Tokyo Day 3: ...Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid...

Akihabara. Anime destination?
Well, and Maid Cafes~

The young travelers took the Yamanote line (which is the loop that travels through most of the major districts of Tokyo) yet again. This time they disembarked at Akihabara, in which they hoped to find various goods related to the many video games and anime they enjoy. Right outside of the station was a towering building with one of the best logos sprawling down its side: SEGA

Which turned out to be a multi-level arcade! (more on that later...)

What they didn't expect to find, were maid cosplayers on the side walks calling out and passing out ads to their various shops. (heh heh, more on that later...)

(Floating chopsticks O__O)

(LIFE-SIZED GUNDAM!!)

They walked around, visited shops, found cute trinkety things (gifts for people that will not be disclosed here. Spoilers, and all that...) and eventually decided, what the alfalfa, they were hungry, let's go to a Maid Cafe! Yes, a place where the waitresses wear cute maid costumes and draw cats on your oma-rice (omelet over rice with curry sauce) and the only thing you are allowed to take pictures of is your food (as if they hadn't been doing that at everyplace they went to...):

It turned out that the nice Maid they had met earlier on the side walk worked in the shop they went to ("MaiDreamin'!") and was one of their waitresses. Her name was Yua and although she only spoke a little broken English, she seemed really happy to see the travelers arrive as patrons-- almost as if they were all old friends. Yua's friend Alto also came over, and obligingly put cat ears atop Rory's head to match her own *snicker* Tori got the bunny ears and could have passed for an Alice cosplayer, herself~

(Photo (of photos) by Katie)

(nya nya nya~Photo (of photo) by Katie)

Eventually, it was time to leave, and so they set of to the most wonderful, magical place in the world: a bookstore~ And not just any book store, but a six story tall super cheap bookstore that her sensei from college specifically recommended to her! It was glorious, and although they didn't have much time there, she went straight to the children's book section and searched for her quarry. She found many beautiful illustrated volumes, but still not the one she was looking for. And then, there it was, in the hands of her friend, waiting for her: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Illustrated. In Japanese. *mind blown* *purchased*

Her day got even brighter when they re-visited those tempting drums in the SEGA building. Going to Tokyo and not hitting up an arcade? That would be lame (yes, father, that was directed at you~). And so the Drum Battle commenced!

(Drum......battle....guaaaaahhh)

(Photo by Katie)

(Photo by Katie)

(And continued upstairs inside during a DDR battle, but cameras weren't allowed inside)
So to top off the icing on the cake, they hopped down the train a couple stops back to Harujuku!!
And re-visited Bodyline, as well as a myriad of other cutesy neon signed shops. Ooh! And Crepes. Delicious fresh crepes~

It was so packed on the way back that they all hopped in separate cars at the train station, leaning and peering through the bodies to see each other. And there was a really cute couple of a guy with a cog watch and a girl in a flowy flowery dress leaning against each other with his arm around her to balance her... (she's turning into a people watching creeper~ but there are so many cute couples here!)

And then there was the rotating sushi bar for dinner on the way back home~ (Yes, just like the Lickitung mini-game in Pokemon Stadium for the N64). And good times were had on the futon, clothing, trinket, and bell scattered floor of the Hostel again~