Roll for morale check

Dec. 27:

A drunkenly agreed-upon amble to Osaka to visit a Warhammer 40K gaming shop turns into Jessy and me and our tall 7-years-in-Japan South African buddy strolling through Den Den, then clearing board space in Iconoclast, the name of the cold, tiny sidestreet shop we’re visiting. 16-45 year old otaku moving handpainted pieces across the tables and shooting photon cannons fill my afternoon, with early evening occupied by a trip to Yodobashi Camera, a hulking behemoth of a store so large that the stories people tell about it are meaningless: one floor of thirteen is as large as an Iowan Walmart and devoted only to toys. Two massive aisles are merely cars, which excludes the trains and airplanes, the handful of aisles for just kid toys, and the entire section for hobby figures, statues, and rows of gashapon. Half the floor is video games and I can’t bring myself to even go in, lest I am unable to handle it.

At night, turned on to a ramen shop not so far from where I live here in Kobe, we dine on Tomato ramen and fresh gyoza with chili oil. It is the best I have eaten in this country, and comes with unlimited free kimchi. Things are getting good. I am settling in while branching out.