EVACOMICS BLOG

Because my previous guide "Where to buy COPIC markers in Tokyo", was an all-time hit with 30,000 page views, I decided to do an updated version for all illustrators who are planning to buy COPIC markers in Tokyo.

I always wondered how a "real" mangaka teaches so I signed up for a 2-hour workshop with Yazawa Nao sensei, the artist of Wedding Peach at Manga School Nakano .

Unlike your typical kimono shoots, Studio Nanairo at Asakusa provides glamorous transformation into maiko or oiran (courtesan) in a studio environment or you can pay extra for street shots! *Disclaimer: This was a self-funded trip to provide non-bias review of experiences for my blog and/or new comic book. I do not get any money in return for recommendations.

I'm working on my 4th book now and one of the chapters is about Cosplay in Japan. So I decided to pay for my own trip and packages (special thanks to my fans at Patreon too) to write and draw an unbiased review about each experience. I never cosplayed before so I was enthusiastic about the "Perfect Anime Costume" package, which cost 15,000yen or around US$140.

Because my photo of the markers received so many shares, I realised that many artists are interested about the markers and perhaps want to know where to buy them from. Hence I wrote this guide for artists to shop in COPIC heaven aka Tokyo. ★ UPDATE NOV 2017: Please refer to my new article for latest updates on COPIC marker shopping! >>> Ultimate Guide to Copic marker shopping in Tokyo, Japan

This year's November was exceptionally warmer and rained more than usual. I thought I would not be able to see Mt. Fuji again until I was invited to Hitsuki Club . This is a beautiful resort hotel with rooms housed in cottages with each having a stunning view of Mt. Fuji. The resort is located in Shizuoka prefecture, inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park's Asagiri Highland, which is 700m above sea level so Mt. Fuji appears very close to you. The owner of this hotel is a doctor so the focus is on the wellness of the mind and body together with mother nature. Breakfast and dinner is included and you can expect fresh local ingredients cooked with spring water everyday!

Hidaka City 日高市 is around an hour's train ride from Tokyo's Ikebukuro station. There you can find a small village called Koma, that has deep roots with Korea dated as far back as 1,300 years ago. I was lucky that the annual Korean traditional mounted archery contest was held when I visited on 23 Nov (Mon) public holiday.

There are many specialised beef in Japan and the most famous one to foreigners is Kobe Beef. Frankly speaking I had never tried one before because it is so expensive.

There has been more rainy than sunny days so visiting a museum at this time is the best. Having experienced the 311 Tohoku earthquake back in 2011 , I was interested to know more about the Great Hanshin Earthquake and how it affected Japan.

I wasn't aware that there is this waterfall within the city until my friend said that we should visit it.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is the head shrine of Inari (rice) in Kyoto. It is located right next to JR Inari station so it is very easily accessible.

On our second trip to Kyoto, we wanted to target a temple with red leaves so we shortlisted temples in the North that turn cold earlier than those in the city area. Jakko-in was chosen because my friend thought the other nearby temple: Sanzen-in did not have enough red leaves.

Arashiyama Out of the 5 days we were in Kansai, only 1 day was good sunny weather so we decided to visit Kyoto. The skies were beautiful finally after days of cloud and rain. Our first stop was Arashiyama to visit the temple garden and bamboo forest.

We were looking for elsewhere to visit besides Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe and chose Wakayama because we had never been there. A quick google reveals Koyasan, a UNESCO world heritage site that consists of a mass cemetery and temples set on a mountain. Commuting time was around 4 hours from Osaka that consists of train, ropeway and bus, so it isn't too bad compared to 5-6 hours to southern parts of Wakayama.

It was rainy after we got into our hotel on Sunday (15 Nov) so we decided to check out something indoor like the world-renown Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Shinsekai was a highly recommended place to visit from my yoga classmate who claimed that the place appeared to be a pop out town from anime and has good fried food. The name literally means New World although it was created in 1912.

This museum was opened in 2011 but I did not visit when I was studying in Tokyo.

I would not have come here if not for my friend who was into Little Twin Stars from Sanrio...

This year hasn't been good to see red leaves due to the more than usual number of rainy days. One of the popular spots is the "Momiji Kairou" at Lake Kawaguchi. Momiji means red leaves and the English translation can be "Momiji Tunnel" or "Maples Corridor" although they are two separate but close-by places on the map. A "Momiji Matsuri" festival is held every year from the end of October to mid November with road stalls and romantic night illumination so it is a popular destination during November for people to see both Mt Fuji and red leaves.

Tokyo One Piece Tower is an indoor amusement park based on the famous manga/anime series "One Piece". It was officially opened in March 2015 with much hype, so is it worth the trip and your 3,000yen?