AKIHABARA, POKEMON AND MY KIDS

My kids love Pokemon. I am sure I have mentioned this before. Their love with this character started in Colombia a few years back. Of course, the fact that their mom is Japanese, well that kind of assured that they heard, in one way or another, about Ash and Pikachu and all the other characters.

I remember us back in Bogotá, a few weeks before the trip to Japan, when they requested,

SON

Hey dad. Let´s get some Pokemon cards.

Now, I have to be clear about something, a package of authentic Pokemon cards in Colombia was pretty expensive. The cost was about$3 dollars per package.

DAD

Why, my little brother? Remember those cards are not even real.

Yes, that´s me trying to convince my song of a lie. Because those cards were the real thing. That kind of thing happens when you are trying to save some money.

SON

It doesn´t matter.

DAD

Of course it does. You want to collect them, right?

He thought about it.

SON

Yeah.

DAD

Then just wait, sir. Once we get to Tokyo I will get you the real stuff.

He thought about it again. Mauled it over.

SON Ok, but I still want some right now.

DAD

Well, I´d rather spend that money on something else.

He perked up.

SON

Ice cream?

DAD

(Smiles)

Let´s go!

Somehow, he always won.

AKIHABARA

For those of you who don´t know, Akihabara is the official technology and electronics area of Tokyo. It is also well known for anime, video games and of course, Pokemon cards.

Somehow - just because that´s the way life is - we ended up living in a neighborhood near Ueno Park. A well known and very touristic area of Tokyo. Well, quickly we found out that Akihabara was only a mere 2 station stops from us. So we had to go and check it out. The three of us took the train and in a matter of minutes we had arrived. My God, we couldn´t believe it! Even before walking out of the train station we were surrounded by anime drawings and posters of all the famous, both known and unknown, Japanese characters.

My two kids knew at once that we were in the promised land; Pokemon Land. Once outside, as we walked the crowded, tourist flooded streets, this became even more apparent. Stores and stores, buildings full of stuffed toys, characters, video games, consoles, both new and retro. And of course, Pokemon card shops.

Hareruya 2 has become our favorite destination in Akihabara. After a year of living in Tokyo, we no longer take the metro, we just ride our bicycles there. It only takes about 20 minutes. We have spent a lot of time and money there, getting the packages, opening them, making videos for my boy´s TikTok channel. In the end, it is just a kid´s hobby. A moment in their lives that I know they will never forget and for the longest time we will be talking about. Life is about experimenting with all these different levels of emotions, desires, and dreams. I have no problem with sharing these beautiful moments with my kids. We will continue to ride our bicycles for a couple of more years. I am sure one day this Pokemon craze will also pass and a new hobby will appear. Until then, I will enjoy this one with my little ones.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas