Book Off in the Old Ala Moana Shirokiya Store

 Sunset from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Mililani....

Japanese Bookstores Making Moves...

 Went To Ward Warehouse this weekend to find that the CDs, Books, Computer and DVDs section of Shirokiya has become a brand new outlet called "Connect", which has just taken residence there, next to Menchie's Yogurt (in the place that used to be Executive Chef) and with just a glance one can tell still has that easy-to-spot "Book Off" aura...

The news that Shirokiya was going to be moving places in Ala Moana Shopping Center made me wonder the fate of the CD/DVD side (since they were going to focus on the Food Stalls), nice to know that they've still got a good home! (Or, as long as this DVD thing lasts...Oi.
While I was there, I was shocked to find that Japanese Bookstore Hakabundo (which had also moved to Ward Warehouse a few years ago) looked like they were clearing out their magazine section... but then I discovered they'd opened a newer shop further down in Ward Centre, and there the Magazines were, good as ever! WHEW!

Kind of Sad news about Shirokiya moving...I have SO MANY memories going there as a kid for my Kikaider and Kamen Rider fixes, those cool '45 Singles and Albums...Those were the days!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

The Upstairs Restrooms at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Ward Warehouse...

Back To Kawaii Kon 2013

It's Adventure Time at the 2013 Hawaii Kawaii-Kon!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
 It's that time of the Year again (Gads, has it already been that long...?) when the fanciful Anime Expo Kawaii Kon makes its appearance, and though I hadn't given it much thought  in the last few months, when my friends called me up to tell me we were gonna be spending our Saturday there, I was all in!

 We actually got there fairly late, by the time we found parking and made our way there, it was already past 1:00 in the afternoon, most of the Morning Crowd had gone, and it was still a bit too early for the nighttime costumers to show up, but all in all we still managed to see some fun and interesting sights!

 One thing that was a twist was that this time we actually had someone in our crowd who KNEW all of the anime shows and characters- whereas before we'd marvel at how well the costumes were made, but had no idea how close they'd gotten to the actual outfit, THIS time, she was running around pointing out all the various "celebrity" anime characters, yelling out "HEY, It's Flame Princess!!!!"and a BIG highlight was the cast of the zany ADVENTURE TIME anime show (pictured at the top of this post)!

Sadly, even with four (four, count them, FOUR!) cameras at our disposal going off non-stop (or so it seemed), only a small handful of all the pics we took actually came out, a problem that bugs me to no end...! So throughout the 200+ pictures we took, all I was able to put together was this meager sample of the fun that was going on that afternoon!

Ah well, there's always next year, and my friends have already stated that we are DEFINITELY going to be coming in the year 2014, as checking in on Kawaii Kon is our new "tradition", LOL!!!

Hakubundo is Alive and Well at Ward Warehouse

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
Was cruising down at Ward Warehouse the other and was happy to see that Japanese Bookstore Hakubundo had moved there! Not only did it seem like the same good old Hakubundo, as always, they already had the latest NHK Taiga Drama Photobook displayed in the window (this time for upcoming Ayase Haruka drama“Yae No Sakura”, she looks soooo kakkoi on the cover, I’ll have to check that one out!)…

Ah, Hakubundo! You know, in the days before the internet, it was not only one of the few places you could buy J-pop CD’s, but it was just about the only place we knew of to order other J-pop goods like posters and Photobooks, and back then it was a ritual to mosey on down to the Chinese Cultural Plaza  (this was years before they eventually moved to the Pan-Am Building) and put in another order of J-goodies! 
It’s a good feeling to know that shop is still around!

More Pics From Kawaii-Kon

Overview of the 2012 Kawaii Kon

Still working through the 100+ pictures we took of this past Saturday's Kawaii-Kon and decided to continue uploading "All the Pics fit to Print", or rather, More Random Stuff from the 2012 Kon...

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

"Come At Me, Bro!"

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

Costumed Couple and A Girl and Her Teddy Bear

Sailor Jupiter hanging at the Game Room

A Photobombing Pumpkin and a Forlorn Fairy

2012 Kawaii Kon pics

 What kind of visions will we see at the next Kawaii Kon? Heaven only knows, 

but trust you're in good hands with Kawaii Kon Guards like this sturdy fella:

Kawaii Kon 2012

2012 KawaiiKon Fun n Games

When My friend and I set out to go shopping at Alal Moana Shopping Center after lunch, we had no idea that our humdrum day was going to end up surrounded by the height of cartoon craziness that afternoon! 

It all began when driving by the Hawaii Convention Center, my friend looked over at a group of people crossing the street, and stated, “That guy has a Pochacco on his head, no, a Pikachu to be precise.” I looked over and confirmed what he’d just seen, then took the turn onto Atkitson Drive and saw another group waiting to cross, and leading them off was a girl completely duked out in full Gothic-Lolita fashion, from the ribbons at the top of her head down to the shiny laced-up boots. “WHOA!” I exclaimed, “Gothic Lolita! Now THAT’S a chick walking about with CONFIDENCE!"

“Dude,” my friend observed “It’s not JUST her…EVERYONE in that group is in costume! Hey, they must be having a Cosplay Convention at the center, or something!” 

Sure enough, as we drove down the street, we began to see more and MORE people garishly suited up as they walked from the Americana Ala Moana Hotel down to the Center. My friend laughed, “That’s CRAZY! I wonder if their event is open to the public!” He took out his iphone and began googling online to see if he could find any information about it. Driving into Ala Moana, I suddenly thought out loud, “Hey, I wonder if it’s the Kawaii Kon? I seem to remember reading about it online, but have NO IDEA when or WERE it was supposed to be!” 

Kawaii Kon 2012 Program

Scrolling through his phone, he said “Kawaii Kon’s the first thing that came up in the listings here!” Reading further he found the event at the Convention center was INDEED the aforementioned Kawaii Kon, and wouldn’t ya know it, it was open to the public! “Dude, we HAVE to check this thing OUT!” my friend laughed, and when I told him I was game, our day was solidly booked!

Walking into the Center, there was already a good buzz about the place, and as we got closer, could hear the soft roar of a pretty substantial crowd coming up ahead! Getting onto the main floor, we were HIT with the sound and vibes of hundreds of attendants, all running to and fro, getting in and out of lines, and then we saw all the people dressed up in costumes- 

Kawaii-Kon 2012

Kawaii-Kon 2012

Kawaii-Kon 2012

The  kinds of outfits really ran the gamut of styles-some were cool, some were fun and cheap, some were serious (and mighty professional-looking), and HOLY CRAP were there BABES GALORE there, all DOLLED UP and draped in the SEXIEST, sultriest and totally ROCKING outfits this side of Jurai!!

Kawaii-Kon 2012  Gals

Kawaii-Kon 2012  Girls

Kawaii Kon 2012  Gals

Kawaii-Kon 2012  Girls

Kawaii-Kon 2012 Gals

Kawaii-Kon 2012  Gals

After checking out several of the various rooms devoted to a specific “theme" (including the Dealer Booths, the Maid Café, Cosplay Video Room  and the Game Room) we went back out to the floors to soak in the craziness that WAS the Kawaii Kon! It was Heaven to see the parade of all those lovely Costumed Vixens, and I just couldn’t resist joining the throng of people taking pictures of these genki gals as they came sauntering by!

Kawaii girl meets a KAWAII GIRL!

Aw man, there was such a good vibe running through this event we totally had a blast! Pretty good considering this morning we had no IDEA that the KawaiiKon was going on and just happened to be right there where it was as simple as pie to drop the Ala Moana Shopping plans and check out those oh-so-fine Cosplay babes! Yep, this was a day well spent! 

PS: At the Information Booth, there was a Television set up for folks in line to watch as they waited, and what do you think was being played on said set? Why, none other than episodes of VS ARASHI! AHAHA, THAT was a Surprise! Those Boys appear in the darndest places!

Kawaii-Kon 2012

Live From...Ala Moana?

The other day we spun by the new KZOO satellite station set right into Shirokiya at Ala Moana. Looks Pretty Nifty! Note the cool koa waiting room and wide windows so passers by can gawk at the DJs and whomever might be stopping by! Now if only they could get some of my favorite Japan personalities to visit...