Travel – The Casual Otaku

Legendary UR Pull: I’m Going to See Love Live in Japan

Well, that escalated quickly.

I was planning to write a post about a completely different topic, but apparently the universe had other ideas.

As I’ve discussed in previous posts, I’m planning my first trip to Japan. Actually, considering I just pulled the trigger on buying my airfare, it’s no longer a plan but a trip on the calendar.

A while back, the Love Live! 15th Anniversary Fest was announced, and it just happened to fall around the same time I was planning to be in Japan.

So naturally, the thought process became: Extend the trip a little in case I somehow get into the concert?

As a Love Live fan, that’s about as much of a no-brainer as can be.

Let’s be clear, the entire trip wasn’t hinging on whether I got a ticket.

Fanime 2026: A Much-Needed Escape

There’s something about a convention providing a much-needed break from real life, and for me, this year’s Fanime was exactly that. Yeah, this recap is about a month late, but let’s just say life has been a little challenging lately…the details aren’t important.

After taking last year off, I returned to Fanime with a full schedule…who am I kidding? Much like most conventions these days, my plan was to wing it and see what looked fun. My main goal was to spend time with friends I don’t get to see often and maybe enjoy a few adult beverages (narrator: many adult beverages were consumed).

Breaking the Streak: Why I’m Skipping Anime Expo This Year

Well, this is new.

After going back and forth on it longer than I should’ve, I made a tough call on something that actually means a lot to me as an anime fan: I’m skipping Anime Expo (AX) this year.

Typing that out still feels weird.

For the longest time, AX has been automatic. No debate, no overthinking—it just happened every summer.

Solo vs. Tour: Why I Chose to Plan My Japan Trip the Hard Way

There are two ways to plan a Japan trip:

Outsource the stress…or become the stress.

Or, if you want to sound more professional about it:

Book a tour and let someone else plan everything…Or become a full-time project manager of your own vacation.

Naturally, I chose chaos. Not reckless chaos, but the kind where you’ve got multiple tabs open, a running notes app, and just enough structure to convince yourself everything is under control.But I didn’t start there.

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So I’m Planning a Solo Trip to Japan (Send Help… or Pocky)

Japan.

The land of the rising sun, ancient temples, neon-lit cities, and the birthplace of anime. For a lot of us otaku, it’s less of a vacation and more of a pilgrimage — the kind you spend years saying you’ll take someday.

And after more than 20 years of saying “someday,” it finally looks like that someday might actually be happening this year, which means, naturally, I’ve decided to plan the entire trip myself.

Because apparently I enjoy stress.

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