The sunny days have gone away and now the clouds hold sway. Heading north to Ikebukuro to the Sunshine City Mall
Daily routine of walking to the station to catch the train. If you see a large snow crab on the exterior of the building, it could mean its a location of Kani Douraku, a crab restaurant. This is a new branch since there was not one in this area before
Shinjuku yokocho
North of Ikebukuro station is Ringo, an apple bakery
I had heard some great reviews for its apple pie
I chose to buy the apple custard pie. Flakey pastry wrapped around slices of apple embedded in custard
Read that it was not too sweet, though it was sweeter than what I was expecting. I wasnt expecting it to be so messy either. The layered pastry did not bite through cleanly and caused the insides to squish out more than I like. The apples and custard were a great pair but I thought it was just ok overall
I took the underpass from Sunshine City dori to the mall. Great to have when theres rain outside or just because of the convenience of moving walkways
On the floor above Namja Town is the Gashapon Dept store. They tout the Guiness world record for the most gashapon machines at one location. There definitely were alot
Just walking around at first to take in the scope of the shop. Many were grouped together by category while some were grouped by a loose connection
Sadly, there were duplicates and they didnt have every item that I had already seen at other locations during this trip
Wide assortment of anime related items but I wanted to see the odd and different prizes that I know the Japanese are known for
Theres 2 large rooms that house most of the gashapon. There is an area for kuji, raffle, items. Finally theres a small arcade to the right of the entry
These are some things that I would expect and really nothing out of the ordinary
Stuff like this is what I thought I'd see but would not understand
There are charms or keychain add-ons related to some chain shops for those who are devoted to their favorite brands
So many to look at but so few inspired me to drop a few coins
As I wondered around the dizzying array of prizes, I started playing a game in my mind
Of the non anime related items, which would fit which of my friends the best. To not offend my friends, I did not actually purchase any of the pairings that went through my mind. Who would be interested in patterned cinder blocks?
Arcade shooting cabinet miniature would interest video game enthusiasts
Of course there would be replica vending machines. In previous visits we found mini gashapon dispensors that actually dispense teeny tiny gashapons
This one includes one item that will vend frm the machine
Two series of animals utilizing the urinals in mens restrooms. Gorilla, pig, polar bear, red panda, etc in one. Hippo, giant panda, rabbit(fitting for the upcoming lunar new year), penguin, frog and cat. Below another set with a different desing for the animals
For the mah jong fiend who doesnt like fidget spinners but would rather thumb a tile and feel the inscription
There were a number of kitchen utensils and hardware
For the alcoholics, bottles of sake
For the teetotalers, Lipton iced teas in cartions
Jars of Nescafe coffee, sure, why not
I know who would deserve cartons of milk, nuff said
We dont see too many of these in the states let alone wanting a keepsake of it
A generic long haired brunette climbing out of a well. Not sure if this is a fully licensed
Flags
Kittens exposing their butt holes? Cute?
Dogs with their paw raised
Mister Donut and some of their iconic products
Meiji is well represented with 2 machines
The animals not only need to use the facilities but they are vain too
Looking at gashapon all morning really works up an appetite. There is a Bikuri Donkey full service restaurant location. They are known for their hamburger steak. You will seed that in the video
The set menu included dessert and I chose the soft serve with kiwi sauce. Nothing special and it wasnt bad. A nice bit of sweetness to offset the richeness of the meat and gravy. After lunch, I went back towards the station and found another dedicated gashapon store but much smaller than the previous location. More in the video
Top floor, left window is my room. Went back to the room for a bit of rest before venturing out again for dinner
Keeping it simple for dinner, went to tghe nearby Coco Ichiban. The multi language tablet was nice but the selection was marred with alot of items not available. I would love to try the curry ramen
An evening stroll through Kabukicho an entertainment district for young and old, oddly. I say that because of the mix of arcades and night clubs.
In its heyday, this was the famous Robot Restaurant. Too loud, touristy, garrish even for me, I never patronized the establisment. The pandemic probably was the nail in the coffin when it severely limited the foreingers that would come by.
The Robot Restaurrant was considered family friendly for the most part. However, it is now and adult DVD store
Gentrification of the area to attract more visitors has inspired signs like this to make it more inviting
I did not expect to go to the third gashapon store. This concentration is located at a Bic Camera near the station.
I guess it wouldnt hurt to take a look. Alot of the same kind of stuff that I have seen all day. Again, nothing to make me want to drop some change
A few different items but still I resisted. I myself never thought I would be running into 3 seperate gashapon joints. I expected only the one at Sunshine city and a few at an arcade or on the street. The other two just happen to catch my eye on this day
