Category: J-life
Gundam Factory Tokyo – a full tour (video).

Paolo is on hand to bring us a 10-minute-long video tour of Gundam Factory Yokohama, just outside of Tokyo in Japan. The Gundam Factory Yokohama sits on the water at Yokohama’s Yamashita Pier. For the Gundam 40th Anniversary, they created this facility with an 18 meter 1-to-1 life-size mobile Gundam, the RX-78F00. The biggest Gundam […]
Jimbocho: the magic of Tokyo’s ‘Book Town’ (video).

For those of you who love books, but also fancy a walk around Tokyo, allow us to tickle you with the opportunity to combine both these noble pastimes. Yes, here is a lovely 20 minute walking tour through the streets of Jimbocho, or as the locals like to call it, Tokyo’s book town.
From Nihombashi to Asakusa: a calming Tokyo walk (video).

Here’s a nice calming video walk through Tokyo for you, from everyone’s favourite Nordic chap.
A visit to Tokyo’s giant Mech (video).

Japan has only gone and built a real-sized moving GUNDAM mech, currently available to view in Tokyo as a tourist attraction. Ah, if only we could travel to Japan. One day. One day. In the meantime, Kuga has visited it and shot a video. Looks impressive. The mech is at the Gundam Factory Yokohama amusement […]
Give me manga, then give me beer, then give me more damn manga (video).

What if I told you there was a place in Tokyo which was a manga lending library that served you a free beer while you are reading said Japanese comic books? Yes, it truly exists, and it is paradise on earth, well, at least paradise in Japan. Forget about those silly old Olympics, you don’t […]
Cos-play, Japanese Style (video).

If you like cos-play and you like anime, then over in Japan they have a massive con that blends the two in a supernova of superbness – Super Robo Cos Expo 2020. Watch their video and pray for air-travel back to Tokyo to be reinstated!
Tokyo’s geek heaven: Nakano Broadway (video).

Nakano Broadway in Tokyo is the mecca for anime and manga geeks – called ‘otaku’ in Japanese. This street has such megastores as ‘Geek Labyrinth’, ‘Mystery Dungeon’, ‘Mandrake’ and dozens more. This is a 30 minute tour of the area. Suck in those geek vibes, people. Ah, to be back in Japan.
Ramen face mask beats all but the fog (weird news).

Japanese animator Shibata Takahiro has created a COVID defender face mask that resembles a bowl of ramen – realistic right down to the fog of steam from the boiling noodles. Why? BECAUSE HE COULD!!! 眼鏡の人専用マスクをつくりました。 眼鏡が曇るほど、ラーメンが熱々にみえます。 使いにくさ、この上なし。 pic.twitter.com/rSV0tmlleA — しばたたかひろ | Takahiro SHIBATA (@iine_piroshiki) July 13, 2020
Japan’s secret retail treasure (J-life video).

Our man-in-Japan, Ryotaro, says never underestimate the power of Japan’s fave second-hand shop in Sendai … the fabulous Mandai. They sell everything from guitars, model weapons, to amazing collection of Anime figures and plastic models (some, only available to lottery winners, so never actually widely sold in the first place). You won’t believe the stuff […]