Saturday, June 5, 2010

The Gundam Cafe

In Japan, there's this thing called Mobile Suit Gundam. Its an epic animated series that has spurred nearly countless spin-offs and sequels. As a cultural icon, I've read that it can be compared to what Star Wars has become in the States. Ever since it was introduced in America, I've been a pretty avid fan. When walking around Japan If you know what to look for there are quite a bit of iconic references. But to be even more specific: The Gundam Cafe. Everything about this place has been designed to reflect different aspects of the anime, from the outfits of the employees to the restrooms. It's also actually a pretty classy place, which struck me as odd at first because back home, Gundam isn't something that's necessarily associated with people dressed in formal attire, enjoying fine dining and expensive drinks. When I say expensive I mean it. The cheapest drinks were around 800 yen and I remember seeing some food items for over 3000! I've been there a few times now and every time I go it's pretty busy. Two of those times there was a line of people coming out of the place, waiting to get in. I think its really great that something that back in the U.S. that would be considered kind of nerdy can hold this kind of status here in Japan. Of course, I might be slightly biased because I'm such a fan but either way it was a pretty interesting and enjoyable cafe.

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