Yamatour 2017 travelogue, part 1 continued

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Friday Fun Time Photo Gallery…

One of my favorite views: the heart of Nakano as seen from the JR station platform. The arched entryway is the open-air Sun Mall, which leads to Nakano Broadway.

As you march through Sun Mall, it pays to look into the various alleyways you pass. You might just spot an Eva girl singing karaoke.

Left: a special issue of Pen magazine all about Marvel. Holds a special place in my heart because the editors came to our studio in the fall of 2016 and I was one of the few they chose to interview. In other words, my first appearance in a Japanese magazine! Right: a certain anime CD soundtrack spotted in a Mandarake showcase. The level of pain this gives you would tell me exactly how deep your fandom goes.

Anime cels in another Mandarake showcase.

And yet another. Do you think they know it’s Yamato season?

Armored Trooper Votoms is my second favorite anime, so it’s always nice to spot a new product. Unless it’s got an unbelievably ridiculous price tag on it, like these two soft vinyl Armored Troopers. HUNDREDS of dollars? nnnnnnOPE.

Yamato girls figures are alive and well and mostly holding their value.

All volumes of the Yamato 2199 manga spotted at Kinokuniya bookstore with some shout-out for 2202. That manga is still going. Maybe another year or two…

The Marvel special from Pen makes another appearance at Kinokuniya, right next to a 50th Anniversary Lupin III magazine. I vividly remember buying a 40th Anniversary Lupin book on my first day in Tokyo back in 2007.

Entrance for Isetan’s Lupin III restaurant. Pictures OK!

This placemat immediately found its way into my shoulder bag. No idea how that could have happened.

The art gallery section went all the way back to Monkey Punch’s manga pinups from the 1960s.

Key art for the newest film, Blood Spray of Goemon, which would be seen by me soon.

And now the actual thief’s hideout in the thief’s hideout restaurant…

You automatically become a smoker here.

Custom-tailored Lupin wear by high-end fashion designers. Each one of a kind, evidently.

The gift shop, just to the left of the fashions.

Want a Jigen hat or an anime-color Lupin shirt/tie combo? Of course you do.

Count Cagliostro’s rings. About $150 US.

50th Anniversary booze.

Junmai daiginjo sake, one for each character. Apparently, this is the “good stuff.”

These look like figures, but they’re actually cookies. One type per character.

These, on the other hand, look like cookies but are actually figures. And you kinda believed me for a second there, didn’t you?

Continue to premiere day: Saturday February 25

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