<a href="https://travelfeed.io/@taco.cat/tacocat-s-travels-70-japan-2-0-tv-stars-for-a-day"><center><h3>Read this post on TravelFeed.io for the best experience</h3></center></a><hr />

<img src="https://img.travelfeed.io/taco.cat%2F20200810T081937393Z-20160808_155216.jpg" />
<hr />
Hey Hive/Steemit!

If you didn't catch the last couple of posts, this series is about 
our trip to Tokyo (again) way back in August 2016, when we went there 
for a short international exchange program called Promoting Asian 
Leadership (PAL) with Keio University! The program was a week long, but 
we went there a few days ahead of time to explore and revisit our 
favourite places.

So <a href="https://steemit.com/hive-184437/@taco.cat/tacocat-s-travels-69-celebrating-birthdays-with-brown" target="_blank">last week</a>,
 we continued on with the program by having a couple of discussions and 
debates about broad topics like censorship or whatever. Then, we spent 
the rest of the day chilling and shopping at Harajuku, and got to visit 
one of our favourite stores - the LINE Friends store! And we also got to
 meet the birthday boy - Brown!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/lxSdPbsq-image.png"   />

<h3>8 August 2016. Sunday.</h3>

I'm not too sure if we had any programs in the morning that day. 
There might've been some discussions and stuff or something. I don't 
remember.<br>
But anyway, the real fun was in the afternoon when they brought us to Odaiba!

So if you recall, we actually came here briefly and explored the mall for a bit on <a href="https://peakd.com/hive-184437/@taco.cat/tacocat-s-travels-62-japan-2-0-a-magical-summer-in-tokyo-disneyland" target="_blank">our day to Disneyland</a>! But one building we didn't visit was this huge one you can see from the station:

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/OzxTJ0MG-20160808_144006.jpg"   />

I never knew what that building was until now! Turns out it's the Fuji TV Headquarters! Here's a better picture:<br>

<figure><img alt="" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/taco.cat%2F20200810T082037569Z-image.png" width="1231" height="779" /><center><figcaption></figcaption></center></figure>

<i>Source: <a href="https://cdn.cheapoguides.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/06/fuji-tv-building_glane.jpg">Tokyo Cheapo</a></i><br>

On the way there we passed by a couple of booths, including this one for Playstation VR!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/5mOZO0vH-20160808_144656.jpg"   />

<i>Sorry for the slight blur, I was taking this while walking so it didn't focus properly unfortunately.</i>

I guess there were some events going on, because there were smoothie stands and a bounce house and stuff:

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/3vMTMyWq-20160808_144746.jpg"   />

It seemed pretty festive, but we had to go to the TV HQ first since 
we had tickets to a guided tour. We also managed to snap this 
cool-looking photo near the entrance!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/xAHsgfsv-image.png"   />

Just past the entrance, there was a pop-up store with merch for the 
Monster Hunter Stories anime! I don't know anything about Monster 
Hunter, but it looked really cool!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/AK1WUIVE-20160808_144830.jpg"   />

After waiting around for a little bit, we got our passes!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/H7eaamlV-image.png"   />

The staff guide then brought us upstairs to the observatory (called the HACHITAMA Spherical Observation Room) which features an impressive 270-degree panorama view of the Odaiba area and Tokyo Bay! <br>

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/PvDPLZRK-20160808_150456.jpg"   />

The observatory is actually the ball in the middle of the building! And offers such an amazing view! It must look even better at night with all the lights on!<br>

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/t26WihRJ-image.png"   />

After enjoying the view, the guide brought us to some of the actual TV sets!<br>
This was where they did the nightly news (I think):

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/I07qwFlp-20160808_153440.jpg"   />

And there was such an elaborate lighting rig on the ceiling:

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/BMWkL5TX-image.png"   />

It was so cool seeing a TV set up close, with the huge cameras and everything:

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/m61Yn2Vw-20160808_153847.jpg"   />

The guide was probably explaining what everything was, and what 
people do here. I think he was mostly speaking in Japanese so I couldn't
 understand much and just took a lot of photos.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/jTPb9Dqo-received_1049479945128969.jpeg"   />

I remember he brought us to the inside of the booth where the control panel for the audio and visual equipment were, and where the directors/producers would be. But it was quite dark to take any photos. It was really cool though, seeing all the different buttons and controls. It was like the spaceships in Star Trek or something.

He also told us about the daily schedule of working on a TV show, and that they start work at like 4am or something, prepping for the daily morning news. Every minute there was something to do and everyone would be so busy. It sounded so stressful.

We were then led to this colourful looking set that I assume is for a variety show:

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/8Phj2VDq-20160808_153940.jpg"   />

I'm not sure what show this is from exactly, but the set looked so 
cool and fun! It was a world of difference compared to the serious and 
boring newsroom.

It was so cool seeing all the props and stuff on set. And we even got to sit on them!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/zcpyaIbO-20160808_154221.jpg"   />

I especially liked that everything was so colourful. I guess that's 
kind of important for a variety show to keep it light and entertaining.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/pW2sTxVw-image.png"   />

I think the staff were explaining how the shows worked, the 
behind-the-scenes of broadcasting, what the producers do and stuff. The 
whole process was so complicated and had so many moving parts. Working 
for a TV station is definitely a very hectic job for sure, especially on
 a daily show.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/WCSQDoIy-20160808_154400.jpg"   />

While they were talking on the other side of the set in Japanese, we mostly just hung around and took lots of photos.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/QCuezbBU-20160808_155116.jpg"   />

And after that, we took a group photo!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/tyjtKKEs-received_1049479958462301.jpeg"   />

It was really cool seeing what the inside of a TV broadcasting 
station looked like, and exploring the sets was definitely a unique 
experience you wouldn't normally get, so I really enjoyed this 
excursion!

After grabbing a few more quick photos, we had to leave. It was cool, but there wasn't much else to see here anyway.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/vnx2rJ0L-20160808_155322.jpg"   />

After that, we promptly exited the building, but not before one last group photo!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/1GeQrr2h-received_620163908165059.jpeg"   />

We pretty much had free time to do whatever after that. I think the 
rest of them left to go have lunch or something. But we weren't too 
hungry and I wanted to explore the carnival or whatever they were having
 outside so Sean and I went to have a look around.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/PF2o71n8-20160808_161602.jpg"   />

I'm not sure what event they were haing or who organised it exactly, but there were quite a lot of booths out.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/wiuwR6Pw-20160808_162605.jpg"   />

But as usual, it was all expensive and crowded so after a quick lookaround, we decided to head to elsewhere.

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/taco.cat/dmmjCrAl-image.png"   />

But
 I think that's gonna be all for now! I still have quite a lot of photos
 from the rest of this day and if I add them the post will be way too 
long.

So tune in next week for the exciting conclusion where we explore more of Odaiba and visit Joypolis!

Thanks for reading!

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmV7TccExqU1Xgg94QcBSftoueafgFygxYYiKrUcJZ1bvw/endslate%20gif5.1.gif"   />

To find out more about me, check out my intro post <a href="https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@taco.cat/my-first-steemit-post" target="_blank">here!</a>

<h2>Check out my previous post in this series!</h2>

<a href="https://hive.blog/hive-184437/@taco.cat/tacocat-s-travels-69-celebrating-birthdays-with-brown">TacoCat’s Travels #69: Celebrating Birthdays with Brown! 🐻</a>

<img alt="" src="https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/1536x0/https://img.travelfeed.io/taco.cat%2F20200803T083234843Z-1.PNG"   />



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[//]:# (!pinmapple 35.626623 lat 139.774225 long  d3scr)