On This Episode of Japan Station
On this episode of the Japan Station podcast I’m talking with popular webcomic creator Evangeline Neo about her career and her travels in Tokyo.
About Evangeline Neo
Evangeline Neo is an illustrator and comic creator from Singapore. She is best known for her webcomic which has developed a large following and often touches on Japan-related topics. To date she has published four books, including her latest A Manga Lover’s Tokyo Travel Guide: My Favorite Things to Do and See in Japan. Put out by Tuttle publishing earlier this year, A Manga Lover’s Tokyo Travel Guide is a unique spin on a travel guide that uses comics drawn by Evangeline Neo to present useful information for travelers in Japan.
Topics Discussed
- When Evangeline got interested in anime and manga
- The first time Evangeline got her work published
- Evangeline’s art style
- Going to art school in the US
- Evangeline’s time working on her MBA at Waseda University
- Traveling in and around Tokyo
- How Evangeline was able to grow the following of her webcomic
- A funny experience at a cosplay photo studio
- Evangeline’s experience at Swallowtail Butlers Cafe in Ikebukuro, Tokyo
- The origins of the term fujoshi
- The wheelchair accessibility of Meiji Shrine in Tokyo
- The challenges of writing a travel guide
- What Evangeline did when she found out her work was being used in Vietnam without her permission
- And much more!
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Links, Videos, Etc.
A Manga Lover’s Tokyo Travel Guide: My Favorite Things to Do and See in Japan is out now in both paperback and ebook (Kindle) formats. If you would like to purchase it via Amazon, you can use the link below.
Evangeline Neo’s other books can also can be purchased on Amazon. Below is a link to the listing of Eva, Kopi and Matcha,
Here’s the Amazon listing for Eva Goes Solo.
And here’s the Amazon listing for Eva, Kopi and Matcha 2.0.
To check out Evacomics, follow Evangeline Neo on these social media platforms. Evangeline posts new comics on Mondays.
Visit Evangeline Neo’s website via the link below.
About Swallowtail Butlers Cafe
Regarding the butler cafe in Ikebukuro that was discussed in this episode, it is called Swallowtail Butlers Cafe (but it is often referred to simply as Swallowtail). You must make a reservation or you will not be allowed to enter. If you do go without a reservation, then your only hope is that someone with a reservation cancels and that you are first on the waiting list. You can find English-language directions for how to make a reservation here, but as of the time of this writing, the directions are rather unclear. Swallowtail’s Japanese-language reservation guidelines can be found here. The reservation form can be found here. However, because it is all in Japanese securing a reservation seems like it would be quite challenging if you can’t read Japanese. Your best bet seems to be to ask someone who can read Japanese for help. Also, please keep in mind that tables appear to get reserved very quickly. If you would like to eat at Swallowtail during a stay in Tokyo, you should reserve a table as soon as possible. Keep in mind that Swallowtail only takes reservations up to two weeks in advance.
For location information for Swallowtail Butlers Cafe, see below.
Swallowtail Butlers Cafe (執事喫茶Swallowtail) Location Information
Addres
3 Chome−12−12 Show Bldg., Higashiikebukuro
Toshima Ward, Tokyo 170-0013
〒170-0013
東京都豊島区東池袋 3-12-12 正和ビルB1F
Hours
Tea Time
10:30 – 18:40
Dinner Time
19:00 – 21:15
Website
Swallowtail Bulters Cafe Website
If you’d like to see what a visit to the Swallowtail Butlers Cafe is like, check out the video below.
The website accessibility-japan.com can be accessed via the link below.
As mentioned in the episode, fujoshi can be written in two ways in Japanese. Depending on which kanji you use as the first character, the meaning changes. See below for more details.
- 婦女子: This fujoshi means “ladies” or “ladies and girls” or “women.” The first character (婦) can be read fu or yome and can mean lady, woman, or wife.
- 腐女子: This fujoshi is used to refer to girls and women who are fans of BL/yaoi. The first character (腐) means “rot.” This character is used in the word kusaru (腐る), which means “to rot” or “to spoil.” Literally, this fujoshi translates to “rotten girl.”
Special Thanks
Opening/Closing song: Oedo Controller (大江戸コントローラー) by Yunomi featuring Toriena (Used with permission from Yunomi)
To listen to more of Yunomi’s music, check out his Soundcloud page or YouTube channel.
Japan Station cover art: Provided by Erik R.
Images: Courtesy of Evangeline Neo
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