Team McReynolds wakes up on day 1 in Japan at 6:30 AM local time. Our week long battle with jetlag has officially begun- but it could be worse, we could be getting out of bed at 4 in the afternoon. I’m thrilled this morning because our first stop is Akihabara- known locally as ‘Electric Town’. Video games old and new, rare and ubiquitous, fun and published by Bandai are said to be available among the arcades and cramped stores. We’ve got our directions, we’ve got our yen, we’ve got our cameras; we’re exceptionally prepared. Or so we thought.

Before I go any further I’d like to make a retraction. This publication (by that, I mean my whenever-I-feel-like-it blog that has so far covered only one subject and has been read as often by my immediate family as anyone else) (also, looking back, has only been vaguely video game themed) (and, come to think of it, is rife with ‘creative’ punctuation usage) prides itself on accurate reporting. That said, in the first prologue to this ongoing article I mentioned that the penguin mascot for the Suica rail pass was far inferior to the Pasmo pink robot. I could not have been more wrong and should not have passed judgment prior to actually visiting a Japanese rail station. My wife Stacey and I searched high and low for that jackass robot to no avail. We couldn’t figure out how to buy any pass card or individual ticket and the attendants didn’t speak a word of English. The language barrier combined with jetlag and hunger caused Team McReynolds to enter panic mode. Luckily, an English speaking traveler named Megan was able to guide us in purchasing and recharging a Suica card.

 Without going too far ahead, I visited likely a dozen different stations while in Tokyo and never once saw a Pasmo machine until my last day. So, with my journalistic integrity in the balance, I must advise potential visitors to Tokyo that the penguin does, in fact, know what’s up. Not only were Suica machines everywhere and easy to use with multi-lingual options, but there were ads for them all over the place. Ads that featured the heroic, confident penguin eating watermelon, surfing the web in his living room, and working his magic on a lovely lady-penguin. I can’t apologize enough to Suica or their mascot- that guy is a life-saving badass.

You’ve got a friend in Tokyo.

With a little help from Megan (seriously, thanks), we’re on our way. Upon arriving in Akihabara we head immediately to breakfast at ‘Vie de France’- a pastry and coffee shop chain restaurant. The food is great and the coffee crucial considering the 6 hours of semi-sleep we’re running on. As we walk out of the restaurant and turn the corner past the station, I spot this through an alley:

Super Potato is everything I had hoped it would be. I was there for hours and ended up walking out with a Famicom, SMB 3, Kirby, some bargain priced golf game, and- get this- a game called Booby Kids. I didn’t want to spend the whole trip budget on the first day, but I couldn’t not buy a game called Booby Kids- I’ve got principles. When I crack it open and give it a play I’ll let everyone know how it is. Preliminary estimates indicate there’s no way it’ll live up to the title, but after the penguin/robot debacle I’m not taking any chances.

Back on the streets, Stac and I take in more of Akihabara and we come to realize a major difference between Tokyo and US cities: street barkers. I’ll get fliers and things from people on the street back in Atlanta, but there isn’t anyone out screeching at the top of their lungs to attract my patronage. Also different, instead of handing out fliers packs of tissue emblazoned with a logo were distributed. Kinda nice, they at least make inexpensive (free) souvenirs for people I don’t like.

Now, contrary to what my purchase of Booby Kids might have you believe, I think some things just aren’t meant for children. That’s why I can’t grasp how Hooters has a kid’s menu, and it’s also why I don’t understand how maid cafes are allowed to advertise on the street. According to Wikipedia, “…[A] subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses dressed in maid costumes act as servants, and treat customers as masters (and mistresses) in a private home, rather than as café patrons.” The entry goes on to say that the concept is based on an anime inspired fetish, but that the cafes aren’t necessarily sexual in nature. This picture says otherwise:

I offered her some money to buy the rest of that skirt. She politely declined.

Team McReynolds spent the morning and most of the afternoon in Akihabara, but lack of sleep was catching up to us. We made our way back to the hotel to have a nap and relax around Shinjuku. All in all, Akihabara was one of my favorite days in Tokyo and I’d definitely recommend Super Potato to any gamer making the trip. More on the evening in Shinjuku and the next day in Asakusa to come.

In Japan, The Vapors aren't even famous. Click here for the next entry.