1 of 2 posts dedicated specifically for my son after our Japan trip
This trip is of course, highlighted by our Bey-hunting trip which I'll try to summarize But there's so much more to that. SW... of the four of us... is obviously the youngest and likeliest immature. And yet, in so many ways, is the most mature of all travelers. He's easy going. He knows what he likes. He goes with the flow. He's a fan of the "spreadsheet" and will support the person stressing. There's still more to grow in terms of packing, unpacking, travel etiquette, common sense... but all in all... he's a great travel partner. His friends, future SO, family... will enjoy traveling with him.
Now onto Japan...
Before we went, he'd already set his heart on buying a few things. 1) clothes 2) shoes 3) pokemon cards and finally... 4) Beyblades. Not just any Beyblades... but the generation he grew up with which is about 10 years ago... old skool Beyblade Burst.
Originally, we didn't think anything of it other than we'll hit Akihabara, the "otaku" side of town with all the anime, manga, electronics, toys. And this is home of the Beyblades... they're bound to have it. This is the day after walking to Ueno park... walking to Tokyo Dome... followed by curry that was too spicy and finally... Akihabara.
We first went to this one store that ChatGPT recommended... saying it MUST be there. We got there... and there was just one little display of old parts. No harm, no foul. We know this is a collectors item so it could be a miss. Then we found another store... this time... it turned out to be pretty far. And as we were walking the stores, Joyce and NN were simply tailgating us. They had no aim. No goal. If anything... it was a little annoying. After a while, I noticed that NN had a little limp. So I told them... maybe they can go somewhere else. Or better yet... they can start going back to the AirBnb. I told them it was so NN can rest... but in actuality... they were slowing us down. We needed to get going!!
We separated and then we started going all over the place. Google Maps is helpful... until it's not. I'm not the best with using it and my phone was malfunctioning here and there. We got to the 2nd store... only too realize it's a hole in the wall hobby store with virtually nothing of interest. SW was so disappointed and down in the dumps. Since it was a tiny little story... and the shop owner was maybe an early 20 year old... I busted my phone and fired up google translate to type, "Where can I find Beyblades?" He shook his head.... almost saying, "There are none." But he gave us a glimmer of hope. He took out his phone and typed in a store's name. I took a picture of it and we were gone. As we were running out, he shouted, "maybe. i don't know!!"
But that was all we need... a glimmer of hope. And off we went. But off.... I really mean off. Cuz we were off the rails here. Google maps was on the fritz. We walked aruond in circles after circles. I'll admit... i got a little cocky and thought I had a good sense of direction, but I didn't. And there were times when I thought I can cut through the train station, but it was a dead-end. We went round and round and round... and finally... we get to this electronics store and try to find the toys section. Time was not on our side... since they were about to close. I wasted no time... didn't bother walking around and looking. Simply busted out the phone and typed in google translate, "Where can I find Beyblade." The employee aptly pointed us.. and then walked us... to a corner of the store. Ahhhhh.... finally. Only... to find out they're the latest generation of Beyblade X. Siu Wah wanted Beyblade Burst!!!
At that moment... he felt so crushed. "It wasn't meant to be." And with that... we walk home with our tails between our legs. We get some consolation and find a place for some waygu skewers. What made it worse... was his brand new Onitsuka Tigers had creases in them. These are walking shoes for show... not actual walking shoes. I felt so sad.... I wanted to cry. What a horrible way to end an otherwise beautiful day.... it was a very quiet train ride back to the Airbnb.
The next morning... the entire family slept in and I had a chance to go get coffee by myself. I was still feeling the disappointment from the previous night so I started searching for Beyblades in Tokyo... and I come across these youtube videos of folks from all over the world coming to Japan looking for beyblades... otherwise known as "Beyhunting." OMG.... it's a thing!!! I was now a Bey-hunter!!! All of a sudden... this goes from a little boy's hobby... to a flat out adventure.
I watch videos after videos. Taking note of where we can go. We've been to some of these places already. Then there were two places. One was about an hour away. The other... was also an hour away, but on our way to Disney. After some planning and strategizing... Joyce and I decide to split up.
She and NN will go to Brandi Melville for some shopping. And SW, whom I now introduced to the term Beyhunting, and I will go do exactly that. This wasn't without adventure either. My initial train ride and time was interrupted by the fact I closed Google Maps down to save on data and power.... only get back on Google Maps... but it gave me different directions (unbeknowngst to me). The 45 minute tirp ended up becoming 1.5 hours. But no matter.... I was sure we'll find it. This was a giant toy store in the middle of nowhere. Tokyo being a destination would have all the inventory sucked up. Not this place!!! We finally find it.... just as NN and Joyce sent pics of their victories. We get into store and it's like a salvation army. Floor after floor of manga, toys, sports equipment, electronics... everything you can think of... except Beyblade Burst. Another failure. Another round of disappointment. What made it worse... was the hope I gave SW of finding it here, after he came to accept the fact this wasn't happening.
As a consolation prize... I figure we can get some lunch. This really was way out in the boonies and there weren't a lot of choices. Since we haven't had conveyor belt sushi yet, I find a place that's about a 10 minute walk from the train station. First of all... it took us forever to even get back to the train station cuz the bus lines are so confusing. I think we ended up walking an additional 30 minutes for no reason... other than I can't read Japanese well. But those 30 minutes served us well. We come across these amazing city parks full of cherry blossoms. Unlike Ueno Park yesterday with all those thousands of people... there was literally the two of us. And during the 30 minute walk... I got to share my experience with finding 漫畫 at 白田商場。 The initial exuberance we got when we first discovered it in 1992... and the feeling of rediscovering El Dorado the 2nd time we went in 1997. I kept feeding him hope... when there wasn't much hope to be fed.
In place of hope though... we had to feed our tummy and went to a local conveyor belt sushi place that was simply heavenly. Not even the blue fin, but just the medium fatty tuna, melts in your mouth like butter. And they have an option of regular or less rice to not fill up your belly. But the part that really brought it home was horse sashimi. Ewwww.... one would say. SW was like, "Why not??" He's so adventurous. Certainly makes for a great travel
partner.
After filling our bellies... we rejoin the girls at Ginza for the Uniqlo flagship store - the infamous 12 stories of shopping. Any and all disappointment, was washed away. SW went to town!!! Down-town!!! He bought soooooo many clothes. But proud of him for saying, "Yeh yeh and mah mah gave me all the 利是錢 I can finally spend it." That... he did.
On the side... I never gave up Beyhunting. I found two Ginza stores that might have Beyblades. While SW as shopping and NN was soooo done with shopping, we snuck out to look for them. Once again... big foot eluded us. We ended the night at the Shibuya crossing. Oh you bet I did... while on the train ride to Shibuya... I was looking up possible places for Beyblades. So after taking the compulsory "run to the middle and jump" photo at the Crossing... SW and I venture off once again on our own while the girls headed home.
It took us forever to find this one because it's not only hidden from plain sight. The external of the building is the name of the toystore, but google map says it's on the 5th floor. Took us forever to find the elevators... but those lead to the 8th floor movie theater. We had 30 minutes left before the store closed and we weren't even sure if this was the place. I busted out my handy dandy google translate app to check the directory and there it was... bright as day... the name of that hobby store. But how to get there??? I was so desperate I was looking for stairs to run up. Time and time again... the elevators had people pack in and pack out... but all going to the theater... and as we turned away to look for another entrance, there it was, a sandwich board that read "Take left elevator to the 5th floor for XYZ store." We waited and waited... but nothing came!!! And time was ticking. So I thought about taking the elevator to the 8th floor and riding back down. We got to the top.... got to the theater and made a U-turn to get back in. Only to realize, it was a 1 way trip to the lobby. There was just one elevator that stops at the 5th floor. We got back down to the lobby and patiently waited... with like 15 minutes left... the elevator finally came. We found it!!! This hidden, underground, behind the wall, nobody knows, but elevator was packed hobby toy store. They must have it!!! Failed. Once again. They only had Beyblade X. SW was finally able to let go... sorta. Because there were two Shibuya stores and one was closed. And then, there was that one final store on our way to Disney. The train ride home wasn't as bad... as SW had a great day at Uniqlo.
Next day... Joyce and I find another excuse to go back to Shibuya before heading to Disney - to find that OTHER store that was closed the night before. Both kids wanted Omirice... and of course, I favored my searches towards that direction. Plus it was sorta/kinda on our way to Disney. Needless to say... the tomb was empty. The Beyblade gods were against us. This was not meant to be. Let the beyhunting happen on eBay (eBey??) or some future Japan trip he takes. Over lunch... NN laid the smackdown. She kept saying, we'll find it. If we prayed. Part of me thinks she was kidding... but part of me started praying silently.
The storm came. It wasn't any rain, it was a borderline typhooon. So wet. So windy. In the midst of the storm, we were caught in the eye of the hurricane. This last and final store was out in the middle of nowhere. We got off the train stop and had to walk another mile in the rain, while dragging our luggage. (Why we didn't rent a locker, I'll never remember). When the clouds covered the sky and humanity was at the brink of extinction... we walk into the final store. The last chance. The end of the road.
Pass the manga. pass the anime. pass the models. Then pass the girls stuff. The dolls. The cutsie toys. Now it was the kids toys. My heart sank. There's no more. It's all baby toys from here.
Until... I saw some hot wheels. Toy cars. There might be more... maybe?? And then.... as the sun rose on the 41st day after the storm... and the rainbrow crept up over the horizon... We saw it. 4-5 glass cases of beyblades. Not only that... little baggies of the used beyblade bursts that people trade it.
Nivana. This was heaven. This was.... Sw's version of 白田。 皇天不負有心人！ 踏破鐵鞋無覓處! Don't know how many stores... how many steps... how many disappointments... to culminate in this moment. Perfectly captured in this one picture. And after that I gave him a big, fat embrace!! We did it!!
And throughout all this... Sw was always smiling. My boy. My son. Super Sweet Siu Wah....forever engraved in my memories of Father Son Time in Japan.
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