It was nice and quiet in the morning, I was the only one there. Doesn’t bother me ’cause the stuff tastes good. All the staff have to do is cut them open and mix according to our instructions. According to a post I found online, there is barely any actual cooking done, most things are pre-made and ready in packets. Once I finished picking, I pressed the bell for someone to collect my order. On sitting down I had a sheet to fill out with my preferences (ask for English if you can’t make do), there were instructions in the booth on how to order refills etc. The variety isn’t great, but then again, it is fast food. First though, as usual I purchased a ticket from the vending machine at the entrance. You’re able to customize your bowl down to the flavor, richness, thickness etc. Ichiran is a 24-hour franchise serving ramen fast-food style. The day started off with breakfast at 一蘭 Ichiran ramen in Ikebukkuro, just 10 minutes walk from my hotel. Left: Udolla Right: Kururin as portrayed in Gatchman Crowds with Paiman (the panda looking shit) sitting underneath If anyone finds news of him on their visit, please let us know. This isn’t really relevant to anything but at the time of my visit, the bunny rabbit くるりん (Kururin) was still the mascot around town, then not long ago some kimo-kawaii vegetable dude ウドラ (Udolla) apparently started making his appearance. From top left clockwise: Toaru Majutsu no Index, Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda, Saint Oniisan, Gatchaman Crowds, Toaru Kagaku no Railgun and Hakaiju.Īnyway, the point is, today I came to hunt down certain vending machines. With its neon bright colors, shonen action, young cast, and serious subject matter (politics and all) it’s a bit of a quirky show, I’d recommend it for young adults 17+.

I caught up with the series just before the sequel Gatchaman Crowds Insight aired (just finished this summer).

On my visit, I didn’t know about Gatchaman Crowds yet, another hippish anime which takes actual locations from the station area. Even the pavements look similar with the orange tiles-yellow lines. Academy City is based on the futuristic vibe of the city center, with its bright environment, raised walkways and monorail system.

What drew my good self to this place is one of the first anime I selected to watch myself – とある科学の超電磁砲 ( Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, or, A Certain Scientific Railgun). You can visit actual landmarks making it a great holy site, although I’m not too sure of the popularity of the place in the eyes of Japanese otaku. The locations/ settings for various anime are based on places here. Tachikawa city ( 立川) is also known as “Anime City”.

Gatchaman anime