My Japan trip April 2018

[neorichieb1971]

Hi guys,

The videos are going up as I type. First up -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V46NyXA4lXI - Hiroshima.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziN3zX0A8fc - Mount Fuji ~ Lake Hakone

https://youtu.be/AQc_7j7Hbhg - Himeji & Himeji Castle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgYVKpc3d84 - Nara Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLVbGLz8pMU&t=128s - In and around Kyoto (this one is quite long).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGCY2-RUoZs&t=1293s - Trains




More to come.

Just a tip, if you have a 50hz capable setup please change your settings accordingly. Its a bit smoother that way.

[Skykid]

Hi guys,

As the subject line suggests I am going on my very first trip to Japan in April 2018.

Jesus, you missed the boat a bit there Richie, what took you so long?

Still great fun though, enjoy yourself, but heed my words regarding games: don't go to Akihabara to do serious shopping. You'll end up a poor man with a shit ton of bad deals; it's cheaper to just buy through forums or at the very least, YHJ.

[neorichieb1971]

Hi guys,

As the subject line suggests I am going on my very first trip to Japan in April 2018.

Jesus, you missed the boat a bit there Richie, what took you so long?

Still great fun though, enjoy yourself, but heed my words regarding games: don't go to Akihabara to do serious shopping. You'll end up a poor man with a shit ton of bad deals; it's cheaper to just buy through forums or at the very least, YHJ.

If I didn't move to the States for 6 years it would have happened by now.

If the prices are not reasonable I can walk away quite easily. But I figure that any online price on YHJ is going to be as high or nearly as high as ebay. You can find good deals anywhere if the starting price is low on auctions. I've never bought through YHJ before. I don't know how to. Also I noticed in pictures that its hard to tell on condition in the pics because they are relatively small compared to ebay where you can Zoom in and see little details. If I see something in mint condition in Japan, at least I know its true condition and get peace of mind for a bit of extra cash.

I will be so disappointed if I come back with bugger all

[Skykid]

Well good luck regardless, enjoy yourself! Most games sold in stores already come in baggies for dust protection, how you arrange them in your suitcase is your call, just be practical and prepare for the worst of baggage handlers.

Going to look at pretty ladies with your wife sounds like good couple time, but aside from strip joints there are usually a few half decent gals walking around town. To be honest though, don't believe the hype: a lot of Tokyo girls are caked in makeup and kind of busted. They're better looking in Kyoto and some other far out destinations. Enjoy the rickets and teeth that look like a mouthful of fingers.

[NTSC-J]

I will be wanting to purchase a few bits and was wondering the best places to find these items -

Adventures of little Ralph - PS1
Bio Metal - SFC
New Zealand Story - Megadrive
Any other 16/32 bit games that us Westerners like.
A Taito F3 motherboard.

I heard super potato is good but its also expensive. A youtube I watched said a few shops down the back streets have cheaper prices and more variety. If anyone can pin point these for me on a map

Unless you plan on coming in a DeLorean, you're a tad too late on the deals, particularly when it comes to SFC stuff. It's never been so bad.

Just today I went to Mandarake in Nakano Broadway (definitely stop by there) and the SFC prices take the breath away. Heavy-hitters from 10 years ago have tripled and quadrupled in price, like Wild Guns which now approaches $1000. Even stuff I bought in 2006 for normal prices, like Do Re Mi Fantasy for 4500, have...decupled (x10) in price. It's so bad, I had to google a list of tuples because I can't count that high.

But if there are cheaper games on your list, try some Book Offs for decent prices.

Also, any big shopping areas (Shibuya, Shinjuku) will have lots of women walking around, particularly during the week when their husbands are slaving away.

[sven666]

..does wildguns actually sell for $1000? or is it just a display thing where they dont really want to part with it..?

I just might have to ship my SFC games back to japan

[MintyTheCat]

If there is somewhere I can go with the wife where attractive Japanese ladies will be hovering about, that would be great. I'm only looking I swear

I've known a couple of Japanese ladies over the years and luckily their teeth were fine. But I know what you mean; why do many of them have poor teeth? I am not referring to cleanliness - they do look after them, but in terms of them being all over the place? I know the UK it is harder in some places to find a dentist but it often made me wonder why this phenomenon was so in Japan.

[Skykid]

DNA.

The UK has enormous calf muscles and mega thighs, a combination of a once-Norse invasion and modern day KFC.

[neorichieb1971]

Unless you plan on coming in a DeLorean, you're a tad too late on the deals, particularly when it comes to SFC stuff. It's never been so bad.

Just today I went to Mandarake in Nakano Broadway (definitely stop by there) and the SFC prices take the breath away. Heavy-hitters from 10 years ago have tripled and quadrupled in price, like Wild Guns which now approaches $1000. Even stuff I bought in 2006 for normal prices, like Do Re Mi Fantasy for 4500, have...decupled (x10) in price. It's so bad, I had to google a list of tuples because I can't count that high.

But if there are cheaper games on your list, try some Book Offs for decent prices.

Also, any big shopping areas (Shibuya, Shinjuku) will have lots of women walking around, particularly during the week when their husbands are slaving away.

In that case I will just get some cheapie deals. I don't want games just because they are expensive.


I have a hard drive full of Japanese girls pics. They look more like dolls than actual women. But it is one of my fetishes in life so If I am going all the way to Japan I might as well take a gander. I'll try and find a pic or two.

[MintyTheCat]

I have a hard drive full of Japanese girls pics. They look more like dolls than actual women. But it is one of my fetishes in life so If I am going all the way to Japan I might as well take a gander. I'll try and find a pic or two.

Oddly, I got into a similar discussion with an old japanese GF: what they find 'attractive' is often not really attractive to many of us in the west.
I prefer women to girls

[NTSC-J]

..does wildguns actually sell for $1000? or is it just a display thing where they dont really want to part with it..?

I doubt they move too many copies at that price, but I also doubt it's just for show. All of the usual suspects for SFC have these nutty prices now and it isn't just at Mandarake; a quick look on YAJ turns up only one CIB copy of Wild Guns and it has a starting bid of 75,000 yen (or buy-it-now for 85,000). There's also a Magical Pop'N currently at 57,000 with 65 bids and five days left.

[neorichieb1971]

First fetish of the day -

[GaijinPunch]

..does wildguns actually sell for $1000? or is it just a display thing where they dont really want to part with it..?

I doubt they move too many copies at that price, but I also doubt it's just for show. All of the usual suspects for SFC have these nutty prices now and it isn't just at Mandarake; a quick look on YAJ turns up only one CIB copy of Wild Guns and it has a starting bid of 75,000 yen (or buy-it-now for 85,000). There's also a Magical Pop'N currently at 57,000 with 65 bids and five days left.

Magical Pop'n is the one that I saw that made my eyes pop out. Yowza. Great game... but not $1000 great.

[MX7]

I went for just a week last year. Here are a few tips, partly through own experiences, partly through advice from HZT and JDE and grilling them.

I prefer to stay in one place, but that's just me. To be honest I had most fun exploring the immediate vicinity of my hotel in Shinjuku.

Maybe it's from living in London, but Tokyo was a pretty cheap holiday. I don't buy videogames anymore though. Yet I came back with a ridiculous amount of books and records.

Akihabara sucks (apart from HEY). Much better deals to be had from random Book Offs and other shops. Like crates of PS1 games for a few hundred yen. If there's anything good in Akihabara still, you'll pay through the nose.

Nakano Broadway is heaven. I ended up going about three times. Can't really vouch for videogames, but there's tonnes of amazing pornography, animation cells and post punk LPs.

Some things are weirdly expensive, 500yen for a coffee seemed to be the going rate. I got a taste for the crazy strong canned coffee you can grab from any vending machine.

People are really nice if you try and use a tiny amount of Japanese.

There's lots of tiny rules to follow no matter what you do. Being autistic, I thought this was awesome.

Toilets are either spotless and Godlike or absolutely vile with no middle ground. But they're everywhere, which is weirdif you're used to London or New York.

Tourists are awful.

It's not the nerd paradise it might have once been. I found loads more classic anime junk in Paris.

We only got interviewed by a Japanese TV crew once but it will happen, probably several times.

[BIL]

I never really cared for most of the SFC's priciest action games, but holy fuck, I'd bite my own dick off before parting with Wild Guns. Glad I bagged it in a time of relative sanity.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

If you hear a bike bell chime behind you as you & the missus are walking down the sidewalks of Japan, it's common courtesy to move out of the way for approaching bicyclists.

Use the international ATM kiosk if you want make a cash withdrawl on your credit card.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[MX7]

If you hear a bike bell chime behind you as you & the missus are walking down the sidewalks of Japan, it's common courtesy to move out of the way for approaching bicyclists.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

That's interesting. Is that not the done thing in America?

One thing that's always caught me out and almost killed me everywhere I've ever been: here in the UK, white stripes on the road means as a pedestrian you can cross there and everyone has to stop for you. If you do this anywhere else on the planet, you will die instantly.

[Immryr]

If you hear a bike bell chime behind you as you & the missus are walking down the sidewalks of Japan, it's common courtesy to move out of the way for approaching bicyclists.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

That's interesting. Is that not the done thing in America?

One thing that's always caught me out and almost killed me everywhere I've ever been: here in the UK, white stripes on the road means as a pedestrian you can cross there and everyone has to stop for you. If you do this anywhere else on the planet, you will die instantly.

Yeah I would have assumed it's common courtesy to move if someone rings a bike bell behind you everywhere.

I always just walk out into the road at zebra crossings without looking. My girlfriend hates it, but I just say "if someone hits me and I die it's their fault" as if that would be any consolation.

[MintyTheCat]

Can't really vouch for videogames, but there's tonnes of amazing pornography

That made my day that did
Just be careful what you bring back porno wise. An accomplice of mine brought some rather questionable 'material' through a few airports on his way back to Cambridge. It is amazing how different countries have differing stances on pornos. This same accomplice of mine ended up being besotted with an idol from about 1982 - she must have been well into middle age by that stage but he sort of created this 'shrine' to her. I used to piss myself when I visited him at the University and saw the mini shrine - still, he did have a nice raiden model too so it was not all bad at all.

It is kind of cool that your partner is supportive of your fetish, Richie. One thing I can tell you is that there are some mean fighting gamers who are ladies over there so expect some competition

[sven666]

There's also a Magical Pop'N currently at 57,000 with 65 bids and five days left.

fuckin crazy... I gotta go thru my collection

First fetish of the day -

fuckin creepy.. im outta here!!

[GaijinPunch]

If you hear a bike bell chime behind you as you & the missus are walking down the sidewalks of Japan, it's common courtesy to move out of the way for approaching bicyclists.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

That's interesting. Is that not the done thing in America?

Technically they are not supposed to ride on the side walk in Japan. It's a fluid situation though due to the traffic. In the US, if you ride on the sidewalk (at least in Chicago) you will get berated. Conversely if you walk in a bike lane, you'll get the same.

[NTSC-J]

It is kind of cool that your partner is supportive of your fetish, Richie.

What woman wouldn't want to fly halfway around the world so her husband can rifle through dingy old game shops and ogle young women? It's like a second honeymoon!

[neorichieb1971]

As for my wife, she understands that she is one woman and a man likes many women. As long as I don't break any rules by actually doing something wrong she won't mind at all. In fact in the UK she always follows up my "Look on the arse on that!" with "I wouldn't mind a bit of that myself". Its just a bit of a giggle. Our plumber over heard us talking once and he approached us and said "Do you talk like that all the time? My wife would kill me if I said that".

Wife likes Mario, Bomberman, Tekken etc. She also appreciates great box art and will most likely pick up a few bits for me as well whilst in Japan. All my friends say she is one in a million.

[Bananamatic]

It is kind of cool that your partner is supportive of your fetish, Richie.

What woman wouldn't want to fly halfway around the world so her husband can rifle through dingy old game shops and ogle young women? It's like a second honeymoon!

a 3D woman

[FinalBaton]

What woman wouldn't want to fly halfway around the world so her husband can rifle through dingy old game shops and ogle young women? It's like a second honeymoon!

Ok that cracked me up. lol

[qmish]

I prefer women to girls

damn i hate that people use one word (girl) for nearly all ages of woman. Leads to misunderstanding easily.

[BIL]

Our plumber over heard us talking once and he approached us and said "Do you talk like that all the time? My wife would kill me if I said that".

Stealing this for the script of my next porno tape

[FinalBaton]

As for my wife, she understands that she is one woman and a man likes many women.

You say this as if it's only a male thing. I hope you're aware that this street goes both ways
A woman longs for many cocks

[Skykid]

As for my wife, she understands that she is one woman and a man likes many women.

You say this as if it's only a male thing. I hope you're aware that this street goes both ways
A woman longs for many cocks

LMAO, I like the phrasing. That's not actually true as a blanket statement though, but I agree both genders (all two of them) enjoy sexual diversity.

[Immryr]

of course it's true, everyone finds people other than their partner attractive, regardless of gender.