Only in Japan Go — Transcripts
Summaries + full diarized transcripts
2025-09-06 · Ep 1911 · 39m

Tokyo Dome from Above Amusement Park and Shopping

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Summary

Tokyo Dome from Above Amusement Park and Shopping

Overview

John Daub visits Tokyo Dome City on a clear day following a typhoon, hoping to capture iconic views of Tokyo. His original plan to film from the Bunkyo Civic Center observation deck is thwarted by its closure until 2026, so he pivots to the Tokyo Dome City Attractions amusement park. He rides the Big O Ferris wheel, providing viewers with a stunning aerial perspective of the city, including glimpses of Tokyo Tower and the Metropolitan Government Building, though Mount Fuji remains hidden by haze.

During the ride, John interacts with live stream viewers, offering travel advice on countryside destinations like Takayama and explaining cultural experiences such as staying in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). After disembarking, he encounters a viewer named Carrie, and they discuss Australian meat pies and share stories of past travels in Australia. The video also highlights a practical issue regarding filming permits at the park, as staff inform John that permission is required for professional filming, prompting a discussion on etiquette for content creators.

Highlights

  • 00:01:00 John introduces the Tokyo Dome amusement park on a clear post-typhoon day.
  • 00:31:00 Disappointment reveals the Bunkyo Civic Center observation deck is closed until 2026.
  • 03:07:00 The Thunder Dolphin roller coaster is temporarily closed until Christmas.
  • 07:04:00 John decides to ride the Big O Ferris wheel for an alternative view.
  • 11:52:00 Travel tip: Visit Takayama and stay in a ryokan for a traditional experience.
  • 13:02:00 Stunning views of Tokyo emerge as the Ferris wheel ascends.
  • 15:47:00 Mount Fuji is obscured by haze; best viewed in the morning.
  • 18:34:00 John spots Ikebukuro's Sunshine 60 building in the distance.
  • 26:01:00 Staff inform John that a permit is required to film professionally.
  • 29:09:00 John meets viewer Carrie, who also encountered filming restrictions.
  • 30:11:00 Discussion about Australian beef pies and the Byron Bay Pie Company.
  • 34:52:00 John shares a nostalgic story about backpacking in Byron Bay, Australia.
  • 39:05:00 Final overview of the area and transport access via Suidobashi Station.

Timeline / Chapters

  • 00:00 Introduction to Tokyo Dome City and post-typhoon weather.
  • 00:30 Bunkyo Civic Center observation deck closure announcement.
  • 03:00 Thunder Dolphin roller coaster status and ticket prices.
  • 07:00 Boarding the Big O Ferris wheel.
  • 11:00 Live stream Q&A: Travel tips for countryside Japan.
  • 13:00 Ascending the Ferris wheel; views of Tokyo emerge.
  • 15:00 Search for Mount Fuji; haze obscures the view.
  • 18:00 Spotting landmarks: Sunshine 60, Tokyo Tower.
  • 21:00 Descent and reflections on the amusement park rides.
  • 26:00 Interaction with staff regarding filming permits.
  • 29:00 Meeting viewer Carrie; discussion on pies and Australia.
  • 34:00 Storytime: Backpacking in Byron Bay in 1999.
  • 39:00 Conclusion and transport info.

Japan Travel Tips

  • Observation Decks: The Bunkyo Civic Center free observation deck is closed until 2026. Alternatives include the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (free) or Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro.
  • Mount Fuji Views: Best seen in the morning, especially during summer. Haze often obscures it later in the day.
  • Filming Etiquette: Commercial or professional filming may require a permit at private facilities like Tokyo Dome City. Always ask staff if unsure.
  • Amusement Park: The Big O Ferris wheel costs 1,000 yen and offers a 15-minute ride with excellent city views.
  • Transport: Access via Suidobashi Station (JR Sobu Line, Toei Mita Line).
  • Accommodation: Stay in the Suidobashi, Hongo, or Kasuga areas for convenience to the Dome and nearby book town Jimbocho.

Japanese Language & Culture Notes

  • Purikura (photo sticker booth): Popular photo attraction mentioned near the roller coaster.
  • Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn): Recommended for countryside stays; includes yukata (casual kimono) and kaiseki ryori (multi-course dinner).
  • Onsen (hot spring): Often found in ryokan or public spas like LaQua at Tokyo Dome.
  • Taikai (event/gathering): Term used to describe the event happening at the Dome.
  • Matane (see you later): Casual goodbye used by John at the end of the stream.
  • Filming Permits: Japan has strict rules regarding commercial filming in private spaces. Respect staff instructions to maintain good relations.

Food & Drink Guide

  • Australian Beef Pie: Discussed extensively. Carrie seeks out a Byron Bay Pie Company location within Tokyo Dome City.
  • 4 and 20 Pie: Famous Australian brand often found in Costco, mentioned as a sports staple.
  • Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.: Located near Tokyo Dome; John notes it tastes like theme park food and is slightly pricey.
  • Arts Beat Cafe: Mentioned as a nostalgic spot in Sunshine 60 (Ikebukuro) with jazz and views, though not visited in this video.

People

  • John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He guides the tour, rides the Ferris wheel, and shares personal stories.
  • Carrie: A viewer and friend of John's who joins him on the ground. She is looking for Australian meat pies and shares her own experience with filming restrictions.
  • Leo: John's son (mentioned). He was previously too short for some rides but has now grown tall enough.
  • Peter von Gomm (PBG): John's friend (mentioned). Referenced regarding past visits to the amusement park.

Key Takeaways

  • The Bunkyo Civic Center observation deck is closed for renovation until 2026, removing a key free viewpoint.
  • Tokyo Dome City Attractions offers good value (1,000 yen for the Big O) but some major rides like Thunder Dolphin may be closed for maintenance.
  • Morning visits are crucial for clear Mount Fuji views from Tokyo observation decks.
  • Content creators should verify filming permissions at private venues to avoid interruptions.
  • Tokyo Dome City is a comprehensive entertainment hub with shopping, spas, dining, and rides.

Notable Quotes

  • 00:01:00 "It's always wonderful to get outside after the typhoon just rolls through, takes all that humidity and all the crud that's in the air from Tokyo's awful summer."
  • 00:31:00 "That observation deck is closed until 2026. I was like, what? That is maybe the most iconic view of Tokyo right from there."
  • 11:52:00 "Make sure you stay at a ryokan or onsen town, because then you get to wear the yukata and you feel like you're in Japan when you get out of the cities."
  • 13:02:00 "This is the most beautiful city in the world. This might be one of the best views!"
  • 26:01:00 "You always be honest because this stuff comes back and bites you. But this is one of the repercussions of a lot of tourists doing bad stuff in here."
  • 39:05:00 "Nice to see you guys. Behave in chat, please. Matane."

Related Topics

  • Tokyo Observation Decks (Skytree, Shibuya Sky, Metropolitan Government Building)
  • Tokyo Dome City Attractions
  • Japanese Amusement Parks
  • Live Streaming Etiquette in Japan
  • Australian Food in Tokyo

Search Tags

#only-in-japan-go #tokyo-dome #big-o #thunder-dolphin #bunkyo-civic-center #observation-deck #suidobashi #amusement-park #ferris-wheel #live-stream #japan-travel #mount-fuji #tokyo-views #australian-pie #travel-tips


Full Transcript

00:01:00 John Daub: This is a live view of the Tokyo Dome amusement park. It's more than just a place where the Tokyo Giants play baseball. It's actually a pretty fun place to come. You see that roller coaster goes right through the building right there. And I'm here on a beautiful day right after a typhoon. Look at the blue skies. It's always wonderful to get outside after the typhoon just rolls through, takes all that humidity and all the crud that's in the air from Tokyo's awful summer. And get outside with the people. How you doing everybody?

00:31:00 John Daub: It's been a really interesting time. I found out I was going to actually live stream from up there. You see this building here? That's the Bunkyo Civic Center and the observation deck. That observation deck is closed until 2026. I was like, what? That is maybe the most iconic view of Tokyo right from there. I'll show you that in a second. But that was kind of like a heartbreak. I had everything queued up for this thing.

01:03:00 John Daub: So this is where I am in the city of Tokyo. If you look at the whole map here, the Bunkyo Civic Center is just across there. That's pretty much pinpointing where I am. But even from like satellite, you can see exactly. It's so easy to see where the Tokyo Dome is. Just look for that white dome. It is hard to miss from space. And this whole area used to be a park here. There's the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden and the Bunkyo Civic Center. It's right there and Tokyo Dome. And to the side of it is a really lovely amusement park. And there's also a massive Don Quixote here.

01:33:00 John Daub: The Civic Center was very famous for having a free observation deck. Again, it's closed right now, which is such a shame. Kind of odd shaped. I guess it was built back in the 1990s. But they're doing some renovation work there, I guess. It was famous for having this view. Three, two, one. This is it. Maybe you've seen this before. I've seen this before on a postcard. But you got a really good view of Shinjuku and Tokyo, the Metropolitan Building. That's where Tokyo's government is, those towers.

02:04:00 John Daub: But there's a building on the left now that has moved in. It's kind of obstructed the view. But you still get Tokyo, Mount Fuji, if you've got a zoom lens. And on a day like this, I was really curious to see if we'd be able to see Mount Fuji. There's a really good chance of it too, but not today because it's closed. So there are other observation decks, including the one at the Metropolitan Building. At night, this place is really cool. I would say that it's a date spot for a lot of Tokyoites. On the weekends, you'll bring your kids and your family here. If there's a baseball game going on here, it's a great place to come. But there's a lot of other stuff, including tons of restaurants. And across there, a shopping mall, LaQua, has been here as long as I've been here, I think.

03:07:00 John Daub: This Thunder Dolphin rollercoaster sadly is closed. They even have a skip the line, or like a bundled rollercoaster ticket for about $15. You get the Thunder Dolphin, which used to be one of the world's fastest. And another one, I guess, what is that? Panic Coaster, Back Pain, it's called. Or Back Dragon [?]. I don't know what it's called. You also could pay more for a skip the line pass. I think everybody's doing that now. Thunder Dolphin is 1,000 yen or about $7, which is really cheap. Oh, wait, the skip pass ticket is available. So you've got to pay an extra 1,000 yen to get past the line. But you don't have to worry about it on a day like this. So that would be 2,500 yen. So you can get the ticket for Thunder Dolphin is 1,500 yen. And you can get there much faster for an extra 1,000 yen. So if you have a little limited time and you're a tourist, you've got to catch a flight, just buy this. You can get in there. It's one of the world's fastest. I still think it is.

04:06:00 John Daub: You can get in there from these vending machines when it's open. It takes credit cards. And here's the entrance. What a shame. What a shame. Thunder Dolphin. How did they come up with a name like that? It sounds pretty cool. The Lightning Bolt [?]. What do you think? A little cheesy? Unfortunately, it's temporarily closed until Christmas time. What the heck, man? You mean they missed the entire summer? Maybe it's probably for the best if it's for work that we would require it. Here's the entrance. And that's what the coaster looks like. It's a very steep incline with an amazing view of the Tokyo Dome right there. Really cool. It's kind of a shame.

04:41:00 John Daub: I wonder if I could live stream this if I attached it to my chest. One day we'll have to try that out. But you can get a purikura (photo sticker booth), I guess. You guys know purikura? And this is even closed. You can pretend like you're not sitting in a seat and have this as your backdrop so it is pretty amazing. Back when they built this thing it was a star. It was just such a massive earthquake as massive drop here now. I mean Cedar Point probably had it in Ohio. That's where I went to school up in Ohio State or Sandusky Ohio. I went many times to Cedar Point, roller coaster capital of the world. This is one of these roller coasters that could probably compete with that and you can see it's going right through the building there. Not today what a shame. You hear you can hear screams on the other side of Tokyo Dome from this thing. Phone is struggling because it's three years old.

05:53:00 John Daub: There's a log flume. I know what they call it. That in itself might be worth a trip here especially in summer to get wet and they get a lot of these uh the logs going down the slide here. I've never been on it believe it or not. I've never we'll wait for a log to come down here. I've never been on it I don't know why. No you know why because everybody that comes here with me they never want to do it. They don't want to mess up their hair or they don't want to get wet. Look about dude let's go let's go. No I don't know that wouldn't have been a problem for PBG [?]. Maybe we can get him on here. Last time I was at Tokyo Dome doing a live stream I think it was with oh there you go boom might have been with PBG. Now the where's the roller with the um let's go down. They have I think it's called the Big O oh here it is. Maybe we can go up to the entrance why not all right let's do it maybe we get a better view.

07:04:00 John Daub: So the Big O is the Ferris wheel it's the Ferris wheel and uh it's one of the top 10 Ferris wheels in Japan but maybe not for height but perhaps for the view. I don't have the signal I don't think the signal is going to be good this is probably a bad idea. Let me know if we get some uh the signal cuts out I'll be back wow it is different it's a little different when you get higher okay let me show you the entrance here so this Ferris wheel called the Big O is very famous. They they turned it into a karaoke box and how much is it it's pretty big. Can we do this thing I wonder if we could just do it hold on I don't have a ticket or anything. I know I have live streamed it before a ticket I didn't even see it shall we go up there what do you guys think should we do it shall we shall we try it all right I guess we're doing it.

08:59:00 John Daub: If if it takes our money what okay what it doesn't like it doesn't like it I'll get another one. I took that one maybe it's counterfeit. 1,000 yen for this there you go that took a while. Here's here's the line from here he's pointing to go the other way I don't do this so there's some people taking pictures it doesn't really move too fast ah all right guys we're in all right we're in the Ferris wheel how cool is that um all right it is kind of hot in here they they still have it they still have cut it it's not the same to do it yourself it's not the same.

11:52:00 John Daub: Blue comments in the house thank you John finally gonna visit Japan for the first time next April what city would you recommend besides Tokyo Osaka Nara. I wouldn't recommend any city at all get out to the countryside um it depends when you're visiting you said April Hokkaido is nice they'll still have snow up there maybe even the cherry blossoms if you miss it. I don't know. I think if it's your first time to Japan for the countryside, maybe Takayama is a good place to break in. Make sure you stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) or onsen (hot spring) town, because then you get to wear the yukata and you feel like you're in Japan when you get out of the cities. And you get two meals, which is breakfast and dinner. So you get a dinner, which is usually kaiseki ryori (seasonal multi-course cuisine). All the cuisine from the region. It's just such an amazing experience. That might be the highlight of your trip. Blue comment, thank you. From Indonesia, I'm excited. Let me know how your trip is.

13:02:00 John Daub: Oh! Check this out! This is awesome! Now you're starting to see all of the city of Tokyo. Don't. We will see the city of Tokyo, but this one is the most beautiful. This is the most beautiful city in the world. This is the most beautiful city in the world. This might be one of the best views! This makes up for the fact that I wasn't able to... You're welcome, blue comment. Thank you. And Illumin1ads is here! I hope you have AC in there. It's not really AC. I wish I could open up a window, but I could understand why they wouldn't do that. Whoa! There's that pirate ride! Oh, they call it the Viking [?], the biking. That's scary. Especially if you sit on the ends. But a lot of these amusement rides down here are made for kids, so it's really cool. The ones over there, Leo wasn't able to ride last time. He had to be 105 centimeters tall, but now he's 106 centimeters, so we gotta come back here. I just saw the Sobu Line go across over there. That's Suidobashi Station. We are getting so much higher.

14:12:00 John Daub: Harris Gainsborough! Show us the playlist and sing a Disney song. You know what? That's how you get the... They have English! Welcome to the Big O. Please touch the button if you like. You can watch movies? Why would you watch a movie when you have a view? The problem is that all of these things are copyright protected, and I think I had to delete it last time. Maybe I'll sing one at the end. On this side, it's not too exciting. This is Hongo Sanchome. That's a station on the Oedo Line. We're getting close to the top. Now the city of Tokyo is coming into view. Over there, I think that's Tokyo Station, and maybe we're gonna see Shiodome. That's amazing. This might be better than the Bunkyo. We might get to see Mount Fuji! Hold on a second. We're not even close to the top yet. We might get to see Mount Fuji. Roly Poly Rabbits here! Thank you! Glad you guys are here joining me on this amazing ride. Well, there it goes!

15:47:00 John Daub: I think I'd rather be up here, but maybe not in a typhoon. This is the day after. Alright, now I think we're going to see Mount Fuji. I don't know. The typhoon usually clears it out, but it's maybe too late in the day. The best time to see Mount Fuji would be in the morning, especially in the summertime. It's usually almost impossible to see unless you are taking it in the morning. Okay, now we got... You can see Suidobashi, and there's the Sobu Line making its way towards Akihabara. That's the line that cuts across... Is it the Chuo Line? It cuts across from Shinjuku to Akihabara, and then to Tokyo Station. But that one, I think, is going to Akihabara from Yotsuya. There's Shinjuku over there! Do you see it? Live view of Shinjuku! Yeah, it's gonna be hard to see Mount Fuji because of the haze. Already... It's hazed up. If I'd gotten up here about three hours ago, it would have been fine. Holy macaroni. It is... Look at how small the people are! This is kind of scary! I'm kind of scared because I'm in a 1980s box. Oh my goodness. I'm really, really kind of nervous here.

17:28:00 John Daub: This would be an amazing view of the Thunder Dolphin. I think the Mount Fuji hike is open until the 10th or so. I'm still getting updates from the app. The Mount Fuji hike... I think it gets to a climb to about the 10th depending on the trail. But I'm still getting updates. Yesterday, the trail was mostly closed because of the winds of the typhoon. Walter L. Walters is here! What an amazing view! We're at the top! Walter, you just got it in right at the top! Here's a cold beverage after. Thank you! Let's go see what we can find after this. Wow! We are on the top of the world! Of the Tokyo Dome. I... Mount Fuji would be... right there. But, you know, we don't have a... we don't have a clear view of it. But we have the Tokyo Tower. And we have... the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which would be maybe the best... one of the best spots for a free observation deck in the city of Tokyo.

18:34:00 John Daub: Wow! You can see we've peaked here. Yeah, it's gonna be... it's gonna be hard to see even from the... Sky Tree. My suggestion is if you... if you come... between June and September... October... Go in the morning if you want to get the best view. Or in the evening, cause when the... when the sun starts to set... it starts to... the haze starts to... simmer down. But there's a lot between you and... I guess there's a baseball game or something going on. There's a lot between you and Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is quite far away. So here we are, we're getting to see the other side including Thunder Dolphin. I'm standing up. Oh, this is scary! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm standing up on the Ferris Wheel. This is scary! I don't know why. I know why, cause look, I'm moving. And I... I'm like face to face with this pole. That is really high. And it is really getting hot in here. That's Ikebukuro! That's another one of the observation decks. Over there. That's the Sunshine 60 building I think. That is an amazing observation deck that's under the radar. A lot of people don't go there. But here you've got Thunder Dolphin from the top which is really unique.

20:04:00 John Daub: He said it was a 15 minute ride from getting into the... getting out. So I can kind of recommend it. It's worth a thousand yen. When you do come to Japan, this is probably a good overview, right? You get a chance to see the whole city. One of the places... I used to work at Shueisha which is one of the biggest publishers in the world. They do Shonen Jump. One of the executives... We used to go out drinking and stuff. I've shared stories on this channel. But he took me up there one day to the Arts Beat Cafe. You have an amazing view at the 45th floor looking over the city of Tokyo. And they have these special like stadium seats that you can have a dinner at. I thought that that was extremely nice and very, very romantic. Although we were there for a business meeting. But he had an expense account that if he didn't blow it every month he would lose it. So we would use it. Go at the hostess clubs and stuff. It was a lot of fun.

21:11:00 John Daub: There's the parachute which is not working right now. A lot of these attractions are quite old. So they aren't in operation well. But this is quite an experience. From here you get a really nice view if Thunder Dolphin was working. You'd be able to see people screaming. You could see them saying, Get me off this thing! And then from the Ferris wheel we'd be going against... How? Get me off this thing! That was kind of scary to get up there. It is a little bit scary up here. Alright, we're getting down. It's not as bad. It feels like we're moving faster to the bottom. Yoda's like, scream. Ah ha. When Otani was playing here, that's where I was in a live stream. You see that blue tarp? They had the Dodgers Cubs gift store inside there. It's been a while. The LaQua is... I think that's the name of the shopping mall. But there's a public spa. So if you're... Let's just say your room didn't have a shower. You could get a bath and really relax here at the public spa. And I've done that after a night of drinking. Going there for a bath before I went home. Especially if you missed the last train. I think it was open all night. It's a lot of good memories in this area.

22:53:00 John Daub: This is a well spent thousand yen. I gotta tell ya. This is fun. I didn't watch a movie or sing a song. But you get 15 minutes. I kinda wanna absorb the view. Look at those apartments. Some of these look new. That one there looks brand new. Look at the windows. Every day you could be seeing people screaming on the roller coaster when it's in operation. Yeah, there is a little bit of air coming in here. I don't know if it's air conditioning. But it's not really cool. So I could see why in the middle of August this is gonna be really hot. You probably wanna bring one of those portable fans. And we're on the way down. If you do get panicked, you can call security. And no, I'm not gonna do that. Maybe many of you want me to do that. I'm not gonna do that. Move the mic down. We're gonna get off here. There's a Forrest Gump, Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant there. And it's okay. But it tastes like a theme park food. So it's not the greatest quality. Maybe because it's imported from the US or something. And it travels a long way. But it's kinda fun that it's here. And it's a little pricey. But it's worth going.

24:23:00 John Daub: Look at those tires. Wear and tear. Constantly moving. When you get in trouble to making a fake call. Probably. That's something that that grave robber would do. You know, an Australian dude. Wow. What an experience. Okay. 15 minutes of pure fun. Now let's get out. And we're going to explore. We're going to explore a little bit of the Tokyo Dome. The amusement rides. So you get an idea. Here's a map of the place. I'll bring this up a little bit later. But you can see the Big O is certainly fun. It's on the right side there. Good views at night. Alright, here we are. It's gonna take another 30 seconds. And then we're gonna get off. That was worth it. Thank you so much guys. You encouraged me to do something crazy. Which is not really crazy. And I guess you could close this fan. Get some air. And we're done. Karaoke not achieved. It's not fun to do it yourself. But the, um, I noticed one thing. I don't know a lot of songs. I've forgotten a lot of them. Just the Beatles songs. Thank you.

26:01:00 John Daub: Oh, yes. Is this live? Yes. And then you get a permission to film? What? You get a permission to film? Yes, I bought a ticket today. You got a permission? I bought a ticket. Yes, you can get permission to film on the Dome side. Yes. Oh, YouTube? Yes. Permission? I didn't get permission. You didn't get it? I didn't think I wouldn't need it. I'm sorry. I need permission. I see. That's why I'm filming today. I see. Then I'll turn it off. Oh, sorry. Thank you. Yes. Okay. So you need a... Thank you. Thank you. I'll do it. I'll do it. So you need a permit.

27:02:00 John Daub: I don't really know why. Hold on a second. They are very nice. So, I'm gonna go to the airport. I don't know if we're gonna be able to keep this live stream up. I kind of... I have to respect their wishes. They don't have any sign saying that you need a permit. And we've live streamed it before. I guess they're just trying to cut down on people who are doing bad things in there. And if you are live streaming and encourage bad behavior perhaps, this is one of the probably repercussions of having a lot of streamers that are doing bad stuff. But if you're by yourself and you're just looking at the view, I'm not sure why. But you can film up there. Yeah, and you always be honest because this stuff comes back and bites you. But this is one of the repercussions of a lot of tourists doing bad stuff in here. So I don't know if this live stream is gonna survive too long but maybe keep it up for 24 hours and delete it just out of respect for them. You think you want people to come and ride it. A lot of people don't know about the Big O. They were nice telling you. I guess... I mean, obviously I was live streaming. The guy saw me. We're good. But respect the wishes... Respect the wishes of the people. Alright. We gotta keep this going so let's just go take a look and then worry about it later. What a view! What a shame! Hey, Michael!

28:51:00 John Daub: What are you doing here? I was like, who's that lady wearing a hat? That's gotta be Carrie.

29:09:00 Carrie: I got in trouble live streaming up there.

29:11:00 John Daub: Oh, you did? Yeah, they said... You gotta say hi now. Hi! That's Carrie. So that... Yeah, you need a permit to film. I was like, really? Can I just give them my business? You know what, I'm gonna go back later and give them my business card and then see maybe they'll be okay with it.

29:30:00 Carrie: Yeah, after the fact.

29:33:00 John Daub: So, that's my fault. How you doing?

29:35:00 Carrie: I'm great! It's hot, isn't it?

29:36:00 John Daub: It's hot, isn't it? Jason's probably in there somewhere, right?

29:43:00 Carrie: Yeah, somewhere.

29:45:00 John Daub: I wanted to go up there today, but it's closed.

29:48:00 Carrie: Oh, so? The Bunkyo Ward observation deck.

29:53:00 John Daub: Yeah, check it out. It's closed until 2026. What's going on here? Two shows. One starts at 3 and one starts at 7.

30:09:00 Carrie: Oh, okay. But I actually came here to get an Australian beef pie.

30:11:00 John Daub: Oh, one of those, what do you call them? Byron Bay beef pie.

30:20:00 Carrie: A Byron Bay beef pie? Right. Oh, what's the chain one that you get at Costco? I've seen them. 4 and 20.

30:27:00 John Daub: 4 and 20, yeah. That's very Australian, very famous, which is actually quite appropriate being at Tokyo Dome because 4 and 20 beef pies are what you eat when you're at Australian Rules Football. Oh, wow, okay. So, it's very sports oriented. The footy games? Right. I've been to one of those. I have. For? What is it? 2001, I think it was. Right. I think it was somewhere around Melbourne. Yeah, maybe Waverly Park. I think it was. Yeah, I was staying with an Aussie I met in New Zealand and we went out then drove to Adelaide, had barbecue on the way, such a beautiful part of the country. Big spiders. Right. And even bigger snakes. Yeah, thankfully I didn't see any of those.

31:22:00 John Daub: Illum1Ads is here. He says, they were nice about it but they also have to realize you are doing good advertising for them.

31:28:00 Carrie: I know.

31:29:00 John Daub: But you have to respect the wishes of the people so probably this live stream is not going to make it. But I'm going to go back and give them my business card. Sometimes that's all it takes and then explain to them I'm really sorry. I didn't know that you needed a permit but here's my card and if you're okay with it I'd like to keep it up but if you're not then I'll take it down. And as you said it is good advertising for them if we're doing it in a respectful way. Yeah, it's something going on. I'm surprised we still got a signal. Usually with so many people. Are you using the Tokyo Dome Wi-Fi? No. I've been using the 5G because the 4G has been a little spotty but Yamaha, Subaru. I don't know what it is but something's going on. Is it a game? Is Yamaha sponsor Subaru versus Yamaha? So maybe it's football? Oh okay, it's some kind of a taikai (event). There's always something going on. Maybe it's a kaikan [?], Yamaha and Subaru kaikan. Could be. I gotta get away from this area for a couple of minutes and then we'll cut the live stream because I think we've... And so you were here anyways.

32:54:00 Carrie: I was. That's cool. I was. Oh my gosh. I woke up this morning and said OK to have this rally meat pie. I haven't had one for more than 12 months.

33:03:00 John Daub: Are they like homemade ones? Is there a cafe? I saw Byron Baking. There's a coffee cafe next to Nihonbashi in the back. So that's the Byron Baking coffee company. Oh okay. Yeah, it's a coffee company. It's a little different. Yeah, a little different brand of coffee. Have you been down here? So they do have attractions down there. There's some kind of a restaurant. There's some kind of a restaurant down there. But one of my favorite places is up there. That Arts Beat Cafe is real nice. They had live music playing too. Some jazz singers. It was like a real lost in translation moment when you're in like the... It feels like that lounge where there's some live singer and piano player playing jazz and you're drinking and eating. It's kind of like the Tokyo of the 1990s that I know. Yeah, down there. Over here is where Leo's amusement park is. This is the amusement park for kids. And it looks like a lot of the rides are closed. I don't know what's going on. It looks like they might be doing a lot of renovations. But why would they do that during the summer? Very odd. Because... Yeah. The Byron Bay pie will lead down here. Oh, down there. So anybody who needs a pie, if you're from Australia or if you're not from Australia and want to try an Australian meat pie, then head down at the lawn down there. Oh, down there. To the Byron Bay Pie Company. Byron Bay Pie Company. Correct. Wow.

34:52:00 John Daub: I remember going to Byron Bay back in 1999. A long time ago. It's a long time ago. We... Me... I was living on Bondi Beach for three months. And I... A homeless person? No, in a youth hostel or backpackers. It was pretty cheap too if you pay for the month. One of the guys, he was an engineer six months of the year, American guy from Florida. He would often go surfing for the other six months. So he's in Australia. So he bought a yellow van. Combi? Combi. No, not that far. I think it was... It looked like the Scooby Doo van but it was all yellow. And me and two Canadians and him, we renovated the van and made a queen-size bed in the back or something. We got it out of the garbage. And we drove up to Byron Bay where they were surfing. It's good memories. That is Australian lifestyle, right? Yeah. It certainly is. I was the one who had to drive for part of it because those three were surfers. Right. So they were... So when we were at Byron Bay, they... We went to a farm field. I don't know what the heck they were doing. They wouldn't tell me right away. Yeah. I was the getaway driver. And they went out there and they were picking mushrooms. Yeah. All right. I'm not joking about this. Mushrooms. With purple rings around them. Yeah. I don't know. Off of the cow poop. Yeah. And they were picking it and then the farmer came out and they came back running to the car. We got in and they just said, drive. Okay. Yeah. So... I don't know if the local authorities at Byron Bay want to get into this story. Maybe. But I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't... I was unknowing. I'm seriously... Let's just say that area is actually kind of famous or infamous... For that? For illegal goings on. Oh my gosh. So, yeah. We got to the beach and we slept... We parked near the beach and they slept there. We made a campfire. Then they made tea from this stuff. I was really anti... Nancy Reagan just say no, I wouldn't do anything. It's back parry [?]. It's not... Because it wasn't worth it. I don't want to get in trouble. You don't risk your life. But that too? But they also said like, we need a lookout anyways. So they had their tea and they zoned out and just really looking at the other people. And they were like, oh, we're going to the ocean for hours. Okay. They ate the mushrooms. They... I don't know if they ate it, but they drank some tea. So they all kind of just slept out there and I was on the bed by myself, which is thank goodness, because you're kind of... Freak. We got up in the morning and they had... They fell asleep on the beach or something. I don't know. It's... It's an experience.

37:39:00 Carrie: That is very suspicious. It's very suspicious. Sounds quite magical. It... Exactly what it was.

37:46:00 John Daub: But that was at the turn of the millennium. Yeah. More innocent days back then. Yeah. I was working on Bondi Beach illegally.

37:57:00 Carrie: You wouldn't have been the only one, John.

37:58:00 John Daub: I was not. That was what a lot of people had to do to... That's what a lot of backpackers do in this day and age anyway. Yeah. And try just to not get... Pay wasn't that great. I was doing shaved ice. Some guy had a four by four and a shaved ice cart. And he said, I need somebody who's real nice to work it. And an Australian guy and he had his son with him. I was doing a little bit of that. I was talking to him. I said, okay, I'll help you out. I made enough to pay... To save up money actually. Australian category. Yeah. But it was funny because you get to know everybody. It was on the beach. So you're the shaved ice guy, right? So whenever I went to the Bondi Beach Hotel for drinking and stuff, I was quite popular. Everybody knew who I was. New nickname for John. Yeah. Shaved ice guy. Those were some good days. Mm-hmm. Go out and get some two-e's new. Two-e's new. That's right. We're always joking. We're always drinking. He said, hey mate, why are you drinking VB? Two-e's new. That's what we drink here. I'm glad you like drinking Fosters. Oh, good God. Even people in Queensland, they're drinking the 4X, right? 4X. Yeah. Man, I want to go back.

39:05:00 John Daub: So this is a famous Starbucks. It's a good meeting point here. And Suidobashi. So that's how you would get here. And I hope that this was a pretty good overview of the Tokyo Dome. Some of the stuff that you can't see. Some of the attractions are closed. I mean, I don't know. I'm kind of surprised by that. But I think by next year, this should be the poppin' place. This is a neat place also to spend the night if you find a hotel in the Suidobashi, Hongo, Sanchome, Kasuga area. It's very convenient. Jimbocho, which is where Shueisha is, is not too far away, which is why I would come here after work back some like 20 years ago. But there you go. Nice to see you guys. Behave in chat, please. Yeah. It's Carrie. It's Carrie. All right, guys. See you. Matane (see you later).

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