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I detailed what I don't like about Tokyo Game Show earlier, so I figure it's only fair that I expound on what I do enjoy about Japan's largest gaming trade show as well. Sure, any Westerner will find things to complain about in Japan -- they do have a penchant for head-scratching behavior -- but TGS also has plenty to like compared to E3. To begin with...
Makuhari Messe is no L.A. Convention Center
And that's a very good thing. Plus, I still haven't forgiven them for turning the charming Kentia Hall into a parking lot. But part of the hassle with E3 is that everything's spread out among two ginormous exhibition halls, which means that as a journalist, way too much of your time is spent navigating between the two. Makuhari Messe may be similarly huge, but it's also packed together a lot more tightly, so you can walk directly from one end of the show to the other without too many problems. And don't even get me on the atrocious Convention Center food, which brings me to...
Even out-of-the-way Chiba's more convenient than downtown LA.
I'm not a big fan of L.A. in general -- and no, this isn't even the typical NoCal/SoCal rivalry talking. But L.A. is about the most soulless, depressing downtown I've ever seen. I'd rather order room service from my hotel than hang out pretty much anywhere around the L.A. Convention Center. And forget about public transportation -- I'm still not convinced the mythical L.A. subway even exists, and I'd sooner risk my hide on the hobo-infested "Dirty-Eight" up in San Francisco than hop on any bus in L.A. The Makuhari area in Chiba may not be on the level of Shibuya or Shinjuku, but it's got a decent food mall, karaoke boxes, convenience stores, and even a baseball stadium all within walking distance. Plus, it's even got a killer view of Mt. Fuji when the weather's clear.
Obsessive Japanese politeness is no myth
Sure, a lot of it's a weirdly impersonal cultural facade -- but after a long day, wouldn't you rather deal with phony politeness than in-your-face surliness than here in America? And some of it's very real. Within minutes of arriving at Narita, my disoriented American ass proceeded to leave my briefcase (containing my laptop, incidentally!) on the platform as I boarded the express train to the western Tokyo suburbs. Almost instantly, two young Japanese women rushed onto the train with my briefcase. And during a pre-TGS visit to Tokyo Disneyland with former 1UP coworkers Justin Haywald and Jade Kraus, a couple of Japanese kids immediately rushed to retrieve a bag that I didn't realize I'd left behind. I have a feeling that I wouldn't have been so fortunate back in the States...
