Trip Report- Nerding and Shopping in the Tokyo Area Part 1

Long time lurker, first time poster.

My trip was not of the conventional shrine-hopping/golden route variety. I never really left the Tokyo area. So do expect some weirdness. Rather, I debated long and hard about even posting this, because it’s so different from what I’m used to reading on this sub. However, I love reading trip reports of others and really wanted to write my own for my recent trip. Hopefully it might help someone?

**Some notes about myself:**
-Adult female, traveling alone, 2nd time in Japan.
-I know some Japanese but not totally fluent.
-Had a Mobal data sim I bought in advance, and I exchanged all my yen in advance. Also still had a Suica from my previous trip that was valid. I opted not to get the rail pass, because it would’ve been more expensive and I planned to use a bunch of non-JR lines anyway.
-I’m a hardcore Tomica collector and a lot of my trip revolved around hunting for them, especially store-exclusives and older ones in second-hand shops. I also made a personal side quest to get pictures of “IRL Tomica”, aka real cars that are also Tomica models that I’ll never see in the US.
-Big anime fan, especially kodomo-muke (kid-oriented: ie Precure/Shinkalion/Youkai Watch). I also love cute characters such as Pokemon, Sanrio, Sumiko Gurashi and Chiikawa.
-Gacha addict. I swear I spent more on gacha than anything else. But it’s fun trying to collect the sets.
-A day at the mall is paradise for me. Thus, I visited a large amount of malls that I’d picked out in advance.
-Love curry + curry pan, fried rice, yakisoba and bentos. This pretty much made up all my meals.
-I have virtually zero interest in history, art, Studio Ghibli, and video games. So if you’re questioning ‘why wouldn’t you do x/y/z??’, there’s your answer. On a very expensive international trip, best to cater it to your specific tastes and have no regrets.

**Day 1-2 (Sun 11/27 – Mon 11/28)**
I flew in from JFK to Haneda via JAL. It was a direct flight, economy class. Flight price was brutal, way more than I honestly budgeted for, but I’ve been desperate to go. I had a trip booked for April 2020, which obviously didn’t work out, so that made me even more desperate. The flight itself was super-turbulent. One of the most unpleasant flights I’ve been on. Food was surprisingly good though. Used to airline food not being impressive at all. They even gave these yummy rice crackers in place of the standard peanuts. And seats were much more comfy than China Eastern’s, which I flew last time.

Ended up watching a lot of movies in flight to pass the time. Despite growing up in the 90’s, I’ve never watched Titanic in full before. Well, being a captive audience means I finally had the time to subject myself to that, and I won’t be doing it again.

Immigration took forever. Last time (pre-pandemic) I was in-and-out. I actually did go to Narita last time, but still, that was yikes. I had arranged for airport pickup, which was good because my flight was arriving late in the evening and I was afraid I wouldn’t make a bus. But I had to keep in touch with the guy to make sure he knew that I was delayed and didn’t leave. A bit stressful but it worked out. Then we crawled to the hotel in traffic, but did make it in one piece.

I stayed in Chiba (Makuhari area.) Unless you’re weird like me though, I wouldn’t recommend if you’ll be spending most of your time in the Tokyo area. But if you are weird like me (and plan to make multiple trips to AEON Makuhari like me), it’s the perfect place. This was the same hotel I used on my last trip because I absolutely loved it (especially the on-premise Lawsons.)

After checking in (had to get temperature checked in the lobby, which was kinda crazy. Would they kick you on to the streets if you had a fever?) I made a quick run to Lawsons. Bought some snacks and a bento for dinner. Then tried to get some rest, though I had trouble sleeping. Fortunately I don’t sleep much in general.

**Day 3- Makuhari (Tues 11/29)**
This day’s goal was to visit my favorite place in the world, AEON Mall Makuhari Shintoshin. Since the mall didn’t open until 10 and my hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, I had time to kill. Hoped to visit a 7-11 that I’d deducted was nearby via Google Maps, but of course Google Maps itself just had me walking in aimless circles, until I realized it was set to driving directions, not walking. However, I did stumble across a Mini Stop when I gave up and headed back, where I was able to pick up some candy. So it all worked out (and I found the 7-11 on a later date.)

So, I found out that AEON Style (the big grocery store in the Grand Mall… which they have another of in the Family Mall because this is one massive mall) opened before the rest of the mall. So I aimed to get there at around 9. And I ended up spending $50 on groceries, including a couple bottles of my precious Coke Plus and a cursedly heavy bag of Calbee cereal in a flavor I’d never seen in the US before. And when I tried to fit them in my messenger bag, I realized quickly that it was -not- all going to fit. Hence, I bought a giant reusable bag and got much use out of it throughout the trip. It’s already a bit dirty. Afterwards, I headed to the department store branch of AEON Style. Was disappointed that they didn’t have the new AEON-exclusive Tomica (which I learned later was sold in Kids Republic, the AEON-branded toy store. Still, they did have a small toy department there, and I fell in love with a Venusaur plushie that I ended up purchasing elsewhere a day later.)

Spent the rest of the day shopping like crazy, trying to use restraint because it was only day 1 but still buying a ton of goodies. There’s plenty of stores in this mall if you’re into the stuff I mentioned I was above. Of course, anime-wise you’re only going to find stuff that’s recent and relatively family-friendly. But the niche is what Akihabara/Nakano Broadway are for.

Also, got to try Mister Donut for the first time, and was glad to be there when they were having their annual Pokemon promotion. Got the Pikachu one! They’re pretty average, taste-wise, but just so cute they make up for it.

Also, had fun playing tons of gacha in the mall. I feel like they added so many more machines since I was there in 2018. Even got one of Amane, my best girl from the current Precure season. (Speaking of Precure, the Recipipi stickers placed around the food court were such a cool touch!) I also had my first play on a Tensura gacha, where I got Gobta, one of my favorites. Little did I know that gacha would become my arch foe and I would end up with five of him by the end of the trip.

Lunch was an omurice bento and dinner was a measly onigiri. I was just too tired to care about eating then. XD

**Day 4- Akasaka/Tokyo Station/Makuhari (Wed 11/30)**
This day had two targets, a nerd pilgrimage and to visit Tokyo Station’s Character Street, home of the Tomica Shop. It was also in part to get my bearings straight in the station, because I was planning a Shinkansen trip and wanted to be sure I could figure it all out (I’m rather directionally-challenged, you see.)

I didn’t have to worry about opening time for the pilgrimage, so I went out early, and actually passed through Tokyo Station where I could transfer to the subway line. I learned then just how expansive the station was, with the hike I had to take to just transfer from Keiyo to Marunouchi.

My destination was the TBS building in Akasaka. I am a -huge- fan of Drive Head. The anime is the reason I got into Tomica in the first place. In the show, the fictitious TV station, Akasaka TV, has its headquarters modeled after the TBS building, as the network aired the anime. Anyway, wish it was a sunnier day, because my pictures look a little gloomy, but it was still a rush to see it in person. It was also cool because the area was decked out in Harry Potter, related to the Cursed Child play apparently. Not a huge HP fan, but it was fun to see.

Afterwards, I wandered over to Hie Jinja, which is quite close. I didn’t go all the way in, because I was still too tired and it seemed to be a bit of a hike, including stairs. But I took some pictures of the gates, and it was still cool to see.

Anyway, back to Tokyo Station. I wound up in the Precure store first, due to proximity. Honestly I was a bit disappointed, as I was looking specifically for Delicious Party stuff, which had been my favorite season in a while. Especially Amane/Cure Finale stuff. And there wasn’t a lot, especially when you factor in that most of it was the same stuff you can find in Toys R Us. They did have interesting merchandise for older seasons, so maybe the new one is just popular and they didn’t have much left on stock. But I did find some residue left from Amane’s birthday celebration. Bought a big keychain, and it came with a free postcard, which was nice.

I browsed around the other stores after. Got my Venusaur in the Pokemon Center, but avoided spending much in there because I planned to go nuts in the Ikebukuro one (which is much bigger.) The Chiikawa store actually had a (fast-moving) line, to my surprise. Seems to be super-popular in Japan. And everywhere I did see selling Chiikawa stuff, it was pretty expensive. I ended up buying an Usagi plushie, because he’s my fave (we’re both gluttons.) Also, seems they closed the Aikatsu store, which was a bit disappointing to me also. But I did check out Prism Stone (the Pretty Series store). Had some cute stuff, but honestly it made the Chiikawa store look cheap. And I feel like I should mention the TBS store too. I kept watching this morning news program called “The Time” (and I have to look into whether it replaced Asa Chan, which I remember from back in the day.) But they had this cute bird mascot, and I was amused by the fact that they sold plushies of it (again, pricey plushies! Didn’t get one, but I took some pictures. But yeah, message is, if you go shopping in Character Street, be prepared to splurge a bit.)

But the Tomica Shop is where I did the bulk of my shopping. It was kind of a dream come true to enter. I was mainly going there for the exclusives (of which they had quite a lot.) The regular Tomica you can get cheaper in places like Toys R Us or Bic Camera. But still, they had Tomica as far as the eyes can see. Mainline, exclusives, Premium, Dream, Disney, TLV, Jobraver… even a couple lingering Earth Granner things, of which I bought a candy toy of one of the Core Granner Tomica I didn’t have yet. And of course, right next door is the Plarail store, for all your train needs.

For lunch, tried a place called Curry Shop Alps. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely on the spicy side. Also, I found my first ever Japanese 7-11 in Tokyo Station, and got a super-tasty fried rice onigiri to try.

After Tokyo Station, I made my second trip to AEON Makuhari, where I went to see the Tensura movie. Absolutely loved it, and became an instant Towa fangirl and Hiiro/Towa shipper. Of course, this set me off on a quest to get Towa’s rubber strap out of the gacha. Previously, I’d only gotten Gobta and Souei and was pretty much done. But that’s a crazy saga that will unfold as the days go on. Also, the ticket came with a free book with a short manga and some production art (including Hiiro/Towa stuff), so I was super happy to get that!

Dinner… seemingly was just a custard-cream Taiyaki from Lawsons. Absolutely delicious though. Wasn’t the only one I had on this trip.

**Day 5-Akihabara (Thurs 12/01) **

I got a bit of an early start, because today would include my first real shrine visit, and I had heard they were open early (if not all day?). I was going to Akihabara, so thought I’d check out the nearby Kanda Myojin. I’ll admit that despite my limited interest in art, I found it beautiful overall. Do I think I’d be bored out of my skull if I hoped from shrine to shrine? Definitely. The novelty would wear off. But since this was a first, it was quite novel and I took a ton of pictures. I even got my fortune from a machine, which was quite cool, as a lion statue picked up the fortune and dropped it in the slot for you. I got very good luck, although I bet they give that to everyone, similar to how fortune cookies in the US aren’t allowed to give bad fortunes anymore. (I’m not superstitious, just thought it would be fun to try.)

On the way back to Akihabara, my first destination being Bic Camera to check out their Tomica selection (always heard people saying they had the best prices), I stopped at a vending machine where I got a mini Gun Gun Gurt. Those are one of my absolute favorite drinks, and I used to be able to get them in import grocers in NY, but haven’t seen one here for nearly a year.

Anyway, Bic Camera did generally seem to have the best prices for new Tomica. Interestingly, they just had little pieces of cardboard you had to pick up with pictures of the Tomica and bring to the register. I was in another Bic Camera near the end of my trip where most Tomica were just sitting on the shelf, so I wonder if this one had a high amount of shoplifting? In any case, it was a unique thing to see. Also, this Bic was one of the only places I saw anything at all from the new Gundam, which I knew was hugely popular. But wow, you’d hardly know it exists with how little you can find. And they didn’t have the kits. It was the themed Aerial potato chips. Although Guel is my favorite, I don’t like cheddar at all, so I got Shaddiq’s to try, which is corn soup. They’re tasty!

Afterwards, I played some gacha outside of Bic and came across an Edion nearby. I was excited, as they recently released a new exclusive Tomica. Sadly, they did not have said Tomica, but I did purchase a deeply discounted Figuarts Mini Rengoku (seriously, it was about $6. These usually sell for around $20. Unopened too.) I also played a Pui Pui Molcar Kuji and was lucky enough to get the A prize, which was a plushie. They let me choose from who was left, and I picked Choco. Actually, I had done a Kuromi Kuji at the Sanrio store back on my first day out, but ended up with a low prize (a pouch, which was still cute), but winning the big prize was exciting!

Next, I browsed Radio Kaikan for way too long. Picked up an old Tomica Shop exclusive Lamborghini from one of the glass cases. Also got a Re-Ment set I wanted from AmiAmi for a really good price. As well as a bunch of gacha singles, a cheap prize figure, and an old Battle Spirits promo of Robo-Duc in second-hand stores (yes, I wasted way too much time going through old Batosupi cards in search of gems).

Also, I embarrassed myself when I went to Sukiya for lunch. I’m used to fast food restaurants in the US where you go up to the counter and order. Even in the curry place I’d gone to previously, I got my ticket from the machine and brought it up to the counter. But here, apparently, you sit down and order from a tablet. In any case, eating curry at Sukiya has been a long-time dream of mine. I used to see the commercials constantly during Battle Spirits, and it just looked so yummy. And it was definitely the best curry I had on the trip.

So, this was actually a rainy, yucky day. After buying a crud-ton of 2nd hand Tomica at Mandarake (highlight being a Tomica Expo exclusive FJ Cruiser decked in tiger stripes… and the Mister Donut exclusive I found was the runner up) and playing some gacha at the gacha hall, I grabbed a quick dinner at 7-11 (still addicted to that fried rice onigiri) and hurried back. At least I did have an umbrella. Purchased a giant one at Mini Stop early in the morning, because the weather just looked like it would be uncooperative.

One side story. Knowing a bit of Japanese goes a long way. I had played a 500 yen gacha with big turtle figures outside a store. It’s on the pricey end of gachas, but they had two that were colored like a beloved stuffed turtle of mine. The gacha got stuck going down the slot. Fortunately, I got the guy inside the store to help me get the gacha out. And it was one of the two I hoped for. (I’d played once previously in Tokyo Station, but got the wrong turtle. Much as I love turtles, one can only gamble so much with 500 yen.)

So, maybe I didn’t see as much as a wanted, but I got some great stuff, so still a nice day out.

**Day 6- Tokyo Station/Omiya (Fri 12/02)**
Today was my earliest start, as I had a Shinkansen to catch at Tokyo Station. It was also the morning. I discovered one of the food highlights of my trip, the Ginza Kumaraya steam cake I picked up at the hotel Lawsons. Needless to say, it was not the only one I had during this trip.

Anyway, Shinkansen. I didn’t need to take the Shinkansen. I was only going to Omiya, to the Railway Museum. But as a big Shinkalion fan, I wanted to take it one way (I returned on the conventional line.) I bought the tickets a previous morning at the machine in Kaihimmakuhari Station. I also had to buy Railway Museum tickets at the Loppi machine at Lawsons an earlier day. That was a hassle with several failed attempts. Even with my Japanese knowledge, the machine is confusing as hell.

But anyway, I dragged my nervous butt and all my tickets to Tokyo Station. Was a bit confusing to figure out how to transfer from the main line to the Shinkansen, but I got there. As I waited for the Yamagata bound E3 Tsubasa, I had fun taking pictures of and watching the other Shinkansen on the platform. Sadly, no Doctor Yellow spotting. But I loved seeing the E5 and E6 in particular. Even if you’re not a Shinkalion fan, seeing all the bright and colorful trains is an experience. But believe me, that does enhance the experience.

The ride was quick. It’s really not that much different from a normal train ride other than a) I had a reserved seat, b) there’s a foldable tray like on a plane because eating and drinking is allowed (of course the Shinkansen technically is meant for long-distance travel), and c) there were people walking around with carts selling food and drink.

Anyway, once I got off at Omiya station, I had to take a shuttle one stop. I had made it to the Railway Museum early and had to wait outside, but at least the waiting area was scenic (like the train that periodically released steam). Also, perhaps I should have come on the weekend, because there were groups of kids there on school trips. But it was fine. It wasn’t a madhouse or anything.

In any case, the museum itself was a lot of fun. It reminded me heavily of the Transit Museum in Brooklyn. The main gimmick was a variety of old trains on display, many of which you could go inside (at least partially). There was one which was a bit crazy, because it had a video playing in the windows which simulated movement, even though the train was completely stationary. Made me a little dizzy.

Also, there was another exhibit that was a big timeline of train history in Japan (with various mini models of the trains), some more-modern Shinkansen on display, a big observation deck with a nice view of the city, and various interactive experiences that cost extra and were more aimed at kids. There was actually a lotto system to do them, so I didn’t even bother. Also, while there was an indoor food area, there was a stand outdoors too selling Shinkansen-bentos, which I opted to try even though they were tiny and clearly meant for children. But they were cool, plus you could keep and reuse the box, so it was a souvenir too. They even had a Dark Shinkalion one, though I opted for the Doctor Yellow because it’s my fave.

After the museum, I went back to Tokyo Station. Wanted to visit the Tomica Shop again to pick up more exclusives. I also decided I’d give the Assembly Factory a go (think Build-A-Bear, except you’re making a Tomica.) In hindsight, should have done it the previous visit too, because I’d forgotten the car model offered changes each month, and it was now December. Then I could have gotten two different ones. But oh well. It was still fun. You basically just pick the colored pieces you want (in my case, it was a Daihatsu Midget so you had the main body and the cargo.) I picked green and red. Then you watched as a worker put the whole thing together and explained the process. It was awesome!

Actually, a lot of the shops in Tokyo Station were upgraded to Christmas theme now that it was December. It was all a pleasant surprise.

**Day 7- Saitama (Sat 12/03)**

I had some time before I went out the next morning, so I wandered around the hotel a bit to find a vending machine. I was on the opposite side of the hotel as last time, and remember always passing that machine by the elevator (though, being right by the Lawsons this time was better, I thought.) So anyway, I did find it, and they had a drink I remembered I wanted to try from last time called Mets Litchi. It was a lychee-flavored soda, and actually better than I expected. I also decided to visit my foe the Loppi machine again and grab tickets for the Cup Noodle Museum, which I planned to visit later in the trip. Fortunately, the process went much smoother this time when I had a clue what I was doing.

My actual destination for the day was Lalaport in Shim-Misato. I still got there early, so had to wait around a bit, but they did have a 7-11 that was open at least. There was also an IKEA right next to the mall, so I decided to check that out. I’m a big IKEA fan (especially of their signature shark), so I hoped to see what they were like over in Japan. It was more-or-less the same, but they had a lot of plushies I’ve never seen before, including that of a turtle, which I had to get. I’m betting these will turn up in the US ones (if they haven’t already?) but yeah, still really cute. I also bought something practical for once, some sponges. But I needed them and they have really good ones.

But, went back to the mall after. Checked out the Ito-Yokado. It was a fabulous grocery store, but I’m also pretty sure there are Ito-Yokados that are more like department stores (unless I’m mistaking it for something else) so I really would have liked to see one of those. But there were none close enough to where I would be on this trip, unfortunately. Maybe next time. I will say I got the tastiest bento of my trip here, though, as well as some delicious caramel Pikachu-themed cake that was discounted due to being near expiration.

The Edion sadly did not have the limited Tomica (that quest turned out to be a lost cause), but I did pick up some other Tomica there. I also played some crane games, which I generally avoid because they’re designed to eat your money, but I won a little Pikachu plush and a tiny figure of a dog.

At the mall’s Costco (my favorite store in the world), I ended up buying a giant bag of Black Thunder. Also, this one had a lot more samples than the Costco in Makuhari, which I also visited.

Ended up coming home with a lot of goodies in general from this mall. Got to play another Kuji too (Demon Slayer this time, I won a blind box figure). And then I checked out another arcade by the train station when I returned, because apparently I hadn’t suffered enough with the crane games (they’re actually super fun.) This time I won a little Anya plush from Spy x Family!

I had a yakisoba bento I bought home from the 7-11 near my hotel and unwinded for the night.

**Day 8- Sunshine City (Sun 12/04- My birthday)**
My first birthday treat came when I left the hotel for an early morning walk. There were two Lamborghinis parked in front. Both were gone shortly after, so it was great timing to get to see them.

Soon after, I went out to Sunshine City, following the trail of bizarre owl statues that lined the passageway after the station. (They were actually for something nearby called “Owl Tower.”)

I was hyped to start my day at the Pokemon Mega Center, but since it wasn’t open yet I technically first stopped at a Maruetsu Petit and picked up some discounted mochi. (Always look for the clearance section in Japanese grocery stores. They’re full of gems!) Anyway, there was already a line for the Pokemon Center. Fortunately, the line moved quickly once the store opened, and it seemed much of the day you could just walk in. I was actually a bit worried about crowds because it was a Sunday. (Incidentally, the mall I was in the day before was quite crowded, since they were having some event for kids where they could get toys. So there were both kids everywhere and toys everywhere.)

There actually seemed to be lines for the One Piece store the whole time. Fortunately, I have no interest in the series, but keep that in mind if visiting is a must for you.

Bought my share of plushies at the Pokemon Center, and a few gifts for people, and headed for Kiddy Land next. I ended up getting some more Tomica there. Toys R Us was the biggest treat. It was an absolute madhouse, but they had the exclusive Tomica! Also picked up a Plarail E3 there, which I decided I needed as soon as I rode on the real one. And yikes, I spent a lot of money on gacha, but with the world’s largest gacha store, that was inevitable. I did finally get the Towa in my recurring battle with the Tensura gacha (and more doubles).

Also played a My Hero Academia Kuji at the gacha place. Got the low prize (a blind box rubber strap) but at least it wasn’t some dumb art card. And it was still probably worth the price, as that was the cheapest of the kujis I played.

I also checked out some of the secondhand anime stores in the area. While I’m more into male-oriented properties than female ones, Akihabara appealed to me more than Otome Road. But still, ended up buying some things. Still, this area did not get along well with Google Maps. Ended up getting lost and wandering too far in the wrong direction. And I had wanted to get lunch in the Family Mart in the mall (which I eventually did), but good lord, Google did not make it easy for me. It had more interest in directing me to locations blocks away. ><

Later in the evening, I got to watch Pazudora on my hotel TV, which was really cool!

**Day 9-DisneySea (Mon 12/05)**
Today I went to Tokyo DisneySea. The ticket was my birthday gift from family. I didn’t want to go on my actual birthday though, because it fell on a weekend this year and I hoped a weekday would be a little less crowded.

Well, Disney is an experience right from the getgo. Even the Maihama Station jingle is Disney (which I heard earlier on the trip when I would pass through the station), and the monorail is decked with Mickey handles and art of Duffy.

Since I arrived early as usual, I waited on line, which was already pretty big. Again, like the Pokemon Center, quick moving once the park opened.

I went to the gift shops first. I worried that they would be hard to find, but they were right by the entrance. I wanted to stock up on exclusive Tomica. As well, I hoped to pick up something Gelatoni. I find Duffy kinda plain-looking, don’t really get the appeal, but Gelatoni is precious. I decided this ever since seeing his Tomica (which is sadly long-since out of print. But yeah, I could tell just from the wait on line that it’s true what I heard. It’s commonplace for everyone to be decked out in Duffy and Friends goods including carrying around a big plushie. So I totally got my Gelatoni. Not the big one though. I was already running low on space at this point. Just a hand puppet plush, which was still a decent size. And I know they have a turtle friend now too, who is also precious, but maybe I’ll get something of him next time.)

Despite the fact that it did not take me that long to get in and out of two gift shops, the line for Tower of Terror, my high-priority ride, was already massive. And while I thought that you could reserve the park’s equivalent of Fast Passes via the app, it wasn’t working right for me due to app maintenance. I probably waited close to two hours. But the ride was amazing. Worth the wait. That being said, I skipped the other two headliners (Toy Story Mania and Soarin), because both had two-hour waits all day.

My next priority was Nemo and Friends Sea Rider, because I had the Tomica from a long time ago (bought it online) and think it’s the cutest thing. Ride was fun. Kinda like Star Tours or Body Wars but Finding Nemo-themed. Also did the Flounder coaster before breaking for lunch, which was curry. And yes, it’s stunning that curry purchased in Disney is still cheaper than I pay for it in US restaurants. It was great timing when I chose to eat, because while I had a bit of a line, I saw the line was out the door when I got out. Scary.

I went on Raging Spirits after lunch. This is factoring in that I hate inverting coasters. But I felt like being brave. It was fun but horrifying at the same time. Thought I was gonna die for sure. It started raining when I was on the ride, and sadly only got harder as the day went on. I rode a few more. Jasmine’s Flying Carpets, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Sinbad… the tiger in the Sinbad ride was so cute!

I made another stop to the gift shop before leaving, also hoping to give the rain a little more chance to lift up. Wanted to pick up a couple more Tomica, including the special New Years one, which I saw on display but couldn’t figure out where to purchase it. Turns out they were kept behind the register.

Afterwards, I took my soaking self back home, picking up some stuff at Mini Stop for dinner on the way back (including a flavor of onigiri I remembered loving on my last trip. It was indeed as good as I remembered.)