Since I was a kid, I always had this huge fascination with the culture of Japan. From playing their unique and intriguing video games and consoles, watching loads of awesome anime series and Japanese films, to building and playing with the likes of Tamiya, Gundam, Pokemon, etc.; it's no wonder how the idea of me visiting Japan one day became a serious childhood dream.... and just recently, that same childhood dream finally became a reality!

Last August 4-13, 2015, I was finally able to embark on my lifelong dream to visit the land of the rising sun (and robots, monsters, video games, etc etc etc) with my family. I was so excited that I even plotted out all the places and things I wanted to visit and experience the moment we booked our tickets (which was about a year ago). As the nerd that I am, I felt like that this was also a chance for me to rekindle my childhood nostalgia by making specific stops to some special places that I recalled hearing and seeing behind the screen and manga pages. 

If you find yourself feeling the same way I did since childhood, then this blog entry series is my special guide for you based on my personal experience should you ever decide to come and visit Japan. I hope that you would enjoy it as much as I did. I will be dividing this blog into several parts so that you can click and choose which activity you're interested in checking out depending on your personal preferences. :)

--

If you love Pokémon as much as I do, then this is definitely a must-go-to place. Since the Pokémon franchise is widely popular around Japan, it actually isn’t too hard to spot a Pokémon Center in different cities and prefectures. However, if you are in Tokyo and on a short trip, I strongly recommend that you might as well visit the biggest Pokémon Center in all of Japan, located at the 2nd floor of Sunshine City, Ikekuburo. (You can reach this area via the Tokyo Metro Marunochi and Yurakucho line, or the JR Yamanote Line)

Upon entering the Pokémon Center, you’d be welcomed by a giant Pokéball and ring that is similar to what you see in the actual Pokémon Center in the game. (Sadly, there isn’t any nurse Joy around to attend injured Pokémons) 
As I walked in, you’d see a wide array of extremely cute Pokémon plushies, collectibles, capsule toys, shirts, caps, and other Poké merchandise to choose from. There are also several booths scattered around the shop where customers can play mini games to win exclusive prizes. I was able to snag a lot of cute exclusives during my visit and to add to the excitement, they gave me a free CD to take home that contains the music video of Slowpoke (it's a bit weird but hey, its Pokémon-- what's not to love!). 


You also get a sneak peek preview of the new addition to the Nendoroid Pokémon Series-- N. N will be released later this year so be sure to pre-order yours from your specialty toy stores nearest you!


Of course, the shop was also fully equipped with big statues that feature several popular Pokémons like Charizard X, Lucario, and Pikachu to name a few. Best part of all for Pokémon gamers— you can actually get exclusive and special Pokémons for your game when you bring your Nintendo 3DS, regardless of it being a Japanese or North American version. 

Couldn’t get enough of the Pokemon craze? Well, Sunshine City also has the official Pokémon Café located at the 1st floor. In this cafe, you get to enjoy extremely cute meals that are Pokemon themed and designed that will definitely make you smile! They also have a take-out counter where you can order specialty drinks, pastries, and more. Heed of advice though due to so much popular demand, I recommend you come early to book a reservation should you wish to dine here.