Rice Balls, AKB48, and Raw Coffee.

By chandlerdelinks

February 18, 2012 Comments

After an awesome morning spent betting on bikes, we got back in the Cannondale van with Hiro and Ichi.

It was lunch time, and we would be eating on the road.

“McDonald’s or Rice Balls?” Hiro asked.

Tim and I both replied “Rice Balls” without hesitation.

Hiro shook his head and said, “Crazy Americans. They eat squid but not McDonald’s.”

Rice balls are purchased at 7-11 and they are really like rice triangles wrapped in thin seaweed. You can get salmon, sweet plum, or tuna with mayonnaise. They come double wrapped in plastic with special instructions.

First, you pull the plastic from the top of the triangle, straight down, and around the back. This unwraps the seaweed that has been kept separate to stay dry. Then you pull the plastic wrapped around the rice triangle directly to the side, almost like Mr Wizard pulling the tablecloth out from under the dishes on the table.

Mr Wizard. Hated that guy.

What you are left with is a deliciously sweet rice meal wrapped in fresh, paper-thin seaweed. From 7-11.

After lunch, we headed into the Akihabara neighborhood, otherwise known as “Electric Town.” Also known for gifting the world with the current female idol group, AKB48.

Aitakkata, aitakkata, aitakkata, yes!

There are 57 members in the group. They have their own theater in Tokyo where they perform daily, and they have pop-up shops that sell only their merchandise.

Back Street Boys? What Back Street Boys?

In Akihabara, Ichi took us to a shop where he said he would shop, with the types of items he would buy. Tim and I purchased gifts for our wives and I took a picture of a robot.

The shop was located in a cool, little complex that sat beneath the above-ground train.

There was bike parking.

And there were toilets.

There was a store that only sold items made of wood.

I nearly cracked around 6 pm from an already long day. Knowing we had dinner with Red Bull reps in a few hours, and who knew what after dinner, we needed some coffee.

We found good coffee.

Tim and Ichi enjoyed their “coffee of the day.”

And I acted like the weird guy taking pictures of raw coffee beans. By “acted,” I mean, “was.”

I really regret not buying this espresso grinder. Such an idiot.

After a few cups of coffee, Ichi walked Tim and me to the train so we could meet two reps from Red Bull Japan in ShiBOOYAH at the Hachiko Dog again where we would be dining on meat products.

On the train, where no one speaks, I told Ichi I loved him as he walked through the doors for the last time. He did not reciprocate, but I didn’t take it personally.

Red Bull, Red Meat, and Karaoke coming up next…