Japan's biggest VR entertainment facility VR ZONE SHINJUKU introduced Dragon Quest VR to its establishment on April 27, 2018. An opening event was held prior to its introduction on April 25 to up the excitement.

Taking to the stage at the opening event was Square Enix producer Ryutaro Ichimura, Takamasa Hamano of Bandai Namco Amusement, and Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest. Horii spoke joyfully, saying "It's been 30 years since Dragon Quest was born. This world that is laid before me is something out of a dream."

The centre tree in the middle of the venue illuminated with the shout of Lynn. Projection mapping was used to display Yggdrasil, a quintessential sight of the Dragon Quest series.

Guests were able to get involved in VR activities after the stage talks. The moment everyone hooked themselves up to the VR they were blown away by how much it looked like they were in the world of Dragon Quest, and how expansive the green plains were.

If you're a Dragon Quest fan then enter the world yourself with Dragon Quest VR at VE ZONE SHINJUKU!

This is Yuri ‘Yurippa’ Suganuma’s featured article series in which she takes us on her adventures to cultivate new hobbies.

Yurippa has been interested in photography for some time now, but she’s been unsure which camera she should buy. So, she decided to head to some used camera stores,  Lucky Camera Shop andChuko Camera Box in Shinjuku to find the perfect camera that best suits her. Was she able to find the right one...? Let’s find out!

The first place Yurippa stopped by was Lucky Camera Shop. It’s located next to Isetan Shinjuku and has a kind of foreign, non-Japanese air to it. When Yurippa saw the eye-catching red exterior of the shop, it was loved at first sight. In any case, time to head in!

The store is lined with cameras made in lots of different countries including Japan, Germany and the US. Lucky Camera Shop puts a lot of effort into stocking foreign-made cameras and mechanical cameras with everything built in. They have a varied line-up, including famous Leica cameras.

The Leica parts were all expensive – the bodies and lenses were both over ¥100,000 ($915)!

Yurippa was shown a camera she was interested in from inside the showcase. The left was a single-lens reflex Olympus OM-1 and the right was a Barnack Leica. 35mm films are all the rage right now, and these were some of the first models to use them. Both are at a nice, compact size.

Yurippa was blown away looking through the viewfinder of the Olympus OM-1. ‘You can see things easily, so much so that everything looks even more beautiful through the viewfinder!’ she said.

Next, Yurippa also tried the Barnack Leica. It’s a valuable camera that has you feeling a little nervous touching it. She said surprised at how quiet the shutter was, to which the shop assistant explained, “This is a different single-lens reflex to that of the OM-1. There’s no mirror inside so the shutter is quiet.” Yurippa learned much about how cameras are put together differently, as well as the diverse number of types available.

The next shop Yurippa headed to was Chuko Camera Box. It’s a used camera store located along Shinjuku Electric Street (Shinjuku Denki-gai). The showcase is crowded with cameras, and the shop has an atmosphere to it like a secret hideout.

“It’d be great to have a camera that’s small and easy to use. One that I can take out and snap a photo with straight away. That’d definitely be fun!” said Yurippa while looking in earnest for a camera.

She continued to search with these keywords in mind, focusing on auto-focus film compact cameras. And then, she found it. In her hands was the Genba Kantoku from Konica. You can snap a photo just by pressing the shutter. It has auto-focus, flash and auto-load. “It’s a little big, but it’s affordable and seems easy to use!”

Chuko Camera Box is famous for its friendly store clerk and regular customers. Yurippa learned that the Genba Kantoku was formerly used for recording at construction sites. It’s durable and can get wet or be dropped and has an excellent lens. She’s finally made her purchase!

Yurippa loaded her Genba Kantoku right away with 35mm film. Simply take out the film tip and close it on its back. Film cameras can seem tricky, but there are easy-to-use ones like this too!

Yurippa was hugely satisfied finally getting her hands on her long-sought film camera. In the second part of this article, she will develop and print the photos that she has taken with her Genba Kantoku at a photo shop.

How about getting yourself your own film camera and to start up photography yourself?

Sanrio Puroland is a theme park where you can meet some of the world's most iconic characters including Hello Kitty and My Melody.

The closest station to the park is Tama-Center Station which is often perceived as being quite a trip, but it's very easy to get to. Just hop on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku Station and it's just one stop. It takes about 35-minutes.

If you're planning a trip to Sanrio Puroland, then consider the new ticket set that's coming out on April 1, 2018. The super affordable Odakyu Sanrio Puroland Tour contains both a round-trip train ticket as well as a passport ticket into Puroland.

The tour can be paid for at the Odakyu Travel Center in Shinjuku Station's West Hub, which was refurbished this month.

Have a fun trip and affordable trip to Sanrio Puroland with this new ticket set!