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Evan Miller: Japan Again


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Josh7289



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 1252
PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:07 pm Reply with quote
So, wait, how is the Rirakkuma supposed to relax you?
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fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
Posts: 9193
PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:30 pm Reply with quote
At Book Off here in the US we are required to do the same thing. We must also yell out irrashaimase, and arigatougozaimashita. That's how things are, and that is Japanese society and a part of culture. What more can you expect?
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boznia



Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:14 pm Reply with quote
Haha, that alien has an intense WTF face going on. Thanks to you Evan (and Zac as well). It's fun reading about/looking at weird little things like this.
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darkhappy1



Joined: 26 Jan 2009
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:24 pm Reply with quote
Hauu! The Rirakkuma is so cute! I'll definitely get that.
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kyokun703



Joined: 06 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:48 pm Reply with quote
I love reading these columns when the staff goes to Japan. Looking forward to more updates from both Evan and Zac!
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:34 pm Reply with quote
So was Evan singing Furusato on the plane?
I can't wait for more updates. I'm interested in how Japan is from a American otaku point of view.
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Hikari06



Joined: 10 Aug 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:52 pm Reply with quote
LOL I love reading these humorous travelogue articles. Can't wait to read more! Very Happy
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:09 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Outside many KFCs and McDonalds, you might spot a lifesize replica of the Colonel or Ronald McDonald respectively, and most shops have a little sign out front to advertise the specials for the day.


There's even one in the ocean. Rolling Eyes Laughing
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nobahn
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:22 pm Reply with quote
Evan--

I am just curious: Did you spend any of your formative years in Japan? That is the impression that I got from your article.
Confused Question
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fighterholic



Joined: 28 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:57 pm Reply with quote
nbahn wrote:
Evan--

I am just curious: Did you spend any of your formative years in Japan? That is the impression that I got from your article.
Confused Question

If you look at his profile in the staff page, you can see that he has done plenty of work in Japan. Which could be a factor as to what helped spark his interest in anime.
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Jariten
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Joined: 08 Oct 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:40 am Reply with quote
nbahn wrote:

I am just curious: Did you spend any of your formative years in Japan? That is the impression that I got from your article.
Confused Question


I've lived here for 3 years in total - one as an exchange student and two as a translator/international relations lackey boy up north in Akita Prefecture. That was all in/after college though. I was a pretty big anime geek way before I made it to Japan.

I guess Japan refined my geekiness - I learned how to appreciate good art and lost my ability to tolerate bad anime Razz
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asimpson2006



Joined: 13 May 2008
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Location: USA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:06 am Reply with quote
darkhappy1 wrote:
Hauu! The Rirakkuma is so cute! I'll definitely get that.


Yes after seeing that bear I decided that I must have one for my self.
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mokitty



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 106
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:56 am Reply with quote
Ahh, the nostalgia.
Last August I became sooooo lost in Nakano Broadway, and had the distinct sense that my mind was being in some way violated via the pupils of my eyes, trying to make sense of all that crap jammed in those tiny shelves and cubbyholes. The Mandarake there just confused me even more.
I'll stick with Akiba, thanks!

Keep it coming!!
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daxomni



Joined: 08 Nov 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:29 pm Reply with quote
Nice article; thanks for posting it! Here are some thoughts that popped into my head while I was reading.

Evan Miller wrote:
As we were boarding our Japan Airlines flight to Japan, Zac remarked on the remarkably polite greetings of the countless JAL employees that lined the jetway on the way to the plane.

Did you fly coach? I was wondering if any of you were tall-ish folks and what the seat pitch was like? I've flown JAL a half dozen times but every single time they gave me the exit row. Also, did they let you pick your specific seats prior to the day of departure? Their rudimentary "A/W" reservation system (for coach) was kind of lacking.

Evan Miller wrote:
RICH/MODERATE/CHEAPASS

In my experience the primary cost factor seems to be when you want to travel and how far off in the future that is. If you suddenly decide you want to visit Japan tomorrow then you'd better have some deep pockets as the cost of the flight could easily reach 3-5x the best APEX fare. However, if you're open to a wide range of travel dates spread across the next several months you'll have much better luck finding a good deal. If you have time to wait for a sale then you'll be in even better shape still. I believe those factors are likely to have more impact than who you select for flights and tours or where you choose to stay, assuming you're not picking top-end accommodations.

Evan Miller wrote:
Furthermore, they save you the hassles of finding your own hotel - a nice benefit, especially considering that the Japanese online hotel search engines make about as much sense as the aforementioned walls at Mandarake.

A $15 guidebook will give you far more honest information than most travel agencies would ever offer up on their own. Once you've decided which gaijin-friendly hotel has the best qualities and location in your price range it's usually not that hard to book it based on the information obtained in the book.

Evan Miller wrote:
Aside from checking online, the USA and Canada have no shortage of Japanese travel agencies like JTB, IACE and others. These agencies usually price their flights cheaper than the ones listed on sites like Orbitz and Travelocity, so give them a call.

This is excellent advice. When traveling domestically in the US the best rates are usually online, but when traveling internationally the best rates usually come from travel agencies. That's probably why they still exist. Little hole-in-the-wall agencies can often beat the larger names on price.

Evan Miller wrote:
Occasionally, Korean Air deeply discounts their round trip route to Tokyo from Los Angeles, which is by far the best deal for a flight to Tokyo that I've ever found - as low as $500 round trip. It doesn't get any better than that.

Korean Air isn't the only name in the deep discount business; I've seen similar fares from the likes of Northwest (aka Delta) and Eva Air as well. It just depends on being willing and able to wait for a sale and then jumping on it quickly once the discounted fares are published. One way to do this is to initiate an automatic message notification through one of the online travel sites such as Travelocity or Expedia and setting it to notify you when the airfare drops below a pre-specified threshold.
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Rednal



Joined: 07 Jul 2008
Posts: 134
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:45 pm Reply with quote
Two words: Capsule Hotel.
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