I had the great honor of receiving the prize for my entry into the AnimeGo! film competition, and the result of which was a fantastic experience in Japan which I took over the course of 10 days in February. Japan was an amazing place and I can only say that it is a feeling that no amount of photos can replicate. Over the course of the trip there were a good many places that I found fascinating, which I do hope to see again one day!

To begin my journey, I visited the Tokyo Skytree, a colossal tower that literally overshadows a few blocks over Tokyo. I met up with my good Japanese friend and classmate who (interestingly enough) had also never gone to the Skytree. The elevator shoots passengers up 350 meters into the top levels, where tourists can look down from glass panes all the way to the ground (a slightly terrifying experience). Despite being a popular tourist place, it occurred to me that many of the sightseers were in fact Japanese high school students, probably on excursion. There are several stairs and escalators leading down from the Skytree top level to gift shops and information booths, where special photos can be taken with staff members.

At the ground floors of the Skytree is the shopping plaza, where we had lunch and entered a Shonen Jump shop. Unfortunately, all the popular T-Shirts were sold out…

The following day I went to Akihabara, the Electric Town. Despite being an incredibly dense place, its actual size is not that big and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to navigate the area quite easily. Akihabara is crowded with shops that cater to both tech-nerds and otaku, but most of the customers are quite ordinary people, especially school students buying manga after school hours. Most of the shops have multiple floors that each sell specific items for different demographics, the like of which I can only explain as a real life Pokemon shopping mall! Here, I was able to pick up a few nice souvenirs that perked my interest as an anime fan.

After this, our first stage into Kyoto began. Kyoto is an amazing place, full stop. I probably enjoyed this part of the trip more so that anything else. The environment is incredibly and uniquely peaceful, in a way that can’t be explained with words. The Kyoto Manga Museum was an equally dynamic experience, as my first destination in Kyoto. It’s essentially a huge collection of almost every single manga published in history, up until recent days. Sadly, photos were not allowed to be taken inside the museum.

The Kinkakuji “golden” temple was a most intriguing sight. I managed to photograph it during sunset, which allowed for a special kind of glint off the gold leafed walls.

My time in Kyoto was short, but the impact it had on me was incredible. I will definitely go back when I get the chance!

Upon return to Tokyo, I went to Odaiba to see a most peculiar attraction – a giant Gundam Unicorn, among other things. Odaiba was a nice shopping place and seemed to attract many foreigners as well.

On my last three days, I decided to go alone and visit Harajuku, a popular ‘normie’ destination. Harajuku was a very interesting destination. The place is very popular with youth, as about 70 percent of people around me were either high school students or in their 20s. The streets are filled with pleasantly appealing fashion stores, and *very* interesting kinds of people. As I mentioned before, it is not something that can be explained with words, and photos definitely do not do justice to the kind of feeling that is experienced there. My only regret is not going with someone else, since it’s a kind of feeling that you need someone to express to!

To wrap up my journey, I visited the Ghibli museum, which I was fortunate enough to grab one of the last tickets for (you must book 3 months in advance)! This is a place I must recommend visiting for fans of animation in general despite how crowded it can get. The entire museum is constructed in such a way that makes you think you’re going insane (I got lost three times on the same staircase)! Inside you can revisit Hayao Miyazaki’s mind from all the way back when he first conceived Nausicaa, to today’s modern Ghibli films. In addition, there’s a special short film that you can only watch at the museum – I won’t spoil any more!

With that, my trip concluded. I must repeat, Japan is not a place that can be explained, only experienced. So I wish everyone involved in AnimeGo this year all the best of luck!