Wednesday, March 18, 2009

MAKOTO-CHAN HOUSE: FOUND!

The puzzle has been solved, thanks to Nate's sleuthing skills. For context, Nate is my best bud from college, and now living in Tokyo working on his dissertation. He also is the dude that covered the Shintaro Kago event on Halloween for Same Hat, wrote the hilarious photo-article "DEPARTMENT FOR IMPLEMENTING 15 KINDS OF VIOLENT DEATH" for Electric Ant #1, and runs the hardcore ramen-ology blog, Waseda Ramen (Your newest MUST-READ Japan blog, add this one to your RSS!).

But dang, Nate's newest and biggest claim to fame? He tracked down the location to Kazuo Umezu's Makoto-Chan house in Kichijoji! Using a combo of Japanese search terms, GPS, and deep-cuts google.co.jp skills, he found the spot. It has now been added to the Same Hat Guide To Everything Map!

Without further ado, here is the location (DUN DUN DUN):

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AND EVEN COOLER? Check out this sneak peak of the house-in-progress from Street View:

View Larger Map

Umezologists, we now have our Mecca. Nate is gonna go visit it in person soon and share pics here, and you KNOW this is at the top of my list when I get back to Japan later this year. FRESH.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Imagine that this house never existed... Imagine that when Nate goes there finds a plain ordinary house... Imagine that he will have to be "silenced" to prevent the truth from spreading out...

PS: I don't know if you've felt like this, but I remember, while being on the plane to Tokyo, I was thinking that this country never existed, and would not believe I would go there, until we landed... ^^

Karel VeselĂ˝ said...

Great discovery! Thanks.
I was walkin just few meters far from it on my way to from Kichijoji to Ghibli Museum last autumn without knowing anything! Damn.

Ryan S said...

@RosenRed: Haha, we'll see what happens to Nate. I imagine more that he might run into Umezz and Demerin and get a high five! Like when he met Kago-san :)

I do know what you mean about traveling to Japan the first time--- back in high school when I was 16 was my first time, through a small exchange program, and Evan and I were talking on the plane like, "What if there isn't really a place called Japan, but they're flying us to some part of Canada (Alberta?) where they have this giant theme park full of actors." Like the movie, Westworld :)

@Karel: Thanks to Nate! My gf and I were like 4 blocks away when we were at the Calico Cafe (cat cafe) and then shopping at the Muji in Kichijoji for hankies. :)

Anonymous said...

That house is quite possibly the COOLEST THING EVER. And I love that last photo set of the interior. Umezu just looks so Goddamn happy with that cake :D

myrto said...

I guess all same hat readers that have ever been to the Ghibli museum (myself included) feel pretty crappy right now. But we will cherish this knowlegde until next time...

Ryan S said...

@myrto: Where exactly is the Ghibli museum? I've never been-- but remember hearing it was by the park south of the Kichijoji station. Can someone add it to the Same Hat Guide to Everything map?

Nice to see you in the comments again, dude!

myrto said...

Ghibli museum added to the map, check!
Wait, you 've never been to the Ghibli museum?? How come?

And you should remove the "(hopefully)" part, from the map's description. I would do it, but I thought that you enjoy more than me, this move of victory!

Anonymous said...

Hey, thought maybe you'd be interested in knowing.. one of Shintaro Kago's videos is now a 'Featured Video' on youtube.

Ryan S said...

@myrto: Good call, just updated the description and added the SHTGE to the Same Hat blogroll. Thanks for adding the museum!

@Jaclyn, thanks for the head's up! I just grabbed the screen and will post on Same Hat. I wonder where folks are hearing about Kago? on G4? did G4 hear about it from us?

*STROKES EGO*