Krow: Your mission, should you choose to accept it

[Sekicho]

Hey Krow, first-time poster but a long-time reader.

I was an exchange student in Osaka a few years ago and got into a discussion with a couple of friends of mine about what happened to a place we used to visit. It's called the Hakoniwa Taisen, and it's this weird pay-as-you-go LAN party in Nippombashi (down the Sakaisuji subway line... if you haven't been around Osaka yet, you'd take the Hankyu line from Kawaramachi to get there, and change at Awaji [I think]).

My friend Adam made a fan site for this place at http://www.geocities.com/bill_cosby but none of us have any clue if it's still there or not. So, like, if you get a chance, can you check it out and see if it's still there?

That part of Osaka has some of the most happenin' gadget stores you'll ever see in your life... the sort of places where you can get a PC the size of a comic book dirt-cheap. If you haven't been around there, I highly recommend it.

Peace... enjoy Japan!

[Krazy Krow]

I accept!

Haven't checked out Osaka much yet, but I'll try to make time this weekend. I'm getting bored of Lupin III: The Typing at the local arcade anyway.

I'm a total sucker for gadgets too, I want a winCE pocketpc to use as a dictionary, and an old Fujitsu Biblo with Air H wireless internet would be great for my morning commute, all it needs is an Ono-Sendai sticker.

I'll check out the page(s) later tonight at an internet cafe, I'm risking my job enough reading about electric razors. The new Panasonic Linear seems popular among transvestites. Strong enough for a woman, but made for a man.

[Krazy Krow]

Couldn't find it. I found Nippombashi OK and wandered around for a few hours, but I didn't see it. Maybe if you could give me more precise directions, or lattitude and longitude, I'd have better luck Once keenspace is back up, I'll post a photo of that phonebooth covered in porn.

I did find Denden Town, however. Picked up a WinCE device for cheap, and spent 2 hours today getting the kanji dictionary to work.

[Zomahon]

Hi, this is Adam, sekicho's friend and owner of geocities.com/bill_cosby. nice comic you've got here. are you enjoying japan? you're an eikaiwa teacher? what exactly is your job?

anyway, sorry we weren't more specific about hakoniwa's location. if you're willing to try again, i can give you more specific directions to hakoniwa. after climbing the stairs out of the nippombashi station on the sakaisuji line (which is WINDY as hell dont you think? and also it sounds like you had no trouble finding that much) well from there you cross the street and walk toward den den town (down sakaisuji), then go just about all the way through DDT, past a first kitchen, a "game depot" and a mcdonald's.. about 2 blocks past the game depot there will be a big street on the right, on the end of which is a HUGE computer store called Ninomiya.. turn right towards it, and then at the end of that (short) road take a left.. it's on the first right. here is a map:

http://www.medianetjapan.com/10/interne ... age004.gif

(hakoniwa's location is circled)
the front of the store looks like this:

http://www.medianetjapan.com/10/interne ... age002.jpg

you would be the man if you would seek that out for us. it's been bothering us for a while.

any questions? let me know if you need to know any kanji or whatever to get there.. feel free to IM me at voidband on AIM or zomahon@hotmail.com on MSN.. happy hunting!

--Adamu

[Krazy Krow]

Hello! Interesting page you have, though sadly I haven't had an oppourtunity to try the panty shot tips.

Wow, didn't know I came that close. I actually went to the Ninomiya there. Now I got the damn Ninomiya theme song stuck in my head, "Ninomiya is very kind to meeee, so I go to Ninomiyaaaaa, when I want a washing machine, we will go to Ninomiyaaa!" Having that song on endless loop is weird enough when I shop there, but if I worked there, I'd probably hang myself with a USB cable.

Yeah, Nippombashi is crazy windy. I need to go there wearing a trenchcoat sometime for the John Woo effect.

Thanks for the map, that should make things a lot easier. I'll see about going this weekend.

BTW, I'm working as an engineering intern right now. The job is mostly programming, right now I'm working on a cardiovascular thing.

[Krazy Krow]

Sorry guys, looks like it's gone. Much of that area has been renovated into a covered mall, and there's no sign of the Hanokiwa Taisen anywhere. Possible it moved, but I wandered around for a few hours there, and didn't see any stores called 'Hanokiwa Taisen.'

[Zomahon]

That sucks that it's not there.. seriously the last thing Japan needs is another covered mall. But again thanks for trying. That place had sentimental value to us.

By the way, I'll be living in Kyoto myself starting at the end of September on a college exchange kind of thing. Give me a buzz if you wanna go out and drink or something. you have my info.

--Adam

[Krazy Krow]

I was hoping I just misread the directions, but looking at the map, I was pretty thorough in that circled area.

See you in September, I gotta maintain my english skills