Yesterday was the first destination of the day Roppongiarea of Tokyo where the famous Tokyo Tower and the new complex Azabudai Hills. The Tokyo Tower was the main reason for our stop in the neighborhood, both to visit the area together with those who had never been there, and because we discovered the presence of an event and a themed merchandise store Persona 3 Reload.
We were pleased to discover that the tower area also hosted a cosplay event and obviously a slew of cosplayers, along with the disturbing Tokyo Tower mascot that we nicknamed Buttplug-kun for its characteristic physiognomy (even if it is more noticeable in the drawings than in the mascot).
We rushed to the gadget store, sadly discovering that the best ones were already sold out — but I still brought home a themed bag Koromaru. Purchased the ticket to climb the tower and for “participate in the event” we entered the area where the main theme of the game came from, but a few minutes later we realized that we had made a huge mistake because the event didn't actually require an entrance ticket to that area, as they had done for us understand the employees — who still gave us P3R-themed stickers and everything else. It was in fact the REDa sort of indoor playground, similar to Joypolis of Odaiba, but decidedly sadder, where there were various games in pseudo augmented reality, some cabinets and various attractions under siege by local kids. We shot two arrows with the bow in vain and went out to participate in this real “event”.
It was about a real treasure hunt that took place throughout the Tokyo Tower area, which asked contestants to find all the hardbacks of the game's characters and answer the questions posed on them, then redeem a stamp on the appropriate app and complete the card. We therefore wasted the entire morning walking up and down the first three floors of the tower and answering questions, only to then discover that the last shape, precisely that of the damn dog, was located in an area accessible only with the ticket for the viewing deck. After having repeatedly hurled curses at the dog (and also a bit of Master, because he wanted to do the treasure hunt) we pompously went to the cash register to collect our prize: a card, a plastic card, with the visual of Persona 3 Reload. Nice shit!
We exited the tower and high-fived Buttplug-kun we walked around the area, where we visited a Buddhist temple and headed towards the next stop. OdaibaTokyo's mecca for fans of Gundamwhere the 1/1 scale statue of the Unicorn.
Enjoyed the monorail ride to Tokyo Bay, and afterward we enjoyed it the fake Statue of Liberty to my traveling companions, I rushed to see him again Unicorn after six years, like an owner who returns home to his dog after many months of absence and expects him to celebrate. I stood contemplating and taking photos for a good hour, waiting for the first scheduled show, and then I took a look at the (miserable) GUNDAM BASE ANNEXthe additional small shop that occupied the place of it was Gundam Café. Unfortunately there is very little stuff inside, it is more an outpost for tourists intrigued by the statue than for actual fans. The real enjoyment was on the top floor of the mall, where I panicked because I didn't know what to buy and how to carry my stuff around the store without an Ipercoop-style cart. I had to choose quickly and without enjoying the visit to the shop, only to discover at the checkout that I couldn't get more than ten kits with a single purchase, and that I couldn't buy more on the same day. Strange anti-touting rules, but it's understandable. Goodbye, RG Strike RougeI'll miss you.
Before the GUNDAM BASIChowever, I and Sciascillo we took a tour of the Daisoa 100-yen store full of wonders, where I found some splendid bases and dioramas for GUNPLA and similar for only 100 yen each. We ended up spending 10,000 yen between us, buying as much junk as possible and imaginable, some little gifts and some souvenirs for our return to Italy. I spent the rest of the day outside admiring the statue and the subsequent shows (four different ones, if I'm not mistaken), some of which I hadn't yet managed to see live. Finally, after eating something at the mall, we crawled home with bags full of wonders, getting lost in the subway and returning home even more tired than expected.
The next day it was Ameyoko, Ueno and Asakusa's turn, but more on that tomorrow. At least, I hope so!
PS I apologize for not being able to post photos together with these articles, but I will try to do so once I return, updating all the episodes of the Diary with as many photos as possible from each day.
#wasted #morning #Tokyo #Tower #credit #card
