Where is the line between an ordinary fan and hardcore fan? Maybe the line seems blurry, but here we have a great example of a true hardcore fan, so you’ll know when you meet someone similar. In this case, we talk about an anime fan who ride 250 miles on a bicycle to attend Comiket convention in Tokyo.
Winter Comiket, the cold-season iteration of Japan’s twice-a-year mega-gathering of anime otaku and doujinshi (self-published comics) artists, is being held in this time of the year, during New Year’s holidays, so it attracts fans from all over the world.
Aichi Prefecture, known as Twitter user @DJ_FLANDRE, lives about 400 km from Tokyo where Comiket convention is being held. For an ordinary fan, what’s to expect would be to buy a bullet train ticket and to get to the destination in about two hours. Yet, a hardcore fan would do something less expected and much more complicated, just like @DJ FLANDRE did.
@DJ FLANDRE made 400 kilometers (about 249 miles) journey from his hometown to Tokyo by bicycle in order to attend Comiket.
If that wasn’t enough, he didn’t use some mad sports bike but a “mama chari” (from “mama chariot”), the heavy-framed bicycle with a shopping basket commonly used by Japanese housewives. Hardcore or what?!
https://twitter.com/DJ_FLANDRE/status/945081327660908544
@DJ_FLANDRE started pedaling on Christmas morning, hopping on the bike at 9 a.m. on December 25.
ばいばい名古屋。こんにちわ豊明市 pic.twitter.com/9skHYFTzcW
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 25, 2017
How did he get this idea anyway?! He asked Tweeter for their opinion how should he get to Comiket last summer: by bus, by train or by bicycle… As you might have guessed, the third option got most of the votes.
こんにちわ静岡県(◦`꒳´◦) pic.twitter.com/8ZIZns4xV8
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 25, 2017
View of the sea magically appeared to him after 100 kilometers (62 miles) of pedaling.
海だーーーーーーーーーーーーーー100km漕いで見る景色は格別や pic.twitter.com/KHmkdP9F4d
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 25, 2017
This was his Christmas dinner… He got a monster appetite from all that pedaling!
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 25, 2017
You run on these when you’re biking … The bike’s basket, stocked with energy and protein drinks.
https://twitter.com/DJ_FLANDRE/status/945250094416248832
@DJ_FLANDRE rolled into Shizuoka City where he spent a night.
富士山めっちゃ綺麗なんだが… pic.twitter.com/R7UEN0tOfh
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 26, 2017
The journey continues…
https://twitter.com/DJ_FLANDRE/status/945467822540390400
おおきい pic.twitter.com/daizUViunt
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 26, 2017
It’s time for lunch again!
アッッッ！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！ pic.twitter.com/XFxnd8em9o
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 26, 2017
Many ups and downs on this road! He took the coastal tour this time.
https://twitter.com/DJ_FLANDRE/status/945545107788283905
Passing through Atami, a seaside hot spring resort town. Rather than splurge on such luxurious accommodations, @DJ_FLANDRE kept pedaling for five more hours after reaching Atami until he got to the city of Chigasaki where he finished his second Day and 330 kilometers (205 miles) in total.
横浜市(◦`꒳´◦) pic.twitter.com/Pj30n4CJ3h
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 27, 2017
Next day he reached Yokohama at 10:38. He even had time to meet up with some local friends for yet another protein-packed meaty meal.
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 27, 2017
At 3:12, he crossed over into Kawasaki, the northernmost city in Kanagawa and Tokyo’s southern neighbor.
おーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー pic.twitter.com/olhUtjoaz5
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 27, 2017
…and at 3:41, he was on the far shore, in Tokyo!
夏に引き続き愛知東京間ママチャリ走破しました～～～～～～～～〜～～～～～～～～～～～～～🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲 pic.twitter.com/JWsovnjWaP
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 27, 2017
@DJ FLANDRE enjoying Comiket after 400 km of biking on “mama cheri”! Bravo!
設営終わりました！！！！！東7そ09bをお願いします。す！！！！！！！！！！！ pic.twitter.com/M8YtjkDOk7
— 🍣べし太郎🍖@5/25関西コミティア (@DJ_FLANDRE) December 29, 2017
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