are stationed the only way to find out is by getting a catalog. Furthermore if you are just a fan of a specific genre or even a series since booths are organized by genre/series/character then you can really start simplifying down your shopping experience. And if you are looking to buy something from a major circle you will quickly find out where you have to wait outside to get in line-hell!
Finally, the catalog is a great souvenir. A new artist does the cover for each event. And inside there is a sample of art from every circle in the con. Well sample might be an overstatement. The catalog is a phonebook sized high school yearbook. Upon opening the book, there are a couple handy floor maps. More on that later. That is followed up by information on the event and con rules. The rules are reprinted in English, Korean and Chinese for foreign attendees. Once you get to the circle lists they are organized by day, hall, row and booth. Booths are organized by genres and as noted earlier by sub-genre, series and even characters. Each circle is credited in the catalog with a small thumbnail of art and the circle name. Usually the little picture can give info on what they are drawing but for the most part what I usually notice is whether they are selling 18+ stuff or not. Heh.
With so many circles to go through and so many genres to cover, the catalog has a page detailing the sub-genres and most popular parodies for the year. And if you think ComiKet is only about DJ's you are mistaken. The catalog details the novel circles, the hobby circles, the game circles... that will be at the con as well. I don't think the cosplayers are mentioned though. Oh and for those looking to hit the Industry Hall there is info on who is selling there also.
Tons of valuable information. And as I said if you can get the catalog early you could start surfing the netz for some of these circles to check out their wares before getting in line.
A little random info on catalogs. Comiket is obviously a huge con and attendees do shill out cash for the catalogs to work out their shopping priorities. So when the catalogs go on sale stores across the country tend to have specials for this holiest of manga related days - Comiket Catalog Day!!
I found these images over the last few weeks at Akiba-kei site AkibaBlog
floor map...???
Ah the floor map. Yes on the day of there is nothing more valuable. Not even cash is as important as this. Yes even more important than cash!
Look you could go to Comiket and not spend a dime. I don't think it has ever happened but it is possible. In theory you could arrive at 12:00 when the crowd has settled and the lines are shorter and just walk around sampling manga. But if you want to sample all of that Slam Dunk BL and then follow it up with some random ComicParty yuri then you will possibly want to know where the stuff is. These halls are huge. The Tokyo Big Site got its name for a reason. So without a proper map you could be screwed. And if you are going to go shopping you will never buy all your Genshiken and Hajime no Ippo hentai before they sell out.
This past summer the catalog provided three blank maps for buyers to fill out. On the extremes of the map there are places to write notes in (presumably people write down circle names and booth numbers... Okay I do that). Two are for the huge-mongous East Halls and there is one double-sided one for the West Hall (where the industry hall is and the cosplaying area is located).
More and more people are actually making their own maps. Some from home-brewed programs that categorizes circles in all sorts of manners. The CD-Rom version of the catalog can help with this if you want to organize and print out schematics but if carrying paper is too big a hassle there are programs for PDAs and cell phones as well. More space for the DJ sack the better right.
Okay as I noted in the last one of these, most of the real big stuff should be taken care of by now. With only 19 days left you should already have your plane tix and your room/couch booked. And you should be looking into means of transport earnestly also. From here on out we look at the little things. So you might not need any of this but my experience says otherwise.
catalog.....???
The ComiKet Catalog is by far the most important thing you need for this specific event. You know for reasons I will explain later this is possibly something I would like to get as soon as possible. However, attaining a copy early when you are not in Japan is kinda tricky (not impossible but you need some hook-ups).
Why is this so important? Well let me put this plainly... Three reasons. First, in theory this is your admission. Comiket is really a free con. Huh? Yeah, but considering the amount spent at an event like this and the booth fees from the industry and circles nothing is really free. Attendees are asked to buy a catalog, either before the event or at the con, to help out with costs. The phonebook sized catalog could be purchased as a book or on CD-Rom (Win/Mac). And if you happen to be going early they just went on sale this past week (but don't worry the books don't sell out).
Second, given the fact that there are around 35,000 circles at this event getting a head start could help make shopping easier. At an event of this size where very few of these are present for more than one day knowing where and when makes the process easier (well as easy as an event with 350,000 attendees can get). Basically there is a complete turnover every morning. So if you are looking for a specific circle and don't know where they are stationed the only way to find out is by getting a catalog. Furthermore if you are just a fan of a specific genre or even a series since booths are organized by genre/series/character then you can really start simplifying down your shopping experience. And if you are looking to buy something from a major circle you will quickly find out where you have to wait outside to get in line-hell!
Finally, the catalog is a great souvenir. A new artist does the cover for each event. And inside there is a sample of art from every circle in the con. Well sample might be an overstatement. The catalog is a phonebook sized high school yearbook. Upon opening the book, there are a couple handy floor maps. More on that later. That is followed up by information on the event and con rules. The rules are reprinted in English, Korean and Chinese for foreign attendees. Once you get to the circle lists they are organized by day, hall, row and booth. Booths are organized by genres and as noted earlier by sub-genre, series and even characters. Each circle is credited in the catalog with a small thumbnail of art and the circle name. Usually the little picture can give info on what they are drawing but for the most part what I usually notice is whether they are selling 18+ stuff or not. Heh.
With so many circles to go through and so many genres to cover, the catalog has a page detailing the sub-genres and most popular parodies for the year. And if you think ComiKet is only about DJ's you are mistaken. The catalog details the novel circles, the hobby circles, the game circles... that will be at the con as well. I don't think the cosplayers are mentioned though. Oh and for those looking to hit the Industry Hall there is info on who is selling there also.
Tons of valuable information. And as I said if you can get the catalog early you could start surfing the netz for some of these circles to check out their wares before getting in line.
A little random info on catalogs. Comiket is obviously a huge con and attendees do shill out cash for the catalogs to work out their shopping priorities. So when the catalogs go on sale stores across the country tend to have specials for this holiest of manga related days - Comiket Catalog Day!!
I found these images over the last few weeks at Akiba-kei site AkibaBlog
 Over at the Gamers Honten catalog buyers could get free DGC, ef or GA stuff!! |
 Tachibana Shoten has cosplayers and free bishojo to help people make their way to their stores |
 Pass by Mandarake and you could get a lenticular with your catalog |
 And if you escaped the bishojo by the front door right in the middle of the DJ top 10 are more catalogs at Messe Sanou. |
 Messe Sanou has the CDrom and printed version on display with a nose-bleed inducing poster! |
 Melon Books just uses pantie-shots. Back to the basics. |
floor map...???
Ah the floor map. Yes on the day of there is nothing more valuable. Not even cash is as important as this. Yes even more important than cash!
Look you could go to Comiket and not spend a dime. I don't think it has ever happened but it is possible. In theory you could arrive at 12:00 when the crowd has settled and the lines are shorter and just walk around sampling manga. But if you want to sample all of that Slam Dunk BL and then follow it up with some random ComicParty yuri then you will possibly want to know where the stuff is. These halls are huge. The Tokyo Big Site got its name for a reason. So without a proper map you could be screwed. And if you are going to go shopping you will never buy all your Genshiken and Hajime no Ippo hentai before they sell out.
This past summer the catalog provided three blank maps for buyers to fill out. On the extremes of the map there are places to write notes in (presumably people write down circle names and booth numbers... Okay I do that). Two are for the huge-mongous East Halls and there is one double-sided one for the West Hall (where the industry hall is and the cosplaying area is located).
More and more people are actually making their own maps. Some from home-brewed programs that categorizes circles in all sorts of manners. The CD-Rom version of the catalog can help with this if you want to organize and print out schematics but if carrying paper is too big a hassle there are programs for PDAs and cell phones as well. More space for the DJ sack the better right.
I really didn't think the accommodations posting was going to be of much help to you but I was pleasantly surprised to get a couple email from readers. As I said to them, if you ever need tips or help send me an email. I am always willing to help a manga sister/brother out.
Today, I will be talking about transportation and you guys are in for a treat because if there is anything I know its public transit. The handful of you who know of my other persona off-line possibly are aware of what I do for fun when I am not reading manga. I dabble a bit with politics. I am not going to discuss what my positions are but I will say that over the last three years my focus has been environmental justice and public transit. I have been a part of a few public committees, research groups and a couple campaigns about transit, so I tend to pay a little more attention to planes, trains and yes even automobiles than most people do.
One thing to take note about this entry is that I will focus entirely on public transit. I am biased towards it; I want to admit that openly. However, there is a reason for me to do so. Comiket completely discourages people from driving and even biking to their event. They do not guarantee parking whatsoever. And they actually say in their literature that public transit is the only way they recommend to get to and leave the Tokyo Big Sight during their event dates.
If public transit is a problem for you then you have been warned.
Moving along to the next stage...
Transportation.... N/A
Woah!!! What is going on here? I have not settled my transport yet! What the hell am I waiting for?!?
Well even though transportation is pretty important for a trip like this there are many many ways to handle this. They range from getting rail passes to simply hopping on buses. Depending on your length of stay and whether you will be taking some long distance side trips while in Japan you should consider planning ahead because some of the deals can only be taken advantage of outside of Japan.
First a little bit on the public transit system in Japan. It is very extensive, very easy to use, efficient and it has a good reputation for being relatively comfortable and on-time. I have all sorts of problems with the infrastructure of Japan, but public transit is one thing they have had right for a long time and it is something they are consistently improving. For accessibility and efficiency rates are reasonable. Prices tend to go down with passes and ticket plans which are available for almost every private or public system. And as transit services are beginning to get seriously impacted with an increasingly populated Tokyo, the various Metropolitan Transit Area has begun to make transferring from one system to another - plane, train, monorail and buses (sometimes even ferries).
Rail Passes-
If you are planning to take advantage of your time in Japan to take some non-manga related excursions a rail pass might save you a little money. There are a few ones out there but the majority of them are for regional travel. If you are only planning on traveling around Tokyo this might not be for you. But if you have the urge to going around Kansai (Kobe, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto) or even just going through Hokkaido (Sapporo and Otaru) considering an inclusive JR Pass might be worth the cost.
The advantages to one of these are convenience and if you are really planning on doing some serious sightseeing you can have amazing cost savings. Let me give you one little nugget...
If you travel from Tokyo to Kyoto on a bullet train you will pay at least 13,220円 each way (26,440円 round trip). Now if you a 7-day rail pass you will pay 28,300円! If you buy a train ticket from Narita Airport to Tokyo that alone will make up for much of the 2110円 left. So you can use the pass for unlimited local use for the rest of the week. And if you need to travel to Nagasaki or Hokkaido the savings will be crazy. Obviously you will be spending a lot of time traveling but as noted the JR Pass allows for travel on bullet trains so travel time is cut down dramatically. If you will be spending a couple weeks there are also 14-day and 21-day passes (45,100円 & 57,700円 respectively). I would only recommend these if you are going to be criss-crossing across the country, though. Always make sure you are using at least the value of the pass when you buy one. If you are just going to Kyoto for two weeks spending more than $420 for a rail pass for around $310 worth of travel (on a 14-day pass) might not be a good idea. I'd almost use a 7-day pass to get me to Tokyo, I'd use it around Tokyo for the Comiket days and then take off for Osaka, Sapporo or even Niigata before the pass runs out. Then take a slow train on the way back whenever you have to (costs less and you will be able to leisurely check out the country by train).
You will need to by a JR Pass in our country of origin. You cannot buy these passes in Japan. So call your local travel agency or STA to fill out the paperwork. When you get to Japan you will have to turn in your receipt at a JR service center. Many of these Special MidoriMadoGuchi have English speakers and they can help you set up reserved tickets for day of travel and future travel with the JR Pass. This is really helpful if you know when and where you will be traveling on the JR network ahead of time (no worries about lines and booked up trains if you reserve seats early). You will need to show your passport when you turn in your receipt and as soon as you get your JR Pass in Japan it will be active so make sure you use it wisely!
Cool thing about the rail pass also is that you don't need to go through the process of getting tickets. When you need to ride a JR train just show the pass to the Station Agent and he will wave you through. Sweet!
Local Tranist-
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Area there are the following transportation systems.
Tokyo Metro - The Metro is Tokyo's extensive subway system. It covers practically every major district in town through 10 different lines. The Metro is extremely affordable transportation that starts at 5:00am and ends at 1:00am. Cars can get packed during rush hours so some trains have women only cars. (check for times on platforms or doors). Rates start at 160円 and go up to 320円 (if you are traveling 30-40km on the system... yeah its that big).
If you are staying for a month you could get a Montly Pass but these are a little expensive. Unless you expect to ride the subway 50 times a month (normal for a Tokyoite and maybe cool for a hardcore turista) you might want to get some ticket books or a Commuter Pass. The commuter pass is for travel on a specific route. So for me I could travel for a month between Asakusa and Toyosu for 7800円. That allows me to travel anywhere in between. Ueno, Akihabara, Tokyo, Ginza... are all permitted on my pass. And if I deviate I just pay the difference. Coupon Books work well if you are not planning on staying long in Tokyo. You can get 11 tickets for the price of 10 and prices vary on the length of travel you plan to take. If you're trip is longer then you have to add-fare. You could also get change if the ride is shorter (at least I think they do that in Tokyo).
You can buy ticket books at practically any ticket machine. Every station has at least one ticket machine that has an English option; most are bilangual now anyway. They take bills and give back change. Passes can be bought at these stations (sorry Japanese only, but I can help translate... email me).
One of the two best ways to get to Comiket is by taking the Metro. Take the Yurakucho line to Toyosu Station. And then transfer to the Yurikamome heading to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon. You could also take the Ginza Line or the Asakusa Line to Shinbashi and take the Yurikamome from that terminal to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon.
Toei Subway-
Toei provides four subway lines and a streetcar line in the Tokyo Subway system. Their lines tend to be rather long circling and bisecting much of the city. For the most part Toei lines connect a number of the residential parts of Tokyo with the Yamanote. Even though some of their trains share physical stations and lines with Metro you will have to pay a transfer fee because they are two separate entities.
Toei's rates are slightly higher. This is possibly because they have fewer lines. They start at 170円 and can go as high as 510円 if you are going from one extreme end to the other. And like Metro their machines are bilingual and make change. Toei has a handful of day passes you can buy in those machines; including some that allow travel on their buses and streetcar.
You can take Toei's Oedo Line to Shiodome and then transfer to the Yurikamome from there.
Toei Streetcar-
The Arakawa line is a wonderful one car lightrail car that takes passengers through some of northeastern Tokyo's quieter older neighborhoods.
Toei City Bus-
They provide the bus service in Tokyo. Get on in the front of the bus and pay (you can get change). They go everywhere.
JR East-
JR East is going to get most people across long distances in Tokyo and abroad. This system covers half of the island of Honshu with local service, long distance service, express service and overnight trains. JR East also has long distance buses and ferry service. You could in theory not need to use JR East in Tokyo because the subway and other private rail services have almost everything covered. However, if you intend on going out of the city JR might be your best bet because they go practically everywhere.
In Tokyo JR goes to almost the major hubs - Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ueno, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Asakusa. They have a great loop line - the Yamanote (green) - that takes commuters around town through many of those major districts. The Chuo Line (orange) starts in Tokyo Station bisects the Yamanote and goes to the towns to the West - Kichijoji, Mitaka and Nakano. Sobu Line (yellow) follows much of the same path as the Chuo line but it is a local train stopping at places like Tokyo Dome, Ochanomizu and Setagaya to the west; while it also goes to the toy shops in AsakusaBashi and the chanko and woodwork in Ryogoku east of the Sumida River. At Ueno travelers can take trains going way up into northern Japan. The Keikin Line takes passengers from Saitama to Yokohama through the east side of Tokyo. In Shinjuku you can find the Chuo & Sobu lines; the Shonan Line (orange/green) takes riders south to Yokahama and north to Saitama; while the Saikyo Line (Teal) runs north to south from Saitama to Shibuya (actually Osaki but thats a couple stations away).
Prices are affordable on the JR. Actually they are pretty darn reasonable long distance too. Premiums are paid for express cars and special cars. You generally don't have to worry about those locally but when going long distance please be make sure you don't get hit with extra charges (even with a JR Pass).
A couple passes to mention: Tokyo Free Kippu gets you travel on all JR and Tokyo Metro lines for a day 1,580円. Tokyo Holiday Pass gives riders unlimited rides for a day on JR, Tokyo Monorail and Tokyo Waterfront Rapid Transit covering the Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama and Chiba areas for 2300円. You actually go all the way to Narita Airport and then go to Kamakura with this pass! And it is valid starting Dec 29th through Jan 3rd. JR East also has its own Rail Pass. 20,000円 for 5 continuous days or 4 flexible days for unlimited JR East travel including bullet trains. I'd go for the flex days myself because they can be used within a months time. Like the all inclusive JR Pass this could be a steal if you use it right. And the JR East Pass gives owners a 10% discount at JR East Hotels.
The king of all passes only works during the holidays! The Seishun 18 Pass allows for unlimited travel on either A) 5 consecutive days or B) 5 separate days or C) 5 people can share the pass for one day. And all options allow for travel on the ENTIRE JR network! JR East, JR West, JR Central, JR Hokkaido... All of it. However, holders of this pass cannot ride on bullet trains, sleeping trains or JR Buses. BUUU. Still this is the one I am going to get and it is cheap!! 11,500円 for potentially mucho training will equal Ed is going to be riding in style... in packed trains this winter!!
You can get all of these JR East passes in Japan at JR Service Centers, Midori no Madoguchi and travel agencies.
Keikyu-
If you are coming in from Kanagawa Prefecture this might be an alternative to JR. Take it to Shinagawa and then go to Shinbashi. You can also take this to Narita and Haneda Airports.
Keio-
Trains go to the western reaches of Tokyo Prefecture and connects to major stations like Shibuya and Shinjuku. Kinda expensive but they are an okay alternative for travel to Hachijoji and Kichijoji.
Keisei-
Keisei provides a great alternative if you need transit to and from Narita Airport. Their Skyliner is a good express that takes riders to Ueno Station in Tokyo. Fast and comfortable. They have connections between Tokyo and Chiba prefectures. They also have some lines in Tokyo going to Tokyo Airport (Haneda). On Comiket day you can take Keio to Shimbashi before transferring to the Yurikamome.
Odakyu-
Connects Tokyo and the luxurious hot spring town of Hakone (to the west). They also provide local line service to great jazz/punk center Shimokitazawa and the sleepy seaside town of Enoshima (was Love Hina set in that town??).
Seibu-
As the name states Seibu covers the west side of Tokyo. Lines take off from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro and go to places like Musashino. Short rides are cheap (starting at 140円) but longer rides could cost as high as 720円!! Also during the summer its the only way to go see the Seibu Lions baseball team.
Tobu-
If traveling to the East from Ikebukuro or Asakusa then Tobu is the way to go. Maybe. I have never been on their trains before. But they stop in one of my favorite towns... Senju. Well Kita-Senju.
Tokyu-
In charge of most of south Tokyo and lines around Tokyo Bay these guys could be very helpful for Comiket travel. Lines generally go towards Shibuya and Meguro but because not many lines are by the increasingly developed Bay area you might find yourself near one of their stations. You can get off at Oimachi and transfer to the Rinkai Line which will take you Kokusai-Tenjijo Station (where the Big Site is).
TWR-
The Tokyo Waterfront Railway operates the Rinkai Line, one of two lines that go directly to Tokyo Big Site. This line goes along the Bay and to some of the Islands off Tokyo proper. The ride from Osaki is 360円 and from Oimachi is 320円 is expensive really but this could be less crowded than the Yurikamome.
Yurikamome-
This is the only other train line that goes to the Big Site. Looks like a monorail but its not. This rubber-wheeled train takes off from Shinbashi and drops you off in front of the Big Site. Lines can get so crazy during Comiket I recommend getting return tickets or even a 1000円 pass for the weekend. One way to Kokusai-Tenjijo Station from the terminal at Shinbashi Station (on the JR Yamanote Line). These trains start running at 6:00am and you will see people out there already. This line can get very crowded as the cars have plush paired seating arrangements.
Local Passes include:
PASSNET
This service allows riders to buy passes of 1000円, 3000円, and 5000円 that will give the pass access to almost every transportation system in the Greater Tokyo area. It is like a debt card and it can be recharged at certain ticket/pass machines. It is very convenient especially if you are not using the JR.
Systems using this are: Metro, Odakyu, Keio, Keisei, Keihin, Saitama Express, Toei Subway, Seibu,
Tokyu, TWR, Tobu, Maihama Resort Line, Yurikamome, Yokohama Express, Yokohama Subway
SUICA
This service is a rechargable card that allows riders to have funds deducted from their card when riding JR and TWR trains. These cards can also be used to make purchases at participating stores around JR stations. 2000円 to start and then you can recharge at train stations with cash (and I think credit cards).
Okay recap of what you need to do on Comiket Days (I'll post this again closer to the event as well)
RINKAI LINE
Get on at the Osaki Station (on the JR Yamanote/Saikyo Lines) or Oimachi Station (Keihin Line) and get off at Kokusai-Tenjijo Station
YURIKAMOME
Get on at either the Shimbashi Station (JR Yamanote/Keihan & Metro Ginza/Asakusa) or Toyosu Station (Metro Yurakucho) and head to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon Station.
TOEI CITY BUS
Get on at either JR Tokyo Station (Yaesu Exit), Toei Subway Monzen-Nakacho Station or JR Hamamatsucho Station and get off at Tokyo Big Sight. 200円 each way.
KEIHIN KYUKO BUS
There is an express bus from Yokohama to the Big Sight. Get on at JR Yokohama Station (East Exit) and get off at Tokyo Big Sight.
WATER BUS
Some people like to do the romantic thing and take the ferry to the Big Sight. Marine Transport System has ferries from Hinode Station (on the Yurikomome) that take passengers to the base of the Big Sight
Okay so you have sooooo many transit options for training Tokyo but in the end you will likely need to use either the Rinkai or Yurikamome. But since Comiket should only be a small part of the party you should take advantage of the other transit systems to get around Tokyo (and beyond). Many of the transit systems I mentioned have websites in English. Most have maps in PDF format and some even have fare information. For the most part stations have English and Japanese so that shouldn't be a problem though station agents might not speak English. Many stations have coin lockers, kiosks selling manga and food, and some almost feel like underground malls (or in the case of Shinjuku it can feel like a mini-city). Prepare for crowded trains, crowded stations and lots of noise.
Oh and before I forget. From Narita Airport you can take a pair of Express Trains that go to Tokyo within an hour time. JR's N'EX can be caught in both terminals. Keisei's Skyliner also stops in both terminals. The stations are on the Basement Floor. And on the same floor you can find a JR Service Center and a ticket booth with attendees for Keisei.
What am I taking... I'll be riding the Metro a bit to go to movie theaters and some random shopping, so I'll get a PASSNET pass. Since I am going to Osaka, I'll get a Seishun 18 Pass from JR. And in Osaka I'll get myself a cheap Surutto Pass (its similar to a PASSNET thingy).
Okay we have got through the long ones. With only a month to go, from here on out we will cover the little details.... And maybe talk about some side trips. Stay tuned!
communications.
money.......
gear........
catalog.....
floor map...
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
after event.
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in HalWest3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email ( mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Now if I can only find someone to have curry with at UK Curry on Friday and a lunch date for Saturday... Hmm seafood at Cafe Mermaid or maybe Youfu Ryori at Hibiya Matsumotoro. I'd be up for Ramen at Daikei also ^_^
Today, I will be talking about transportation and you guys are in for a treat because if there is anything I know its public transit. The handful of you who know of my other persona off-line possibly are aware of what I do for fun when I am not reading manga. I dabble a bit with politics. I am not going to discuss what my positions are but I will say that over the last three years my focus has been environmental justice and public transit. I have been a part of a few public committees, research groups and a couple campaigns about transit, so I tend to pay a little more attention to planes, trains and yes even automobiles than most people do.
One thing to take note about this entry is that I will focus entirely on public transit. I am biased towards it; I want to admit that openly. However, there is a reason for me to do so. Comiket completely discourages people from driving and even biking to their event. They do not guarantee parking whatsoever. And they actually say in their literature that public transit is the only way they recommend to get to and leave the Tokyo Big Sight during their event dates.
If public transit is a problem for you then you have been warned.
Moving along to the next stage...
Transportation.... N/AWoah!!! What is going on here? I have not settled my transport yet! What the hell am I waiting for?!?
Well even though transportation is pretty important for a trip like this there are many many ways to handle this. They range from getting rail passes to simply hopping on buses. Depending on your length of stay and whether you will be taking some long distance side trips while in Japan you should consider planning ahead because some of the deals can only be taken advantage of outside of Japan.
First a little bit on the public transit system in Japan. It is very extensive, very easy to use, efficient and it has a good reputation for being relatively comfortable and on-time. I have all sorts of problems with the infrastructure of Japan, but public transit is one thing they have had right for a long time and it is something they are consistently improving. For accessibility and efficiency rates are reasonable. Prices tend to go down with passes and ticket plans which are available for almost every private or public system. And as transit services are beginning to get seriously impacted with an increasingly populated Tokyo, the various Metropolitan Transit Area has begun to make transferring from one system to another - plane, train, monorail and buses (sometimes even ferries).
Rail Passes-If you are planning to take advantage of your time in Japan to take some non-manga related excursions a rail pass might save you a little money. There are a few ones out there but the majority of them are for regional travel. If you are only planning on traveling around Tokyo this might not be for you. But if you have the urge to going around Kansai (Kobe, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto) or even just going through Hokkaido (Sapporo and Otaru) considering an inclusive JR Pass might be worth the cost.
The advantages to one of these are convenience and if you are really planning on doing some serious sightseeing you can have amazing cost savings. Let me give you one little nugget...
If you travel from Tokyo to Kyoto on a bullet train you will pay at least 13,220円 each way (26,440円 round trip). Now if you a 7-day rail pass you will pay 28,300円! If you buy a train ticket from Narita Airport to Tokyo that alone will make up for much of the 2110円 left. So you can use the pass for unlimited local use for the rest of the week. And if you need to travel to Nagasaki or Hokkaido the savings will be crazy. Obviously you will be spending a lot of time traveling but as noted the JR Pass allows for travel on bullet trains so travel time is cut down dramatically. If you will be spending a couple weeks there are also 14-day and 21-day passes (45,100円 & 57,700円 respectively). I would only recommend these if you are going to be criss-crossing across the country, though. Always make sure you are using at least the value of the pass when you buy one. If you are just going to Kyoto for two weeks spending more than $420 for a rail pass for around $310 worth of travel (on a 14-day pass) might not be a good idea. I'd almost use a 7-day pass to get me to Tokyo, I'd use it around Tokyo for the Comiket days and then take off for Osaka, Sapporo or even Niigata before the pass runs out. Then take a slow train on the way back whenever you have to (costs less and you will be able to leisurely check out the country by train).
You will need to by a JR Pass in our country of origin. You cannot buy these passes in Japan. So call your local travel agency or STA to fill out the paperwork. When you get to Japan you will have to turn in your receipt at a JR service center. Many of these Special MidoriMadoGuchi have English speakers and they can help you set up reserved tickets for day of travel and future travel with the JR Pass. This is really helpful if you know when and where you will be traveling on the JR network ahead of time (no worries about lines and booked up trains if you reserve seats early). You will need to show your passport when you turn in your receipt and as soon as you get your JR Pass in Japan it will be active so make sure you use it wisely!Cool thing about the rail pass also is that you don't need to go through the process of getting tickets. When you need to ride a JR train just show the pass to the Station Agent and he will wave you through. Sweet!
Local Tranist-
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Area there are the following transportation systems.
Tokyo Metro - The Metro is Tokyo's extensive subway system. It covers practically every major district in town through 10 different lines. The Metro is extremely affordable transportation that starts at 5:00am and ends at 1:00am. Cars can get packed during rush hours so some trains have women only cars. (check for times on platforms or doors). Rates start at 160円 and go up to 320円 (if you are traveling 30-40km on the system... yeah its that big).
If you are staying for a month you could get a Montly Pass but these are a little expensive. Unless you expect to ride the subway 50 times a month (normal for a Tokyoite and maybe cool for a hardcore turista) you might want to get some ticket books or a Commuter Pass. The commuter pass is for travel on a specific route. So for me I could travel for a month between Asakusa and Toyosu for 7800円. That allows me to travel anywhere in between. Ueno, Akihabara, Tokyo, Ginza... are all permitted on my pass. And if I deviate I just pay the difference. Coupon Books work well if you are not planning on staying long in Tokyo. You can get 11 tickets for the price of 10 and prices vary on the length of travel you plan to take. If you're trip is longer then you have to add-fare. You could also get change if the ride is shorter (at least I think they do that in Tokyo).
You can buy ticket books at practically any ticket machine. Every station has at least one ticket machine that has an English option; most are bilangual now anyway. They take bills and give back change. Passes can be bought at these stations (sorry Japanese only, but I can help translate... email me).
One of the two best ways to get to Comiket is by taking the Metro. Take the Yurakucho line to Toyosu Station. And then transfer to the Yurikamome heading to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon. You could also take the Ginza Line or the Asakusa Line to Shinbashi and take the Yurikamome from that terminal to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon.
Toei Subway-
Toei provides four subway lines and a streetcar line in the Tokyo Subway system. Their lines tend to be rather long circling and bisecting much of the city. For the most part Toei lines connect a number of the residential parts of Tokyo with the Yamanote. Even though some of their trains share physical stations and lines with Metro you will have to pay a transfer fee because they are two separate entities.
Toei's rates are slightly higher. This is possibly because they have fewer lines. They start at 170円 and can go as high as 510円 if you are going from one extreme end to the other. And like Metro their machines are bilingual and make change. Toei has a handful of day passes you can buy in those machines; including some that allow travel on their buses and streetcar.
You can take Toei's Oedo Line to Shiodome and then transfer to the Yurikamome from there.
Toei Streetcar-
The Arakawa line is a wonderful one car lightrail car that takes passengers through some of northeastern Tokyo's quieter older neighborhoods.
Toei City Bus-
They provide the bus service in Tokyo. Get on in the front of the bus and pay (you can get change). They go everywhere.
JR East-
JR East is going to get most people across long distances in Tokyo and abroad. This system covers half of the island of Honshu with local service, long distance service, express service and overnight trains. JR East also has long distance buses and ferry service. You could in theory not need to use JR East in Tokyo because the subway and other private rail services have almost everything covered. However, if you intend on going out of the city JR might be your best bet because they go practically everywhere.
In Tokyo JR goes to almost the major hubs - Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ueno, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Asakusa. They have a great loop line - the Yamanote (green) - that takes commuters around town through many of those major districts. The Chuo Line (orange) starts in Tokyo Station bisects the Yamanote and goes to the towns to the West - Kichijoji, Mitaka and Nakano. Sobu Line (yellow) follows much of the same path as the Chuo line but it is a local train stopping at places like Tokyo Dome, Ochanomizu and Setagaya to the west; while it also goes to the toy shops in AsakusaBashi and the chanko and woodwork in Ryogoku east of the Sumida River. At Ueno travelers can take trains going way up into northern Japan. The Keikin Line takes passengers from Saitama to Yokohama through the east side of Tokyo. In Shinjuku you can find the Chuo & Sobu lines; the Shonan Line (orange/green) takes riders south to Yokahama and north to Saitama; while the Saikyo Line (Teal) runs north to south from Saitama to Shibuya (actually Osaki but thats a couple stations away).
Prices are affordable on the JR. Actually they are pretty darn reasonable long distance too. Premiums are paid for express cars and special cars. You generally don't have to worry about those locally but when going long distance please be make sure you don't get hit with extra charges (even with a JR Pass).
A couple passes to mention: Tokyo Free Kippu gets you travel on all JR and Tokyo Metro lines for a day 1,580円. Tokyo Holiday Pass gives riders unlimited rides for a day on JR, Tokyo Monorail and Tokyo Waterfront Rapid Transit covering the Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama and Chiba areas for 2300円. You actually go all the way to Narita Airport and then go to Kamakura with this pass! And it is valid starting Dec 29th through Jan 3rd. JR East also has its own Rail Pass. 20,000円 for 5 continuous days or 4 flexible days for unlimited JR East travel including bullet trains. I'd go for the flex days myself because they can be used within a months time. Like the all inclusive JR Pass this could be a steal if you use it right. And the JR East Pass gives owners a 10% discount at JR East Hotels.
The king of all passes only works during the holidays! The Seishun 18 Pass allows for unlimited travel on either A) 5 consecutive days or B) 5 separate days or C) 5 people can share the pass for one day. And all options allow for travel on the ENTIRE JR network! JR East, JR West, JR Central, JR Hokkaido... All of it. However, holders of this pass cannot ride on bullet trains, sleeping trains or JR Buses. BUUU. Still this is the one I am going to get and it is cheap!! 11,500円 for potentially mucho training will equal Ed is going to be riding in style... in packed trains this winter!!
You can get all of these JR East passes in Japan at JR Service Centers, Midori no Madoguchi and travel agencies.
Keikyu-
If you are coming in from Kanagawa Prefecture this might be an alternative to JR. Take it to Shinagawa and then go to Shinbashi. You can also take this to Narita and Haneda Airports.
Keio-
Trains go to the western reaches of Tokyo Prefecture and connects to major stations like Shibuya and Shinjuku. Kinda expensive but they are an okay alternative for travel to Hachijoji and Kichijoji.
Keisei-
Keisei provides a great alternative if you need transit to and from Narita Airport. Their Skyliner is a good express that takes riders to Ueno Station in Tokyo. Fast and comfortable. They have connections between Tokyo and Chiba prefectures. They also have some lines in Tokyo going to Tokyo Airport (Haneda). On Comiket day you can take Keio to Shimbashi before transferring to the Yurikamome.
Odakyu-
Connects Tokyo and the luxurious hot spring town of Hakone (to the west). They also provide local line service to great jazz/punk center Shimokitazawa and the sleepy seaside town of Enoshima (was Love Hina set in that town??).
Seibu-
As the name states Seibu covers the west side of Tokyo. Lines take off from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro and go to places like Musashino. Short rides are cheap (starting at 140円) but longer rides could cost as high as 720円!! Also during the summer its the only way to go see the Seibu Lions baseball team.
Tobu-
If traveling to the East from Ikebukuro or Asakusa then Tobu is the way to go. Maybe. I have never been on their trains before. But they stop in one of my favorite towns... Senju. Well Kita-Senju.
Tokyu-
In charge of most of south Tokyo and lines around Tokyo Bay these guys could be very helpful for Comiket travel. Lines generally go towards Shibuya and Meguro but because not many lines are by the increasingly developed Bay area you might find yourself near one of their stations. You can get off at Oimachi and transfer to the Rinkai Line which will take you Kokusai-Tenjijo Station (where the Big Site is).
TWR-
The Tokyo Waterfront Railway operates the Rinkai Line, one of two lines that go directly to Tokyo Big Site. This line goes along the Bay and to some of the Islands off Tokyo proper. The ride from Osaki is 360円 and from Oimachi is 320円 is expensive really but this could be less crowded than the Yurikamome.
Yurikamome-
This is the only other train line that goes to the Big Site. Looks like a monorail but its not. This rubber-wheeled train takes off from Shinbashi and drops you off in front of the Big Site. Lines can get so crazy during Comiket I recommend getting return tickets or even a 1000円 pass for the weekend. One way to Kokusai-Tenjijo Station from the terminal at Shinbashi Station (on the JR Yamanote Line). These trains start running at 6:00am and you will see people out there already. This line can get very crowded as the cars have plush paired seating arrangements.
Local Passes include:
PASSNET
This service allows riders to buy passes of 1000円, 3000円, and 5000円 that will give the pass access to almost every transportation system in the Greater Tokyo area. It is like a debt card and it can be recharged at certain ticket/pass machines. It is very convenient especially if you are not using the JR.
Systems using this are: Metro, Odakyu, Keio, Keisei, Keihin, Saitama Express, Toei Subway, Seibu,
Tokyu, TWR, Tobu, Maihama Resort Line, Yurikamome, Yokohama Express, Yokohama Subway
SUICA
This service is a rechargable card that allows riders to have funds deducted from their card when riding JR and TWR trains. These cards can also be used to make purchases at participating stores around JR stations. 2000円 to start and then you can recharge at train stations with cash (and I think credit cards).
Okay recap of what you need to do on Comiket Days (I'll post this again closer to the event as well)
RINKAI LINE
Get on at the Osaki Station (on the JR Yamanote/Saikyo Lines) or Oimachi Station (Keihin Line) and get off at Kokusai-Tenjijo Station
YURIKAMOME
Get on at either the Shimbashi Station (JR Yamanote/Keihan & Metro Ginza/Asakusa) or Toyosu Station (Metro Yurakucho) and head to Kokusai-Tenjijo Seimon Station.
TOEI CITY BUS
Get on at either JR Tokyo Station (Yaesu Exit), Toei Subway Monzen-Nakacho Station or JR Hamamatsucho Station and get off at Tokyo Big Sight. 200円 each way.
KEIHIN KYUKO BUS
There is an express bus from Yokohama to the Big Sight. Get on at JR Yokohama Station (East Exit) and get off at Tokyo Big Sight.
WATER BUS
Some people like to do the romantic thing and take the ferry to the Big Sight. Marine Transport System has ferries from Hinode Station (on the Yurikomome) that take passengers to the base of the Big Sight
Okay so you have sooooo many transit options for training Tokyo but in the end you will likely need to use either the Rinkai or Yurikamome. But since Comiket should only be a small part of the party you should take advantage of the other transit systems to get around Tokyo (and beyond). Many of the transit systems I mentioned have websites in English. Most have maps in PDF format and some even have fare information. For the most part stations have English and Japanese so that shouldn't be a problem though station agents might not speak English. Many stations have coin lockers, kiosks selling manga and food, and some almost feel like underground malls (or in the case of Shinjuku it can feel like a mini-city). Prepare for crowded trains, crowded stations and lots of noise.
Oh and before I forget. From Narita Airport you can take a pair of Express Trains that go to Tokyo within an hour time. JR's N'EX can be caught in both terminals. Keisei's Skyliner also stops in both terminals. The stations are on the Basement Floor. And on the same floor you can find a JR Service Center and a ticket booth with attendees for Keisei.
What am I taking... I'll be riding the Metro a bit to go to movie theaters and some random shopping, so I'll get a PASSNET pass. Since I am going to Osaka, I'll get a Seishun 18 Pass from JR. And in Osaka I'll get myself a cheap Surutto Pass (its similar to a PASSNET thingy).
Okay we have got through the long ones. With only a month to go, from here on out we will cover the little details.... And maybe talk about some side trips. Stay tuned!
communications.
money.......
gear........
catalog.....
floor map...
schedule....
checklist...
Sleep.......
after event.
Pretty sure there is more.
Comiket 71
The world's largest comic convention
Dates: Dec 29-31, 2006
Time：10:00 ~ 16:00
Location: Tokyo Big Sight Halls East 1-2-3-4-5-6 West 1-2-3-4; Ariake 3-21-1, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5530-1111
Cosplay： yes, Please register in HalWest3; 800円. And please change at the con. Do not Arrive or Leave in costume!
Pictures: yes, limited to cosplay area. Always ask for permission.
Notes： Industry Hall, Catalog can be bought across the country... bring lots of CASH and a big a dj carrier with wheels!!
Already some circles are announcing where their booths are going to be. So if you are desperate and you want someone to get you a DJ or two from your favorite circle send me an email ( mangacast@gmail.com) I can try to work something out. Furthermore, if you happen to be at the Big Sight lets hang out for a bit.
Already, I have some shopping to do on fujoshi day. I will definitely have my share of line hell in the Industry Hall on opening day. And on day three I am going to have a guided tour of Row "Yo"! Now if I can only find someone to have curry with at UK Curry on Friday and a lunch date for Saturday... Hmm seafood at Cafe Mermaid or maybe Youfu Ryori at Hibiya Matsumotoro. I'd be up for Ramen at Daikei also ^_^
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naniwa : The Morning Report: Issue 38 [+5] - naniwa : Manga a la Carte ~ Comiket 72: First Attack [+6]
- naniwa : Maki Side Dish #26 ~ Comiket Day 3 is H [+7]
- naniwa : Comiket Booty Part 3: How do you Doujinshi? [+2]
- naniwa : Comiket Booty #2 ~ You Asked for it!! [+7]
- naniwa : Comiket Booty Part One ~ 70th Gen Ippo BrokeBack = the Perfect Move ~ [+6]
- naniwa : FuyuComi 2006 ~ Day 2 or Fuuuujoshi wars!!! [+0]
- naniwa : Con Alert! ~ Comiket 71 [+1]
- naniwa : Maki Side Dish #24 - Doujin Walker & Young Animal (FutoMaki) [+1]
- naniwa : Con Alert! - Comiket ~Countdown 7 Days~ (SotoKanda Walker #2) [+0]
- naniwa : Con Alert! - Comiket 71 (countdown 14 days) [+3]
- naniwa : Con Alert! - Comiket 71 (countdown 18 days) [+0]
- naniwa : Con Alert! - Comiket Countdown 28days!! [+0]
