Heaven on Earth

3.27.2023

Am I dreaming?

My apology for not blogging the last several days. The experiences were amazing and I was too exhausted to share. But I will fully document those days when I return home. Today, I went to heaven. Last night, when I arrived in Osaka I did a quick run through DenDen Town where the flagship Jungle store resides. It was awesome but today took the prize. My second secret destination was scheduled for 1 pm. So until then I decided to do some quick sightseeing and shopping. in Japan many shops don’t open until 10 am at the earliest and noon at the latest.

First stop, was Osaka’s popular tower and tourist attraction Tsutenkaku. It lived up to all the photos I had seen over the years. It huge and majesty with all the old Japan Showa era feels. While I was there I did a FaceTime call with my friend John and enjoy small breakfast snacks from the local combini.

Then I headed to the Godzilla Store which resides in the PARCO mall. I was blown away! The Godzilla store in Shinjuku will always been special because it was the first. But the Osaka store is more than a corner shop it is a full-blown store where Godzilla’s roar greets shoppers riding up thr escalator. Upon arrival on the 6th floor, a huge Godzilla awaits visitors at the entrance. The store is also a little museum featuring an array of X-Plus Godzilla figures around and across the store. I was a kid in a candy shop. While shopping I was entertained by the non-stop Godzilla music soundtracks. It was heaven and I have the overflowing bag to prove it! The staff were curious and thoughtful. As I left one worker gave me the store business card inviting me to follow them on social media.

As I exited the store, I had sensory overload because the entire floor was dedicated to Japan tokusatsu and anime characters and video games. Along with the Godzilla Store there are stores for Ultraman, Capcom,Snoppy, Lego, Studio Gibly, and much more.

As I left the department store I didn’t think it could get any better. I eyed two other shops to visit: Mike’s Antiques and Admski. All of these locations run along the Midosuji Line in Osaka within 1 to 3 stops. In the interest of time, I scraped Mike’s and headed to Admski. And oh my goodness! I had known of this collectible shop for several years but never got to visit. I didn’t think much of it. In fact, on my last visit I realized I walked over it when walking through the city mall several times. Little did I know what was under my feet. It was heaven itself! Oh my, it was overwhelming. Again I was living my dreams. And I approached I saw vintage televisions sets and technology from the 50s to 90s. The store is a Time Machine back capture all my favorite decades. The representation of collectibles has no match. It was a mini Nakano Broadway! The old Godzilla toys and collectibles was amazing. I could have stayed there all day. It will be a must-visit for every future trip to Japan. I walked out expecting to wailed up from my dream.

And when I didn’t think things could get any better, I headed to the secret scheduled appointment for which I came to Osaka. I arrived at the X-Plus Headquarters like I found the secret base of the Aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole. And wow, I was not disappointed. Blown away by what I had seen and learned, I enjoyed the rich discussion about the company, its various product series and upcoming releases. And the rest was top secret to which I took an oath of complete secrecy.

And from there I headed back to Tokyo with hands full of packages and with a heart full of joy. After a couple rainy overcast days, the Sunday on full display shining brightly from Osaka to Nagoya to Tokyo. After a quick stop at 7-Eleven and McDonald’s, I crashed early back at my hotel. Tomorrow, my last full day in Japan. is looking like another amazing day. I’m headed to one more special location. And when I return I gotta figure out packing! More stories and photos are coming!

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