Last/first pilgrimage of the year. Rothenburg city hall, also known as Otowa station. Will I be able to meet Chihiro if I go inside? #ef a fairy tale of the two

Spice & Wolf (2024) vs. Spice & Wolf (2008) in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

When I picked up the manga two months ago at the museum, I didn't expect we would get an anime announcement so soon. It's a lovely story and I'm really looking forward to seeing how KyoAni will adopt it.

New post: Weekly Review of Transit, Place and Culture in Anime 542 likeafishinwater.com/2025/11/13/w... 2025 Fall Season Overview | Pilgrimages: Watashi o Tabetai, Hitodenashi, Alma-chan wa Kazoku ni Naritai, Shūmatsu Touring, Eiga Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Dōkōkai Kanketsu-hen

The contrast couldn't be much bigger. Osaka: 21°C, almost no clouds Frankfurt: 6°C, cloudy with a chance of rain. I will probably feel cold for the next few days. 🥶

Noot Noot!

Took a Kirby themed train on the way back to Osaka. Seems like he's also the chief conductor. 😀

Saw the train again today on my way to Amagasaki. I love the design.

Visited Cafe Dream for a second time on this trip for lunch. Mikuru and Nagato are back to their usual dress. It probably won't take long until they switch to their Christmas outfits. The Christmas decoration was put up inside the cafe today.

Going home today (I'm already at the airport), but I used the remaining time to visit the area where I lived last year. The station closest to my home was Mukugawa on the Hanshin line. There isn't much to see there, but if you like Shio Ramen, I can recommend Nagomi.

Preliminary stage exploration thread for "Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise". (in no particular order) Saga Prefectural Government Office, Saga City I think there's at least one other cut showing the corridor on the second or third floor on the west side of the building.

Visited Karatsu Kunchi for the first time. I liked the energetic atmosphere.

The Zombie House (Former Mitsubishi Karatsu Branch Office) looks more and more like an abandoned building. The City is currently looking for donations to restore it. There are only a few days a year, when the public can go visit the little museum inside. The next visitors day will be this weekend.

Something that has been bothering me for some time: Is Honda going to be alright? Visited their booth at Balloon Fiesta yesterday and the only fully electric models on display were the N One and an electric scooter. Is that it? Sure, the new Prelude looks nice, but why isn't it an EV?

Went to see the balloons at Saga International Balloon Fiesta. A little disappointing: The Cygames Balloon wasn't operated by a group of Zombie Idols (or Horse Girls). 😜

Good morning from Zombie Land also known as Saga. 😉

Went to the Manga Museum in Kyoto earlier today. They had a small Doujinshi event for the City Subway mascot characters. Their current exhibition on "Manga and War" was also interesting.

Completed the Hibike! Euphonium stamp rally for this month.

Another peaceful morning at the Masugata Shopping street.

Revisited Former Toyosato Elementary School yesterday.

Former location of a shop called "flamant", that was used as a model in Hyouka episode 21. The shop still exists, but they relocated to a new site south of Gifu station a few years ago.

Last locations visited during yesterday's Haruhi pilgrimage (Hinoike Park)

Hankyu railway bridge at Shukugawakoen

It's getting really hard to recreate the cuts from the movie, now that "Koyoen Highschool" and the flower shop are gone.

Nagato was still in school when I walked by her apartment. 😅

Koyoen station (1/2)

Haruhi and Kyon railroad crossing This time I didn't have to wait too long to take my photos without any cars in it. But I get the feeling the number of cars here is increasing every year. Be careful not to step in front of one while taking a picture.

A few of the places close to Kyon's home (1/2)

Hirota Shrine (Please don't mess with the birds or the monk and the Kami will get mad at you.)

Fortunately no one was thrown into the pond today.

Current state of the former baseball field where the SOS Brigade had their match against the Kamigahara Pirates.

Visited all of the Haruhi Tobidashi on the west side of Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi station. Nagato looks very cute in her Halloween outfit. If I have enough time in the afternoon, I'll try to visit the second Nagato Tobidashi at Cafe Yone.

Back at the usual café ☺️ Mikuru is already wearing her Halloween outfit.

New manga It's probably better if I don't read it until I'm back in Germany. Otherwise the chances are too high that I cancel my travel plans and go to Aomori instead. 😂

Just finished the Zombie Land Saga movie. Tae-chan is such a badass character. 🤣

Did some Eupho trainspotting this morning. Got a bit lucky, the train passed Hamaotsu station the moment I arrived.

One day, I'm going to do the dinner cruise on Lake Biwako, to collect those Chu2Byo cuts on the ship, but not today. The sunset from the harbour in Otsu looked nice.

Back in Japan

Unexpected encounter on the way home: ICE-S hiding in the dark. This is the German counterpart to Japan's "Doctor Yellow" Shinkansen.

A little tired after the concert but also very happy. Great show. I hope it won't be another 6 years before they perform in Frankfurt again. 😀

I'm glad there's a Japanese (and German) translation. My Klingon second from the bottom) is a bit rusty. 🤣

New post: Weekly Review of Transit, Place and Culture in Anime 540 likeafishinwater.com/2025/08/01/w... 2025 Summer Season Overview | Pilgrimages: Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, Kanokari, Aobuta, Game Center Shōjo, Fudoasu, Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon

Do lizards really need signs to find those openings in the wall and are other animals allowed to use them too? 🤔 Feels a little excessive (and expensive) to have those posted like every 5m.

new books ☺️

I checked some old photos because the station in the opening of "See you tomorrow at the Food Court" looked familiar. Boarded a train to Sendai airport there back in 2019. It was early in the morning and I arrived late the night before, so I don't think I visited the food court at the time.

I made a stop at Muku for Ramen on the way home.

Stopped for breakfast on my way to Nippon Connection in Frankfurt. Today I'm going to watch Ghost Cat Anzu, Love & Pop and A Samurai in Time.

The Violet Evergarden Gaiden guidebook Anime Meguri will be available at Dokomi 2025 — find it at @jentsukase.bsky.social in: Hall 5 / Booth 5H91 (yes, the 🔞 hall, lol) もしかしたら日本語の本も少し用意できるかもしれませんが、約束はできません >_<

I'm glad no one was injured. I have some fond memories of the Shotengai and it's inhabitants from my Tamayura pilgrimages and the events held there. Buildings can be replaced, people can not. www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...

At the cinema in Wiesbaden for Kimi no Iro/The Colors Within 😊 This will be the first time I see it without the Japanese dub. The trailer for the German version looked promising.