http://blog.jpopdb.org/index.php/blog/traveling/japan-2008/kyoto-animation-studios

and being a bit crazy, I also went to look at the real life locations of Lucky Star and Suzumiya Haruhi ^^

http://blog.jpopdb.org/index.php/blog/traveling/japan-2008/day-10-02-04-suzumiya-haruhi-locations

And I’m writing english guides for all these locations (which is taking quite some time)

@Asperger’s Anime Blogger: When it comes down to it, this is somewhere where people do office work everyday, not some national monument built to be gawked at (not that it stops anybody), so they have their right to be ’slightly’ affected by people snapping pictures at their doorstep. And make no mistake, anyone who gets off at teeny Kohata station to snap a picture of KyoAni is no ‘ordinary passing-by tourist’ – otaku through and through regardless of nationality

@Cokematic: I think the Seishun ticket’s cheaper, but only sold seasonally (and within Japan), and you don’t get to board anything ‘express’, much less Shinkansen -_-” (the fastest you can go is ‘rapid’). A ticket can be used for 5 days, though you can split it between a number of people for fewer days (e.g. 5 people for one day, etc)

@kairukun: Perhaps when you do get there, they’ve turned the place into a full-fledged tourist-trap-shrine XD

@CI – they keep their 24k gold Haruhi statue in the staffroom durrrrr..

Also, whats the difference between a Seishun 18 and a JR Pass?? I used a JR pass when I was in Japan back in May and it lets you take then Shinkansen too (just not the super express one.. even though I got on without knowing.. and then they made me get off after 1.5 hours on it?).

@Asperger – Its a double edged sword… being different in a culture will get some people to open up to you.. but for every person that open up to you there are probably 5 or 6 that don’t. Its easy when you’re over for vacation, but if you are there longterm … its very very different.

tl;dr @issa-sa : go steal me the gold Haruhi statue from their staffroom next time >.<

Anyway, you wouldn’t get that if you went to the Osamu Tezuka Museum in Osaka. Tezuka love is universal love, fanboys or not in Japan. Also, what is your nationality? If you’re Asian you might be stereotyped as an Otaku, but if you were say, Middle Eastern or Australian, you would be viewed differently.

I remember when I was little this Japanese couple took photos of me and my twin brother because twins are rare. The same thing happened in Cairo. If you’re out of the ordinary from what the locals generally experience, they’re more likely to reach out to you.

P.S. – and as you noticed, I’m back ^_^!!!

@C.I. : ‘Cos I haven’t watched it? Still halfway through the first season (though I’ve watched all of Fumoffu XD)

@amayalee: I now have a sneaking suspicion that this conveniently located ’studio’ is just a facade for this closed space they keep their actual headquarters in, just to keep dancing otakus away… JK =P