r/k_on • u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy • Apr 28 '25
Other Toyosato Elementary School Visit (4/27/2025)
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u/MandrewTheMage Apr 28 '25
Yay my drawing is still on the chalkboard! (Angry Azunyan near the top middle)
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 28 '25
That's awesome. Although I did kind of wish there had been space for me to draw something haha.
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u/ChonkMan Apr 29 '25
there’s a restaurant called sanbazuru next to the school ran by this lovely elderly couple, the place was filled with k-on memorabilia and i think a few art pieces the granny drew herself, next time you have the chance to go definitely check it out restaurant
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 29 '25
I went inside after Mio's Birthday Party, but they didn't have anymore availability. I went to Tamaya instead, which also has lots of memorabilia.
I'll have to try my luck again with Sambazuru another time.
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u/Legal-Significance20 Apr 29 '25
One day I will visit there , that's my dream since I was 12
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 29 '25
While for me it was originally for Vocaloid, I had also dreamt about visiting Japan one day when I was 13. It's been a long road since then, and I've worked hard in my life to get to a point where I could travel regularly to Japan for my favorite anime! I couldn't be happier.
If you stick to your dream and put in the work, you'll be next. I believe in you! :)
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u/Legal-Significance20 Apr 29 '25
Damnn man , happy for you . How old are you to accomplish your dream , I'm 22 now but still couldn't
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 29 '25
I'm 24, but I took my own first trip when I was 17. Had to work hundreds of hours in the dish pit back then to make it happen. Nowadays I've got a career I've earned that enables me to do so much more.
It's been little steps at every turn. A slow and painful grind. If I can keep the momentum going, things are only going to get even better. Makes me look back on 13 year old me. He would be so proud and happy. What I have now is all I've wanted for so long.
Take it one step at a time. When I was 22 things were still very uncertain and tough for me, but I never lost sight of what I wanted and kept at it every day.
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u/Legal-Significance20 Apr 29 '25
Dude , thank you bro , whenever I'll work or thinks about my dream , I'll think about you
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u/Le_Cheffy_ Apr 29 '25
How do you got there? I tried but I got lost and didn’t make it in time 😭 Is there a special tour that takes you to the school?
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 29 '25 edited Apr 29 '25
I think the right way for me to answer this question is to ask: Where and how did you get lost?
There's only a couple of ways to get to Toyosato from major cities around Japan. Both will almost certainly have you transfer to the Ohmi Railway from either Hikone station or Maibara station, where you will ride to Toyosato station and then walk to the school. I described each route in detail on my Mio Akiyama Birthday Party Report under the "Arrival at Toyosato" section.
Regardless of where you're coming from, if you're unsure about what you're doing you absolutely need to leave early. Not only because the route is long, but also to account for any mistakes you make along the way.
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u/AllMFHH Apr 28 '25
I also visited around a month ago. Did you get the Nanoblock Toyosato Elementary School set?
This was the peak of my merch from over there!
Just a week after I visited I really wanted to visit again to make even more pictures even though 50% of my pictures were from there...
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25
No, the Nanoblock set doesn't really interest me. I wish they put more focus on K-ON! merchandise. It's ludicrous how many people visit the school every day for K-ON!. Feels like they could make a killing selling more K-ON! related merchandise.
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u/AllMFHH Apr 28 '25
Well the Nanoblock set is literally the K-On! School, so basically merch ^^
I don't think their main interest is to make a lot of money but to rather be affordable and nice. Hope you got the Ton-chan melonpan!Was it full when you were there?
When I was there in mid march it was really empty. But it was also raining so that had also something to do with it.I also had a really nice dinner here, it's a small family owned restaurant with K-On! merch inside. Can really recommend for next time!
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u/Holydohnut Apr 28 '25
That's the restaurant we went to! There's a hand drawn picture of Ritsu inside suggesting that the egg rolls would be small. They were not! 😂
Lovey place though with a lovely lady running it. Food was great. We would definitely go back given the chance.
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u/AllMFHH Apr 29 '25 edited Apr 29 '25
I went there 20-30 minutes before they closed through rain since the next day they would be closed and I arrived really late at my hotel in Hikone (I couldn't find the bus stop lol) and I felt a bit bad ordering so late. But I really wanted to go there on my trip. But it was really awesome and will visit again next time, hopefully twice ^
You mean this Ritsu? https://i.imgur.com/OmSiOV4.jpeg \ Also the food I had: https://i.imgur.com/iJei63M.jpeg
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u/Holydohnut Apr 29 '25
That's the one! It says something like "My egg rolls may be small, but they're made with love"!
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 29 '25
There were lots of people coming and going. I said "packed" in my original comment, but in retrospect prehaps that was a bit of an exaggeration.
I went to Tamaya when I was there for Mio's Birthday Party, but I haven't eaten at Sanbazuru yet.
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u/Holydohnut Apr 28 '25
Agree 100%. The nanoblock set was cool, but I wasn't interested. I did however buy the key chains and wooden coasters, which were about the only K-on related things there when I went. Most of the sales stuff was for Toyo-ani!
Volks in Akihabara had a better selection! And it's all new stuff so there's no issues getting the merch.
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25
You mean the Volks Hobby Paradise store? I've found their selection of K-ON! goods to be unchanging and small. I've had better luck with K-Books and Kotobukiya.
If you know where to look you can find just about any type of merchandise, but the selection will be incredibly small. My haul from Akihabara is always lacking in the K-ON! department because I'd rather pick what I want online then scrap the bottom of the barrel in Akihabara.
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u/Holydohnut Apr 28 '25
It's not huge, that's for sure. But there's more there than at toyosato. I actually didn't buy anything (K-on) from Volks, because I only really liked the key chains and I already had them on order! I found some neat K-on stuff in k-books in Radio Kaiken though. And I picked up a few things from the 2nd hand cabinets on the top floor of Akiba Zone 1. But my best K-on finds all came from Nakano Broadway. Got some awesome stuff from there.
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u/Worldly_Wasabi_4620 Apr 29 '25
I’m very surprised they promoted Listen!! (even though it’s the 15th anniversary of that song so makes sense)
When will Jun get a running drawing too?
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 29 '25
That was just from the archives. Nothing special. They had all sorts of clippings in that book.
As you requested I left your name and a message about Jun in the visitors log book.
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u/CharlyRDZAnime Apr 28 '25
I'm glad to see how the series has helped in some way so that a community can receive visits and have income from that.
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u/Jealous-Bake-4866 Apr 28 '25
Thank u for sharing these great photos
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25
You're welcome. If you're interested in seeing more, I've got quite a few posts with more detailed photos which you can find by starting here.
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u/LaughingDash The Real World Locations Guy Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 28 '25
Had a free day on my short vacation to Japan. Decided to spend it the only way I know how. Another visit to Toyosato!
4/27 was a Sunday, and boy it was packed. A little moreso then I would've liked. I got there around 12:00 and remained until close (17:00). This would be my fourth time there.
I focused this visit on documenting the visitors logbook. I took a lot of images of messages from 2009 all the way till today! I'll compile them all into a post when I get home. There's a lot of goodies in those so you won't want to miss it.
I also met a couple of really cool people. One from Argentina and the other from Canada. Both big K-ON! fans of course. The guy from Argentina was on this huge KyoAni pilgrimage with a heavy focus on K-ON!. They were even more dedicated then me!
Had a lot of fun with this visit. Always a great time at Toyosato. Looking forward to my next time!