Travel - Visiting Japan is Bad for the Wallet

Spring break this year was way different than previous years.  In previous years all I really did was stay at home and watch Penny while my wife works.  This year though we went to Japan for my brother's wedding.

We were there for 10 days and spent it split between Tokyo and where my brother lives in Kofu.  We also managed to get to Kyoto for a day trip and see the bamboo groves and the Tenryuji temple in Arashiyama.   Didn't get around to visiting Himeji castle (too far for a day trip) so couldn't cross that off the list (see World Wonder Tour). Just means that I'll have to go back in the future.  Japan will be a lot more fun when Penny is older I think.

Anyways, while in Tokyo we visited the Akihabara district which in the past was known as a big electronics shopping area but now is kind of a hotbed for otaku culture.  Lots of shops catering to fans of video games, anime and manga.  So many arcades and toy shops.  We visited a few shops over 3 days and I ended up walking away with 3 Gundam plastic (aka Gunpla) model kits; a high grade Wing Gundam Zero Honoo, a Master Grade Deathscythe and a Master Grade RX-78.

I like mecha anime and although I have yet to watch the original Gundam series, I am a fan of a few of the other Gundam series (namely Gundam Wing and recently Gundam Build Fighters).  Buying the model kits also helped sate my model building appetite.  With Games Workshop being out of my price range I figured getting back into Gunpla would be just fine.

Once we got home I decided to start with the Wing Gundam kit.  The last time I built a Gundam model was back in high school and it had been a while since I last put any kind of model together.  It was only a high grade kit therefore easier to put together than the master grade kits.

I spent more time than I usually do being a lot more careful about cutting the pieces out and filing pieces down to make them smooth.  After the break are some WiP shots as well as the finished product.

Body and head complete. This kit seems way more complicated and detailed than the ones I put together in high school. pic.twitter.com/hZQQOShNOm

— Mr. Arocena (@MrArocena) April 10, 2015

Arms attached. Definitely more articulate than the previous kits I've made. #gunpla pic.twitter.com/cn8WxT10yu

— Mr. Arocena (@MrArocena) April 10, 2015

Arms and legs attached. Slow going but it's looking good so far. #gunpla pic.twitter.com/r79ZMvLdGZ

— Mr. Arocena (@MrArocena) April 11, 2015

Wing Gundam Zero Honoo complete. I should have bought more action bases for the other 2 kits I picked up. #gunpla pic.twitter.com/S9vJbOq7LP

— Mr. Arocena (@MrArocena) April 11, 2015

The model took a weekend to put together and although I could have probably done it in a day, it would have been rushed and probably not look as good.  Even though I built the model, I still want to touch it up.  At the very least I will attempt to do some panel lining to add some depth to the model.  Unlike my Warhammer models, gunpla don't really need to be painted but I have the option later if I decide I don't like the current colour scheme.

My next goal, start and finish the RX-78, then on to my favourite Gundam, Deathscythe!