text | un: suohtamaki

[vanity]

good afternoon to everyone! ┌(＾＾)┘ i have a few simple question points i'd like to discuss today. this current home base is much more familiar territory to me compared to my previous kidnaping destination, but! I REFUSE TO FALL INTO THE DEPTHS OF COMPLACENCY!

i notice there are quite a few fellow japanese here, some who are much more culturally acquainted to their roots than i. so i'd like to continue my studies and ask about the following:

- japanese vending machines. i've heard the most audacious things can be found within their cheap plexiglass walls! (;;;*_*)

- japanese baths!! i would LOVE to hear more about this. does the communal experience serve the purpose of bonding with one another? would you say that this could be a family activity?

- have you ever been to karaoke? (´• ω •`)ﾉ please tell me about the experience! (is there a karaoke bar here? one should be made if not!)

- the rapid transit system. have you ever used it? how often? how does it truly feel to be cramped in such a confined space?

- how would you describe the taste of taiyaki? the texture? are the ingredients required to make it available here?

any and all information is appreciated. and if it's possible to recreate any of the above here, i'm set on making it a reality!

Comments

text; un: Creati

[recommendations]

You know... I was all prepared to come in with answers to your questions, being Japanese myself.

But suddenly I'm realizing, I don't have very much experience with any of the things you've described as being quintessentially "Japanese."

I have been to an onsen before, on a class trip. I'm not sure I would describe it as an ideal family activity, as they're typically separated by gender.

[vanity]

that's quite alright! we all have certain circumstances that may keep us from such important cultural activities. case in point, i've taken part in none of the above!

that's a good point about the typical onsen! though i do know it's not so uncommon for parents to bathe with their children up to a certain age. i'm not sure where these ideas might converge, but i'll think on it.

❰ that's bizarre, you are perfectly welcome to just gloss over that whole Thing. ❱

but was the onsen a nice experience? as a side note, i have always wanted to obtain a genuine onsen bucket!

text un: doppo

[capitalismkills]

um
If you're japanese wouldn't you know all that already

[vanity]

while i am part japanese, i have only lived in the actual country for a few years!

they're also activities that have been previously out of my reach. for instance, i had personal drivers when i needed to get somewhere. to use the subway was unthinkable! now i'd like to experience the cramped space for myself ( o˘◡˘o)

text

[intrapid]

You've never experienced any of this?
What an empty life you lead!
What's your budget?

[vanity]

i have lived a rather full life! there is just always room to add more!

it's rather minimal, if you're speaking in terms of avalon. in my home world, it was virtually endless.

text; un: tsuna27

[theskyaccepts]

That's a lot of questions. Did you want them answered in order?

Are you not from Japan?</font?

[vanity]

if you have an answer for each, i think that would be easiest! (ノ*°▽°*)

i am japanese, but i've only spent the last few years there. i have yet to experience all the great country and its people have to offer!

Text; UN: RoseofDawn

[beautyrest]

A pity I cannot help you answer such interesting questions. I hope you gather the answers you seek.

[vanity]

it's quite alright! they're questions meant to probe the minds of a certain audience, and there's nothing wrong with not falling into that category.

Text; UN: Wildflower

[madcuriosity]

I do beg your pardon, sir, but why do you wish to learn so much about Japan when we're in Camelot? Shouldn't you want to learn about this place?

Oh! Or do you already know everything about it? Could I ask you, then? I'm still learning all sorts of things about here.

[vanity]

it's not that i know everything about camelot, even if it offers me some vague nostalgia. it's rather that i wonder how long it might be before i can be in japan again, so the length in that hourglass may be...questionable, being realistic.

but! on a cheerier topic, i do know a little bit about being here! what questions might you have?

text; un: ruffestrabbit

[zunge]

what'd you hear about the vending machines?

[vanity]

in my online research, i've found some that offer non-edible items, like umbrellas, bugs, dogs!

also clothes, like ties and unmentionables! it's quite fascinating!

text; un: draconium

[blue_ice]

I'm from a version of Japan, so I can answer some. But I was a CEO and frequently targeted, so my experiences aren't universal.

-Yes, there are vending machines. For all things you want to imagine and several that I don't want to imagine.

-The baths are something like the communal Red Spring we have here. Families and friends go together, but I didn't go often due to my...upbringing.

-I don't sing.

-I have my own private transit, but I work on enhancing the city's public transit. More seats is definitely one of my priorities. I can't stand being confined.

-It's crunchy, salty, and sweet. I'm sure you could make it, it's just a basic batter that you pour in a fish mold and fill. Fill it with whatever you want, though sweet red bean paste is traditional.

[vanity]

ah, so our backgrounds are somewhat similar, but you still have some different experiences than i! this is all so revealing.

it pains me that we have been robbed of such things. the warm tenderness of family bathing! the release of passion within a karaoke booth!

though i didn't realize taiyaki wasn't such a specialty snack. i can make it in any kitchen! (ง ื▿ ื)ว how do you feel about the flavor?

text; un: 7😆H!TA1

[arf]

Japanese baths are the best!
Do you want to take a bath with me!? It's the best place to bond with your friends!
٩(◕‿◕｡)۶

[vanity]

I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS (・ω・)b

as you are now a part of the family, it is only right that we have a bonding bath, father-in-law and son-in-law. and to have it be such a moving cultural experience to boot!

text; un: GIGOLO

[champagnetower]

Greetings ✫ I am from Shinjuku, Japan, and I have experience with everything you've asked about!

- it's true what you've heard about Japanese vending machines! there are vending machines with panties, eggs, lettuce!

- Japanese baths are a good opportunity to bond with others!

- I have done karaoke many times! As a host, karaoke was part of my nightly routine!

- I have used the transit system many times, a couple times a week! I definitely would recommend never taking a train during rush hour to avoid being cramped in a confined space, but if you had no other choice, well... it's possible to get used to it!

- Taiyaki is similar to a pancake. It's delicious! I'm not sure if we have the ingredients here... I haven't thought of making it since arriving!

[vanity]

❰ he squints at that username for a minute, but moving on-- ❱

that's truly incredible, that so many things can be shoved into a vending machine. what is the point of a lettuce machine? it must go bad after a few hours, no? some laymen things i can't fully comprehend.

ah! you're a host you say? we have something in common! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° i too am the head host of the club i'm in. however, karaoke wasn't involved. if i ever have the chance to reunite our hosts, i'll have to organize a karaoke themed night.

i'll have to find a way to include the taiyaki too. i've been told it's easy enough to make given the right ingredients, but i'll admit i'm no chef. perhaps i can find a way to alchemize whatever is needed.

text; un: tenjikubotan

[irritated]

wow tono. you're really interested in the vending machines. that's just like you.

[The implication is there.]

[vanity]

you frequent internet websites, hikaru! surely you've seen a messageboard or two about what some of them contain. or is it simply an urban legend? i must know!

❰ he's read some shit, tbh ❱

un: perfectcopy

[dvine]

karaoke 10/10 would recommend any time of day

[vanity]

i'm glad the experience is as awe-inspiring as i have been lead to believe!

to tell you the truth, before i arrived on another planet i had begun to compile a list of current pop songs and old folk ballads to attempt to sing in a karaoke booth once i grabbed hold of the chance. and now it feels like the effort and research has gone to waste!!! ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

text; un; OotoriK

[brightestbulb]

Where exactly do you intend to get the funds to make any of these a reality?

[Translation: how many of these things does he need to find the funds to make a reality?]

[vanity]

KYOUYA! once i learn how to alchemize the white sand into glass bottles, i'll begin selling as much tea as i can muster! (*°▽°*)

❰ ar*z*na rebranded to something else...he has to think about that for a while. ❱

and it can be sold at the karaoke bar! the taiyaki stand! vending machines! there's a common thread here!!

text, un: mafuyu

[restringing]

Mmn......

vending machines have cold drinks all year and hot drinks in winter

most people don't use bathhouses anymore. but onsen are nice

karaoke is fun, you sing songs with your friends. there are tambourines

I ride the train to school and band practice every day. it's crowded in the morning

taiyaki is sweet and warm. you can make it here if you have red beans and a way to make it look like a fish... I think

[vanity]

i'm truly surprised that a vending machine can keep a hot beverage at an optimal temperature. they're certainly versatile machines!

i have indeed heard of an onsen. i've been to a spa that is somewhat similar, but there wasn't any communal bathing involved...and that's the key component i'm after!

a tambourine?? i didn't realize there was also a live instrument aspect to karaoke! are other instruments allowed? can an entire cover band be allowed into the karaoke booth? i was under the impression they weren't so large!

Text (I am so sorry)

[souls_of_roles]

[Kyoko just... stared at her phone, trying to make sense of this message. It was a slightly decorated one, which spoke to being less formal, more casual. But then a lot of what was said reminded her of Erika Koenji, and that just ****ed her off. It wasn't like she could help not being rich.]

[But then it kept going and she calmed down. By the end she was just... confused. And had no sense of who the person who typed this might be. But she was raised to be a polite helpful Japanese girl, so she did her best to reply, using formal language just to be on the safe side. She wrote as though she was speaking to one of the senior actors on a show, since that seemed to be the right amount of formality.]

"Good morning." [Didn't matter what time of day it was, in Japanese show business, it was always good morning.]

"I am not certain that I would call what happened to us kidnapping. There have been stories throughout history of humans falling into the Faerie realm, after all." [She paused in her typing for a mental break down and squealing about being in the Faerie realm. If his room was ANYWHERE near hers, he'd hear it, but then that room always had weird sounds coming from it early in the morning and late at night. She was rarely actually around during the day.]

"As to the subject of Japanese vending machines, while they are convenient, it is often cheaper to go to a DIY store or corner store, which will have most of the same things for sale. And not all vending machines have plexiglass," [she refused to acknowledge the word cheap.] "The most useful ones are the ones that dispense hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, since those are harder to bring back from a store, no matter how fast you run while on break." [Yes, Tamaki, you have found another commoner.]

[She stared at the next question, not even sure how to begin. Who hadn't ever been to a bath house or an Onsen? Was he rich or just dirty? It took her a while to consider her reply before she finally returned to typing.] "Most people I have seen just want to get in, bathe, relax, and get out. We talk sometimes, but unless you went specifically for that, why would you want to talk to a stranger who [She blinked, considered deleting, since she had gone informal, then decided to just start a new sentence.]

"Japanese public bath houses are the core of the Japanese experience." [And if this was someone like Erika, she hoped whoever it was choked on the answer. Though part of that was her twitchyness over the family part of the question. Which she was not going to answer. She walked around her apartment to try to calm herself down. Screamed at her posters for a bit. Punched a hole into the wall, then took a long drink from her glass of water. Finally she could go back to answering questions, but she was done talking about bathing.]

"I have gone to Karaoke, the food was very nice." [There, nice and polite and formal. And absolutely no mention of the fact that she had gone to have a chance to talk to Moko where no one else could hear her. And especially no mention over what they had discussed.]

"Trains are very useful, but not nearly as fast as a bicycle." [Which.... said more about Kyoko than about trains, not that she realized it. She was fed up with trains and busses in general and had saved for a bike so that she didn't have to wait for the slower moving forms of mass transit. She had even gotten angry at a cab driver once because he couldn't get past traffic with his GUTS. So while the bike had been a lot of money all at once, she didn't have to pay for a month train or bus pass and she could avoid being late to her jobs.]

"You have never had Taiyaki?" [She lost all concept of formal, stunned by that. She was ready for an argument over which end to eat it from, or the best fillings, or the best places to buy some, but... This guy or girl or whoever... they couldn't ACTUALLY be Japanese, with these questions? Right?]

[Clearly whoever it was was playing a joke on her. Angry, she was about to delete her whole answer, but... accidentally hit send. She threw her phone at a pillow in disgust and stalked to her closet. She wanted to go out, but she had work, so she had to find some other way to calm down or to channel her anger. She grabbed one of the tops she considered Natsu's, and thought about letting Natsu just take over. Then she eyed Kuon's clothes and reconsidered. Finally she just sunk down onto her futon in case the message hadn't actually been a prank, and started working on making a new curse doll...]

[vanity]

good morning! (￣▽￣)ノ

i'm no stranger to faerie myths, but i think it was gleaned that our familiars had something to do with our appearance, right? and in that case, i suspect mine was all too delighted to bring me here. ❰ they don't speak of mothman. ❱ anyway, i do want to thank you for this useful information! you've been quite thorough, which is exactly what i'm looking for.

that seems to fall in line with my concept of a regular vending machine. i'm interested to know if you've used or seen one of the ones i'd consider more...offbeat.

the baths topic, i think you may have stopped your thought! but to clarify, i meant bathing with friends and family, not someone i didn't know. though i'm not adverse to the idea, in certain situations! i'd like to share this cultural experience with as many people as i have a fondness for ♡ (˘▽˘>ԅ( ˘⌣˘)

what kind of food was served at karaoke? (i am especially interested in if the answer is taiyaki). i'd like to know about the variety. the price! the presentation!

and to bring it back to taiyaki, it's true that i have never! i'm looking for some way to make it here so that i can truly indulge in the experience, but it feels like an impossible mission. (╥ω╥) i have perseverance!!!

text; un: fireprince

[rediscovering]

so your peasant teas have finally lost their appeal......
nice to hear you're moving on, tamaki.

[ Guess who! Zuko's happy to get back in touch, having already heard from their friends that Tamaki was safely in Avalon as well. But boy, oh boy, even if Zuko's new living space with Azula was much smaller than his flat with the hosts in Prismatica, there was markedly more space just due to the lack of... shitty tea... everywhere... ]

[vanity]

ZUKO! you seem to be mistaken. i'm a man of many talents and the ability to multitask. i'm concerned with gathering all this information WHILE i continue to make my teas.

i'm actually looking into how to officially bottle them. i make them myself now, you know.

❰ and are they truly peasant teas if they're made by a host prince? ❱

text; un: saxitup

[saxsongs]

If you find a karaoke bar, we should definitely host some parties there. It's wonderful.

[vanity]

i'm afraid i don't think they're in line with the cultural and overall aesthetic of this world. which is certainly a tragedy. one should surely exist!

and from there, i would be more than willing to host a grand opening -- and any other parties that might need to be thrown there!

You cant escape me any longer, Pia.

[takoyakitori]

...are you okay?

[But wait this isn't helpful.]

You can probably get the things to make taiyaki here, but it might be hard to make it into the right shape...

i have been found!!!

[vanity]

i'm quite alright, thank you for asking!

❰ someone is from 2002 and still trying to distinguish tone in text messages. ❱

that's what i'm afraid of, actually. and as far as i'm concerned, without the iconic fish shape, taiyaki simply isn't worth consuming! (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ it must be the whole experience, or can i actually say i've eaten taiyaki at all??

Text; un: koromaru

[whatsamada]

The rapid transit system is just like any other subway system? I wouldn't think it's anything special as it's very similar to what I heard about any other quick transportation in different countries.

This is coming from someone who has to use it almost everyday.

[vanity]

i've yet to have experienced any rapid transit system, actually! but i did hear it was potentially unique. that's a disappointment. i'd still choose the japanese transit system to be my first, just as the baseline for comparrison!

having ridden it so frequently, what would you describe the experience as in general?

text; un: Paladin

[reresurrected]

Oh? You have taiyaki in your world as well? How very interesting... I had thought it a snack native to my homeland.

[vanity]

i'm versed in people from being from different worlds, and having different takes on japan...but it's a japanese snack, so you must be from some form of the country, no (•ิ_•ิ)?

text; un: colette

[angelolatry]

vending machine? I'm not sure how baths are different there? Or what a karaoke is? Is taiyaki a food? You mention ingredients so I assume it is?

[vanity]

i believe my post may have confused you somewhat, my apologies!

a vending machine is a cubicle found on a street curb that contains food and drink (among other things, somehow). you insert money into it, choose which specific item you want, and it gives it to you.

while you are certainly supposed to bathe yourself for cleanliness in private, japanese culture has different style baths meant for luxuriating -- and i hope for bonding, as well!

a karaoke bar is an establishment filled with many little rooms. in each room are seats and a machine that plays music and shows you the words to the songs available. you sing along instead of the original vocalist. it's supposedly quite fun, though i've never actually been in one!

taiyaki is a food! it's shaped like a fish and is red bean paste wrapped in a fried dough of sorts.

i hope this is explanation enough!

❰ this is at least what HE knows of all of the above. ❱