Akihabara/Typhoon

Hola! This is my first post (Bret)! Exciting! Well yesterday I went to Akihabara, which is aptly nicknamed nerdtown, and did a little bit o walkin around. IT was a bit rough though, cuz it was raining like mad. I mean even with an umbrella I was pretty soaked, there was a typhoon a comin! When finding directions, I brought this up with a Japanese guy, and he said they were rough/annoying/difficult (i don't know whats the best word for taihen) and he thought I wouldn't like them after I experienced my first one. Although that may be, It has been raining hard the last week so I feel prepared enough. Japan gets most of its preciipation between spring and fall, its the exact opposite of the curve in Seattle. What does that mean? Better winters, its just cold with short days, not cold and wet with dark and short days. September was supposed to have the second highest rainfall of any month in Tokyo, but it was pretty much sunny most of the time and it only rained like three times, so I feel like October is making up for it. Last night, as the typhoon was coming, it was literally gushing rain, I've never heard rain fall so heavy for so long it was like a river was emptying out on top of our house. Anyway, Akihabara was pretty interesting. Anime signs everywhere, lots of hobby shops full of models, toys, posters, and trading cards for all different manga, tons of arcades, and a lot of independent electronic shops. There were also a bunch of girls dressed like maids and a few dressed like other cutesy anime stereotypes all over the place handing out flyers for their cafe's. These cafe's are wierd, they charge an extra five dollars per hour, although you are supposed to order coffee and food, and some girl (in an annoyingly high pitched cutesy voice) plays games with you and/or chats you up. Its a bit much, but you can guarantee its stocked full of nerdy/old white dudes at all times. I actually so more white folk in Akihabara than any other district. Now the typhoon is here! Great big gusts of wind threaten to blow old ladies away at every turn, and I kinda wanna go explore!

stacked three high on both sides and stretching seemingly on forever, you put anywhere from 1-3 bucks in here and you get a tiny figurine, card, or toy from various anime.

Now YOU can battle the rancor as Luke Skywalker, complete with femur!

Heck yes Cloud + the Hardy Daytona (thats his cycle) Too bad this model costs 9,300 yen (like 100 bucks)

maid lady

They love stitch here, they just let him run loose. How come godzilla can't get away with it? And then you go to a toy store and instead of any godzilla toys they just have one of his challenged friend....

ankleris, who I only know from his brief cameo in Godzilla VS Mechagodzilla