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A long long time ago a friend asked, "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" My answer was not the tropical beaches of Barbados or the chic romance of Paris; it was Japan. Why? Because Japan really has it all for the geeks. Better yet, they actually embrace geekdom. After two trips there (and surely more to come), here's my top 10 list of geeky reasons to visit Japan.
For the love of video games: Arcades may be a dying thing in North America, but you'll still find arcades seven stories tall alive and kicking all over Tokyo. I may have visited more of these than would be considered "normal" but I just loved walking in and playing games like I knew what I was doing. I was often the only tourist there, and I've gained a few fans after collecting two Hello Kitty dolls in one swipe on the claw machines.
For the love of manga: What could be better for the manga fans than rows and rows of shelves dedicated to manga in every bookstore? Sure, they're all in Japanese so it's not very useful shopping unless you know the language. However, now's as good as any time to start learning, right? Grab yourself a few books from the kids section and head over to your local community college for some night classes when you arrive back home. Better yet, do as I did, take a class before you go! You'll have a much easier time recognizing the hiragana characters used on subway maps, and you'll have a trained eye for finding manga which uses the basic hiragana and katakana alphabets over the more complex kenji.
For the love of anime: I'm a huge fan of Azumanga Daioh, both the manga and the anime. Where else in the world could you wander around and stumble upon souvenirs from your favorite anime series?!
For the love of cosplay: Harajuku, made even more famous in the United States by Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Girls song and Target product line, is a subculture for the cosplay fashionistas of Tokyo. The term Harajuku comes from Harajuku Station, a subway station popular as a hang out spot for the wildly costumed. People go there to see and be seen, and what a sight it is!
For the love of kawaii: It's not just a Hawaiian island! Kawaii is the Japanese word for cute. More than that, it's a subculture in itself. I could have spent days browsing Kiddie Land, a store which offers five stories of uber-cute overload. In fact, I did. From Hello Kitty towels to Snoopy dishware, you'll find everything to stock your house with kawaii. My favorite part of our trip to Japan while I was pregnant: shopping for baby stuff at Kiddie Land! There was no holding me back!
For the love of the old and the new: Japan has a captivating culture clash that our youngster North American countries can't hold a candle too. It is a magical place where the old and the new come together – for example the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which stands in the middle of a high-rise laden business district. I love that a country so enamored with technology and popular culture can simultaneously be so respectful of its elders and traditions.
For the love of weird foods: You'd think a tourist would sample some of the best restaurants recommended from the helpful touristic websites and books. However, most of my meals consisted of cheap noodles, "French" bakeries, and the weirdest foods I could find at convenience stores. Green tea KitKat? Oh yeah. Brie Pringles? Bring it on! Croissants with hot dog bits in them? You bet. Think you've seen it all? Prepare to be surprised.
For the love of technology: Akihabara, the electronic district in Tokyo, is a prime example of the importance of electronics for the Japanese market. Californians get the funky Fry's, which is pretty cool, but the people of Tokyo get an entire shopping district. Not fair!
For the love of vending machines: Vending machines are hugely popular on the streets of Tokyo. It's like coffee shops in Seattle. At almost every corner, you'll see one. It's super convenient in two ways: it's always there, and you don't have to communicate with it. My favorite was a vending machine inside a restaurant. You pushed a button for your menu selection, inserted the money, and took a seat. Ten minutes later, the chef comes out with your food! Not quite the friendly service of a waitress, but fun to try!
For the love of game shows: A few of our American game shows stem from Japan. I first became aware of Japanese game shows through a Japanese channel on late night cable. I caught episodes of Ryōri no Tetsujin at the weirdest hours, and was widely entertained by the premises of the show and the comically bad dubbing. The show was later brought on the Food Network as a remake called Iron Chef. Another classic is Takeshi's Castle, which was later edited and dubbed as a comedy show called MXC. Watch Japanese television and you'll see many more of these. It's entertaining whether you can understand the language or not!
Do you have favorite geeky things to see in Japan?
