Today was another busy day filled with our final university tour to Waseda University and some Shinjuku shenanigans. The campus of Waseda seemed relatively small compared to MSU, but the interior of the university was amazingly futuristic and had many bright-minded students. I enjoyed talking to them and comparing different aspects of culture and technology. For instance, I learned that Japanese people watch a lot more mobile TV than Americans do that has somewhat to do with the amount of subway travel. I also learned that the majority of students don’t have cable and instead choose to stream media using Over the Top Technology. It was truly interesting to compare the pros and cons of both applications and learn more about how technology is integrated into different cultures. Personally, I prefer streaming over the internet on a laptop over watching programs on TV. Overall I like where Japan is going with their easily accessible technology.
A beautiful painting of Waseda’s campus.
Our nightly outing consisted of some Shinjuku shenanigans involving an iconic videogame company that we have the privilege of visiting this Wednesday–Square-Enix. We decided to visit the Square-Enix cafe “Artnia” and sample some of their drinks. I tried a Shiva cocktail and a cappuccino that both tasted amazing! The atmosphere was very laid back and the bartenders were extremely professional. From the napkins to the coasters, everything was personalized to a specific Square-Enix series such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. There were slimes and chocobos all throughout the cafe and a gallery of various concept art and expensive jewelry. We had a lot of fun hanging out there and living up our final week in Japan!
FFVII themed coffee, yes please!
Adventures in Japan (日本の冒険) 
This was my favorite dining experience in Japan. My love for Final Fantasy and everything SquareEnix made this trip even more worth it. I honestly didn’t even think it would be as cool as it was. The little museum was cool to look at before we got our themed food and drinks. We both got the same design on our cappuccinos! All of the stuff I got was totally worth it and we saved on shipping/importing costs 🙂
It was really awesome to be able to shop, eat, look at art, and enjoy your favorite video games all at once.
I’m so jealous! I wish I decided to go to Shinjuku with you guys that night! I know we saw the cafe after we visited the Square-Enix headquarters, but it would be so awesome to actually have time an sit down and order something there. As far as the the stuff OTT technology goes, I pretty much never use cable. I also just stream things from my computer all the time. It was cool hearing that students in Japan don’t really use cable either.
Being able to play around with the Luminous Engine and Agni’s Philosophy was the highlight of the Square Enix visit for me. Seeing the tech demo up close and personal and experiencing first hand that it really was being rendered in real time left me in awe. The only thing that bugged me about our visit was when they showed us Dragon Quest X because there is no sign of that ever coming to America and that kills me!
I ended up getting the Final Fantasy VII themed Cloud chocolate banana parfait. It was so delicious! I am such a huge Square and Enix fan and I spent way too much money in that gift shop. I think the coolest part of the cafe was the materia cave that had all of the memorabilia in the glass cabinets. I loved seeing the sketches by Yoshitaka Amano and the intricate figurines. Such an amazing visit.
I really hope I were with you guys in the cafe that day. Even though we visited the cafe shortly after our tour in Square Enix, that was a rush that I didn’t feel the real atmosphere in the cafe. And I was so jealous when seeing the cute cake picture. I never played Last Fantasy. However I like the design of the figures in the game. That’s why I paid 6000 yen for the 2 boxes of chocolate. There are only 5 pieces of chocolate in one box. 600 yen each piece! Why they look really cute. Last day in Japan was really cool. Hope I can go back and have time to have a coffee in that cafe.