Drilldown to pro/con:

Pros:

• Hang out with Moy (and others?)
• Maaya’s big concert
• TAF?
• Cherry Blossoms
• [new!] UBW, Eden, Nanoha, MacF films on screen!

Cons:

• BAD for budget constraints, really bad.
• May not have enough vacation days, need to survive on boss’s graces
• Going now means means no fun for later on in the year, and I can always just go later on in the year when the cons are not so … con.

The exact date range is going to be late march to early april. Maaya’s show is on 3/31, and TAF runs to like, April 3rd or so.

Maria and JP already set their travel plans for the last 2 weeks of March. I know I can probably run into Dave if I try. If fortune shines, maybe even Seizo. If I feel daring, maybe Taguma. Or Qix.

Back from Japan. Still recovering. Especially that last concert about 7 days ago.

Otakon bound…leaving Thursday if all goes well.

Will try to list all the loot I got there, here. List is partial right now…

Free loot:

• Aoi Hana…fan without the stem?

Almost free loot:

• Marisa milk tea can (empty)
• nm7 bag
• concert handouts for nana mizuki live diamond
• concert handouts for super space time tanabata sonic
• A LittleBSD thingy
• expired blue glow stick + a ribbon

Not-free loot:

• yokoso japan SUICA (balance of 0 yen \o/)
• Nana mizuki loots–
  • live diamond jersey (black)
  • towel (pink)
  • fan
  • light stick
  • poster a
  • poster b
  • nanaca (x6, unopened!)
• super space time tanabata sonic loots–
  • hiyoko scoop bag (w/ towel and duck)
  • t-shirt (L)
  • program book (x2)
  • the cream puf (+green sticker)
  • music japan magazine/book, june 2009
• manabi straight vol 1-7 set (used, LE pressing)
• Kanon 2002 vol 1-7 set (used…used. Include bonus disc)
• Kanon 2002 vol 1,2,3,5……..yeah.
• Kokoro toshokan 1 (LOLs)
• Utena the movie DVD
• Air Movie LE DVD
• FF8 OST box set (LE, first press)
• Mai Hime OST 1, 2
• Brain powered OST 1, 2
• Simoun ED single
• MKR TV OST 1, 2, 4, 5
• Melody of Oblivion ED single
• Kenshin image ablum 2
• MKR image album 2
• Narima daicon brothers image album
• natsu no arashi op single
• kajiura – fiction
• nana mizuki – eternal blaze
• some ai nonaka album (w/ dvd)
• Canvas 2 ED single
• Asako Nishida artbook
• Akiman turn-a artbook
• Denno Coil meta artbook

• Plane Ticket – done
• Hotel – booked
• Concert ticket #1 – Completed
• Concert ticket #2 – Scalp!
• Local contact info – Two sets secured
• Travel buddy – secured
• Days taken off work – secured

Secondary objectives

• Obtain spending money – complete!
• Have enough money left for Otakon – Probably
• Research travel info in Japan – in progress
  • Narita to Tokyo station – check
  • Tokyo station to hotel – check
    • and possibly on the way back – check
  • Hotel to saitama super arena – check
  • Hotel to Ginza (at … 5am) – check (see tsukiji)
  • Hotel to Seibu Dome – check- Ikebukuro or shinjuku, Tokorozawa (special train!)
• Find local things to do – in progress
  • Akiba – check
  • Tsukiji fish market – check (more info)
  • jangara ramen – check
• Plan to find locals (and others)
  • Yag – check
  • WAH – check
  • danie – maybe
  • Ryo – ?
• Create to-buy list – barely started
  • Artbooks – Reighborhood? Matsubara’s book.
  • List of CDs – ?
  • Scotch tape – done
  • Rain equipment – complete
  • flipflop – complete

Hopefully this will update over time.