Kalafina Museum ~ Budokan tote bag & Animate postcard

I didn't bring much to Japan with me on this trip.  Usually on a longer trip, I might pack my large duffel bag in my much smaller cabin size suitcase.  But this time, since it was only a 4 day 3 night trip and I was trying out a new hotel in an unfamiliar place, I didn't want to be burdened by a lot of luggage.

The biggest thing on my mind was that skateboard that I had bought. :P  I got a standard size street skateboard because I only own a nickel and I wanted a bigger board this time to try and do some simple tricks. :P

And those r my Vans shoes w/out the Keiko
produced shoelaces. Don't want to mess
those shoelaces up. :P

I got an Element complete from Amazon JP and had it sent to the hotel.  At first I was thinking of trying to hand carry it on-board but I soon realised that it would be too long so I ended up checking it in.  I guess it was just as well that I didn't bring a duffel with me, although I probably should have brought a larger suitcase as my check-in.  The cabin size suitcase proved to be too small because I ended up having to carry some items home for friends and one of them turned out to be bigger than we expected. *sweat.

OMG! So many boxes!!

Only the last bottom box is mine and there was another box not in this photo.  The last bottom box contained my skateboard.  I did use that box to check-in my skateboard onto the plane.  So yeah.... I was in a quandary.  How was I going to transport all this back.

So it's Kalafina to the rescue!! :P (to be honest, it's my excuse to get more Kalafina stuff :D )  One of my friends who also attended the Kalafina far on the water lives in Tokyo was carrying the Kalafina Budokan Red/Blue Day tote bags.  And she told me that they probably had them for sale at the Kalafina Museum at Animate in Akihabara.  The Kalafina Museums at Animate are usually short term mini displays of a couple of their photos, one set of their costumes from the lives and a bunch of their live products.  And usually, if you buy something Kalafina related, you can get a postcard or postcards.

So of course, since I needed an extra bag, I was off to the Kalafina Museum at Animate to pick up yet another Kalafina related product. :D

Actually, I don't usually get the tote bags from the lives.  I only have one Kajiura Yuki one from vol.8 and until I got this Kalafina tote bag, I actually didn't own a single Kalafina tote bag.  The other tote bags that I have from Japan are mostly anime related ones from Madoka Magica of which I have three and one small Attack on Titan freebie tote bag that came with a magazine.

So I suppose, it's fitting that my first Kalafina tote bag is the one from the Budokan lives which is one of their most significant lives in the history of Kalafina and one that meant a great deal to them.

  

I actually really wanted this tote bag when I saw my friend with it at the Yuki Kajiura vol.12 lives.  I didn't realise at the Kalafina Budokan lives that the tote bag came with a zip and an inner pocket.  I only found out about it when I checked out my friend's bag at the YK vol.12 lives.  It's also a really nice size for carrying the pamphlets and calendars etc.  But I forgot about it till she mentioned that they were available at the Kalafina Museum at the Animate in Akiba.  Ordering from the Spacecraft webstore is a real hassle for folks who don't live in Japan, hence, I didn't think I would be able to pick it up at all.

Happily, there had the bags at the Kalafina Musuem in Akiba and I bought it and got yet another Kalafina postcard. :)  Actually, there were 3 postcards available.  I would love to get all three but I only qualified for one so I picked this one which I liked the best. :)

I was going to take a photo of the other postcard that one of my friends got but I forgot. :P  That was a pretty nice postcard too.  :(  Too bad I couldn't get it and don't have a photo of it too. The third postcard looked a little like this one below, if my memory serves me well.

I remember it looking quite similar to the place holder image they used for the Kalafina Calendar 2016.

Anyway, I need to dash to work.  I didn't realise how much time I took with this post!! *sweat

Lastly, this is the Kalafina Museum in Animate schedule.
「Kalafina LIVE TOUR 2015～2016"far on the water"」開催記念 Kalafina Museum in アニメイト Vol.2

They'll be in one of the Osaka Animates too for those going to the Osaka lives. :)  The one in Akiba was displaying the Kalafina Budokan Blue Day costumes.  I'm not sure which ones will go on display at the other Animates though.

cheers!! :)